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Increasing antibiotic resistance among soil microbes

A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are reporting disturbing evidence that soil microbes have become progressively more resistant to antibiotics over the last 60 years. Surprisingly, this trend continues despite apparent more stringent rules on use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, and improved sewage treatment technology that broadly improves water quality in surrounding environments. Their report appears in ACS' bi-weekly journal Environmental Science and Technology.

4 Mar 2010

Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prizes awarded to inventive students nationwide

A scientific "Renaissance man" whose work spans the fields of mathematics, linguistics, biotechnology and polymer physics, Erez Lieberman-Aiden, graduate student at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, has been named the winner of the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. Lieberman-Aiden, one of four 2010 $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prize winners announced today, was selected for the breadth and depth of his innovations.

4 Mar 2010

Gene 'addiction' of leukaemia cells

An international team of scientists studying acute forms of Leukaemia have identified a new drug target to inhibit the genes which are vital for the growth of diseased cells. The research, reported in EMBO Molecular Medicine, reveals how leukaemia cells become 'addicted' to genes, which if targeted could prevent diseased cells from developing.

3 Mar 2010

Scientists uncover vital clue that could steer research into nervous system disorders

Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute have uncovered a vital clue into how the brain is wired, which could eventually steer research into nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease and cognitive disorders including autism.

3 Mar 2010

Sea squirts help in fight against Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 27 million people worldwide. It is the most common form of age-related dementia, possibly the most feared disease of old age. There is no cure, and the available drugs only help to relieve symptoms without slowing progression of the disease. One of the characteristic changes in the brains of Alzheimer's patients is the accumulation of plaques and tangles; currently, the best hope for curing or at least slowing the disease lies in developing drugs that target this buildup.

2 Mar 2010

Most strains of pandemic H1N1 flu virus resist Tamiflu, say scientists

If the behavior of the seasonal form of the H1N1 influenza virus is any indication, scientists say that chances are good that most strains of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus will become resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug stockpiled for use against it.

2 Mar 2010

Life Technologies announces early stage results from SMS technology

Life Technologies Corporation today announced early stage results from its single molecule sequencing (SMS) technology. The technology promises to combine virtually unlimited continuous long read lengths with unmatched accuracy to deliver targeted genomic sequence data in a matter of hours, paving the way for sequencing to become a commonplace tool in research laboratories and clinical settings worldwide.

2 Mar 2010

Gene research offers new hope for targeted breast cancer treatment

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have developed a system to identify faulty or missing genes that could prevent specific chemotherapy regimes from working. This opens the doors for targeted breast cancer treatment, according to research published in the Lancet Oncology* today (Monday).

2 Mar 2010

Oxidative stress could lead to health problems and premature death

If you aren't getting a good, consistent and regular night's sleep, a new study suggests it could reduce your ability to handle oxidative stress, cause impacts to your health, increase motor and neurological deterioration, speed aging and ultimately cut short your life.

2 Mar 2010

Peer-reviewed articles elucidate role of clusterin in promoting tumor resistance to cancer treatment

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that two peer-reviewed articles have been published that further elucidate the biological function of clusterin, its role in promoting tumor resistance to cancer treatment, and the role of an inhibitor of clusterin such as custirsen (OGX-011) that is designed to knock down treatment resistance in the cells and enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapies.

1 Mar 2010

Determining personal risk for genetic disorders essential

Genetic diseases affect an estimated 12 million Americans, yet according to a survey of 1,000 people conducted by the Genetic Disease Foundation (GDF), while two-thirds of those surveyed were willing to and saw the benefits of undergoing genetic testing, close to 80 percent had never talked to their physician about genetic screening – an inconsistency that can have serious implications on a person's overall health and the health of their immediate family members.

1 Mar 2010

Discovery of link between CTCF and other proteins may help understand disease mechanisms better

Scientists at the University of Essex have a greater understanding of how our genes are controlled following a major research project.

1 Mar 2010

Researchers find gene regulator that plays key role in DS-AMKL

Between 5 and 10 percent of babies with Down syndrome develop a transient form of leukemia that usually resolves on its own. However, for reasons that haven't been clear, 20 to 30 percent of these babies progress to a more serious leukemia known as Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (DS-AMKL), which affects the blood progenitor cells that form red blood cells and platelets.

1 Mar 2010

Precise immune disturbances leading to Coeliac disease: More insight

New research has identified four aspects of immune system disturbance which lead to the development of coeliac disease. Nearly 40 different inherited risk factors which predispose to the disease have now been identified. These latest findings could speed the way towards improved diagnostics and treatments for the autoimmune complaint that affects 1 in 100 of the population, and lead to insights into related conditions such as type 1 diabetes.

28 Feb 2010

MDB Capital Group selects Health Discovery as one of Top 50 “Best and Brightest” companies

Health Discovery Corporation announced today it has been selected by MDB Capital Group as one of its Top 50 “Best and Brightest” companies that will present at the invitation-only, 1st Annual Bright Lights Conference, the first public company conference to focus exclusively on companies with disruptive and market changing intellectual property.

27 Feb 2010

Article describing novel biological properties of Thymosin beta 4 peptide fragments published

REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. announced today that a university research team has published an article ahead of print in FASEB Journal, a high-impact scientific journal, describing novel biological properties of several Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) peptide fragments.

27 Feb 2010

MLL cancer cells rely on normal protein to proliferate

Researchers have found that one particularly aggressive type of blood cancer, mixed lineage leukemia (MLL), has an unusual way to keep the molecular motors running. The cancer cells rely on the normal version of an associated protein to stay alive.

27 Feb 2010

Gene signature may help identify risk of colon cancer recurrence

A gene signature, first identified in mouse colon cancer cells, may help identify patients at risk of colon cancer recurrence, according to a recent study by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers.

26 Feb 2010

Mutations in MeCP2 cause autism spectrum disorder Rett Syndrome

A paper published online today in Molecular Cell proposes that Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) impacts the entire genome in neurons, rather than acting as a regulator of specific genes. Mutations in MeCP2 cause the autism spectrum disorder Rett Syndrome as well as some cases of neuropsychiatric problems including autism, schizophrenia and learning disabilities.

26 Feb 2010

NIH Director announces seven new scientific programs scheduled to begin during fiscal year 2010

Programs to create a new center for the study of stem cells and to increase capacity to deal with global health issues were among seven scientific initiatives announced today by NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. The seven research programs are supported through the NIH Common Fund, which encourages collaborative research programs across the NIH institutes and centers, or ICs, to accomplish work that no single IC could do alone.

26 Feb 2010