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ACMG Foundation, Genzyme announce recipients of Medical Genetics Training Award

Carlos E. Prada, MD of Cincinnati Children's Hospital and James D. Weisfeld-Adams, MD of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY were honored as the 2012-2013 recipients of the Genzyme/ACMG Foundation Medical Genetics Training Award in Clinical Biochemical Genetics at the ACMG 2012 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Charlotte, NC.

6 Apr 2012

Vaccination most promising against asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory and respiratory disease caused by an abnormal reactivity to allergens in the environment. Of the several avenues of exploration that are currently being developed, vaccination appears to be the most promising approach.

5 Apr 2012

Piceatannol blocks preadipocytes’ ability to develop and grow

A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a Purdue University study.

5 Apr 2012

New cell and animal model of IBC

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive, often misunderstood type of cancer that is diagnosed more frequently in younger women compared with other types of breast cancer. The five-year survival rate is between 25 and 50 percent-significantly lower than the survival rate for other types of breast cancer. The reason for the poor prognosis is that IBC usually grows rapidly and often spreads quickly to other parts of the body, including the brain, bone and lymph nodes.

5 Apr 2012

Stress-induced tolerance can prevent glaucoma

Working in mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a treatment that prevents the optic nerve injury that occurs in glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease that is a leading cause of blindness.

4 Apr 2012

Lilly announces results of three preclinical studies that focus on c-MET receptor

Eli Lilly and Company today announced results of three preclinical studies focused on c-MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase that, when it functions normally, plays a key role in transmitting signals within a cell.

3 Apr 2012

Moderate caloric intake may reduce risk of obesity in low-birth weight offspring

Babies who are born small have a tendency to put on weight during childhood and adolescence if allowed free access to calories. However, a new animal model study at UCLA found when small babies were placed on a diet of moderately regulated calories during infancy, the propensity of becoming obese decreased.

3 Apr 2012

Controversial study on lethal bird flu virus strain to be published

The controversial study on lethal flu virus strain is likely to be published in full. Last December the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity - NSABB recommended the two papers not be published in full by the journals - Nature and Science. The panel was concerned that details of the studies, which induced mutations in the H5N1 avian flu virus that made it transmissible among mammals by air rather than by close physical contact, could be used for bioterrorism. Critics of the recommendation raised fears that important science was being censored.

2 Apr 2012

Starvation during childhood may increase risk of heart complications

Russians born during the Leningrad Siege in World War II, which was responsible for some of the greatest losses of civilian life in history, are giving scientists new strategies to identify people who experienced intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and starvation during childhood at greatest risk of developing long term heart complications.

31 Mar 2012

Nmnat enzyme plays a critical role in nerve injury

A new animal model of nerve injury has brought to light a critical role of an enzyme called Nmnat in nerve fiber maintenance and neuroprotection.

31 Mar 2012

Study explains how rapamycin also causes insulin resistance

A Penn- and MIT-led team explained how rapamycin, a drug that extends mouse lifespan, also causes insulin resistance. The researchers showed in an animal model that they could, in principle, separate the effects, which depend on inhibiting two protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, respectively.

30 Mar 2012

New treatment approach halts spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue

Treating invasive brain tumors with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation has improved clinical outcomes, but few patients survive longer than two years after diagnosis. The effectiveness of the treatment is limited by the tumor's aggressive invasion of healthy brain tissue, which restricts chemotherapy access to the cancer cells and complicates surgical removal of the tumor.

29 Mar 2012

Researchers design new treatment approach for invasive brain tumors

Researchers from Emory and the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a new treatment approach that appears to halt the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models.

29 Mar 2012

Scientists explore number of strategies to prevent anesthesia-induced injury in infants

Recent clinical studies have shown that general anesthesia can be harmful to infants, presenting a dilemma for both doctors and parents. But new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center may point the way to treatment options that protect very young children against the adverse effects of anesthesia.

29 Mar 2012

UofL researcher receives patent for novel biochemical discovery

University of Louisville researchers are a step closer to eliminating periodontal disease through their work to develop synthetic molecules that prevent a bacteria responsible for the disease from spreading throughout the mouth.

28 Mar 2012

Hapten licenses HPT-721 to prevent poison ivy dermatitis

Hapten Sciences Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., has licensed a compound developed by ElSohly Laboratories Inc. and University of Mississippi pharmaceutical researchers to prevent reactions to poison ivy, oak and sumac.

27 Mar 2012

High-fat, low-carb foods linked with increased risk of heart attack in obese people

High-fat, low-carb foods are a popular choice for dieters, but new laboratory research by University of Alabama at Birmingham cardiologists indicates these may be detrimental to the health of people who have ischemic cardiovascular disease or a predisposition to heart attacks.

26 Mar 2012

Investigators identify proteins that may indicate fetus at risk for UTI-induced prematurity

Investigators in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital have developed a mouse model in which a mother's urinary tract infection negatively affects the offspring, an occurrence anecdotally observed in humans. Using this first-of-its-kind model, they have identified proteins in the blood that may indicate whether such an infection might stunt fetal growth.

23 Mar 2012

AACR to honor PU professor with Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research

A researcher from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and Princeton University who is helping to advance the molecular understanding of cancer metastasis is being recognized for his work by cancer specialists from around the globe.

22 Mar 2012

GenVec 2011 net loss decreases to $7.4 million

Today GenVec, Inc. announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2011. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company reported a net loss of $7.4 million, or $0.58 per share, compared with a net loss of $12.3 million, or $0.97 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2010.

15 Mar 2012