Laboratory News and Research

RSS

Research may lead to new treatment strategies for Graves' disease

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified a compound that prevents overproduction of thyroid hormone, a finding that brings scientists one step closer to improving treatment for Graves' disease.

2 Dec 2010

Exposure to BPA during perinatal development impairs reproductive capacity of female offspring

Exposure to a ubiquitous environmental chemical during pregnancy may impair reproductive capacity of female offspring, according to a study published online in advance of print on December 2 in Environmental Health Perspectives. Fertility decreased over time in female mice that had been exposed during fetal and neonatal (perinatal) development to doses of bisphenol-A (BPA) that were lower than or equal to human environmental exposure levels.

2 Dec 2010

Biomagnetics identifies second biomarker for tuberculosis assay

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced the identification of a second biomarker for development of a tuberculosis assay.

2 Dec 2010

Genzyme sells genetics business to LabCorp for $925M

Genzyme Corporation today announced that it has completed the sale of Genzyme Genetics to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: LH) for $925 million in cash.

2 Dec 2010

LabCorp completes Genzyme Genetics acquisition

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp., in an all cash transaction valued at $925 million. Net of expected income tax benefits, less acquisition-related expenses, the acquisition has a net cash cost to LabCorp of approximately $795 million.

2 Dec 2010

Noncancerous cells from primary site appear to facilitate tumor growth: Study

The process of metastasis requires that cancer cells traveling from a primary tumor find a hospitable environment in which to implant themselves and grow. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center researchers finds that circulating tumor cells prepare this environment by bringing along from their original site noncancerous cells that support tumor growth. The report has been published online in PNAS Early Edition.

1 Dec 2010

Genes linked to one-night stands and acts of infidelity

So, he or she has cheated on you for the umpteenth time and their only excuse is: "I just can't help it." According to researchers at Binghamton University, they may be right. The propensity for infidelity could very well be in their DNA.

1 Dec 2010

Study explores beauty discrimination in hiring process of labor market

"Good looks" are only sometimes a positive factor in consideration for a job, according to new research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). In the new working paper, "Are Good-Looking People More Employable?" two economics researchers from BGU prove that a double standard exists between good looks as a positive factor in men and women.

1 Dec 2010

Diabetes plays a vital role in regulating brain cholesterol: Research

The brain contains more cholesterol than any other organ in the body, has to produce its own cholesterol and won't function normally if it doesn't churn out enough. Defects in cholesterol metabolism have been linked with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Now researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that diabetes can affect how much cholesterol the brain can make.

1 Dec 2010

'Margaret Foti Award' for best thesis in translational oncology established

The American Association for Cancer Research, in cooperation with the University of Catania Ph.D. Oncology Program and the Italian League Against Cancer of Catania, announces the establishment of the "Margaret Foti Award" for the best thesis in translational oncology. The first awards will be given on Dec. 2, 2010, in Catania, Italy.

1 Dec 2010

Black rice may help soothe inflammation: Research

The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions," focuses on the discovery that black rice a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world's population may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma and other diseases.

1 Dec 2010

Anacor, UCSF and NYBC collaborate to discover drug therapies for river blindness

Anacor Pharmaceuticals, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Sandler Center and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI) of the New York Blood Center (NYBC) today announced the establishment of a research and development collaboration to discover new drug therapies for the treatment of river blindness (onchocerciasis), a parasitic disease that is the second leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide, and is most prevalent in Africa.

1 Dec 2010

Research could lead to new drug treatment for metabolic diseases

A team of Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) scientists report finding a molecular "switch" that can "turn off" some cellular processes that are protective against aging and metabolic diseases. While more research is needed, the findings may open doors for new drug treatments to halt or slow development of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes or heart disease. The research findings appear in the December 1, 2010 issue of Cell Metabolism.

1 Dec 2010

Vitamin D supplementation may reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease: Research

Researchers from the UC Davis Health System have found that compared with healthy controls, blood levels of vitamin D are significantly reduced in patients in the Sacramento area with metabolic syndrome, a constellation of disease risk factors that affects about one in three U.S. adults and predisposes them to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

1 Dec 2010

TRSI, ScribeAmerica partner to deliver online training program for Medical Scribes

TRS Institute (TRSI), the nation's leading provider of AHDI-approved online medical transcription and speech recognition training programs, announces an exclusive partnership with ScribeAmerica, the nation's pioneer in medical scribe training and management. The two organizations will combine and leverage training expertise to deliver an affordable self-study, self-paced online training program for Medical Scribes.

1 Dec 2010

Aushon, LightArray enter strategic partnership to provide multiplex biomarker products and services in China

Aushon BioSystems, Inc., a leading provider of multiplex immunoassay products and services for biomarker discovery, development and analysis announced during the ChinaTrials 2010 Summit in Beijing, China, that it has entered into a partnership with LightArray Biotech Company, Ltd., to provide Aushon's comprehensive suite of multiplex biomarker products and services to pharmaceutical, biotechnical, and academic research institutions located in mainland China.

1 Dec 2010

Increased staffing enhances patient survival in medical ICU

In a first-of-its-kind study to measure the impact of the highest recommended specialist staffing levels in an intensive care unit, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that increased staffing by specially trained physicians and other health care professionals can enhance patient survival and enable patients to breathe sooner without assistance. The results of the study have been released online ahead of print in the journal Critical Care Medicine.

30 Nov 2010

BioTrends releases annual syndicated publication of CKD-ND patient charts

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. released ChartTrends: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Chronic Kidney Disease Non-Dialysis (CKD-ND), an annual syndicated publication based on patient and laboratory data collected from over 1,000 U.S.

30 Nov 2010

First infrared imaging array capable of returning an image with record-breaking thermal resolution

CEA-Leti announced today the first infrared imaging array in the 8-10µm band capable of returning an image with a record-breaking minimum temperature difference, or thermal resolution, of 1 to 2mK at ambient temperature and with traditional image cadences of 25-50 Hertz.

30 Nov 2010

New novel explores conflicts between need for scientific truth and drive for commercial success

Research scientist Jennifer Rohn's newly released novel, The Honest Look, set in a start-up biotechnology company, explores conflicts between the need for scientific truth and the drive for commercial success.

30 Nov 2010