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Researchers show how bacteria control processes in human cells

Bacteria can talk to each other via molecules they themselves produce. The phenomenon is called quorum sensing, and is important when an infection propagates. Now, researchers at Link-ping University in Sweden are showing how bacteria control processes in human cells the same way.

6 Nov 2012

Geldanamycin degrades VEGFR2 protein that triggers blood vessel growth

The drug, geldanamycin, is well known for attacking a protein associated with the spread of breast cancer. However, a laboratory-based study found it also degraded a different protein that triggers blood vessel growth.

6 Nov 2012

New test device allows 'more real-life modeling' of contact lens wear

Modern contact lens materials are prone to drying when exposed to air, which contributes to the buildup of deposits on contact lenses, according to a study - "The Impact of Intermittent Air Exposure on Lipid Deposition", appearing in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

6 Nov 2012

ECG analysis may predict risk of death from all causes

Research by Johns Hopkins cardiologists suggests that electrocardiograms (ECGs), which are widely used tests to assess the heart’s electrical activity, may have a greater and more profound future role in predicting the risk of death from any cause, not just heart problems.

6 Nov 2012

Celldex to present results from CDX-301 Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced an upcoming data presentation at the American Society of Hematology 54th Annual Meeting and Exposition to be held in Atlanta, GA from December 8 through December 11, 2012.

6 Nov 2012

Scientists encourage genetic data sharing

Incomplete access to private databases containing vital genetic information may hinder the development of personalized medicine, say researchers.

5 Nov 2012

SpinChip aims to help doctors analyse patients' blood samples on the spot

The Norwegian company SpinChip aims to help doctors analyse patients' blood samples on the spot and provide immediate results.

5 Nov 2012

Mobile health care centers in India reduce infant and maternal mortality

Infant mortality has fallen by half, and the number of women who died from complications during pregnancy and childbirth by three-quarters. This is the result of a four-year health care project in one of India's poorest districts.

4 Nov 2012

New energy-harvesting device can power pacemakers

An experimental device converted energy from a beating heart to provide enough electricity to power a pacemaker, in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

4 Nov 2012

New studies support limiting daily sodium consumption to less than 1,500mg

New studies support limiting daily sodium consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory.

3 Nov 2012

Weill Cornell researchers awarded Grand Challenges Explorations grants

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

3 Nov 2012

Researchers develop new technique to predict enzymes known to accelerate diseases

Predicting how atherosclerosis, osteoporosis or cancer will progress or respond to drugs in individual patients is difficult.

3 Nov 2012

First edition of HIE Ready Buyers' Guide to facilitate health information exchange released

The UC Davis Health System's Institute for Population Health Improvement today released the first edition of its "HIE Ready Buyers' Guide" to facilitate health information exchange, especially in California.

3 Nov 2012

Scientists find new way to unlock cells' destinies

Scientists have discovered that breaking a biological signaling system in an embryo allows them to change the destiny of a cell.

3 Nov 2012

Adding angiogenesis inhibitor to anti-HER2 drugs extends survival in mice with breast cancer

Adding an angiogenesis inhibitor to treatment with a HER2-inhibiting drug could improve outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who develop brain metastases. In their report published online in PNAS Plus, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators report the first preclinical study combining antiangiogenic and anti-HER2 drugs in an animal model of brain metastatic breast cancer.

3 Nov 2012

Baylor University receives two new federal grants for research on Gulf War illness

Baylor University has been awarded two new federal grants for research on Gulf War illness, the complex medical condition that affects veterans of the 1991 war. The grants, from the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs of the U.S. Department of Defense, total nearly $1.6 million, and bring current federal funding for Baylor's Gulf War research program to over $2.3 million.

3 Nov 2012

University of Cambridge forms new spin-out company to supply hIPSC-derived cells

The potential therapeutic applications of stem cells - such as regenerating damaged tissues or organs - have generated a great deal of interest over the past decade. While these types of applications are exciting, it is a long journey from lab to clinic. The most immediate impact of stem cells on human health will most likely come from their use in the development of new drugs.

3 Nov 2012

Obstructive sleep apnea common in young cystic fibrosis children

Children with stable cystic fibrosis have an increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea, which could cause sleep disruption, researchers report.

2 Nov 2012

Imatinib mesylate effectively treats children with neurofibromatosis type 1 tumors

Physician-researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have reported the first effective therapy for a class of previously untreatable and potentially life-threatening tumors often found in children.

2 Nov 2012

New video-protocol details steps to generate human iPSCs from peripheral blood cells

Stem cells are a valuable resource for medical and biological research, but are difficult to study due to ethical and societal barriers. However, genetically manipulated cells from adults may provide a path to study stem cells that avoid any ethical concerns. A new video-protocol in JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments), details steps to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from cells in the peripheral blood.

2 Nov 2012