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Regenerative medicine project taps into human stem cells

Researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida have initiated a project to treat human brain and other diseases by plundering the secrets of regeneration from creatures with remarkable powers of self-renewal, such as salamanders, newts, starfish and flatworms.

2 Apr 2007

Scientists identify how development of different species uses same genes with distinct features

Biologists at New York University have identified how different species use common genes to control their early development and alter how these genes are used to accommodate their own features.

2 Apr 2007

Possible therapeutic target for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

In the April 1st issue of Genes & Development, Dr. Bruce Spiegelman (Dana Farber Cancer Institute) and colleagues identify a key genetic component of and possible therapeutic target for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

2 Apr 2007

Intelligent materials substitute for bone tissue

More than half a million people in the European Union and a million in the United States suffer from disorders in or serious defects of some part of their bone structure.

2 Apr 2007

Iron nanoparticles exhibit toxic effects on neuronal cells

Researchers at UC San Diego have discovered that iron-containing nanoparticles being tested for use in several biomedical applications can be toxic to nerve cells and interfere with the formation of their signal-transmitting extensions.

1 Apr 2007

Penn State scientists reveal structure of gateways to gene control

Scientists at Penn State University will reveal in the 29 March 2007 issue of the journal Nature the first complete high-resolution map of important structures that control how genes are packaged and regulated throughout an entire genome.

31 Mar 2007

Researchers identify gene for osteoporosis

Researchers report the identification of a gene that may play a role in susceptibility to osteoporosis, the crippling disease that leads to bone fractures, especially of the hip and spine.

31 Mar 2007

Genetic culprits of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified the genetic culprits that trigger a hereditary form of a fatal lung disease.

30 Mar 2007

Molecular mechanism involved in development of schizophrenia

In studying the postmortem brain tissue of adults who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the researchers found that levels of certain gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs were lower among schizophrenia patients than in persons who were free of psychiatric illness.

30 Mar 2007

American Cancer Society issues recommendation on MRI for breast cancer screening

An expert panel convened by the American Cancer Society has developed new recommendations for the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for women at increased risk for breast cancer, and recommends annual screening using MRI in addition to mammography for women with a 20-25 percent or greater lifetime risk of the disease.

29 Mar 2007

Glimpse into early brain development shows how nerve cells move into position

Tucked into the lower, rear portion of the brain, the cerebellum plays key roles in motor learning, motor memory and sensory perception. It's also where the majority of metastatic childhood brain tumors are located. Yet scientists still know very little about its early growth.

29 Mar 2007

DNA repair runs by the biological clock

No sooner have the clocks gone forward than scientists have shed new light on the link between our biological clocks and DNA damage repair processes, essential in protecting our cells from cancer.

27 Mar 2007

Immune response to cancer stem cells may dictate cancer's course

Although stem cells hold incredible promise in the fight against certain diseases, in cancer they're anything but helpful. In fact, mounting evidence is showing that a tumor's growth and spread may depend on 'cancer stem cells,' which comprise only a very small subset of the tumor.

27 Mar 2007

Circadian genes may be involved in bipolar disorder

Disrupt the gene that regulates the biological clocks in mice and they become manic, exhibiting behaviors similar to humans with bipolar disorder, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

25 Mar 2007

Cells use 'noise' to make cell-fate decisions

Electrical noise, like the crackle heard on AM radio when lightning strikes nearby, is a nuisance that wreaks havoc on electronic devices. But within cells, a similar kind of biochemical "noise" is beneficial, helping cells transform from one state to another, according to a new study led by a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher.

25 Mar 2007

AACR's Sixth Annual Landon Awards recognize Richard Kolodner, Douglas Lowy and John Schiller

Scientists whose discoveries have led to fundamental advances in the science and treatment of cancer are the recipients of two prestigious international prizes offered by the Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation and the American Association for Cancer Research.

22 Mar 2007

Pioneer work on cellular response to DNA Damage wins GlaxoSmithKline award

The Biochemical Society's GlaxoSmithKline Award 'for distinguished research leading to new advances in medical science' goes to Stephen Jackson (University of Cambridge) for his pioneering work on cellular response to DNA damage.

22 Mar 2007

Researchers discover vitiligo gene

In a study appearing in the March 22 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at St George's, University of London, the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes have discovered a connection between a gene and the chronic skin condition vitiligo, as well as a possible link to an array of other autoimmune diseases.

22 Mar 2007

New dimension to understanding of p53 protein

The p53 protein routinely shuts down damaged cells and is one of our main lines of defence against cancer. Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now present new findings on how p53 carries out this all-important function.

21 Mar 2007

Scientists discover new approach for treating virus-induced lymphomas

Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human tumor virus and an etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). PELs are aggressive lymphomas with reported median survival time shorter than six months after diagnosis.

19 Mar 2007