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Small genetic changes may increase risk of schizophrenia

Carrying single DNA letter changes from two different genes together may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, Johns Hopkins researchers reported in the November 16 issue of Neuron.

15 Dec 2011

Cortex plays a key role in fear learning

The study, initiated by the Swiss researchers and published in Nature, constitutes ground-breaking work in exploring emotions in the brain.

12 Dec 2011

H. pylori bacterium produces urease to neutralize gastric acid

A research team led by scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is releasing study results this week showing how a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, that causes more than half of peptic ulcers worldwide and that has been implicated in stomach cancer has managed for eons to turn the acidic environment of the human gut into one in which it can thrive.

8 Dec 2011

Study reveals previously unseen details of SBP8a anthrax bacteriophage

A new study has shown previously unseen details of an anthrax bacteriophage - a virus that infects anthrax bacteria - revealing for the first time how it infects its host, and providing an initial blueprint for how the phage might someday be modified into a tool for the detection and destruction of anthrax and other potential bioterror agents.

6 Dec 2011

Transient absorption tracks carbon nanotubes in living cells and bloodstream

Researchers have demonstrated a new imaging tool for tracking structures called carbon nanotubes in living cells and the bloodstream, which could aid efforts to perfect their use in biomedical research and clinical medicine.

6 Dec 2011

GE Healthcare, UCSF collaborate for cord blood project

UCSF and the Cell Technologies business of GE Healthcare Life Sciences have begun a unique collaboration aimed at overcoming the lack of blood-forming stem cells available to patients suffering from life-threatening diseases such as lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia or sickle cell anemia.

6 Dec 2011

La Jolla researchers create first cellular movies showing destruction underlying type 1 diabetes

A war is being waged in the pancreases of millions of people throughout the world. The siege leads to the development of type 1 diabetes and has been a battlefield largely hidden from view-- until now.

3 Dec 2011

Polarized filter may improve ability to detect precancerous changes, reduce unnecessary biopsies

The same filtered light that enables sunglasses to reduce glare may improve a physician's ability to detect early signs of cervical cancer, reducing unnecessary biopsies and surgery.

30 Nov 2011

Scientists create genetically-altered neurons that light up as they fire

In a scientific first that potentially could shed new light on how signals travel in the brain, how learning alters neural pathways, and might lead to speedier drug development, scientists at Harvard have created genetically-altered neurons that light up as they fire.

30 Nov 2011

Seizure drug slows spread of uveal melanoma

A drug commonly used to treat seizures appears to make eye tumors less likely to grow if they spread to other parts of the body, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

29 Nov 2011

Most people with Timothy syndrome mutation have autistic symptoms

Neuroscientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have homed in on potential differences in autistic people's brain cells by studying brainlike spheres grown in an elaborate process from skin cells.

28 Nov 2011

New system could measure mechanical properties of living cells

Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes.

22 Nov 2011

Study reveals specific functional deficit in inner ear mechanotransduction channels

National Institutes of Health-funded researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear-the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound.

22 Nov 2011

Dipyrone may reduce brain damage after stroke

An older nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called dipyrone may offer a new approach to reducing injury to brain tissue after a stroke, according to a study in the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

17 Nov 2011

Oncostatin M could help heal damaged heart muscle tissue

Oncostatin M regulates the reversion of heart muscle cells into precursor cells and is vitally important for the self-healing powers of the heart

11 Nov 2011

Scientists suppress NCoR1 protein and create mighty mice

A team of researchers at EPFL, the University of Lausanne and the Salk Institute created super strong, marathon mice and nematodes by reducing the function of a natural inhibitor, suggesting treatments for age-related or genetically caused muscle degeneration are within reach.

11 Nov 2011

ESPINA software tool allows to study brain structure in greater depth

Researchers at the UPM and CSIC, within the Cajal Blue Brain project, develop ESPINA, a new freeware software tool that allows to study the brain structure in greater depth.

10 Nov 2011

Online platform for automatic analysis of microscopic image data

Under the microscope lies a specimen of a liver. Deep in concentration, a student is analyzing the structure of the tissue when the university official asks her to finish up - the lab is about to close. This is a situation that may be familiar to many students. After all, the examination of specimens is an important course component; to practice and consolidate the theory presented in lectures.

9 Nov 2011

Study reveals new role for the 'hormone of love'

Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain - from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the body. In the process, they discovered a surprising new role for the 'hormone of love,' showing that it helps to direct the development of this brain structure.

3 Nov 2011

Light-cell interaction and Born approximation rule can help detect misshapen red blood cells

Misshapen red blood cells are a sign of serious illnesses, such as malaria and sickle cell anemia. Until recently, the only way to assess whether a person's RBCs were the correct shape was to look at them individually under a microscope - a time-consuming process for pathologists.

1 Nov 2011