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Breast milk might prevent premature babies from deadly intestinal condition

An ingredient that naturally occurs in breast milk might be used to prevent premature babies from developing a deadly intestinal condition that currently is largely incurable, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC in this week's online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

7 May 2013

New gene implicated in Parkinson can delay onset of aging, extend life span

UCLA life scientists have identified a gene previously implicated in Parkinson's disease that can delay the onset of aging and extend the healthy life span of fruit flies. The research, they say, could have important implications for aging and disease in humans.

7 May 2013

Scientists halt tumour development through genetic manipulation of cytoskeleton in fly tissues

Cancer is a complex disease, in which cells undergo a series of alterations, including changes in their architecture; an increase in their ability to divide, to survive and to invade new tissues or metastasis.

7 May 2013

Kinase inhibitors: an interview with Jan Hoflack, CSO of Oncodesign

Kinase inhibitors are molecules that block the activity of kinases. Kinases are a specific class of enzymes. They are extremely important in signal transduction processes in the human body meaning that they actually regulate most of the physiological processes that take place in the body.

7 May 2013

Study offers new hope to patients suffering from laminopathies

Laminopathies are hereditary diseases that affect mainly the muscle tissue. These diseases include for example Emery-Dreifuss Muscular dystrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and Hutchison-Gilford progeria syndrome.

7 May 2013

Scientists uncover unknown virulence factor in respiratory pathogen

To infect its host, the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa takes an ordinary protein usually involved in making other proteins and adds three small molecules to turn it into a key for gaining access to human cells.

7 May 2013

Mutant protein contributes to Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome

A mutant protein responsible for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome (HGPS) bars large proteins from entering the nucleus, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology.

7 May 2013

Hungry grocery shoppers buy high calorie foods

Skipping meals can sabotage your shopping - and your diet, according to a new Cornell study. Even short term food deprivation not only increases overall grocery shopping, but leads shoppers to buy 31% more high calorie foods.

7 May 2013

Mutations in Ggamma13 gene may contribute to certain forms of smell disorders in humans

Researchers at the Monell Center and collaborators have identified a protein that is critical to the ability of mammals to smell. Mice engineered to be lacking the Ggamma13 protein in their olfactory receptors were functionally anosmic - unable to smell.

7 May 2013

Mutations in phosphatase Wip1 could be a new target for treating cancer

Researchers have uncovered mutations in the phosphatase Wip1 that enable cancer cells to foil the tumor suppressor p53, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The results could provide a new target for the treatment of certain cancers.

6 May 2013

NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals raises $6.4 million in private equity financing round

NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that it raised $6.4 million in a private equity financing round.

6 May 2013

High levels of collagen in breasts are associated with breast cancer metastasis

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered why breast cancer patients with dense breasts are more likely than others to develop aggressive tumors that spread.

6 May 2013

New position paper shows strong connection between nutrition and oral health

There is a strong connection between the food people eat and their oral health, according to a recently updated position paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

5 May 2013

Novel screening method for identifying inhibitors of EZH2 methyltransferase

Tumor repressor genes, which inhibit tumor formation, can be "turned off" due to undesirable molecular changes affecting the chromosomes on which the genes reside. Understanding and being able to control these alterations could lead to new approaches for activating or inactivating genes linked to cancer.

5 May 2013

Study: Stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells, form electrical couplings

Stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it's important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study by researchers at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue.

3 May 2013