Laboratory News and Research

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Promising new targets for medications to treat cocaine addiction

Repeated use of addictive drugs such as cocaine causes long-lasting changes in parts of the brain involved in motivation and reward, among others, yet the precise mechanisms by which these changes are maintained are poorly understood.

13 May 2009

The latest news on swine flu

The latest update (# 26) from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that as of the 12th of May 2009, 30 countries have officially reported 5,251 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

13 May 2009

American Civil Liberties Union challenges breast cancer gene patents

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (PUBPAT) filed a lawsuit today charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer stifle research that could lead to cures and limit women's options regarding their medical care.

12 May 2009

Meditation may increase gray matter

Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers - people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain?

12 May 2009

Oxidation of potassium channel in cells linked to loss of neuronal function in aging

Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are one step closer to determining how human cells can be protected against the affects of age-related neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

12 May 2009

Discovery of genetic cause of luminal-type tumors

The discovery of tumor-suppressor genes has been key to unlocking the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation - the hallmark of cancer. Often, these genes will work in concert with others in a complex biochemical system that keeps our cells growing and dividing, disease free.

12 May 2009

Swine flu now in 29 countries and continuing to spread

The latest update (# 24), from the World Health Organisation on influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) says as of the 10th May 2009, 29 countries have now officially reported cases of human infection.

11 May 2009

FDA approves Avastin (bevacizumab) for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Avastin (bevacizumab) to treat patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) when this form of brain cancer continues to progress following standard therapy.

7 May 2009

Study reveals current multi-component vaccines may need reworking

Current strategies for designing vaccines against HIV and cancers, for instance, may enable some components in multi-component vaccines to cancel the effect of others on the immune system, eliminating their ability to provide protection, according to an article to be published shortly in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

7 May 2009

New tag could enable more detailed structural studies of mammalian proteins

To say our genes are resourceful is a gross understatement. Through ingenious combinations of a paltry 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, genes engineer all of the tissues and organs that are the marvel of our working bodies.

6 May 2009

Discovery of method to neutralize tumor growth in embryonic stem cell therapy

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in utilizing human embryonic stem cells. Their work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy.

6 May 2009

A vaccine for swine flu will depend on what happens next

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says as of the 5th of May 2009, 21 countries have now officially reported 1,490 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection (swine flu).

6 May 2009

Mushrooms may boost the body's natural immune system

The potential for mushrooms to fight influenza is being examined following United States research suggesting the body's natural immune response against viral infections and tumours is boosted through the consumption of white button mushrooms.

6 May 2009

IBM and University of Texas Medical Branch launch effort to find flu drug treatments

IBM and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) launched an effort using IBM's World Community Grid "virtual supercomputer" to allow laboratory tests on drug candidates for drug-resistant influenza strains and new strains, such as H1N1, in less than a month.

6 May 2009

Estrogen plays a key role in how the brain processes sounds

The findings, published in today's issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, show for the first time that a sex hormone can directly affect auditory function, and point toward the possibility that estrogen controls other types of sensory processing as well.

5 May 2009

New DEAR1 gene predicts local recurrence in early-onset breast cancer

A newly discovered gene known as DEAR1 is mutated in breast cancer and is an independent predictor of local recurrence-free survival in early-onset breast cancer, a research team headed by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the journal PLoS Medicine.

5 May 2009

Scientists coax skin cells to behave like muscle cells and vice versa

Even cells aren't immune to peer pressure. Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have now shown that skin cells can be coaxed to behave like muscle cells - and muscle cells like skin cells - solely by altering who they hang out with: the relative levels of the ingredients inside the cell.

5 May 2009

Unique electronic strategy alerts physicians to latest clinical information on H1N1 flu

History was made at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, April 29, when more than 3,000 physicians in Indianapolis were sent a broadcast alert on swine flu (H1N1 virus) from the Marion County Health Department. The message was of critical importance to patient care; history was made in the way it was transmitted and received.

5 May 2009

Researchers target telomeres to attack tumors

Hoping to develop more effective long-term attacks on cancer, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine are conducting the first human tests of a breast cancer drug regimen that includes a compound meant to force cancer cells to grow old and die.

5 May 2009

New gene called DEAR1 may be a breast cancer diagnostic marker

In a research article published in this week's PLoS Medicine, Ann Killary (from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) and colleagues describe a new gene called DEAR1 that is genetically altered by mutation and deletion in breast tumors, and that may provide a new breast cancer prognostic marker.

4 May 2009