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New NRNB center helps clinicians to study network biology

A new center called the National Resource for Network Biology (NRNB), based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, will help clinicians analyze an ever-growing wealth of complex biological data and apply that knowledge to real problems and diseases.

30 Oct 2010

First woman dean of Duke University awarded 2010 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science

Nancy Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., a groundbreaking researcher and the first woman dean of Duke University School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2010 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science.

30 Oct 2010

Women with dense breasts and no lobular involution at higher risk for breast cancer

Women with dense breasts and no lobular involution were at a higher risk for developing breast cancer than those with non-dense breasts and complete involution, according to a study published online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

30 Oct 2010

New shuttlte program helps probe spaceflight-induced immune-system impairment

When the space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its final flight Nov. 2, its six astronauts will be joined by 16 rodent passengers on a historic mission of their own. Riding in special self-contained modules that automatically supply them with food and water, the mice will be part of a long-term NASA effort aimed at understanding why spaceflight makes humans more vulnerable to infection by viruses and bacteria.

30 Oct 2010

North American children may be 'too clean'

Rising levels of allergic asthma and eczema in North American children have Canadian scientists wondering if there is such a thing as being "too clean." "We see auto-immune diseases like asthma and eczema increasing rapidly in North American children, but we don't see the same effect in children in the developing world," says Dr. B. Brett Finlay, a Professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia.

29 Oct 2010

Life Technologies and BGI partner to offer whole human genome resequencing on SOLiD™ 4 System

Life Technologies Corporation and BGI (formerly Beijing Genomics Institute) announced today that they have partnered to offer whole human genome resequencing on the SOLiD™ 4 System. BGI, one of the world's largest genomic centers, has acquired 27 SOLiD 4 Systems, which will allow BGI to deliver 50 whole human genome sequences a month.

29 Oct 2010

EUCOMMTOOLS partners to receive 12 million euros research funding from European Commission

The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of widespread diseases such as Alzheimer's, depression, diabetes, chronic lung diseases or cancer. Over the next five years, the eight EUCOMMTOOLS partners, coordinated by Professor Wolfgang Wurst of Helmholtz Zentrum M-nchen, will receive research funding amounting to approximately 12 million euros from the European Commission.

29 Oct 2010

GSK and Amicus announce Amigal development and commercialization agreement

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) and Amicus Therapeutics today announced a definitive agreement to develop and commercialize Amigal™ (migalastat HCl), currently in Phase 3 for the treatment of Fabry disease, a rare inherited disorder. Under the terms of the agreement, GSK will receive an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize migalastat HCl.

29 Oct 2010

University of Montreal contributes to '1000 Genomes Project'

Mutations in DNA are a normal part of life. Sometimes these variations give rise to unique and beneficial traits including the creation of a new species, other times they cause devastating diseases. We are now another step closer to capturing most of the DNA mutations in humans thanks to an international study cataloging all forms of DNA variation from five populations from Europe, East Asia, South Asia, West Africa and the Americas, in the "1000 Genomes Project".

29 Oct 2010

ZyGEM announces advancement in microfluidics platform for DNA testing

ZyGEM Corp. Ltd., today announced several developments supporting the advancement of its integrated microfluidics platform designed to dramatically decrease the time, complexity and cost of conducting DNA testing. These include presentations at two key scientific meetings, as well as the issuance of a new patent relating to separation technology that supports and further strengthens ZyGEM's intellectual property portfolio.

29 Oct 2010

Mary Ann Liebert launches Brain Connectivity journal

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the release of a new peer-reviewed journal in an expanding area of systems neuroscience, Brain Connectivity. This timely new journal is positioned to become the premier source of cutting-edge basic and clinical neuroscience research aimed at better understanding of structural and functional connections in the brain and how these connections are altered by neurological disorders.

29 Oct 2010

Study finds genetic variants that may modify breast cancer risk among women with BRCA2 mutation

An international study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has identified genetic variants in women with BRCA2 mutations that may increase or decrease their risk of developing breast cancer. The study was published today online in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

29 Oct 2010

Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines receives $16.1 million NIH award

The Georgia Tech-led Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines has received an award of $16.1 million for five years as part of its renewal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The eight-institution research team plans to pursue development of a clinically viable gene correction technology for single-gene disorders and demonstrate the technology's efficacy with sickle cell disease.

29 Oct 2010

New biobank at Qatar helps research of major diseases

A "biobank" of samples and clinical measurements from tens of thousands of people is to be established in Qatar to help scientists understand the causes of major diseases and develop new treatments, it is announced today.

29 Oct 2010

Number of beta cells remains static after age 30: Research

Beta cells, which make insulin in the human body, do not replicate after the age of 30, indicating that clinicians may be closer to better treating diabetes.

29 Oct 2010

International Congress at Spain highlights advances in neuroimmunological disease treatment

The complexity of the immune system and nervous system turn Neuroimmunology into one of the most exciting fields of modern biomedicine. Between October 26th and 30th takes place in Sitges (Barcelona, Spain) the X International Congress of Neuroimmunology of the International Society of Neuroimmunology.

29 Oct 2010

New approach for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic tumors are one of the most lethal cancers, with fewer than five percent of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. But a new study that peers deeply into the genetics of pancreatic cancer presents a bit of good news an opportunity for early diagnosis. In contrast to earlier predictions, many pancreatic tumors are, in fact, slow growing, taking nearly 20 years to become lethal after the first genetic perturbations appear.

29 Oct 2010

Researchers develop morpholino oligonucleotides that can turn off specific genes

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a way to "cage" genetic off switches in such a way that they can be activated when exposed to UV light. Their technology gives scientists a more precise way to control and study gene function in localized areas of developing organisms.

29 Oct 2010

Research on sheep population could help explain variation in vaccine protection

Strong immunity may play a key role in determining long life, but may do so at the expense of reduced fertility, a Princeton University study has concluded.

29 Oct 2010

New iPSC cell lines could help in treating patients with lung diseases

A team of researchers from Boston University's Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Pulmonary Center have generated 100 new lines of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from individuals with lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis and emphysema. The new stem cell lines could possibly lead to new treatments for these debilitating diseases.

29 Oct 2010