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Scientists discover way of shrinking tumours in cancers

Australian and American scientists have found a way of shrinking tumours in certain cancers - a finding that provides hope for new treatments.

29 Sep 2010

CRP levels vary between ethnically-diverse populations: Study

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels vary between ethnically-diverse populations, and are only partly due to known differences in heart risk among these groups.A single risk level of CRP at 2 mg/L may over or under estimate the need for statin medication in different ethnic groups, especially if other risk factors are not considered.

29 Sep 2010

Scientists identify genetic contribution to sense of smell

Scientists at the Monell Center have used a well-known example of individual differences to identify a genetic contribution to the sense of smell. Most people detect a distinct sulfurous odor in their urine shortly after eating asparagus. However, there are some who seemingly do not notice the unpleasant odor.

29 Sep 2010

Research: SorCS1 gene is linked to Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes

A research team led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has identified the mechanism behind a single gene linked to the causes of both Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes.

29 Sep 2010

Covaris enters co-marketing partnership with Illumina for DNA shearing technologies

Covaris Inc. today announced that it has signed a co-marketing agreement with Illumina, Inc. making Covaris DNA shearing technologies the recommended method of shearing with Illumina next-generation sequencing product lines, including HiSeq, HiScanSQ, and Genome Analyzer.

From Illumina, Inc. 29 Sep 2010

NIH grants Akonni $3M for development of multi-drug resistant/extensively drug-resistant genotyping test

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and plans to market sophisticated genetic testing devices for complex infectious and human diseases, today announced receipt of a nearly $3 million Challenge Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a new program made possible under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

29 Sep 2010

Researchers find genetic variants that cause arthritis in breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors

Mayo Clinic researchers and their international colleagues have discovered genetic variants that lead to severe arthritis for a subset of women when taking aromatase inhibitors to treat their breast cancer. This serious side effect is so painful that many women halt their lifesaving medication. The findings appear today in the online issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology.

28 Sep 2010

GenMark’s eSensor technology selected for Warfarin clinical study

GenMark Diagnostics, Inc., a provider of automated, multiplex molecular diagnostic testing systems, announced today that their eSensor Warfarin Sensitivity Test has been selected for use in a new pivotal Warfarin clinical study the WARFARIN Trial.

28 Sep 2010

Humans have similar immune system like plants

In addition to known antiviral agents such as antibodies and interferons, people also seem to have a similar immune system to that previously identified in plants. This is the result of research carried out by Esther Schnettler at Wageningen University.

28 Sep 2010

Tel Aviv researchers develop innovative software to analyze and manipulate diseased cells

About ten years ago, the discovery of microRNAs ― tiny cellular molecules that regulate our genetic code ― unlocked a world of scientific possibilities, including a deeper understanding of human disease. One new analytical technology is "deep sequencing," which gives scientists the ability to discover invaluable information about human diseases at a genetic level.

28 Sep 2010

Scientists identify gene associated with common migraines

An international study led by scientists at Universit- de Montr-al and University of Oxford, has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. Published today in Nature Medicine, this study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches, which include more than six million Canadians.

28 Sep 2010

Study: Genetic ancestry has no influence on how African-Americans with asthma respond to medication

Genetic ancestry has no discernible influence on how African American patients with asthma respond to medication, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

28 Sep 2010

OpGen completes Series B equity financing

OpGen, Inc., a commercial phase genomics company, today announced the successful completion of a $17 million Series B equity financing.

28 Sep 2010

USC, Las Encinas Hospital to study on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder in younger, older adults

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder affect 3% to 4% of the world's population, or about 222 million adults worldwide. In the United States, bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million adult Americans 18 and older. Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a serious brain disorder that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy and functioning. People with the disorder experience episodes of mania and depression that can last from days to months. These symptoms usually begin in late adolescence, but can begin in early childhood or as late as a person's 40s or 50s. There is a strong genetic component related to bipolar disorder.

28 Sep 2010

Sanofi Pasteur signs agreement to acquire VaxDesign

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group announced today that it has signed a binding agreement for the acquisition of VaxDesign, a privately held U.S. biotechnology company, based in Orlando, Florida, that develops, manufactures and markets in vitro models of the human immune system.

28 Sep 2010

Study finds increasing number of elderly people are prone to celiac diseases

Working to solve the puzzle of when people develop celiac disease has led researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Celiac Research to some surprising findings. They have found that the autoimmune disorder is on the rise with evidence of increasing cases in the elderly.

27 Sep 2010

JAMA issue unveils genetic signature of brain cancer

A pair of studies in the July 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) spell out how much closer science has come to unraveling the genetic signature of brain cancer, according to a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

27 Sep 2010