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Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients

Breast cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to survive the disease as women with low levels of this nutrient, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the March issue of Anticancer Research.

7 Mar 2014

Researchers examine association between diabetes and obesity

It's by now well established that obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes. But what exactly is it about extra body fat that leads to insulin resistance and blood glucose elevation, the hallmarks of diabetes?

7 Mar 2014

Research reveals 2 key mechanisms of oxidative stress regulation

Regulation of oxidative stress is critical to cell survival. New preclinical research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) has revealed two key mechanisms by which oxidative stress is regulated in normal and cancerous cells.

7 Mar 2014

Ludwig, Agenus to advance three monoclonal antibody checkpoint modulators into preclinical development

Ludwig Cancer Research and Agenus Inc. today announced the selection of three monoclonal antibody checkpoint modulators (CPMs) that Agenus is advancing into preclinical development.

7 Mar 2014

UH physicist to develop new therapies targeting cancer and Alzheimer's

Working toward new therapies to target cancer and Alzheimer's, University of Houston (UH) physicist Margaret Cheung strives to understand the physics that govern how ordinary matter becomes life-like.

7 Mar 2014

Study to understand how bisphenol-A may promote breast cancer growth

UT Arlington biochemists say their newly published study brings researchers a step closer to understanding how the commonly used synthetic compound bisphenol-A, or BPA, may promote breast cancer growth.

6 Mar 2014

New findings shed light on how gene mutation causes motor neurone disease

Researchers have discovered a mechanism that may explain how a recently discovered mutation causes two devastating neurological diseases.

6 Mar 2014

Inflammation and stress combine in bipolar and schizophrenia subtypes

Researchers have found that some individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia have combined stress response and immune dysfunctions.

6 Mar 2014

Study shows how changes in organized cell membrane network of heart muscle leads to heart failure

Colchicine, a drug that's used to treat gout, has the beneficial side effect of lowering the risk of heart attack in patients taking it. Conversely, taxol, a drug for treating cancer, has the opposite effect; raising the risk of heart failure.

6 Mar 2014

Researchers identify high-speed cellular transport mechanism

Our DNA and its architecture are duplicated every time our cells divide. Histone proteins are key building blocks of this architecture and contain crucial information that regulates our genes. Danish researchers show how an enzyme controls reliable and high-speed delivery of histones to DNA copying hubs in our cells. This shuttling mechanism is crucial to maintain normal function of our genes and prevent disease. The results are published in the journal Nature Communications.

6 Mar 2014

Scientists describes new advantageous way to detect different immune cells in the blood

When a person becomes sick or is exposed to an unwelcome substance, the body mobilizes specific proportions of different immune cells in the blood. Methods of discovering and detecting those profiles are therefore useful both clinically and in research. In a new paper in the journal Genome Biology, a team of scientists describes a new and uniquely advantageous way to detect them.

6 Mar 2014

New drug is effective against superbug MRSA

"I routinely call hospitals and request their yearly antibiotic susceptibility testing data," said Washington University in St. Louis' Timothy Wencewicz. "The log might say, for example, that they've treated hundreds of patients for Acinetobacter baumanni, a bacterium brought into U.S. hospitals by soldiers wounded in the Iraq war, with 30 different antibiotics.

6 Mar 2014

Scientists reveal how a genetic code variation results in devastating brain diseases

New findings reveal how a mutation, a change in the genetic code that causes neurodegeneration, alters the shape of DNA, making cells more vulnerable to stress and more likely to die.

6 Mar 2014

New bioinspired gel material could help repair damaged teeth and bone

A bit of pressure from a new shrinking, sponge-like gel is all it takes to turn transplanted unspecialized cells into cells that lay down minerals and begin to form teeth.

6 Mar 2014

Novel cancer immunotherapy approach may provide new weapon against most deadly tumors

A novel approach to cancer immunotherapy - strategies designed to induce the immune system to attack cancer cells - may provide a new and cost-effective weapon against some of the most deadly tumors, including ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

6 Mar 2014

Study to understand role of bacterium in heart valve disease

A disease-causing bacterium found in the mouth needs manganese, a trace mineral, in order to cause a serious heart infection, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Philips Institute for Oral Health Research in the School of Dentistry.

6 Mar 2014

Specific protein has vital role in controlling symptoms of allergic asthma, say researchers

An enzyme that helps maintain immune system function by "throwing away" a specific protein has a vital role in controlling symptoms of allergic asthma, new research in mice suggests.

6 Mar 2014

Scientists discover fundamental aggravating factor in autoimmune diseases

Scientists in Freiburg may have discovered a fundamental aggravating factor in autoimmune diseases. If B-lymphocytes lack the protein PTP1B, the cells will become hyperactive for stimulatory signals and can thus promote an autoimmune attack.

6 Mar 2014

Expression of MYC gene important for neurogenesis in the spinal cord

Research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests that the expression of the so called MYC gene is important and necessary for neurogenesis in the spinal cord. The findings are being published in the journal EMBO Reports.

6 Mar 2014

Treating cystic fibrosis: an interview with Simon Bedson, Senior Vice President and International General Manager at Vertex

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease for which there is no cure. It affects more than 75,000 people worldwide. In CF, thick, sticky mucus blocks the passages in many organs, leading to a variety of symptoms. In particular, mucus builds up and clogs airways in the lungs making it easier for bacteria to grow.

5 Mar 2014