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Patient recruitment complete in Kuros' KUR-023 dural sealant European clinical trial

Kuros Biosurgery AG, a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel biomaterials and bioactive-biomaterial combination products for trauma, wound and spinal indications, announced today that it has completed patient recruitment in a clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of KUR-023, its novel dural sealant product candidate.

17 Aug 2011

Scientists identify potential new target for childhood eye tumor

A research team led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists has identified a potential new target for treatment of the childhood eye tumor retinoblastoma.

16 Aug 2011

Regular exercise could help prevent brain damage linked with Alzheimer's

Regular exercise could help prevent brain damage associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, according to research published this month in Elsevier's journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

16 Aug 2011

Alpha-synuclein protein key to Parkinson's has likely been mischaracterized

A new study finds that a protein key to Parkinson's disease has likely been mischaracterized. The protein, alpha-synuclein, appears to have a radically different structure in healthy cells than previously thought, challenging existing disease paradigms and suggesting a new therapeutic approach.

16 Aug 2011

NCTR and state of Arkansas enter MOU to establish virtual Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science

An agreement to establish a virtual Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science was signed today between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) and the state of Arkansas.

12 Aug 2011

BCG vaccine can help immune system recognise cancer cells as 'foreign'

Scientists have found a potential new mechanism to stimulate the body's own ability to fight cancer using Baculillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) - the germ commonly used to inoculate against tuberculosis.

11 Aug 2011

Scientists identify 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis

Scientists have identified 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis, providing key insights into the biology of a very debilitating neurological disease. Many of the genes -implicated in the study are relevant to the immune system, shedding light onto the immunological pathways that underlie the development of multiple sclerosis.

11 Aug 2011

Genetic culprit behind ovarian cancer discovered

A study has revealed that a single fault in a gene that normally helps the body to repair its DNA increases a woman's risk of ovarian cancer six-fold. One in every 11 women who carry the faulty gene is likely to develop ovarian cancer at some point in her life compared with a typical risk of about one in 70 for women in the general population, scientists said.

11 Aug 2011

Northern California's pregnant women have higher PBDE flame retardant exposures

A new study finds that pregnant women in Northern California have the highest PBDE flame retardant exposures reported to date among pregnant women worldwide.

11 Aug 2011

Moderate exercise may help prevent cognitive decline after bacterial infection

A small amount of exercise shields older animals from memory loss following a bacterial infection, according to a study in the August 10 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

10 Aug 2011

Study shows how certain woodrats put themselves on diet to avoid poisoning

Life is tough for woodrats in deserts of the U.S. Southwest. There are few plants for food, and those plants produce poison to deter rodents, insects and other animals. A new University of Utah study shows how certain woodrats put themselves on a diet to avoid poisoning: They sample a smorgasbord of toxic plants, eat smaller meals, increase time between meals and drink more water if it is available.

9 Aug 2011

Stress management can improve chronic skin conditions

As anyone with a chronic, inflammatory skin condition, such as psoriasis, rosacea or acne, knows, dealing with unpredictable flares can cause considerable stress and have a negative impact on a person's overall well-being.

4 Aug 2011

Vampire bats can smell blood-rich prey: Study

In the labs of University of California, San Francisco and from the wilds of Venezuela scientists have discovered how vampire bats have evolved over the years with a unique weapon that enables them to zero in for a ravenous feed on the warmest blood vessels of their prey.

4 Aug 2011

Mood-related brain protein linked to sadness during cigarette withdrawal

Heavy smokers may experience sadness after quitting because early withdrawal leads to an increase in the mood-related brain protein monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), a new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has shown. This finding, which was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, may also explain why heavy smokers are at high risk for clinical depression.

3 Aug 2011

Sea Squirts found to have pacemaker cells similar to human heart

An international team of molecular scientists have discovered that star ascidians, also known as sea squirts, have pacemaker cells similar to that of the human heart. The research, published in the JEZ A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, may offer a new insight into the early evolution of the heart as star ascidians are one of the closest related invertebrates to mammals.

2 Aug 2011

Dangers of colon cleansing: More harm than good

According to a new study released today in the Journal of Family Practice colon cleaning may be harmful. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical School looked at 20 studies published in the last decade and found little evidence of benefit to colon cleansing. But they did find dozens of cases of problems: cramping, bloating, vomiting, electrolyte imbalance, renal failure, and even death.

1 Aug 2011

New device can produce blood-based diagnostic results in minutes

Samuel K. Sia, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has developed an innovative strategy for an integrated microfluidic-based diagnostic device-in effect, a lab-on-a-chip-that can perform complex laboratory assays, and do so with such simplicity that these tests can be carried out in the most remote regions of the world.

1 Aug 2011

Colon cleansing can cause side effects like cramping, renal failure and death

Colon cleansing - it's been described as a natural way to enhance well-being, but Georgetown University doctors say there's no evidence to back that claim. In fact, their review of scientific literature, published today in the August issue of The Journal of Family Practice, demonstrates that colon cleansing can cause side effects ranging from cramping to renal failure and death.

1 Aug 2011

New methods to detect illegal clouding agents in sports drinks

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has developed three new methods to detect an illegal clouding agent which can be found in sports drinks imported from Taiwan.

29 Jul 2011

Drug to prevent brain ageing: Study

A new study shows that some chemicals given to rhesus macaques blocked a brain molecule that slows the firing of the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, as they age—prompting those nerve cells to act young again.

28 Jul 2011