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Alteration of a gene causes neuroblastoma

Olivier Delattre's team (Inserm Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancer") of the Institut Curie reveal in an article in the 16 October issue of Nature that alteration of the ALK gene is closely associated with the most frequent solid extracerebral tumor in children-neuroblastoma. By studying the familial forms of this tumor, the researchers also conclude that ALK is a gene that predisposes to neuroblastoma.

7 Nov 2008

Nanoparticles dramatically improve effectiveness of antibacterial treatments

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a new technology which can dramatically improve the effectiveness of antibacterial treatments.

7 Nov 2008

Impulse control area in brain affected in teens with genetic vulnerability for alcoholism

A new study suggests that genetic factors influence size variations in a certain region of the brain, which could in turn be partly responsible for increased susceptibility to alcohol dependence.

7 Nov 2008

Anti-herpes drug acyclovir inhibits HIV replication, but with a price

The anti-herpes drug acyclovir can also directly slow down HIV infection by targeting the reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme, researchers report in this week's JBC.

7 Nov 2008

FDA approves Ranexa for the treatment of chronic angina

CV Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new, first line indication for Ranexa(R) (ranolazine extended-release tablets) for the treatment of chronic angina.

7 Nov 2008

Accelr8 announces study results with BACcel diagnostic system for broad resistance in gram-negative pathogens

Accelr8 Technology Corporation announced study results today that were presented at the joint sessions of the 48 th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC, www.icaac.org) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA, www.idsociety.org), October 25-29 in Washington, DC.

7 Nov 2008

Scientists confirm a molecular clipping mechanism behind stem cell development

Stem cells don't just become a part of the liver or the brain in a flash; it takes a complex molecular choreography and requires that specific genes be switched on and off at specific times.

6 Nov 2008

Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancer

Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

6 Nov 2008

Scientists sequence genome of a cancer patient

For the first time, scientists have decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient and traced her disease - acute myelogenous leukemia - to its genetic roots.

6 Nov 2008

Scientists identify compounds for stem-cell production from adult cells

In the study, the scientists screened known drugs and identified small molecules that could replace conventional reprogramming genes, which can have dangerous side effects.

6 Nov 2008

H5N1 protein hides in tiny tubules

A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in an online report in the journal Nature.

6 Nov 2008

Discovery of new target in brain for treating schizophrenia

Research from the University of Pittsburgh could expand the options for controlling schizophrenia by identifying a brain region that responds to more than one type of antipsychotic drug.

6 Nov 2008

21 million Americans suffers arthritis pain

Approximately 21 million Americans - 9.5 percent of adults 18 and older - either visited or called a doctor for a prescription to reduce arthritis pain in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

6 Nov 2008

New therapeutic target for inflammatory disorders

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a potential new therapeutic target that could be used to treat inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

6 Nov 2008

Contaminants in human milk

An overview of studies on environmental pollutants in human milk has found that not breastfeeding an infant typically poses more of a threat than does exposure to any of the chemical agents measured in human milk, as reported in the 11th Annual Children’s Health Issue of Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

6 Nov 2008

BioLife Solutions submits FDA master file on HypoThermosol preservation and storage media for cells, tissues

BioLife Solutions Inc. has announced that it has submitted a Master File to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Company's HypoThermosol preservation media product.

6 Nov 2008

Needle-free injection device approved in Europe and Australia

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced that its license partner, Ferring Pharmaceuticals has received additional regulatory approvals in Europe and Australia for use of Antares' needle-free injection devices with its human growth hormone (hGH), Zomacton.

6 Nov 2008

Safety and efficacy of febuxostat for gout examined

The goal in treating patients with gout is to reduce acute attacks by lowering serum urate levels, which are usually high in this disease.

5 Nov 2008

Scientists map molecular regulation of fat-cell genetics

A research team led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells.

5 Nov 2008