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Six research institutions awarded NIH grants to create database of human cellular responses

Building on a successful three-year pilot project, the National Institutes of Health has awarded more than $64 million to six research institutions to create a database of human cellular responses, the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures.

15 Sep 2014

Researchers find learning and memory components of neurofibromatosis using zebrafish model

Using a zebrafish model of a human genetic disease called neurofibromatosis (NF1), a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that the learning and memory components of the disorder are distinct features that will likely need different treatment approaches.

15 Sep 2014

Human stem cells can be reset to their native undifferentiated state

Scientists at the Babraham Institute, in collaboration with colleagues at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute, have made a breakthrough in stem cell research. Their paper, published today in Cell, describes how human stem cells can be reverted back to non-specialised cells.

11 Sep 2014

New research shows statins could reduce common diabetes complications

The development of common diabetes complications that can lead to blindness and amputations could be reduced by taking statins, indicates new research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

11 Sep 2014

Researchers find that people suffering from sleep apnea have weaker brain blood flow

Employing a measure rarely used in sleep apnea studies, researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing have uncovered evidence of what may be damaging the brain in people with the sleep disorder - weaker brain blood flow.

11 Sep 2014

Japanese surgeons first to implant InnFocus MicroShunt

InnFocus, Inc. reported today that the first two surgeries have been conducted in Japan in a clinical investigational study using the InnFocus MicroShunt™ glaucoma drainage implant.

10 Sep 2014

People with multiple sclerosis lose myelin in gray matter

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) lose myelin in the gray matter of their brains and the loss is closely correlated with the severity of the disease, according to a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study.

10 Sep 2014

New way to preserve flexibility and resilience of the brain

As Alzheimer's disease progresses, it kills brain cells mainly in the hippocampus and cortex, leading to impairments in "neuroplasticity," the mechanism that affects learning, memory, and thinking.

10 Sep 2014

Experts share tips on prevention of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 233,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.

9 Sep 2014

Ortho-oncology team successfully adapts shoulder surgical aid

An ortho-oncology team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center successfully adapted a shoulder surgical aid (the Spider Limb Positioner) to conduct a left hip disarticulation on a melanoma patient as described in a case report published online in Medical Devices.

9 Sep 2014

Findings may help develop biomarkers to identify HIV patients at risk of dementia

Since the introduction of the combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) in the mid-90s, the life expectancy of HIV patients has significantly improved. As a result, long-term complications are becoming more relevant: almost every second HIV patient is affected by neurocognitive disorders, which can lead to dementia.

4 Sep 2014

Neuroscientist discovers new mechanism that can reverse chronic pain

It's in the brain where we perceive the unpleasant sensations of pain, and researchers have long been examining how calcium channels in the brain and peripheral nervous system contribute to the development of chronic pain conditions.

4 Sep 2014

Researchers examine role of blocking vagus nerve in weight loss

Among patients with morbid obesity, blocking the vagus nerve, which plays a role with appetite and metabolism, did not meet pre-specified efficacy objectives compared to a control group, although the intervention did result in greater weight loss, according to a study in the September 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Sep 2014

No added benefit determined from Mirabegron for mortality, morbidity and quality of life

Mirabegron (trade name: Betmiga) has been approved since December 2012 for the treatment of adults with overactive bladder.

3 Sep 2014

Yoga program for MS patients improves physical and mental well-being

Paula Meltzer was only 38 when out of nowhere everything she looked at was blurry. For the single mother, who had a lucrative career as a gemologist and spent hours examining valuable pieces of jewelry, it seemed as if - in a split second - her life changed.

3 Sep 2014

Flow through pain-sensing molecule helps worms adapt to pain

When you accidentally touch a hot oven, you rapidly pull your hand away. Although scientists know the basic neural circuits involved in sensing and responding to such painful stimuli, they are still sorting out the molecular players.

2 Sep 2014

Study compares FK506 and rapamycin for Schwann cell migration, peripheral nerve regeneration

FK506 possesses a well-studied neuroregenerative effect, stimulating neurite extension in the presence of nerve growth factor in vitro, and enhancing nerve regeneration following nerve crush injury and isografting.

30 Aug 2014

Gene therapy may offer significant advantages in prevention of botulism exposure

The current method to treat acute toxin poisoning is to inject antibodies, commonly produced in animals, to neutralize the toxin. But this method has challenges ranging from safety to difficulties in developing, producing and maintaining the anti-serums in large quantities.

30 Aug 2014

Freiburg biochemists discover new mechanisms of brain disease

The failing in the work of nerve cells: An international team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Chris Meisinger from the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Freiburg has discovered how Alzheimer's disease damages mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell.

29 Aug 2014

New adhesive method for repairing sciatic nerves

When repairing nerves with adhesives, most researchers place glue directly on the nerve stumps, but this method does not fix the nerve ends well and allows glue to easily invade the nerve ends.

29 Aug 2014