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Diabetes increases mortality after myocardial infarction by oxidizing CaMKII enzyme

Diabetic patients are more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack as non-diabetic patients, but the mechanisms that underlie increased heart attack-related mortality in diabetic patients are unknown. High levels of the oxidized form of the protein CamKII (ox-CaMKII) have been linked to increased risk of sudden death after heart attack.

16 Feb 2013

IKBKE gene plays a key role in tobacco-induced lung cancer

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have found a potential targeted therapy for patients with tobacco-associated non-small cell lung cancer. It is based on the newly identified oncogene IKBKE, which helps regulate immune response.

16 Feb 2013

Central College to study effects of triclosan on heart rate

How often does a heart beat? For a zebrafish, it depends on the water it's swimming in. Ellen Du Pre, professor of biology at Central College, is working with four students, as well as biology colleague Nicole Palenske, to study the effects of triclosan on heart rate. The tiny fish, which can be as small as an eyelash when newly hatched, is transparent, and the students can easily count the heart beats under a microscope.

16 Feb 2013

Study identifies regions of genes linked to Beh-et's disease

Researchers don't know the exact cause of Beh-et's disease, a chronic condition that leads to oral and genital sores and serious complications such as blindness, but new research brings better understanding to what makes some people more susceptible to being affected.

16 Feb 2013

Sleep disorder linked to reduced life quality in asthma patients

Quality of life is significantly decreased in adult patients with asthma who are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, results from a Korean study show.

15 Feb 2013

Protein test may help identify bacterial COPD exacerbations

Increased serum levels of pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein may help identify bacteria-related exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, say researchers.

15 Feb 2013

Study discovers new predictor for suicidal thinking

When people lose hope that they will ever get another good night's sleep, they become at high risk for suicide, researchers report.

15 Feb 2013

People with resilient personality profile more likely to have greater energy levels

People with a more resilient personality profile are more likely to have greater energy levels. That's one of the conclusions from a four-year research project led by Antonio Terracciano, associate professor of geriatrics at the Florida State University College of Medicine. His findings are outlined in "Personality, Metabolic Rate and Aerobic Capacity," published in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

15 Feb 2013

Exposure to two common PFCs associated with increased risk of osteoarthritis

A new study has linked exposure to two common perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) with osteoarthritis. PFCs are used in more than 200 industrial processes and consumer products including certain stain- and water-resistant fabrics, grease-proof paper food containers, personal care products, and other items.

15 Feb 2013

Manic episodes linked to memory recall deficit in bipolar disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder have impaired recall of episodic autobiographical memories when recounting events that occurred during mania, report Canadian researchers.

14 Feb 2013

Activation of SK channels can lead to heart disease

Qing-Hui Chen's research focuses on hypertension, heart failure and the neuromechanisms that underlie these problems. Specifically, his research examines how a particular ion channel (that regulates resting and action in membranes)—the potassium channel (SK)—is linked to heart disease.

14 Feb 2013

Probiotics shows promise in reducing both incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis

"Good" bacteria that live in our intestines have been linked with a variety of health benefits, from fighting disease to preventing obesity. In a new study, Kriston Ganguli of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School and her colleagues have discovered another advantage to these friendly microscopic tenants: Chemicals secreted by good bacteria that typically live in the intestines of babies could reduce the frequency and severity of a common and often-lethal disease of premature infants.

14 Feb 2013

Eleventh global case of SARS-linked virus confirmed in U.K.

"British officials say a mysterious virus related to SARS may have spread between humans, as they confirmed the 11th case worldwide of the new coronavirus in a patient who they say probably caught it from a family member," the Associated Press reports.

14 Feb 2013

Researchers identify new way to influence the vital serotonin signaling system

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Houston has found a new way to influence the vital serotonin signaling system - possibly leading to more effective medications with fewer side effects.

14 Feb 2013

Study: No link between hospital readmissions and saving patient lives

A Journal of the American Medical Association study released Tuesday has found that higher hospital readmissions don't lead to fewer patient deaths.

14 Feb 2013

Link between Jagged-1 protein and bone formation

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have discovered that a protein called Jagged-1 stimulates human stem cells to differentiate into bone-producing cells.

14 Feb 2013

CELF6 genetic mutation may underlie common behaviors seen in people with autism

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a genetic mutation that may underlie common behaviors seen in some people with autism, such as difficulty communicating and resistance to change.

14 Feb 2013

CATT study clarifies value of genetic testing for age-related macular degeneration

New findings from a landmark clinical trial show that although certain gene variants may predict whether a person is likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a potentially blinding eye disease that afflicts more than nine million Americans, these genes do not predict how patients will respond to Lucentis- and Avastin-, the two medications most widely used to treat the "wet" form of AMD.

13 Feb 2013

Antibody therapeutics targeting GPCRs to be developed by alliance between MorphoSys and Heptares

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) and UK-based Heptares Therapeutics, the leading GPCR drug discovery and development company, have signed an agreement to discover novel antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are membrane proteins involved in a broad range of biological processes and diseases.

13 Feb 2013

Abnormal TDP-43 protein causes death of astrocytes in motor neurone disease

A discovery using stem cells from a patient with motor neurone disease could help research into treatments for the condition. The study used a patient's skin cells to create motor neurons - nerve cells that control muscle activity - and the cells that support them called astrocytes.

13 Feb 2013