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Biologists identify how T-type channels change electrochemical signaling of heart and brain cells

Biologists have discovered how an outer shield over T-type channels change the electrochemical signaling of heart and brain cells. Understanding how these shields work will help researchers eventually develop a new class of drugs for treating epilepsy, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

26 Apr 2014

Researchers reveal how cells respond to mechanical manipulation

The push and pull of physical force can cause profound changes in the behavior of a cell. Two studies from researchers working at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center reveal how cells respond to mechanical manipulation

10 Apr 2014

Research finding sheds more light on cancer development and metastasis

10 Apr 2014

Study shows spinal stimulation therapy may have potential to change prognosis of people with paralysis

Four people with paraplegia are able to voluntarily move previously paralyzed muscles as a result of a novel therapy that involves electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

8 Apr 2014

UCL scientists find new way to artificially control paralyzed muscles using light

A new way to artificially control muscles using light, with the potential to restore function to muscles paralysed by conditions such as motor neuron disease and spinal cord injury, has been developed by scientists at UCL and King's College London.

7 Apr 2014

New neuromonitoring method prevents malpositioning of pedicle screws during thoracic spine surgery

Researchers from Syracuse, New York, report a new, highly accurate, neuromonitoring method that can be used during thoracic spine surgery to prevent malpositioning of pedicle screws such that they enter the spinal canal and possibly cause postoperative neurological impairment.

2 Apr 2014

Nearly 4 million infants die from vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide each year

Nearly 4 million children under 5 die from vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide each year, and two University of Michigan doctoral ecology students are working to change that.

2 Apr 2014

Second Sight's Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System selected for Forfait Innovation reimbursement

Second Sight Medical Products Inc. announces today that the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, the world’s first approved device intended to restore some functional vision for people suffering from blindness due to outer retinal degenerations, has become the first recipient of the French Government national healthcare reimbursement program entitled ‘Forfait Innovation’.

1 Apr 2014

New approach could lead to devising alternative tools for cancer therapy

Inducing biological tissue damage with an atmospheric pressure plasma source could open the door to many applications in medicine

26 Mar 2014

Cumulative amount of specific gene products affects changes in cell fate, say researchers

Johns Hopkins biologists have discovered that when biological signals hit cells in rhythmic waves, the magnitude of the cells' response can depend on the number of signaling cycles — not their strength or duration. Because such so-called “oscillating signaling cycles” are common in many biological systems, the scientists expect their findings in single-celled organisms to help explain the molecular workings of phenomena such as tissue and organ formation and fundamental forms of learning.

24 Mar 2014

Surgeons perform first auditory brainstem implant operation in Northeast Ohio

Surgeons at University Hospitals Case Medical Center have completed the first auditory brainstem implant (ABI) operation in Northeast Ohio on a woman who has lost most of her hearing due to benign tumors on her auditory nerves.

17 Mar 2014

Findings provide new target for development of novel therapies to manage chronic pain

Scientists have shown for the first time that the abnormalities in the way the brain experiences pain may be to blame for the chronic pain suffered by osteoarthritis patients.

10 Mar 2014

Bruker’s new TopSolids™ software provides accelerated workflow in solid-state NMR for the characterization of protein structures

At Pittcon 2014, Bruker introduced TopSolids™, a new intuitive, workflow-based software package for solid-state NMR in structural biology that provides menu-based, automated setup and acquisition of the most advanced multinuclear multi-dimensional NMR experiments.

5 Mar 2014

New study may open door to better diagnosis, treatment for chronic insomnia

Johns Hopkins researchers report that people with chronic insomnia show more plasticity and activity than good sleepers in the part of the brain that controls movement.

3 Mar 2014

Passive stimulation improves sense of touch and motor skills in stroke patients

A team headed by PD Dr Hubert Dinse and Prof Dr Martin Tegenthoff has successfully treated a number of patients suffering from stroke-related impairments. Their report has been published in RUBIN, the Ruhr-Universit-t's science magazine.

25 Feb 2014

Neuroscientists develop stimulation glove for patients suffering from stroke-related impairments

Improving the sense of touch and motor skills without active training - what sounds impossible, does actually work. Neuroscientists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have developed a glove that uses weak electrical pulses to stimulate the nerve fibres that connect the hands with the brain.

24 Feb 2014

Medicines that mimic body's natural systems can prevent debilitating side effects

Debilitating side effects associated with prescription medication for some of today's most common conditions could be eradicated if they mimicked the body's natural hormone secretion cycles, a new report has said.

20 Feb 2014

Engineers place tiny synthetic motors inside live human cells

For the first time, a team of chemists and engineers at Penn State University have placed tiny synthetic motors inside live human cells, propelled them with ultrasonic waves and steered them magnetically. It's not exactly "Fantastic Voyage," but it's close. The nanomotors, which are rocket-shaped metal particles, move around inside the cells, spinning and battering against the cell membrane.

11 Feb 2014

Optogenetics technique allows scientists to control neurons' electrical activity

Optogenetics is a technique that allows scientists to control neurons' electrical activity with light by engineering them to express light-sensitive proteins. Within the past decade, it has become a very powerful tool for discovering the functions of different types of cells in the brain.

10 Feb 2014

University of Washington develops new device to move kidney stones inside body

Almost one in 10 people will someday experience a kidney stone, which creates what is described as the most intense pain imaginable. This increasingly common condition leads to hundreds of thousands of surgeries in the United States each year.

13 Jan 2014