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New strategy for outsmarting cancer through its own social intelligence

In the face of mounting evidence that cancer cells communicate, cooperate and even engage in collective decision-making, biophysicists and cancer researchers at Rice University, Tel Aviv University and Johns Hopkins University are suggesting a new strategy for outsmarting cancer through its own social intelligence.

5 Sep 2012

Converting blood cells to a stem cell state: an interview with Elias Zambidis, M.D., Ph.D.

The primitive stem cell state we created is called an “induced pluripotent stem cell” (iPSC). iPSC are a new, unique, and artificially-created type of stem cell that were first described in 2006 by a Japanese scientist named Shinya Yamanaka.

4 Sep 2012

Whole-genome sequencing can track origin and movement of TB pathogens

Reconstructing the spread of killer diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) from person to person using DNA sequencing quickly identifies the origin and movement of pathogens. This approach is directly informing public health strategies to control infectious disease outbreaks, says a scientist speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick.

4 Sep 2012

Study finds little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods

You're in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its organic cousin. You figure you've just made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product - but new findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on your thinking.

4 Sep 2012

Seven antibiotic-resistance genes swapped between human and soil bacteria

Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Aug. 31 in Science.

1 Sep 2012

New antibacterial coating on surgical sutures effectively reduces infections

Responding to an urgent need for better antibacterial coatings on surgical sutures, scientists are reporting the discovery of a new coating that is almost 1,000 times more effective than the most widely used commercial coating.

31 Aug 2012

Country drinking water may pose child health risk

Findings from a UK study published in PLoS ONE suggest that small private drinking water supplies, typically found in countryside locations, are more likely to be contaminated and result in gastrointestinal illness in children than standard mains water supplies.

29 Aug 2012

Antibiotic residues in meat can allow pathogenic bacteria to proliferate

Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat are potent enough to weaken helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage to make it safe for consumption, according to a study to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on August 28.

29 Aug 2012

Trudeau Institute study holds promise for improved prevention and treatment of bacterial infections

New research from the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Cooper at the Trudeau Institute, just published in the European Journal of Immunology, holds promise for the improved prevention and treatment of bacterial infections and the life-threatening complications of chronic inflammation that can result from them.

29 Aug 2012

High doses of vitamin B3 stimulate CEBPE gene, enhance WBCs’ ability to combat staph infections

Cedars-Sinai researchers have found that a common vitamin may have the potential to provide a powerful weapon to fight certain "superbugs," antibiotic-resistant staph infections that health experts see as a threat to public health.

28 Aug 2012

ICU misdiagnosis alarmingly common in the acute care setting

Each year as many as 40,500 critically ill U.S. hospital patients die with an unknown medical condition that may have caused or contributed to their death, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts report in a recent study.

28 Aug 2012

Study shows why some fats may encourage growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive system

All dietary fats are not created equal. Some types of fats have been linked to ailments like heart disease and diabetes, while others, like those often found in plants and fish, have well documented health benefits.

28 Aug 2012

Nicotinamide may combat antibiotic-resistance staph infections

A new study suggests that nicotinamide, more commonly known as vitamin B3, may be able to combat some of the antibiotic-resistance staph infections that are increasingly common around the world, have killed thousands and can pose a significant threat to public health.

28 Aug 2012

Regulating microbes could help prevent diseases associated with obesity

Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, and the immune system.

27 Aug 2012

Heating as well as cleaning contact lens cases kills bacteria best

Heating contact lens cases to a temperature of 60°C while disinfecting with a multipurpose disinfecting solution could improve case hygiene by killing biofilms created by bacteria, report Australian researchers.

24 Aug 2012

PathGEN signs Powered by Affymetrix Program agreement

Affymetrix, Inc. and PathGEN Dx Pte. Ltd., a spin-off molecular diagnostics company founded by researchers from the Genome Institute of Singapore, today announced they have signed a Powered by Affymetrix (PbA) Program agreement

24 Aug 2012

Guidelines for parents to beat back-to-school bugs

School bells are beginning to sound again across the country, so it will only be a matter of time until every parent comes face-to-face with a child who wakes up with a cold, fever or upset stomach.

24 Aug 2012

Researchers discover new way to disarm harmful bacteria

Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, Université de Montréal researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body's own defense mechanisms to destroy them. "To understand this strategy one could imagine harmful bacteria being like Darth Vader, and the anti-virulence drug would take away his armor and lightsaber," explained Dr. Christian Baron, the study's lead author and Professor at the Department of Biochemistry.

24 Aug 2012

Scripps Research Institute scientist to uncover workings of the immune system

A team led by a scientist at The Scripps Research Institute has received a $22.5 million, five-year project renewal from the National Institutes of Health to uncover the workings of the immune system.

24 Aug 2012

Antibiotics: do they affect contraceptives?

NPS MedicineWise has released information for consumers about taking antibiotics when also using hormonal contraceptives, explaining that there are only two antibiotics that affect how hormonal contraceptives work.

23 Aug 2012