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Ipsen, Harvard initiate collaboration to discover, develop botulinum toxins for neurologic diseases

Ipsen announced today that it has initiated a research and development collaboration on novel engineered botulinum toxins with Harvard Medical School.

15 Jul 2013

Discovery of new receptor could turn the tide against mosquitoes' growing advantage

In the global war against disease-carrying mosquitoes, scientists have long believed that a single molecular door was the key target for insecticide. This door, however, is closing, giving mosquitoes the upper hand.

9 Jul 2013

Study identifies genomic regions associated with cholera susceptibility

An international research team has used a novel approach to identify genetic factors that appear to influence susceptibility to cholera. The findings by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Broad Institute and the International Center for Diarrh-al Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) indicate the importance of pathways involved in regulating water loss in intestinal cells and of the innate immune system in the body's response to the bacteria that causes cholera, which affects from 3 to 5 million people each year and causes more than 100,000 deaths.

4 Jul 2013

Montreal researchers discover novel research model to study auto-immune diseases

A team of researchers at the IRCM, led by Dr. Javier M. Di Noia in the Immunity and Viral Infections research division, discovered a novel research model for the study of auto-immune diseases. The Montr-al scientists are the first to find a way to separate two important mechanisms that improve the quality of antibodies. This study was featured in a recent issue of The Journal of Immunology.

4 Jul 2013

Rigorous interventions result in fewer infections, deaths associated with hospital-onset C. difficile

Rhode Island Hospital has reduced the incidence of hospital-associated Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections by 70 percent and reduced annual associated mortality in patients with hospital-associated C. difficile by 64 percent through successive implementation of five rigorous interventions , as reported in the July 2013 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

21 Jun 2013

New device that measures movement of immune cells may reduce risk of septic complications

Advances in emergency medicine and trauma surgery have had a significant impact on survival of patients in the days immediately after major injuries, including burns. Patients who survive the immediate aftermath of their injuries now are at greatest risk from infections - particularly the overwhelming, life-threatening immune reaction known as sepsis - or from inflammation-induced multiorgan failure.

20 Jun 2013

Ambrx, ZMC partner to develop and commercialize ARX788 for treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer

Ambrx and Zhejiang Medicine Co. Ltd. today announced that they have formed a collaboration to develop and commercialize ARX788, Ambrx's most advanced internally developed site-specific antibody drug conjugate targeting Her2-positive breast cancer.

17 Jun 2013

Study: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli survive longer in recreational water, can prove dangerous to humans

A toxin dangerous to humans may help E. coli fend off aquatic predators, enabling strains of E. coli that produce the toxin to survive longer in lake water than benign counterparts, a new study finds.

14 Jun 2013

Acrolein offers potential tool to reduce symptoms of spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis

A medical test previously developed to measure a toxin found in tobacco smokers has been adapted to measure the same toxin in people suffering from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, offering a potential tool to reduce symptoms.

14 Jun 2013

New analytical techniques show certain foodstuffs exceed permitted levels of mycotoxins

Researchers from the University of Granada (Spain) have analysed the presence of patulin, a type of toxin produced by fungi, in several commercial apple juices. The results show that more than 50% of the samples analysed exceed the maximum limits laid down by law.

10 Jun 2013

Cry proteins in Bacillus thuringiensis is lethal to Anopheles gambiae, the principal mosquito vector of malaria

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), led by Dr. Lee Bulla, have characterized a protein produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti), which is highly toxic against Anopheles gambiae, the principal mosquito vector of malaria.

6 Jun 2013

Synthetic compound derived from sea anemone toxin shows potential to treat obesity

Scientists at UC Irvine reported this week that a synthetic compound ShK-186, originally derived from a sea anemone toxin, has been found to enhance metabolic activity and shows potential as a treatment for obesity and insulin resistance.

28 May 2013

Wisconsin scientists synthesize potent compounds to curb bacteria that cause staph infections

In an age when microbial pathogens are growing increasingly resistant to the conventional antibiotics used to tamp down infection, a team of Wisconsin scientists has synthesized a potent new class of compounds capable of curbing the bacteria that cause staph infections.

24 May 2013

Keystone molecules in chemical communication, defense have dominant consequences in nature

Naturally occurring "keystone" molecules that have powerful behavioral effects on diverse organisms often play large but unrecognized roles in structuring ecosystems, according to a theory proposed in the June issue of BioScience.

20 May 2013

Sorrento Therapeutics' anti-MRSA program gets NIAID support

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that its Fast-Track Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer Research grant (#1R42AI098182-02) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health, supporting the development of novel human antibody therapeutics to combat Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus or Staph) infections, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, was renewed for the second year of a two year Phase I grant award.

18 May 2013

Study suggests need for better anti-rejection therapies

Transplant researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine challenge a long-held assumption about how biologic pathways trigger immune system rejection of donor organs in a report published online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

16 May 2013

IFR scientists mine the genome of C. botulinum to reveal new information about toxin genes

The toxin that causes botulism is the most potent that we know of. Eating an amount of toxin just 1000th the weight of a grain of salt can be fatal, which is why so much effort has been put into keeping Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin, out of our food.

15 May 2013

Exposure to Agent Orange may increase risk of developing lethal forms of prostate cancer

A new analysis has found a link between exposure to Agent Orange and lethal forms of prostate cancer among US Veterans. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings suggest that Agent Orange exposure history should be incorporated into prostate screening decisions for Veterans.

13 May 2013

WHOI deploys new robotic sensor in Gulf of Maine coastal waters to monitor HABs

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms are monitored and managed in New England.

8 May 2013

Neuroperspective reviews status and prospects of therapeutics for Parkinson's disease

NI Research, the leading publisher of independent research on the neurotherapeutics industry, has released the May issue of NeuroPerspective, which reviews the status and prospects of therapeutics for Parkinson's.

7 May 2013