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Aquaporin related to obesity

Dr. Gema Fruhbeck, director of the Metabolic Research Laboratory of the University Hospital of the University of Navarra, has published a commentary in the latest issue of Nature. The article presents aquaporin as a new modulator of the biology of the adipocyte.

21 Dec 2005

Fake bird flu drugs reach the U.S.

Custom officers in the U.S. have seized 51 shipments of a fake anti-bird flu drug.

19 Dec 2005

Chinese New Year could mean more bird flu outbreaks

China has warned that bird flu could be more prevalent over the Lunar New Year holidays as the transport of live poultry increases.

19 Dec 2005

Sanofi's human bird flu vaccine tests looking good

French drug company Sanofi Pasteur says early stage trials of an experimental vaccine against H5N1 bird flu have shown it provides a good immune response in humans and is safe.

19 Dec 2005

Skin colour controlled by key gene

It seems that the genes of Zebrafish have much in common with humans' and scientists believe that studying the fish may help solve the mystery of human skin colour.

19 Dec 2005

Breast cancer survival rate boosted by radiotherapy

According to a new study breast cancer patients who have radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery have a lower risk of a recurrence of the disease and a better chance of beating the illness.

19 Dec 2005

Gene therapy tackles hereditary spastic paraplegia

Elena Rugarli and colleagues from the National Neurological Institute in Milan have used gene therapy to save sensory and skeletal muscle nerve fibers from degeneration in mice with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP).

15 Dec 2005

Researchers discover potential mechanism for tumor growth

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have identified an inherent feature of stem and progenitor cells that may promote initiation and progression of cancerous tumors.

15 Dec 2005

Important skin color gene identified

With help from a common aquarium pet and a recently released online database of human genetic variation, a collaborative team of Penn State researchers has found what could be the most important skin color gene identified to date.

15 Dec 2005

Gene mapping project promises new targeted cancer therapies

Government researchers in the United States have this week launched a pilot project to find all the little genetic changes that cause cancer in the hope it will lead to a whole new world of targeted cancer therapy.

14 Dec 2005

The glow points the way: coupled enzyme test helps in the search for the right biocatalyst

The chemical industry is going biological: the use of biocatalysts, called enzymes, allows many products to be prepared very efficiently, economically, and in an environmentally safe manner.

From The University of Manchester 14 Dec 2005

Ninth death from bird flu in Indonesia

Top health officials in Indonesia have confirmed a ninth human death in the country from bird flu.

14 Dec 2005

AMN107 drug shows promise in leukemia resistance to Gleevec

The targeted agent AMN107 can produce dramatic benefits in patients with some forms of leukemia that are resistant to Gleevec, the standard therapy for these cancers, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

13 Dec 2005

Securin is not required for chromosomal stability in human cells

A critical aspect of cell division, or mitosis, is that the progeny cells must receive the full complement of chromosomes.

13 Dec 2005

Researchers learn to detect DNA mutations

A team of ASU researchers led by Nongjian Tao and Peiming Zhang has developed a new, breakthrough technique for the detection of DNA mutations.

13 Dec 2005

A cuppa a day keeps cancer away

According to a Swedish study, women who drink two or more cups of tea per day may dramatically cut their risk of ovarian cancer.

12 Dec 2005

Common baby illnesses may trigger cancer

Researchers in the UK say that the common infections that affect mothers and babies may trigger certain types of childhood cancers.

12 Dec 2005

ASEAN stockpiles bird flu drug in Malaysia

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is presently meeting in Kuala Lumpur, has agreed this week to create a stockpile of antiviral drugs to combat the deadly spread of bird flu throughout the region.

12 Dec 2005

Roche chooses partners to help make Tamiflu

The producer of sought after bird flu drug Tamiflu, drug giant Roche, has apparently chosen 12 possible partners to help it churn out enough of the drug.

12 Dec 2005

Infections are a major cause of childhood cancer

Results from a new study of childhood cancer statistics provide further evidence that common infections affecting mother and baby could play a key role in triggering certain types of the disease.

12 Dec 2005