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Study investigates how glucose metabolism affects biochemical signals in cancer cells

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a prodigious appetite for glucose, the result of a shift in cell metabolism known as aerobic glycolysis or the "Warburg effect." Researchers focusing on this effect as a possible target for cancer therapies have examined how biochemical signals present in cancer cells regulate the altered metabolic state.

27 Jun 2012

Nanoparticles that can slip through mucus barriers shown to protect against herpes infections

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have demonstrated, for the first time in animals, that nanoparticles can slip through mucus to deliver drugs directly to tissue surfaces in need of protection. The researchers used these mucus-penetrating particles (MPPs) to protect against vaginal herpes infections in mice and the goal is to create similar MPPs to deliver drugs that protect humans against sexually transmitted diseases or even treat cancer.

26 Jun 2012

Selenium reduces Staph populations in medical implants

Selenium is an inexpensive element that naturally belongs in the body. It is also known to combat bacteria. Still, it had not been tried as an antibiotic coating on a medical device material. In a new study, Brown University engineers report that when they used selenium nanoparticles to coat polycarbonate, the material of catheters and endotracheal tubes, the results were significant reductions in cultured populations of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, sometimes by as much as 90 percent.

22 Jun 2012

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles from pomegranates

Food waste is a growing problem in many parts of the world, but discarded fruit peel, in the case of pomegranates, could be put to good use in the burgeoning field of nanotechnology according to research published in the International Journal of Nanoparticles.

20 Jun 2012

Scientists establish link between autoimmune diseases and nanoparticles

New groundbreaking research by scientists at Trinity College Dublin has found that exposure to nanoparticles can have a serious impact on health, linking it to rheumatoid arthritis and the development of other serious autoimmune diseases.

12 Jun 2012

Scientists image structure of bacterium protein coat

Bacteria are omnipresent - in the water, the air and the soil, as well as in plants, animals and even people. We tend to think of bacteria as pathogenic, causing disease. We associate them with intestinal upsets and throat infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.

11 Jun 2012

Nanocontainers can fight against atherosclerosis

In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects.

11 Jun 2012

New nanomedicine cancer treatments promise to reduce severity of side effects

A new generation of cancer treatments based on nanotechnology is making its way out of the laboratory and into the clinic with the promise of targeting cancer cells while steering clear of healthy tissue, according to the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News.

7 Jun 2012

Pioneering new test can quickly diagnose coeliac disease

Coeliac disease affects millions of people worldwide, but many sufferers are not aware they have the condition or may have been misdiagnosed with other illnesses. A pioneering new test developed with EU-funding should soon be available in hospitals, offering an accurate, quick, cost-effective diagnosis and monitoring solution.

6 Jun 2012

Researchers identify predictive biomarker for Parkinson's disease

Because there is currently no laboratory test that can diagnose Parkinson's disease, it is practically impossible to detect those individuals who are in the earliest stages of the disease. As a result, Parkinson's disease can only be diagnosed by a clinical neurological examination based on findings suggestive of the disease.

5 Jun 2012

America's biopharmaceutical researchers work on many new approaches to fight cancer

America's biopharmaceutical research companies are testing 981 medicines and vaccines to fight the many types of cancer affecting millions of patients worldwide, according to a report released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

2 Jun 2012

Breakthrough in nanotechnology could make laboratory tests more sensitive

A laboratory test used to detect disease and perform biological research could be made more than 3 million times more sensitive, according to researchers who combined standard biological tools with a breakthrough in nanotechnology.

2 Jun 2012

NanoBio-Europe conference to take place from June 18-20 in Varese

The 8th NanoBio-Europe conference will take place on 18 - 20 June 2012 in Varese (Lombardy, Northern Italy), showcasing the latest international developments in nanobiotechnology, and providing a platform to facilitate interdisciplinary communications, new collaborations for delegates from academic, industrial and clinical backgrounds.

30 May 2012

Spectrum initiates enrollment in RenaZorb Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology and hematology, today announced the initiation of patient enrollment in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of RenaZorb in healthy volunteers.

29 May 2012

Science journal’s NEWSFOCUS section describes recent advances in sequencing technology

Rapid DNA sequencing may soon become a routine part of each individual's medical record, providing enormous information previously sequestered in the human genome's 3 billion nucleotide bases. This week's NEWSFOCUS section of the journal Science describes recent advances in sequencing technology.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 23 May 2012

Researchers to create new type of bioactive coating for brain aneurysm stents

Researchers at Purdue University are working with the U.S. Army and neurosurgeons at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to create a new type of "bioactive" coating for stents used to treat brain aneurysms including those caused by head trauma from bomb blasts.

22 May 2012