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Research may lead to new ways to identify women with breast cancer risks from low-dose radiation

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified tissue mechanisms that may influence a woman's susceptibility or resistance to breast cancer after exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation, such as the levels used in full-body CT scans and radiotherapy.

18 Oct 2012

Genetic signatures for aggressive prostate cancer identified

Researchers have identified two genetic signatures for castration-resistant prostate cancer that may predict the severity of the disease.

17 Oct 2012

Universal tumor testing superior to selective strategy in identifying Lynch syndrome among CRC patients

In a comparison of strategies to identify individuals with Lynch syndrome, the most common form of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC), caused by mutations in certain genes (DNA mismatch repair [MMR] genes), universal tumor MMR testing among certain CRC patients had a greater sensitivity for the identification of Lynch syndrome compared with multiple alternative strategies, although the diagnostic improvement was modest, according to a study in the October 17 issue of JAMA.

17 Oct 2012

Trauma in infancy and childhood shapes the brain, learning and behavior

Trauma in infancy and childhood shapes the brain, learning, and behavior, and fuels changes that can last a lifetime, according to new human and animal research released today. The studies delve into the effects of early physical abuse, socioeconomic status (SES), and maternal treatment.

17 Oct 2012

Hereditary genes responsible for pain severity after motor vehicle collisions

Two studies presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 annual meeting found that hereditary genes were responsible for the amount and type of pain experienced after a motor vehicle collision (MVC).

17 Oct 2012

Study determines how Trop2 protein drives growth of tumor cells in prostate and other epithelial cancers

Researchers led by Tanya Stoyanova and Dr. Owen Witte of UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have determined how a protein known as Trop2 drives the growth of tumor cells in prostate and other epithelial cancers.

17 Oct 2012

Salk findings on cold virus proteins may spur new cancer treatments

Cold viruses generally get a bad rap----which they've certainly earned----but new findings by a team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies suggest that these viruses might also be a valuable ally in the fight against cancer.

17 Oct 2012

Study finds novel function of non-protein coding RNA

While studying Parkinson's disease, an international research group made a discovery which can improve industrial protein synthesis for therapeutic use. They managed to understand a novel function of non-protein coding RNA: the protein synthesis activity of coding genes can be enhanced by the activity of the non-coding one called "antisense."

17 Oct 2012

Researchers identify critical mechanisms of epigenetic cell programming

A team of researchers at the IRCM, supervised by Dr. Jacques Drouin, reprogrammed the identity of cells in the pituitary gland and identified critical mechanisms of epigenetic cell programming.

17 Oct 2012

Recurrent patterns of genomic imbalances determine evolution of invasive breast cancer

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is considered a precursor lesion for invasive breast cancer if untreated, and is found in approximately 45% of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Patients with DCIS only (not accompanied by invasive disease) have a 5-year-survival of nearly 100%, compared to 89% for all stages of invasive breast cancer (24% for patients with distant metastasis).

17 Oct 2012

Brachyury variation may increase risk of chordoma

A genetic variation possessed by 40% of the population is associated with a five-fold increase in risk for developing chordoma, a cancer that strikes the bones of the skull and spine.

17 Oct 2012

‘Gene for speed’ researcher awarded Ramaciotti Medal

Professor Kathryn North AM, the researcher responsible for discovering the ‘gene for speed’, has been awarded the prestigious Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research and a $50,000 grant.

16 Oct 2012

Accumulation of small genetic variations could increase risk of ASD

An increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) could result from an accumulation of many small, common genetic variations rather than large-effect, rare changes in the genetic code, according to a multicenter team led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

16 Oct 2012

GILZ protein encourages bone growth in mouse model

Georgia Health Sciences University researchers have developed a mouse that errs on the side of making bone rather than fat, which could eventually lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

16 Oct 2012

NIH to accelerate development and application of single cell analysis across various fields

The National Institutes of Health plans to invest more than $90 million over five years, contingent upon the availability of funds, to accelerate the development and application of single cell analysis across a variety of fields.

16 Oct 2012

Cannabis and the endocannabinoid system: an interview with Dr Leonora Long

Cannabis has both physical and behavioural effects. People using cannabis can experience feelings of euphoria (well-being), hunger, sleepiness, problems with motor coordination, and sometimes feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

15 Oct 2012

METASTROKE refines genetic stroke culprits

An analysis from the METASTROKE collaboration confirms an increased stroke risk associated with four previously reported genetic loci and shows that these are specific to certain stroke subtypes.

15 Oct 2012

DNA method leads to more effective treatment of neuroblastoma in children

After leukaemia and brain tumours, neuroblastoma is the most common form of cancer to affect children. A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has studied a DNA method which is now used for all cases of neuroblastoma in Sweden, and which has led to more effective treatment at individual level.

15 Oct 2012

Females having multiple sexual partners may be more fertile

Researchers have discovered that females that have multiple sexual partners can be more fertile than those that are monogamous and, very surprisingly, that this is the result of an "overproduction" of sons. The study - still only published as a provisional article but already one of the most accessed in BCM Evolutionary Biology - helps to explain a puzzle that has been haunting evolutionary biologist for decades: why during a mating season so many females chase multiple sexual partners when one is enough to fertilize all her eggs and to do it is costly and dangerous.

15 Oct 2012

Smoking cessation programs must be made available for current active-duty war fighters

In a new study published in Frontiers, Dr Timothy Durazzo and colleagues from the San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, expand upon their decade of research showing that smoking while kicking the alcohol habit impairs memory, learning and other cognitive skills--ultimately making it more difficult to weather the long storm of sobriety.

15 Oct 2012