Ion News and Research

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Temple scientists to solve long-standing mystery in sepsis

Scientists at the Center for Translational Medicine at the Temple University School of Medicine are inching closer to solving a long-standing mystery in sepsis, a complex and often life-threatening condition that affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. every year.

28 Jan 2013

HSS involving resiniferatoxin receives U.S. patent to alleviate intractable pain

The U. S. Patent and Trademark Office recently issued a patent to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services involving resiniferatoxin, or RTX, an experimental compound that represents a potential new class of drugs to alleviate the intractable pain that can occur in people with advanced cancer, severe arthritis, and other extremely chronic conditions.

28 Jan 2013

FDA updates metal-on-metal hip replacement advice

The US Food and Drug Administration has updated its advice on the use of metal-on-metal hip replacement prostheses.

25 Jan 2013

Researchers find new genetic differences in human hearts

Healthy men and women show little difference in their hearts, except for small electrocardiographic disparities. But new genetic differences found by Washington University in St. Louis researchers in hearts with disease could ultimately lead to personalized treatment of various heart ailments.

25 Jan 2013

Chemical sensitivity of TRPA1 ion channel may boost melanin production

Last year, a team of researchers at Brown University discovered that certain skin cells use a light-sensitive receptor found outside of the eye to sense ultraviolet light and quickly begin pumping out melanin to protect against DNA damage.

22 Jan 2013

Study examines consequences of muscle activity with surprising results

A study in The Journal of General Physiology examines the consequences of muscle activity with surprising results, indicating that the extracellular accumulation of potassium that occurs in working muscles is considerably higher than previously thought.

18 Jan 2013

DESI technique identifies cancer type, grade and tumor margins in brain surgery patients

A new tool that could allow for faster, more comprehensive testing of brain tissue during surgery successfully identified the cancer type, grade and tumor margins in five brain surgery patients, according to a Purdue University and Brigham and Women's Hospital study.

11 Jan 2013

Researchers discover new pathway to reduce paradoxical pain

For individuals with agonizing pain, it is a cruel blow when the gold-standard medication actually causes more pain. Adults and children whose pain gets worse when treated with morphine may be closer to a solution, based on research published in the January 6 on-line edition of Nature Neuroscience.

7 Jan 2013

Crofelemer receives FDA approval for treatment of HIV associated diarrhea

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has provided Marketing approval to its partner in US, Salix Pharmaceuticals Limited, for Crofelemer 125 mg delayed-release tablets for the symptomatic relief of non-infectious diarrhea in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

2 Jan 2013

Model-independent way to study ion channel gating

Two studies in The Journal of General Physiology (JGP) help pave the way for a "shortcut" model-free approach to studying activation of "polymodal" ion channels-channels that open in response to multiple stimuli. Transmembrane ion channels respond to various physiological stimuli to regulate numerous cellular functions. Different classes of channels respond to different types of stimuli; some channels, for instance, respond to changes in membrane potential whereas others are activated by ligand binding.

28 Dec 2012

Novel way to design metal organic frameworks under completely liquid-free conditions

Researchers at Aldrich Materials Science, a strategic technology initiative of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation have discovered an innovative way to design an important class of three-dimensional (3D) hybrid structures, Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), under completely liquid-free conditions.

20 Dec 2012

New Spectra Iris indirect ophthalmoscope from Keeler

Spectra Iris is a new addition to Keeler's indirect ophthalmoscope range. It has been specifically designed as a compact, lightweight and portable indirect with an adjustable aperture for all pupil sizes.

20 Dec 2012

Thermo Scientific, UT Arlington receive U.S. patent for Dionex QD detector

The University of Texas at Arlington and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, announced that they have been granted a United States patent (#8,293,099) for a novel charge detector for ion chromatography that they developed together.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 20 Dec 2012

Ion channel acts as powerful ‘brake’ after epileptic seizures

Given that epilepsy impacts more than 2 million Americans, there is a pressing need for new therapies to prevent this disabling neurological disorder. New findings from the neuroscience laboratory of Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, published Dec. 20 in the high-impact scientific journal, Neuron, may provide hope.

19 Dec 2012

U-M devises new system to capture and study circulating tumor cells

A glass plate with a nanoscale roughness could be a simple way for scientists to capture and study the circulating tumor cells that carry cancer around the body through the bloodstream.

12 Dec 2012

Edith and Peter O'Donnell Awards to recognize Texas researchers on Jan.17

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas (TAMEST) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Awards who will be honored during a banquet on Thursday, January 17, 2013, in conjunction with TAMEST's 10th Annual Conference at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas.

12 Dec 2012

Two UT Southwestern researchers to receive 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas (TAMEST) announced that two UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are among the four chosen for the 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Awards.

12 Dec 2012

Carbon nanotubes can help regulate chloride levels in nerve cells that contribute to neural injuries

A nanomaterial engineered by researchers at Duke can help regulate chloride levels in nerve cells that contribute to chronic pain, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

11 Dec 2012

Scientists uncover molecular basis of gentle touch

Stroke the soft body of a newborn fruit fly larva ever-so-gently with a freshly plucked eyelash, and it will respond to the tickle by altering its movement-an observation that has helped scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) uncover the molecular basis of gentle touch, one of the most fundamental but least well understood of our senses.

10 Dec 2012

Bisphenol A blocks calcium channels in cell membranes

Bisphenol A, a substance found in many synthetic products, is considered to be harmful, particularly, for fetuses and babies. Researchers from the University of Bonn have now shown in experiments on cells from human and mouse tissue that this environmental chemical blocks calcium channels in cell membranes. Similar effects are elicited by drugs used to treat high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia. The results are now presented in the journal "Molecular Pharmacology."

6 Dec 2012