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Skin-healing pseudoceramides

Researchers report in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Lipid Research that they have made synthetic lipids called pseudoceramides that are involved in skin cell growth and could be used in treating skin diseases in which skin cells grow abnormally.

29 Aug 2007

HPV vaccines may lower risk of oral cancer

The Centers for Disease Control report that nearly 25 million women are infected with some form of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

29 Aug 2007

Gamma globulin effective treatment for pinkeye

Gamma globulin, a type of antibody isolated from blood samples that used to be routinely given to health care workers and international travelers to protect them from infectious diseases, is a highly effective treatment for pinkeye with little apparent toxicity, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

29 Aug 2007

FDA grants orphan drug designation to TREANDA

Cephalon, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development granted orphan drug designation for the company's investigational therapy, TREANDA (bendamustine HCl), for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

29 Aug 2007

St. Jude discovers factors that accelerate resistance to Gleevec targeted therapy in lymphoblastic leukemia

Results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provide strong evidence for why the drug imatinib (Gleevec), which has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), is often unable to prevent relapse of a particularly aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

29 Aug 2007

Discovery may lead to fast and cheap method of making vaccines

Researchers may be able to tinker with a single amino acid of an enzyme that helps viruses multiply to render them harmless, according to molecular biologists who say the discovery could pave the way for a fast and cheap method of making vaccines.

29 Aug 2007

Evolution may have sped up

Is heading straight for a goal the quickest way there? If the name of the game is evolution, suggests new research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the pace might speed up if the goals themselves change continuously.

29 Aug 2007

Circulating fats kill transplanted pancreas cells

Dietary restrictions or other strategies that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

29 Aug 2007

Avicena signs distribution agreement with RITA Corporation for dermaceutical compounds

Avicena Group, Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company that develops central nervous system therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases as well as dermaceutical products announced today that it has signed an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with RITA Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty chemicals to the personal care industry.

29 Aug 2007

Animal model for dengue research

A mosquito-borne disease often known as "break-bone fever" has found a new enemy in a unique type of mouse.

28 Aug 2007

New discovery helps explain the mechanics of hearing

A 30-year scientific debate about how specialized cells in the inner ear amplify sound in mammals appears to have been settled more in favor of bouncing cell bodies rather than vibrating, hair-like cilia, according to St. Jude investigators.

28 Aug 2007

Scientists identifiy successfully reprogrammed cells by looks alone

Some scientific results are hard to spot, especially in genetic research. Often scientists are unable to physically see if the gene they inserted into a cell has produced the desired trait.

28 Aug 2007

Human testes may act as mutation multipliers

The testes in humans may act as mutation multipliers that raise the odds of passing improved DNA to offspring - but that can also backfire by increasing the frequency of certain diseases.

28 Aug 2007

Geron demonstrates hESC-derived cardiomyocytes improve heart function after myocardial infarction

Geron Corporation has reported its scientists and collaborators have demonstrated that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cardiomyocytes improve heart function when transplanted after myocardial infarction.

28 Aug 2007

New understanding of factor YY1 in gene expression

The Conaway Lab - led by Joan Conaway, Ph.D., and Ron Conaway, Ph.D., Investigators - has published findings that shed light on the role of the much-studied transcription factor YY1 in gene expression.

28 Aug 2007

Breast epithelial cells serve as a barrier against cancer

Sheets of highly organized epithelial cells line all the cavities and free surfaces of the body, forming barriers that control the movement of liquids and cells in the body organs.

28 Aug 2007

Brain function is even more impaired in cirrhotic than non-cirrhotic alcoholics

Sustained exposure to alcohol can cause scarring and dysfunction of the liver, referred to as cirrhosis.

28 Aug 2007

Moderate drinkers less likely to get kidney cancer

The researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm suggest that people who drink 22 ounces of alcohol a week are 40 percent less likely to develop kidney cancer.

28 Aug 2007

Leading experts meet to help advance motor neurone research

World renowned experts on motor neurone disease will share their work at an international symposium hosted by the University of Edinburgh tomorrow (WED) to enable greater understanding of the condition.

28 Aug 2007

Dietary restrictions that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective

Dietary restrictions or other strategies that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

28 Aug 2007