Chemical Messenger News and Research

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Scientists design synthetic molecule to protect liver cancer cells from toxic effects of chemotherapy

Scientists have found that a synthetic molecule they designed can block activation of a gene in liver cancer cells, halting a process that allows some of those cancer cells to survive chemotherapy.

13 Oct 2010

Research on spatial memories may lead to potential treatments for addiction and obesity

A researcher from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta has discovered a mechanism underlying some forms of obesity and addictions which could lead to a treatment for both diseases.

5 Oct 2010

Santarus, VeroScience enter agreement to commercialize CYCLOSET drug for type 2 diabetes

Santarus, Inc., S2 Therapeutics, Inc. and VeroScience LLC today announced that they have entered into a distribution and license agreement granting Santarus exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialize CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets in the U.S.

9 Sep 2010

Research finds role of hormone-secreting fat cells in certain diseases

Scientists are reporting new evidence that the fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches far from being a dormant storage depot for surplus calories is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases.

3 Sep 2010

Social interaction reduces physical damage to brain by heart attack: Research

A new study in mice shows how social support can help minimize some of the worst physical damages to the brain caused by a heart attack.

31 Aug 2010

Scientists work towards creating a vaccine for Parkinson's disease

Nina Brown, 68, and millions of others with a debilitating neurological condition called Parkinson's disease are counting on researchers for a cure. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), protein chemists are working to develop a therapeutic vaccine.

10 Aug 2010

New research focuses on calcium channels in lysosome membrane

In cells, as in cities, disposing of garbage and recycling anything that can be reused is an essential service. In both city and cell, health problems can arise when the process breaks down.

15 Jul 2010

Mutation in ion channel that changes its dynamics is implicated in epilepsy: Scientists

In 2004, Washington University in St. Lous researcher Jianmin Cui was handed a puzzling clue to the structure of an ion channel his lab had been studying for five years.

24 Jun 2010

Merck's MK-4305 improves overall sleep efficiency in primary insomnia patients

Clinical results from a Phase IIb study showed that MK-4305, Merck's investigational dual orexin receptor antagonist, was significantly more effective than placebo (p<0.005) in improving overall sleep efficiency at night one and at the end of week four in patients with primary insomnia. MK-4305 was generally well-tolerated in the study. Orexins are neuropeptides (chemical messengers) that are released by specialized neurons in the hypothalamus region of the brain and are believed to be an important regulator of the brain's sleep-wake process.

9 Jun 2010

Mouse study may lead to new therapies for Parkinson's disease

Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease.

7 May 2010

Novel drug helps discover mechanisms underlying female sexual arousal

By using a novel prototype drug, researchers have discovered more about the mechanisms underlying female sexual arousal. These findings are published today in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

15 Apr 2010

Medication and behaviour therapy help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Medication and behavioural interventions help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) better maintain attention and self control by normalising activity in the same brain systems, according to researchers at The University of Nottingham.

15 Apr 2010

Gene playing crucial role in immune system balance identified

A team led by St. Jude researchers identified a gene pivotal for immune system balance. Ultimately, the discovery may aid efforts to tame allergies and asthma.

12 Apr 2010

Microglia contribute to loss of neurons linked with Alzheimer's disease

Microglia are the cells responsible for immune surveillance in the brain, and they initiate protective inflammatory reactions in response to tissue damage and infection. An international team under the leadership of LMU neuroscientist Professor Jochen Herms has now shown that these cells may actually make a significant contribution to the loss of neurons associated with Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2010

MIF exhibits potential as viable therapeutic target for Type 2 diabetes

An experimental oral drug has lowered blood sugar levels and inflammation in mice with Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that the medication could someday be added to the arsenal of drugs used by millions of Americans with this disease, according to new research.

16 Mar 2010

Scientists show Ritalin boosts cognitive abilities by enhancing brain plasticity

Doctors treat millions of children with Ritalin every year to improve their ability to focus on tasks, but scientists now report that Ritalin also directly enhances the speed of learning.

8 Mar 2010

Decreased release of neurotransmitter acetylcholine contributes to heart failure

Scientists at the Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario, working in collaboration with researchers in Brazil, have used a unique genetically-modified mouse line to reveal a previously unidentified mechanism contributing to heart failure.

2 Feb 2010

Androgen receptor plays critical role in wound healing

A molecular receptor pivotal to the action of male hormones such as testosterone also plays a crucial role in the body's ability to heal, report scientists in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

5 Jan 2010

Complicated flow of cellular messages can lead to self-destruction of brain cells, says new study

Scientists at the Brain Research Centre, a partnership of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, have uncovered new information about the mechanism by which brain cells die following a stroke, as well as a possible way to mitigate that damage. The results of the study were recently published online in Nature Medicine.

23 Nov 2009

Pregnant women with symptoms of depression have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine

Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do women with lower depression levels, according to a new study.

29 Oct 2009