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Over-expression of heme oxygenase-1 enzyme protects the heart from doxorubicin damage

Life-threatening heart damage is an adverse side effect of the cancer drug doxorubicin, damage that also limits the use of newer chemotherapeutic agents such as trastuzumab and imatinib. The ability to protect the heart from these side effects would benefit patients, including cancer survivors who are at risk of developing heart damage years later, and it also could allow safer use of these drugs at higher doses.

26 Feb 2016

UAB researchers use Malvern’s NanoSight NS300 system to figure out role of exosomes in disease transmission

Data measured using the NanoSight NS300 from Malvern Instruments is providing new insights into the role of exosomes in diseases such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and cystic fibrosis, in pioneering research at the University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB).

23 Feb 2016

Researchers identify new group of powerful Ebola-fighting antibodies

A research team that included scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has identified a new group of powerful antibodies to fight Ebola virus.

22 Feb 2016

Revealing dynamic protein complexes with NMR: an interview with Elisar Barbar

Most proteins are involved in interactions with one or a few functional ligands, but some proteins, like light chain 8 (LC8), have numerous binding partners. LC8 interacts with more than 100 functionally different proteins, from viral proteins to motor proteins to proteins involved in cell division.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 18 Feb 2016

Pioneering technique shows promise for new medical diagnostics, targeted drug delivery

Living systems rely on a dizzying variety of chemical reactions essential to development and survival. Most of these involve a specialized class of protein molecules--the enzymes.

12 Feb 2016

Rockefeller University study shows how herpes virus causes traffic jam in immune system pathway

With over half the U.S. population infected, most people are familiar with the pesky cold sore outbreaks caused by the herpes virus. The virus outsmarts the immune system by interfering with the process that normally allows immune cells to recognize and destroy foreign invaders. How exactly the herpes simplex 1 virus pulls off its nifty scheme has long been elusive to scientists.

4 Feb 2016

Graphene-based electrodes could be safely implanted in the brain

Researchers have successfully demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene - a two-dimensional form of carbon - with neurons, or nerve cells, while maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. The work may be used to build graphene-based electrodes that can safely be implanted in the brain, offering promise for the restoration of sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

31 Jan 2016

Insights into exosomes role in disease transmission gained using NanoSight from Malvern

Data measured using the NanoSight NS300 from Malvern Panalytical is providing new insights into the role of exosomes in diseases such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and cystic fibrosis, in pioneering research at the University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB).

From Malvern Panalytical 28 Jan 2016

Biomedical innovation in the UK: an interview with Zahid Latif

The biomedical research base is one of the UK's strengths; over 1500 companies in the Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology area are established in the UK employing over 70,000.

22 Jan 2016

Researchers reconstruct 3D images of protein structures that link heart muscle cells in working groups

Diseased hearts may be thrown out of rhythm by structural differences -- now visible for the first time -- in protein groups that connect heart muscle cells, according to the authors of a study to be published in the journal Nature Communications online Jan. 20.

20 Jan 2016

New study sheds light on possible role of ion channel in the immune system

Many cells have microscopic gates, called ion channels, which open to allow the flow of ions across the cell membrane. Thanks to these gates, cells can detect stimuli such as heat, pain, pressure and even spicy food.

20 Jan 2016

Researchers identify protein structure linked to pain and heat perception

Touch a hot stove, and your fingers will recoil in pain because your skin carries tiny temperature sensors that detect heat and send a message to your brain saying, "Ouch! That's hot! Let go!"

19 Jan 2016

Omnicell's revolutionary medication automation cabinet system saves cost, increases efficiency

An 18-month trial in the trust which opened England’s first hospital dedicated to emergency care, Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, has found that significant cost-savings and efficiencies can be made by installing a revolutionary medication automation cabinet system provided by Omnicell Ltd, a leading provider of medication adherence packaging and automated healthcare solutions.

19 Jan 2016

Researchers reveal secondary structure of Lewy bodies in the brain of Parkinson's disease patients

Lewy bodies had been considered to be a key element of pathogenesis for Parkinson's disease. Although structural analysis for Lewy bodies with an electron microscope had been performed, it had no secondary structural information of proteins, which is important for the development of drugs.

13 Jan 2016

Mechanical properties of bone revealed through micro-indentation testing

Unravelling the mechanical properties of bone with micro-indentation testing has significance in both health and disease. At the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dr. Björn Busse and his research group have advanced their micro-indentation testing technique using an Olympus industrial inspection digital light microscope, as an alternative to electron microscopy. The cutting edge research is described in a new application note from Olympus, available online.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 12 Jan 2016

JGU employs new particle accelerator to enhance research into radiopharmaceutical chemistry

A new particle accelerator will further enhance the research landscape at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. It is to be employed to conduct research into potential applications of medical relevance.

5 Jan 2016

Boston College researchers develop new type of 'cross coupling' chemical reaction

By employing a third reactant, researchers at Boston College have developed a new type of 'cross coupling' chemical reaction, building on a Nobel Prize-winning technique that is one of the most sophisticated tools available to research chemists, the team reports in the journal Science.

4 Jan 2016

ORNL's cell-free protein synthesis system can help save lives of soldiers injured in remote locations

Lives of soldiers and others injured in remote locations could be saved with a cell-free protein synthesis system developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

30 Dec 2015

CMU researchers develop new method to survey learning-related changes in synapse properties

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new approach to broadly survey learning-related changes in synapse properties. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience and featured on the journal's cover, the researchers used machine-learning algorithms to analyze thousands of images from the cerebral cortex. This allowed them to identify synapses from an entire cortical region, revealing unanticipated information about how synaptic properties change during development and learning.

29 Dec 2015

Certain gut bacteria linked to type 2 diabetes, reveal Russian scientists

A group of Russian scientists, including Dr Elena Kostryukova, the Head of the Laboratory of Postgenomic Research in Biology of the Scientific Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine and a researcher at MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology), and Maria Vakhitova, an MIPT postgraduate student, has discovered that the presence of certain bacteria in the gut may be linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.

21 Dec 2015