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Breast cancer cell surface protein blows cover of potent tumor-generating cells

Breast cancer stem cells wear a cell surface protein that is part nametag and part bull's eye, identifying them as potent tumor-generating cells and flagging their vulnerability to a drug, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Journal of Clinical Investigation.

17 May 2012

Nottingham researchers lead largest ever research project into genetics of pre-eclampsia

Researchers from The University of Nottingham are leading the largest ever international research project into the genetics of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia.

17 May 2012

CHOP researcher leads trial of ALK inhibitor in neuroblastoma, lymphoma

A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma.

17 May 2012

Study reveals pathway that may help slow development of multiple myeloma

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have identified a target for slowing the progression of multiple myeloma by using currently available drugs.

17 May 2012

Gene therapy restores movement in children bedridden with AADC

Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease.

17 May 2012

High-throughput sequencing can detect early signs of leukemia relapse

A study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that a next-generation, high-speed DNA-decoding technology called high-throughput sequencing can detect the earliest signs of potential relapse in nearly twice the number of leukemia patients as compared to flow cytometry, the current gold standard for detecting minimal residual disease.

17 May 2012

Project aims to find new diagnostic tools, drugs for triple negative breast cancer

Some types of breast cancer can be successfully treated with drugs such as tamoxifen, but treatment for a type of breast cancer more common in young and black women is still limited to radiation and general chemotherapy. Called triple negative breast cancer, this type of cancer is the focus of a 20-month, $8.6-million research project that aims to find new diagnostic tools and options for drugs.

17 May 2012

Early drug and alcohol use associated with lower levels of educational attainment

Researchers have found evidence that early drug and alcohol use is associated with lower levels of educational attainment.

17 May 2012

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Age-adjusted melanoma on the rise

As the U.S. observes Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, a report published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings has some sobering news for young adults: The incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men from 1970 through 2009.

16 May 2012

Intriguing links between Snf2l gene and brain developmental disorders

Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) have discovered that mice that lack a gene called Snf2l have brains that are 35 per cent larger than normal.

16 May 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear announces recipients of 2012 Curing Kids Fund grants

The Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids fund has awarded grants for research projects that aim to help the brain locate sound, identify genes that cause congenital blindness, cure deafness through hair cell regeneration, and improve treatment for childhood eye cancer.

16 May 2012

Researchers find protein that controls neurotransmission: findings may lead to new drugs to treat neurological disorders

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

15 May 2012

Significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer

A team of international scientists has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer, a deadly type of liver cancer. By identifying several new genes frequently mutated in bile duct cancers, researchers are paving the way for better understanding of how bile duct cancers develop. Their discovery is published online in Nature Genetics.

15 May 2012