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CHR-3996 pill shows promise against advanced cancers

Scientists have shown that a brand new type of cancer pill that exploits the emerging field of epigenetics is safe for human use, according to a Phase I trial reported today in Clinical Cancer Research.

2 May 2012

FDA clears Great Basin’s first C. diff molecular diagnostic test

Great Basin Corporation, a privately-held life sciences company developing sample-to-result molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for its first molecular diagnostic test for Clostridium difficile.

2 May 2012

ACE inhibitors or ARBs could treat and prevent PTSD

Traumatized people who take a class of common blood pressure medications tend to have less severe post-traumatic stress symptoms, researchers have found.

2 May 2012

Protein vital for cell survival and immune balance has another form with different function

Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators suggests that safeguarding cell survival and maintaining a balanced immune system is just the start of the myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL1) protein's work.

30 Apr 2012

FDA approves Levaquin for plague

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Levaquin (levofloxacin) to treat patients with plague, a rare and potentially deadly bacterial infection. The agency also approved the drug to reduce the risk of getting plague after exposure to Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease.

30 Apr 2012

Trovagene completes PCR assay development for detection of K-RAS mutations

Trovagene, Inc., a developer of trans-renal molecular diagnostics, announced today that the Company has successfully completed the analytical development of digital PCR assays for the detection of the most prevalent K-RAS mutations, which are, according to recent estimates, observed in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers, and in 23% of all solid tumors.

30 Apr 2012

JCO publishes Syndax erlotinib-entinostat Phase 2 study for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a late-stage oncology company focused on the clinical development of epigenetic therapies in solid tumors, announced that previously reported results from ENCORE 401, a randomized, placebo controlled Phase 2 study of erlotinib with or without entinostat in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

30 Apr 2012

Scientists discover number of unknown brain networks linked with teen drug abuse

Why do some teenagers start smoking or experimenting with drugs-while others don't? In the largest imaging study of the human brain ever conducted-involving 1,896 14-year-olds-scientists have discovered a number of previously unknown networks that go a long way toward an answer.

30 Apr 2012

NCI-funded research to customize treatment for oral cancer patients

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a two-year grant to Dr. Brian L. Schmidt, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the NYU College of Dentistry, and Dr. Donna G. Albertson, professor at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. The grant will fund groundbreaking research to customize treatment for oral cancer patients.

30 Apr 2012

First idiothetic memory study in humans

It's night time. The light suddenly goes out in the room where you are. At the same time you hear somebody crying: "Fire!". You bolt. Will you be able to find your way out in total darkness? Most likely, yes - if the room is somewhat familiar to you and not too big. Escape will be possible because of idiothetic memory, one of two types of human spatial memory. This type of memory relies not on visual information, but on information coming from the body. In the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw it was investigated whether this type of memory can be affected by age.

30 Apr 2012

Maternal stress during first trimester of pregnancy puts newborns at risk for iron deficiency

Newborns whose mothers are under stress during the first trimester of pregnancy may be at risk for low iron status, which could lead to physical and mental delays down the road, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

30 Apr 2012

Researchers discover gene for new form of intellectual disability

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) led a study discovering a gene for a new form of intellectual disability, as well as how it likely affects cognitive development by disrupting neuron functioning.

27 Apr 2012

Blogs examine malaria fight in recognition of World Malaria Day

Wednesday, April 25, marked World Malaria Day, which this year had the theme "Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria."

27 Apr 2012

Researchers discover small molecules that kill HPV-infected cancer cells

Researchers at The Wistar Institute announce the discovery of small molecules that kill cancer cells caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Their results, in both cell and mouse models, demonstrate that the small molecule inhibitors protect a tumor-suppressing protein targeted by viral proteins, thus killing the infected tumor cells.

27 Apr 2012

Kras gene triggers metabolic changes that fuel cancer cells

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that advanced pancreatic cancers in mice can't survive without continued expression of a mutant oncogene that "rewires" key metabolic pathways to fuel the cancer cells.

27 Apr 2012

Study explores resilin-like materials for vocal fold disorders

A one-inch long grasshopper can leap a distance of about 20 inches. Cicadas can produce sound at about the same frequency as radio waves. Fleas measuring only millimeters can jump an astonishing 100 times their height in microseconds. How do they do it? They make use of a naturally occurring protein called resilin.

27 Apr 2012

University of Kentucky researchers make major breakthrough in GA

University of Kentucky researchers, led by Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, have made a major breakthrough in the "dry" form of age-related macular degeneration known as geographic atrophy.

27 Apr 2012

New article describes design and properties of magnetoelectric composite materials

Up to now, the brain's magnetic field is measurable only under technical laboratory conditions. This technique is therefore not feasible in terms of the broader medical use, although it would be significant for diagnosing numerous conditions such as epilepsy and dementia, or even for improving therapies such as deep brain stimulation for treating Parkinson's disease.

27 Apr 2012

Experimental drug for autism works effectively in laboratory mice: Study

A new experimental drug has shown promise in autism symptoms in mice. Researchers from the National Institutes of Mental Health and Pfizer reported Wednesday that an experimental compound, called GRN-529, increased social interactions and lessened repetitive self-grooming behavior in a strain of mice bred to display autism-like behaviors.

26 Apr 2012

Mad cow disease raises concern but safety nets are in place says USDA

Four sick cows ever discovered in the U.S., the one announced Tuesday being the first since 2006, and no human version of the illness linked to eating U.S. beef, is not enough to worry about. “From simply a public health issue, I put it very, very low,” Cornell University food safety expert Martin Wiedmann said of the level of concern about mad cow disease. Maintaining confidence in exports fuels the nation's monitoring of the beef supply as much as continuing safety concerns, he said.

26 Apr 2012