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The first test in humans of a bioartificial kidney

The first test in humans of a bioartificial kidney offers hope of the device's potential to save the lives of people with acute renal failure, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System report.

4 Nov 2004

Scientists identify crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA

A team of University of Sussex-led scientists has identified crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA - the blueprint for all living cells.

25 Oct 2004

Flu vaccine shortage highlights need to accelerate the approval of affordable generic biopharmaceuticals and vaccines

Following the announcement that the nation is facing a flu vaccine shortage this year, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) renewed its call for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Congress to move forward to accelerate the approval of affordable generic biopharmaceuticals and vaccines.

8 Oct 2004

$10 million to establish a multidisciplinary research program in cancer nanotechnology

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded scientists from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology two new collaborative research grants, totaling nearly $10 million, to establish a multidisciplinary research program in cancer nanotechnology and to develop a new class of nanoparticles for molecular and cellular imaging.

6 Oct 2004

RiboNovix secures license to novel anti-infective discovery technology from Wayne State University

New biotechnology company, RiboNovix, Inc., is addressing the worsening problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by developing new anti-infectives that are less susceptible to drug resistance.

5 Oct 2004

Berkeley searches for AIDS cure in a Samoan indigenous tree

The University of California, Berkeley, has signed an agreement with the Samoan government to isolate from an indigenous tree the gene for a promising anti-AIDS drug and to share any royalties from sale of a gene-derived drug with the people of Samoa.

30 Sep 2004

Scientists develop rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a pair of rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin, a feat that could underpin new technologies to thwart bioterrorism and spur the development of agents to blunt the toxic action of the world's most poisonous substance.

29 Sep 2004

Study provides insight on how DNA code is turned into instructions for protein construction

A team of scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science has revealed the structure of a cellular editor that “cuts and pastes” the first draft of RNA straight after it is formed from its DNA template.

9 Sep 2004

New type of artificial hip - ceramic-on-metal

A new type of artificial hip, more robust and longer lasting than conventional artificial joints, is to undergo clinical trials and could be available for patients within five years.

20 Aug 2004

Positron emission tomography offers a better way to observe the damage that strokes and neurodegenerative diseases wreak on brain cells

A laser-based microscopy technique may have settled a long-standing debate among neuroscientists about how brain cells process energy

2 Jul 2004

Grow your own breast implants

Breast implants could one day be a thing of the past, as a new technology that allows patients to grow their own begins to take shape at the University of Melbourne.

29 Jun 2004

New gene found in genetic wasteland

In a region of DNA long considered a genetic wasteland, Harvard Medical School researchers have discovered a new class of gene.

20 Jun 2004

New clues into the mystery of the brain’s ultra-complicated cells known as neurons

Researchers from USC and the Technion Medical School in Israel have uncovered new clues into the mystery of the brain’s ultra-complicated cells known as neurons.

16 Jun 2004

Conflicting views on embryonic and adult stem cells complicate research in stem cell therapeutics

Though there has been considerable biological and political debate over the use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) vs. adult stem cells (ASCs) as therapies for tissue engineering and organ transplants, inherent benefits and drawbacks in both techniques compel them to coexist and complement each other.

10 Jun 2004

Suprising discovery in the retinas of colorblind people may help understanding of a number of eye disorders

The discovery of a surprise lurking in the retinas of colorblind people may have ramifications for understanding a number of eye disorders. Using a technique called “adaptive optics,” which was originally developed to help astronomers see more clearly through the Earth’s atmosphere.

2 Jun 2004

3-D micro-imaging technology licensed to Carl Zeiss Jena by Cornell

Biomedical microscopic imaging deep inside living tissue with unprecedented clarity could become routine and widely available with the signing of technology-transfer and collaborative-research agreements today (May 28, 2004) by Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, a leading maker of microscopy instrumentation, and by CCTEC, the technology, enterprise and commercialization arm of Cornell University.

30 May 2004

Computer program to predict where DNA molecules will pop open when twisted

Biologists are used to thinking about DNA sequences as a string of letters (A, C, G, T) that happens to be arranged in an elegant double helix. But DNA also has mechanical properties that affect how genes are turned on or off, say researchers at the UC Davis Genome Center.

24 May 2004

Protein that appears to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease

A protein that allows human cancer to resist multiple anticancer drugs also appears to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, according to research conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center. The protein, active in brain tissue, could be a target for new drugs to treat patients with Alzheimer's.

20 May 2004

New generation of programmable chips set to revolutionise medical industry

The MI-3 project is focussing on developing and exploiting a new generation of programmable chips that will produce images that can be transformed even before they leave the camera. Active Pixel Sensors exploit the capabilities of Complimentary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor (CMOS) Chips by allowing intelligent imaging that can focus right down to individual pixels.

19 May 2004

Survey serious misunderstandings about breastfeeding

A survey published today by The UK Department of Health for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (9 - 15 May) shows that serious misunderstandings may be stopping women, particularly young women, from breastfeeding.

10 May 2004