Medical School News and Research

RSS

MIT develops new software to predict complex 3-D DNA structures

While the primary job of DNA in cells is to carry genetic information from one generation to the next, some scientists also see the highly stable and programmable molecule as an ideal building material for nanoscale structures that could be used to deliver drugs, act as biosensors, perform artificial photosynthesis and more.

28 Apr 2011

Proteostasis acquires Harvard University's two novel protein target licenses

Proteostasis Therapeutics announced today that it has acquired two exclusive licenses from Harvard University to technologies for enhancing the activity of a key cellular protein clearance mechanism, the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

27 Apr 2011

Major breakthrough in understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Brandeis researchers have made a significant advance in the effort to understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by successfully reversing the toxicity of the mutated protein in the familial type of the disease.

27 Apr 2011

World could meet U.N. goal of almost ending malaria deaths by 2015, U.N. special envoy for malaria says

International efforts to fight malaria are "on track" to almost end malaria-related deaths by 2015, Ray Chambers, the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy for malaria, said on Monday, the Associated Press reports.

27 Apr 2011

Rxi secures SBIR grants to develop novel RNAi therapeutics for ALS

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted and immunotherapy technologies, today announced that it was awarded two Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

27 Apr 2011

AAN honors BIDMC neurologist with Epilepsy Award

Bernard Chang, MD, a member of the Department of Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, received the Dreifuss-Penry Epilepsy Award at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, held recently in Honolulu, HI.

27 Apr 2011

Tai chi for heart failure patients: It works!

A latest study from Harvard Medical School has found that Tai chi, often called “meditation in motion,” appears to improve the quality of life in people with heart failure. The ancient Chinese exercise of tai chi features physical movements that are slow and gentle and require concentration. The study is published in the April 25, 2011 issues of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

26 Apr 2011

New malaria initiative

According to the UN chief envoy for malaria a $5 billion campaign has saved several hundred thousand lives in recent years, keeping international efforts on track to virtually end deaths from the mosquito-borne disease by 2015. The UN reveals that about 780,000 people, mostly babies and toddlers in sub-Saharan Africa, now die from malaria annually, down from nearly 1 million in 2008.

26 Apr 2011

Colorectal cancer patients with genetic mutation can benefit from new class of drugs

A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

26 Apr 2011

Tai chi exercise linked to improved quality of life in CHF patients

Tai chi exercise appears to be associated with improved quality of life, mood and exercise self-efficacy in patients with chronic heart failure, according to a report in the April 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Apr 2011

AAA honors anatomy researchers with prestigious scientific award

The American Association of Anatomist's presented its highest awards on April 12 during the society's Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. This year's honors went to:

26 Apr 2011

U-M receives Taubman Institute's $100 million gift for innovative medical science

A. Alfred Taubman has become U-M's largest individual donor, with total giving of more than $142 million. His latest gift of $56 million to the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, announced today before the University's Board of Regents, will bring his support of innovative medical science at the University of Michigan to a total of $100 million.

25 Apr 2011

Mindfulness meditation may enhance mental abilities

The positive effects of mindfulness meditation on pain and working memory may result from an improved ability to regulate a crucial brain wave called the alpha rhythm.

22 Apr 2011

March of Dimes honors Whitehead Institute Director for Developmental Biology work

Whitehead Institute Director David Page has been named a recipient of the 2011 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology. The prize honors Page's groundbreaking body of research on the human Y chromosome.

22 Apr 2011

Severely obese adolescents no more likely to be depressed

According to a new study, severely obese adolescents are no more likely to be depressed than normal weight peers. The study, which has been released online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, did find that white adolescents may be somewhat more vulnerable to psychological effects of obesity.

22 Apr 2011

Thought leaders gather to examine challenges facing patients with primary immunodeficiencies

Thought leaders from the medical, scientific and patient advocacy communities gathered in New York and London for CSL Behring's Key Issues Dialogue–Immunoglobulin to examine challenges facing patients with primary immunodeficiencies.

21 Apr 2011

Psoriasis patients still need long-established treatment alternatives

For patients with severe psoriasis, a new class of intravenous and injectable biological medicines known as "biologics" has brought about a near revolution in treatment.

21 Apr 2011

NEJM features pulse oximetry training video

A pulse oximetry training video produced by Rafael Ortega, MD, the vice-chair of academic affairs for the department of anesthesiology at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and professor of anesthesiology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), and his colleagues is featured in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Apr 2011

Intrinsic Bioprobes launches mass spectrometry-based protein assays for in-vitro diagnostic testing

Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc. ("IBI") today announced the launch of its first mass spectrometry-based protein assays for in-vitro diagnostic testing. The assays for beta-2-microglobulin, cystatin C, and retinol binding protein are performed on IBI's MASSAY® platform at the CLIA-certified and College of American Pathology (CAP) accredited diagnostic laboratory of the Institute of Genomics Medicine, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

20 Apr 2011

Testosterone therapy for prostate cancer needs reevaluation: New study

The long-standing prohibition against testosterone therapy in men with untreated or low-risk prostate cancer merits reevaluation, according to a new study published in The Journal of Urology.

20 Apr 2011