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Immune cells in the liver travel in the liver's blood vessels with surprising speed and agility

Scientists at New York University School of Medicine viewing the actual journey of immune cells in the liver have found that these cells travel in the liver's blood vessels with surprising speed and agility.

4 Apr 2005

Bionic eyes from Stanford

Stanford physicists and eye doctors have teamed up to design a "bionic eye," of sorts. On Feb. 22 in the Journal of Neural Engineering, Daniel Palanker, Alexander Vankov and Phil Huie from the Department of Ophthalmology and the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory and Stephen Baccus from the Department of Neurobiology published a design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthesis system that can stimulate the retina with resolution corresponding to a visual acuity of 20/80

4 Apr 2005

Red blood cells lump by mobile phone

Two students of the Gymnasium high school in Spaichingen (Germany) have investigated the influence of using a mobile phone on the red blood cells. With a microscope they made 255 pictures of the blood of 51 testees.

22 Mar 2005

$3.2 million for two shock-related studies

A Virginia Commonwealth University research group has been awarded $3.2 million in federal grants for two shock-related studies, one with battlefield implications and the other for emergency medicine.

21 Mar 2005

Study indicates need for new standards and training for cornea transplants

Improving the training and standardizing the procedures used by the nation's eye banks to assess corneal cells may help to select corneas with optimal health for transplantation, according to new study led by Jonathan H. Lass, MD, principal investigator of the study and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

14 Mar 2005

Virologists make major step towards understanding the process of HIV infection

A working group of virologists headed by Professor Hans-Georg Kräusslich at Heidelberg University Hospitals, jointly with Professor Hanswalter Zentgraf, Division of Applied Tumor Virology of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ), have been the first to label Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) for visual investigations without inhibiting the functional characteristics of the virus.

28 Feb 2005

Researchers have discovered an ample source of stem cells in an uncharted part of the umbilical cord

The study, published in the February issue of Stem Cells, outlines how researchers discovered that the jelly-like connective tissue surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord, the so-called "Wharton's Jelly," is rich in mesenchymal progenitor cells – cells that generate bone, cartilage and other tissues – and can be harvested to generate an abundant supply in a short amount of time.

9 Feb 2005

New methods of gene delivery using lasers

Leading laser scientists at the University of St Andrews have developed a new method of delivering genes to cells using laser light. The new technique, which is cheap and powerful, could have important implications for future studies in biomedicine and healthcare.

26 Jan 2005

Broadening treatment to battle recurrence of endometrial cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers studying endometrial cancer have found that patients at risk for relapse based on identified risk factors had a 46 percent probability of experiencing recurrence within five years despite treatment with state-of-the-art therapy.

18 Jan 2005

Scientists examine the role of small sputum macrophages in the widespread disease chronic obstructive bronchitis

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is one of the most common fatal diseases worldwide. In Germany alone, there are about 3-5 million patients affected. COPD includes both chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. Both represent irreversible changes of the central and lower respiratory tract which are accompanied by coughing, mucus production and difficulty in breathing.

10 Jan 2005

Glia cells may be essential for the normal development of nerve cells responsible for hearing and balance

Traditionally viewed as supporting actors, cells known as glia may be essential for the normal development of nerve cells responsible for hearing and balance, according to new University of Utah research. The study is reported in the January 6, 2005 issue of Neuron and is co-authored by scientists at the University of Washington.

6 Jan 2005

Defect in one of nature's oldest proteins may be an underlying cause in human miscarriages

University of Rochester scientists studying a vital protein called Serum Response Factor (SRF) in mice have learned new and unexpected facts about SRF's role in early cardiovascular development, and how a defect in this gene may be an underlying cause in human miscarriages.

8 Dec 2004

New virtual microscopy system

Researchers at the universities of Helsinki and Tampere (Finland) have developed a new virtual microscopy system, which allows users digitize entire microscope glass slide specimens, and then create a virtual slide with the quality and resolution similar to the original glass slide viewed on a microscope.

29 Nov 2004

Scientists create world’s smallest test tube

Oxford scientists have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by making the world’s smallest test tube – so tiny that around 300 billion would fit onto a full stop on this page.

24 Nov 2004

Noted surgeon Frank J. Veith named first Jacobson Awardee for physician excellence by Vascular Disease Foundation

Noted vascular surgeon Frank Veith, M.D., the William J. von Liebig Chair for Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, NY) and Professor of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx ,NY) is the recipient of the first Julius H. Jacobson II, M.D. Award for Physician Excellence, given by the Vascular Disease Foundation.

18 Nov 2004

Novel enzyme in sperm is essential for spontaneous and independent movement

A study led by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that a novel enzyme in sperm is essential for spontaneous and independent sperm movement as well as male fertility.

16 Nov 2004

Fluorescent protein tool may speed identification of molecular changes that reveal cells' inner workings

Scientists at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas Medical Branch have created a new tool that easily reveals when and where a key cellular signal is active.

16 Nov 2004

Obesity statistics are as bogus as weight-loss scams

The weight-loss industry is finding itself in the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission's "Operation Big Fat Lies" -- a crackdown on slimming down pills, powders and patches that are too good to be true. The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) recommends that grossly exaggerated statistics and hype from pharmaceutical and weight-loss companies about the nation's so-called "obesity epidemic" also be placed under the federal microscope.

10 Nov 2004

Crystal structure of protein AIRs kinase uncovered

Cornell University researchers, who are trying to understand how proteins evolve and function by looking at their structural features, have uncovered the crystal structure of a protein involved in making the building blocks of DNA correctly.

4 Nov 2004

Potential new treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells

A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified a potential treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells that has never been tried before.

25 Oct 2004