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Researchers investigate acidity in solid tumors to determine if pH levels play a role in cell invasion

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at Wayne State University School of Medicine investigated the acidity in solid tumors to determine if pH levels play a role in cancer cell invasion in surrounding tissues.

28 Jan 2013

Scientists determine structure of Ltn1 protein

Using an innovative approach, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have determined the structure of Ltn1, a recently discovered "quality-control" protein that is found in the cells of all plants, fungi and animals.

17 Jan 2013

Scientists to investigate how cancer cells hide to avoid chemotherapy drugs

Scientists hope to improve leukaemia treatment by investigating how cancer cells use 'hiding places' in the body to avoid chemotherapy drugs.

17 Jan 2013

Reviewing the latest methods for characterizing biomaterials

Biomaterials and medical devices must be rigorously tested in the laboratory before they may be implanted into test subjects. By ensuring that these test methods are both quick and efficient, an increased number of materials can be tested and working implants can be produced more rapidly. The development of such tests is therefore essential to biomedical advancement, and Characterization of biomaterials reviews the latest methods for defining properties and characterizing materials. Characterization of biomaterials discusses a wide array of techniques and various unique approaches to the problems faced in characterizing biomaterials, whilst also providing information on standards and methods for assessing the safety and biocompatibility of biomaterials.

14 Jan 2013

Scientists describe detailed structure and function of the TFIID protein complex

A research team of scientists from EMBL Grenoble and the IGBMC in Strasbourg, France, have, for the first time, described in molecular detail the architecture of the central scaffold of TFIID: the human protein complex essential for transcription from DNA to mRNA. The study, published today in Nature, opens new perspectives in the study of transcription and of the structure and mechanism of other large multi-protein assemblies involved in gene regulation.

9 Jan 2013

Scientists demonstrate importance of Plvap gene in mammalian physiology

Dartmouth scientists have demonstrated the importance of the gene Plvap and the structures it forms in mammalian physiology in a study published in December by the journal Developmental Cell.

4 Jan 2013

Partin Tables to predict prostate cancer spread now updated

Prostate cancer experts at Johns Hopkins have developed an updated version of the Partin Tables, a tool to help men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their doctors to better assess their chance of a surgical cure. The updated tool, based on a study of more than 5,600 men treated at The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2006 to 2011, is published in the Jan. 3 issue of the British Journal of Urology International.

3 Jan 2013

Itch-specific nerve cells in skin discovered by John Hopkins scientists

Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.

3 Jan 2013

Towards imaging biological processes in action at the atomic level

If the key to winning battles is knowing both your enemy and yourself, then scientists are now well on their way toward becoming the Sun Tzus of medicine by taking a giant step toward a priceless advantage - the ability to see the soldiers in action on the battlefield.

21 Dec 2012

New technique to directly image biological structures at atomic levels

Investigators at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have invented a way to directly image biological structures at their most fundamental level and in their natural habitats. The technique is a major advancement toward the ultimate goal of imaging biological processes in action at the atomic level.

21 Dec 2012

Study tracks movements of leukocytes through the kidney

Better targeted treatments for 20 per cent of renal failure patients are on the horizon following a key discovery about the role of white blood cells in kidney inflammation.

16 Dec 2012

Harmonic generation microscopy can help measure natural age-related changes in skin cells

Wrinkles, dryness, and a translucent and fragile appearance are hallmarks of old skin, caused by the natural aging of skin cells. But while most of us can recognize the signs of lost youth when we peer into the mirror each morning, scientists do not have a standardized way to measure the extent of age damage in skin. Now a group of Taiwanese researchers has used a specialized microscope to peer harmlessly beneath the skin surface to measure natural age-related changes in the sizes of skin cells.

14 Dec 2012

Change of fatty diet can cause feelings like drug withdrawal and depression

Even before obesity occurs, eating fatty and sugary foods causes chemical changes in the brain, meaning that going on a diet might feel similar to going through drug withdrawal, according to a study published today by Dr. Stephanie Fulton of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated CRCHUM Hospital Research Centre.

13 Dec 2012

American Association of Anatomist announces winners of Young Investigator Awards

The American Association of Anatomist's (AAA) Young Investigator Awards combine three long-standing AAA awards-Bensley, Herrick, and Mossman-with the Morphological Sciences Award, all recognizing investigators in the early stages of their careers who have made important contributions to biomedical science through their research in cell/molecular biology, developmental biology, comparative neuroanatomy, or the morphological sciences.

12 Dec 2012

Microscope system designed to acquire very low-light bioluminescence images introduced in North America by Olympus America

A benchtop commercial microscope system designed to acquire very low-light bioluminescence images has now been introduced in North America by Olympus America. The LV200 stand-alone microscope system is already being used to capture images of living cells and tissues by researchers in Europe and Japan.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 29 Nov 2012

High-resolution real-time images show how nerves may be damaged during earliest stages of MS

High-resolution real-time images show in mice how nerves may be damaged during the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis. The results suggest that the critical step happens when fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein, leaks into the central nervous system and activates immune cells called microglia.

28 Nov 2012

CLCA1 molecule plays a special role in the mucus pathway

Respiratory conditions that restrict breathing such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common killers worldwide. But no effective treatments exist to address the major cause of death in these conditions - excess mucus production.

26 Nov 2012

Bruker combines nanoscale AFM zoom capabilities with high-throughput 3D optical microscopy

Bruker announced today at the 2012 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting the release of the unique NanoLens Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) accessory for ContourGT 3D optical microscopes.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 26 Nov 2012

Bruker releases new line of IRIS TERS Probes

Bruker announced today at the 2012 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting the release of a new line of IRIS TERS Probes. By enabling Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS), the new IRIS TERS probe tips provide users a complete path to non-destructive, label-free chemical detection at the nanoscale.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 26 Nov 2012

Major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells. The researchers used cutting-edge molecular biology and electron-microscopy techniques to "see" one of influenza's essential protein complexes in unprecedented detail. The images generated in the study show flu virus proteins in the act of self-replication, highlighting the virus's vulnerabilities that are sure to be of interest to drug developers.

23 Nov 2012