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Lostartan can reduce cigarette smoke-induced lung injury

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is among the most common causes of death in the US. It is a smoking-related disease for which there are currently no disease-altering therapies. However, hope that one could be developed is now provided by the work of Enid Neptune and colleagues, at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, in a mouse model of lung disease caused by exposure to cigarette smoke.

20 Dec 2011

Phase I clinical study of Selexys SelG1 for sickle cell disease completed

Selexys Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has completed a Phase I clinical study of its lead compound SelG1, an antibody specific for the pro-inflammatory cell adhesion molecule P-selectin.

19 Dec 2011

Newgen acquires novel oncology development programs from Kanion

NewGen Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the acquisition of three novel oncology development programs from Kanion USA, Inc. and Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd..

19 Dec 2011

Alkermes commences ALKS 9070 phase 3 clinical trial for schizophrenia

Alkermes plc today announced the initiation of a phase 3 clinical trial of ALKS 9070 for the treatment of schizophrenia. ALKS 9070, a proprietary Alkermes molecule, is designed to provide patients with once-monthly dosing of a medication that, once in the body, converts into aripiprazole, a molecule that is commercially available under the name ABILIFY for the treatment of a number of central nervous system disorders.

19 Dec 2011

Researchers discover miR-520 blocks cancer-promoting signaling pathway

MicroRNAs or miRNAs are tiny RNA molecules that have only about 20 nucleotides and do not code for proteins. They regulate many important processes in cells by binding to target messenger RNAs - the instructions for protein production -, thus blocking production of the respective protein. In cancer, the production of some miRNAs is often reduced or amplified. This particularly affects miRNAs that regulate the activity of cancer-promoting genes.

17 Dec 2011

Scientists devise a way to reduce side effects of lung cancer therapy

Scientists may have a way to double the efficacy and reduce the side effects of radiation therapy.

17 Dec 2011

Wistar to develop new drug against EBV-associated cancers

The Wistar Institute today announced that it has signed a funding agreement with the Wellcome Trust, a United Kingdom-based charity, to support the development of a new drug to treat cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virus.

16 Dec 2011

Scientists uncover critical genetic mutation in patients with MDS

Scientists have uncovered a critical genetic mutation in some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes - a group of blood cancers that can progress to a fatal form of leukemia.

16 Dec 2011

New drug candidate may halt mental decline of Alzheimer's

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study published today in PLoS one.

15 Dec 2011

Researchers identify genetic factors responsible for neurons in the thalamus

The thalamus is the central translator in the brain: Specialized nerve cells (neurons) receive information from the sensory organs, process it, and transmit it deep into the brain. Researchers from the Institute of Toxicology and Genetics (ITG) of KIT have now identified the genetic factors Lhx2 and Lhx9 responsible for the development of these neurons.

15 Dec 2011

Researchers discover novel viral oncogenesis mechanism

Human tumor viruses contribute to 15-20% of human cancers worldwide. Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is an etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and two other rare lymphoproliferative malignancies. KS is the most common cancer in HIV-infected untreated individuals and remains a primary cause of cancer deaths in many subequatorial African countries as a result of the AIDS pandemic.

15 Dec 2011

Fresh cells can pep talk immune cells exhausted by HIV or hepatitis C

Chronic infections by viruses such as HIV or hepatitis C eventually take hold because they wear the immune system out, a phenomenon immunologists describe as exhaustion.

14 Dec 2011

Chemical disruption to key interaction shown to limit metastasis in test mice

Finding ways to counteract or disrupt the invasive nature of cancer cells, called "metastasis," has been a long-term goal of cancer researchers. Now, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have identified an interactive pathway that regulates metastases in some cancers that may be vulnerable to chemical targeting in order to prevent cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth.

14 Dec 2011

Hydrogel regenerates healthy, scar-free tissue on skin damaged by severe burns

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a jelly-like material and wound treatment method that, in early experiments on skin damaged by severe burns, appeared to regenerate healthy, scar-free tissue.

14 Dec 2011

Positive data from Nektar's NKTR-181 Phase 1 clinical study for chronic pain

Nektar Therapeutics today announced positive data from a Phase 1 clinical study of NKTR-181 evaluating multiple ascending oral doses of NKTR-181 over an 8-day treatment period in healthy subjects.

14 Dec 2011

Scientists shed light on 3-D structure of olfactory receptor binding site

Banana, mango or apricot - telling these smells apart is no problem for the human nose. How the olfactory organ distinguishes such similar smells has been uncovered by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the RUB. The scientists were the first to shed light on the dynamics of the three-dimensional structure of the binding site of an olfactory receptor. In so doing, they also found a characteristic pattern of hydrogen bonds between odorant and receptor, which accounts for the specificity of the olfactory sensors.

14 Dec 2011

New study: Insulin signaling is altered in human pancreas

Insulin signaling is altered in the pancreas, a new study shows for the first time in humans. The errant signals disrupt both the number and quality of beta cells - the cells that produce insulin.

14 Dec 2011

Study reveals key role of melatonin receptor in sleep regulation

A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University has made a major breakthrough by unraveling the inner workings of melatonin, also known as the "sleep hormone."

14 Dec 2011

Researchers identify interactive pathway that regulates cancer metastasis

14 Dec 2011

Researchers discover how bloodstream malaria infection manipulates immune system

University of Iowa researchers and colleagues have discovered how malaria manipulates the immune system to allow the parasite to persist in the bloodstream. By rescuing this immune system pathway, the research team was able to cure mice of bloodstream malaria infections.

13 Dec 2011