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Study reveals genetic marker for surviving sepsis

New research in the April issue of Anesthesiology shows for the first time a genetic marker in patients who have a greater likelihood of surviving sepsis.

24 Mar 2011

Human growth, height, size: Reasons to be small

Almost everybody these days thinks that it is best to be tall, meaning much taller than the average traditional height of Asian populations, and even taller than the current average height of populations in high-income countries. It is also often believed – though people might be shy to admit this – that tall people are intrinsically superior to short people. The expressions 'look up to' and 'look down on' are significant.

15 Mar 2011

Researchers discover new key component in lung cancer spread

Researchers discovered a new, key component in the spread of lung cancer as well as a likely way to block it with drugs now in clinical trial. The study was published today (Monday, March 14) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

15 Mar 2011

Scientist discovers new mechanism for regulation of gene expression

Dr. David Levin, Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and Professor of Microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine discovered recently a novel, evolutionarily conserved mechanism for the regulation of gene expression.

4 Mar 2011

NCI sponsors multi-center phase 2 study of entinostat-anastrozole combination in triple negative breast cancer

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, announced the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will sponsor a multi-center phase 2 study of Syndax's lead product entinostat, a novel inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDAC), and anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, in postmenopausal women with operable triple negative breast cancer to evaluate biomarkers and surrogates for response.

2 Mar 2011

Kaiser Permanente receives No. 1 customer loyalty ranking in health insurance sector

Kaiser Permanente received the highest customer loyalty ranking in the health insurance sector, based on the Satmetrix 2011 Net Promoter® industry rankings. A new addition to this year's benchmarks, Kaiser Permanente received a Net Promoter Score, or NPS® of 28 percent, more than 30 points higher than the industry average of negative 5 percent.

19 Feb 2011

Study: Overexpression of EZH2 protein promotes breast cancer progression

An essential protein for normal stem cell renewal also promotes the growth of breast cancer stem cells when it's overproduced in those cells, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the February edition of Cancer Cell.

16 Feb 2011

SwitchGear Genomics, BioCat enter distribution agreement for LightSwitch Luciferase Assay System in Europe

SwitchGear Genomics Inc., a leading provider of products for studying the regulatory elements in the human genome, today announced that the company signed an agreement for BioCat GmbH to distribute the innovative LightSwitch Luciferase Assay System™ in Europe.

9 Feb 2011

Earlier diagnosis in Cowden syndrome patients predisposed to breast and kidney cancer

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic's Genomic Medicine Institute have revealed multiple genetic discoveries that may permit easier diagnosis and disease management for Cowden syndrome patients who are predisposed to breast and kidney cancer.

23 Dec 2010

People with high RBC folate levels more likely to have two tumor-suppressing genes

People with higher levels of folate in their red blood cells were more likely to have two tumor-suppressing genes shut down by methylation, a chemical off switch for genes, researchers report in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

22 Dec 2010

New online tool helps scientists to find gene promoters

Researchers at The Wistar Institute announce the release of an online tool that will help scientists find "gene promoters"—regions along a DNA strand that tell a cell's transcription machinery where to start reading in order to create a particular protein.

22 Dec 2010

New genetic alteration predisposes individuals to Cowden syndrome

Researchers have identified a new genetic alteration that predisposes individuals to Cowden syndrome, a rare disorder that is characterized by high risks of breast, thyroid and other cancers, according to preliminary research published in the December 22/29 issue of JAMA.

21 Dec 2010

Genetic biomarker linked to increased risk for breast cancer found in 'junk' DNA

A new genetic biomarker that indicates an increased risk for developing breast cancer can be found in an individual's "junk" (non-coding) DNA, according to a new study featuring work from researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and their colleagues.

17 Dec 2010

PEG-Prom encased nanoparticle aids in cancer detection and treatment

In a proof of principal study in mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins and the Virginia Commonwealth University have shown that a set of genetic instructions encased in a nanoparticle can be used as an "ignition switch" to rev up gene activity that aids cancer detection and treatment.

16 Dec 2010

Researcher develops new method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct

Tulane University researcher W T. Godbey has developed a treatment for cancer using a method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing surrounding healthy cells.

23 Nov 2010

Celldex presents ACT III Phase 2 clinical trial data for glioblastoma multiforme at SNO Meeting

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., today announced the presentation of complete data for the primary endpoint of ACT III, a multi-center, single arm, Phase 2 clinical trial of rindopepimut (CDX-110) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

21 Nov 2010

Dialysis patients at elevated risk for sudden cardiac death: Study

Approximately 500,000 Americans require dialysis to treat kidney disease; of that population nearly half of the deaths that occur are caused by cardiovascular disease. Dialysis patients are at elevated risk for sudden cardiac death, but physicians are unclear why these deaths occur because little research has been done to examine how to best manage heart disease in this high-risk population.

15 Nov 2010

MqsA and MqsR protein complex can disrupt drug-resistant biofilm formation

When a foreign object such as a catheter enters the body, bacteria may not only invade it but also organize into a slick coating - a biofilm - that is highly resistant to antibiotics. Like sophisticated organized crime rings, biofilms cannot be defeated by a basic approach of conventional means. Instead doctors and drug developers need sophisticated new intelligence that reveals the key players in the network and how they operate. New research led by biologists at Brown University provides exactly that dossier on some key proteins in the iconic bacterium E. coli.

11 Nov 2010

Researchers discover FoxO1 protein interacts with macrophages to promote inflammatory response

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that a multi-tasking protein called FoxO1 has another important but previously unknown function: It directly interacts with macrophages, promoting an inflammatory response that can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Contrarily, it also generates a negative feedback loop that can limit damage from excessive inflammation.

3 Nov 2010

New gene therapy product reduces plasma cholesterol levels

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) Holding N.V. a leader in the development of gene based therapies, today announced that its gene therapy product incorporating siRNA sequences into microRNA scaffolds to silence Apolipoprotein B100 (AAV-miApoB) was able to significantly lower plasma cholesterol levels in vivo over a period of 18 weeks. These preliminary results suggest that this approach could lead to a treatment for high cholesterol in humans

25 Oct 2010