Propagation News and Research

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Cigarette smoke promotes bacteria colonization, immune invasion

The mouth is one of the "dirtiest" parts of the body, home to millions of germs. But puffing cigarettes can increase the likelihood that certain bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis will not only set up camp but will build a fortified city in the mouth and fight against the immune system.

1 Jun 2016

Estrogen-inhibiting drug may suppress dangerous brain seizures

A class of drug that inhibits estrogen production and is used to treat breast cancer has been found to quickly and effectively suppress dangerous brain seizures, according to a new Northwestern University study.

13 May 2016

Controlling heart cells using a laser: an interview with Prof. Konstantin Agladze

We control their electrical activity. Cardiac cells are capable of producing and transmitting electric signals through changes in a cell membrane potential.

9 May 2016

Researchers identify traveling spike generator that produces brain waves

Brain waves that spread through the hippocampus are initiated by a method not seen before--a possible step toward understanding and treating epilepsy, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University.

21 Apr 2016

Researchers reveal possibility for in-body ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices

Using animal tissue samples--store-bought pork loin and beef liver--researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated the possibility of real-time video-rate data transmission through tissue for in-body ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices.

19 Apr 2016

Researchers reveal how relatively unknown pathogen led to current Zika outbreak

An analysis comparing the individual differences between over 40 strains of Zika virus (30 isolated from humans, 10 from mosquitoes, and 1 from monkeys) has identified significant changes in both amino acid and nucleotide sequences during the past half-century.

18 Apr 2016

Advanced assay offers better sensitivity for detecting a prion disease affecting elk

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are a family of rare progressive, neurodegenerative illnesses that affect both humans and animals. TSE surveillance is important for public health and food safety because TSEs have the potential of crossing from animals to humans, as seen with the spread of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes an advanced assay that offers better sensitivity than currently available tests for detecting a prion disease affecting elk.

11 Apr 2016

Researchers develop designer recombinase that can remove provirus from HIV-1 isolates

Researchers at the Medical Faculty of the Technische Universität Dresden and the Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology succeeded in developing a designer recombinase (Brec1) that is capable of specifically removing the provirus from infected cells of most primary HIV-1 isolates.

23 Feb 2016

Mtss1 'tumour suppressor' for CML

The metastasis suppressor 1 protein acts a tumour suppressor in chronic myeloid leukaemia stem cells, reveals research published in Leukemia.

17 Feb 2016

Study opens new avenues for treatment of prostate cancer in obese patients

Obesity has direct consequences on health and is associated with the onset of aggressive cancers, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are little known. Researchers from the Institut de Pharmacologie et he Biologie Structurale (CNRS/Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier) have recently elucidated one of these mechanisms in prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men: in obese patients, the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland facilitates the propagation of tumor cells outside the prostate.

13 Jan 2016

Researchers describe three cleaning procedures that effectively remove, disassemble α-Syn fibrils

Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites are found in the brains of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. They consist primarily of fibrils of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-Syn), which self-assembles into fibrils in vitro. If introduced into the human body, these seeds can act as prions and trigger the formation of toxic protein deposits. Because α-Syn fibrils are often used in research, it is important that they are not accidentally transferred to humans or cell cultures.

11 Jan 2016

Alpha-synuclein protein involved in Parkinson's disease pathology does not behave like a 'prion'

In Parkinson's disease, the protein "alpha-synuclein" aggregates within neurons of patients and appears to propagate across interconnected areas of the brain. How this happens remains largely unknown.

6 Jan 2016

New vaccine shows promise against Middle East respiratory syndrome in dromedary camels

An international research project with the involvement of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Animal Health Research Centre (IRTA-CReSA), has designed a vaccine shown to be effective in protecting dromedaries against the coronavirus (CoV) that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

18 Dec 2015

Researcher presents quantitative model of electrical cascades activated in the brain during perceptual tasks

The word 'avalanche' is generally associated with violent and unexpected events -- such as rockslides, or the sudden collapse of unstable drifts of snow. But in brain research, avalanches -- intermittent cascades of electrical activity -- are everyday occurrences that are not only peaceful, but actually reflect stability.

17 Dec 2015

Morgan brings industry-leading ceramics to HIFU transducers

Morgan Advanced Materials, widely acknowledged as a global leader in ceramics and other advanced materials, has announced that it now has the capability to design and manufacture components for use in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies, particularly in medical applications.

10 Dec 2015

New model of arterial thrombus formation is similar to popular video game

A group of biophysicists, including representatives from MIPT, has developed a mathematical model of arterial thrombus formation, which is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes.

1 Dec 2015

Bone protein can inhibit prostate cancer metastasis to bone

Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in collaboration with researchers from University of California campuses at Merced and Davis have found that a secreted protein predominantly expressed in bone inhibits prostate cancer metastasis to bone.

18 Nov 2015

Isis Pharmaceuticals begins ISIS-FXI Rx Phase 2 study in patients with ESRD on hemodialysis

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase 2 study evaluating ISIS-FXIRx in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. In May 2015, Isis entered into an exclusive license agreement with Bayer HealthCare (Bayer) to develop and commercialize ISIS-FXIRx for the prevention of clotting disorders.

30 Oct 2015

Scalable production of gene therapy vectors: an interview with Frank Ubags

Gene therapy involves introducing genetic material into cells to replace missing or malfunctioning genes or to add a gene to express a beneficial protein in order to treat certain diseases, such as cancer or inherited disorders.

26 Oct 2015

MHS receives CMMI grant to provide comprehensive healthcare to people with severe mental illness

Montefiore Health System today announced receipt of a four-year, $9.6 million grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to fund a unique patient-centered approach to providing comprehensive healthcare to those with severe mental illness (SMI).

23 Oct 2015