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Rogue stem cells capable of kick-starting melanoma skin cancer development discovered

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in the US have discovered that rogue stem cells appear to be capable of kick-starting the development of melanoma skin cancer in humans.

3 Jul 2010

Further analysis on Bcl11b gene and T-cell behaviouur from Caltech Biologists

When does a cell decide its particular identity? According to biologists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in the case of T cells-immune system cells that help destroy invading pathogens-the answer is when the cells begin expressing a particular gene called Bcl11b.

3 Jul 2010

Researchers develop first model of hormone-induced human prostate cancer initiation and progression

Progress toward understanding the role of sex hormones in the growth of prostate cancer—the most common cancer in U.S. men—has been hindered by the lack of a suitable laboratory research model. Now researchers say they have developed the first model of hormone-induced human prostate cancer initiation and progression.

2 Jul 2010

Children's Hospital Boston researchers reprogram adult blood cells into iPS cells

In findings likely to make it easier and faster for stem cell biologists to generate patient-specific embryonic-like stem cells, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have reprogrammed adult blood cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

2 Jul 2010

Frozen blood samples shows promise to study mechanism of blood disorders

Cells from frozen human blood samples can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. These cells can be multiplied and used to study the genetic and molecular mechanisms of blood disorders and other diseases.

2 Jul 2010

DNA damage caused by UVA radiation leads to melanoma

A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine found that UVA radiation damages the DNA in human melanocyte cells, causing mutations that can lead to melanoma. Melanocytes, which contain a substance called melanin that darkens the skin to protect it from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, are more vulnerable to UVA radiation than normal skin cells because they are unable to repair themselves as efficiently.

2 Jul 2010

Clinical study proves effectiveness of acupuncture for heart patients

Acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure. This was determined in a clinical pilot study by the team headed by Dr. Johannes Backs, physician and study director at the Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology - Medical Director: Professor Dr. Hugo Katus) of Heidelberg University Hospital.

2 Jul 2010

Article that unveils exciting genetic research on alopecia areata published in Nature

On July 1, 2010, Nature Journal, the weekly, international, interdisciplinary journal of science, published an article that unveils the most exciting genetic research on alopecia areata to date. Led by the National Alopecia Areata Foundation Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Angela Christiano, and using cases from the National Alopecia Areata Registry, a team of investigators from Columbia University Medical Center have found eight genes that contribute to alopecia areata, one of which has a possible role in the onset of the disease.

1 Jul 2010

FnBP is central to bacteria's ability to invade organs: Researchers

Scientists studying the so-called "superbug" MRSA have identified one of the components responsible for making it so deadly. Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin that is relatively harmless unless it gets into the bloodstream, where it can cause blood poisoning and create abscesses in organs such as the heart and brain.

1 Jul 2010

Twelve residents receive one-year fellowship grant to study medical dermatology

Twelve dermatology residents from leading medical schools around the country each received a $40,000, one-year fellowship grant to study medical dermatology. The fellowships, awarded by the National Psoriasis Foundation, provide support to eligible institutions to develop and enhance opportunities for physicians training for careers in medical dermatology.

1 Jul 2010

CDC issues new guidelines on detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections

Today the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new and important guidelines on the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, the causative agent of tuberculosis. In these landmark guidelines, CDC advises that Interferon Gamma Release Assay blood tests are now preferred over the 100+-year-old tuberculin skin test for diagnosing TB infection in certain populations, including people who typically do not return for the necessary reading of TST results, and those who have received Bacille Calmette-Guerin as a vaccine or for cancer therapy

1 Jul 2010

Pre-clinical data of BiTE antibody technology published in PNAS

Micromet, Inc., today announced the publication of pre-clinical data in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrating the potency of new product candidates based on the Company's proprietary BiTE antibody technology. BiTE antibodies are a new class of agents designed to harness a patient's T cells to kill cancer cells.

1 Jul 2010

Antibacterial ingredient in honey identified

Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

30 Jun 2010

Vicept completes $16 million Series A financing

Vicept™ Therapeutics Inc., a privately held specialty biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing the first effective topically applied therapy for erythema (facial redness) of rosacea, announced that it has secured $10 million to complete a total $16 million Series A financing. The Series A was led by Vivo Ventures, Sofinnova Ventures and Fidelity Biosciences.

30 Jun 2010

Federal agencies, state governments take action to educate, protect against serious risks of indoor tanning

As the scientific evidence mounts, more federal agencies and state governments are taking action to educate and protect Americans against the serious risks of indoor tanning. Recent and pending legislation in numerous states restricting access to indoor tanning, along with the federal 10 percent indoor tanning tax that goes into effect on July 1, are important steps in keeping Americans safe from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the potential for future skin cancers.

30 Jun 2010

Aeolus AEOL 10150 study confirms ability to rescue skin from deleterious effects of CEES

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported that researchers from National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have completed studies demonstrating that AEOL 10150 provides statistically significant protection of the skin in the 2-chloroethyl-ethylsulfide (CEES; half mustard) model of mustard gas exposure in mice and in a human cell culture model.

30 Jun 2010

AccuVein's AV300 vein illumination device installed in majority of U.S. hospitals

AccuVein announced today that its groundbreaking AV300 vein illumination device has been installed in more than 275 hospitals throughout the United States, less than 12 months after the product began shipping.

30 Jun 2010

Oxygen can combat wrinkle formation by reducing UVB damage

It's no secret that UVB radiation from the sun causes wrinkles. However, a Japanese study published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (http://ajpregu.physiology.org/) indicates that oxygen may help combat the formation of wrinkles by lessening tissue damage done by UVB rays.

30 Jun 2010

Image-guided percutaneous biopsies on the rise

Advanced imaging technologies have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward imaging-guided percutaneous-or through the skin-techniques, according to a new study appearing online and in the September print edition of the journal Radiology.

29 Jun 2010

New therapy for people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder

A nose job to treat a mental health problem? Teeth whitening to overcome a severe anxiety disorder? These are just two procedures that people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have traditionally turned to in order to deal with body-related concerns.

29 Jun 2010