Zinc News and Research

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Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.

Researchers uncover evolutionary ancestry of prion gene

A University of Toronto-led team has uncovered the evolutionary ancestry of the prion gene, which may reveal new understandings of how the prion protein causes diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as "mad cow disease."

30 Sep 2009

ETH Zurich researchers develop biodegradable bone implants of metallic glass

It is possible that broken bones will in the near future be fixed using metallic glass. Materials researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an alloy that could herald a new generation of biodegradable bone implants. Their results have been published in the online edition of Nature Materials.

29 Sep 2009

Secretary of State Clinton announces food security initiative

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday "unveiled … a food security initiative launched by the Obama administration to combat hunger worldwide," the Associated Press reports.

28 Sep 2009

$1.3 million fund awarded to WPI for ongoing life sciences research

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park have received a total of $1.3 million in new awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund ongoing research in several areas of the life sciences, including a study of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, work aimed at using adult stem cells to repair damaged hearts, and a project that seeks to create engineered blood vessels.

28 Sep 2009

NBI Juiceworks increases distribution network in Texas

NBI Juiceworks has joined forces with two of the leading distributors in Texas: Metroplex Organics, based in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and Houston-based Bev Source. Both companies will be distributing Drenchers(TM) 100 percent all natural super juices, Fit 'N Lean super juices and all natural Fit 'N Lean Super Blends.

24 Sep 2009

FDA accepts Sangamo's IND for repeat-dosing in Phase 1 clinical trial of SB-728-T ZFN-based therapeutic

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed and accepted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate an open-label, repeat-dosing Phase 1 clinical trial (SB-728-T-902) of the company's ZFN-based therapeutic, SB-728-T. A single dose Phase 1 clinical study of SB-728-T was initiated in February 2009 and is ongoing at the University of Pennsylvania.

23 Sep 2009

Millions more in Horn of Africa could face food shortages this year, FAO says

Millions of additional people in the Horn of Africa could face food shortages this year because of poor harvests from a lack of rain, worsening conflicts and the El Nino climatic effect, the U.N. Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) said on Monday, Reuters reports.

21 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: Tanzania's health care; polio, diarrhea in India; ITNs in Nigeria; health in Sudan

Rotary International recently started working with the Indian government to fight diarrhea, which can make polio immunizations ineffective, IANS/Thaindian News reports. Deepak Kapur, chairman of the India National PolioPlus Society of Rotary International, said the plan is to educate people about the use of use of zinc tablets and oral rehydration therapy to prevent diarrhea, which kills almost 500,000 children per year in the country (Khan, 9/16).

17 Sep 2009

Eat healthy foods to prevent flu

As flu season grips the nation with heightened awareness of hand washing and cough covering, healthy eating is a potent prevention method getting left out in the cold.

14 Sep 2009

Improved-resolution views of a zinc transporter protein deciphered

New, improved-resolution views of a zinc transporter protein deciphered at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory provide not just a structure but also a suggested mechanism for how cells sense and regulate zinc, an element that is essential for life, but which must be kept at a steady state to avoid problems like seizures, diabetes, and possibly Alzheimer's disease.

14 Sep 2009

South East Asian health ministers adopt declaration to improve disaster preparedness, address childhood diarrhea

Health ministers from 11 member states in the WHO's South East Asian region on Tuesday at the 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South East Asia adopted the Kathmandu Declaration on Protecting Health Facilities from Disasters, which commits them to make health facilities better prepared for health emergencies, Republica reports.

10 Sep 2009

Zinc finger nucleases utilized for modifying hESCs and hiPSCs

Scientists from The Whitehead Institute used zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) designed by Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., (Nasdaq: SGMO) to efficiently and precisely modify the genomes of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).

8 Sep 2009

Chlorella green food sourced from algae contains a wide range of essential nutrients

"While we can still take advantage of summer's fresh produce, ensuring a consistent supply of whole foods throughout the year can reap benefits for those focused on aging as healthfully as possible," says Michael E. Rosenbaum, M.D. "Chlorella, a super green food sourced from a fresh water algae, contains the widest range of essential nutrients available in any single food source, including potassium, all B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron and 18 vital amino acids." Though beneficial for all life stages, Sun Chlorella can especially help aging adults thanks to these health rewards.

1 Sep 2009

New molecular sensor could identify zinc-related diseases

Scientists have developed a new molecular sensor that can reveal the amount of zinc in cells, which could tell us more about a number of diseases, including type 2 diabetes. The research, published today in Nature Methods, opens the door to the hidden world of zinc biology by giving scientists an accurate way of measuring the concentration of zinc and its location in cells for the first time.

30 Aug 2009

Sigma-Aldrich scientists to leverage proprietary gene editing technology to develop genetically-engineered rodent research models

Sigma-Aldrich(R) (Nasdaq: SIAL) announced today that scientists at its new Sigma Advanced Genetic Engineering (SAGE(TM)) Labs in St. Louis will leverage its exclusive CompoZr(TM) Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) gene editing technology (www.compozrzfn.com) to define, develop and offer a new generation of genetically-engineered rodent research models. Such models are commonly used to study disease states in humans and play a key role in the drug discovery process.

24 Aug 2009

Diarrhea remains second leading cause of death among children, despite effective interventions

Despite the introduction of new treatments for diarrhea more than four years ago, few children in developing countries are receiving these interventions and the disease is still the second leading cause of death among children, according a Bulletin of the World Health Organization report, BMJ reports.

20 Aug 2009

New non-toxic and environmentally friendly method for making tiny nanorods of zinc oxide

A non-toxic and environmentally friendly way to make tiny nanorods of zinc oxide has been developed for the first time by researchers in Saudi Arabia. The approach, described in the current issue of the International Journal of Nanoparticles, could allow the nanorods to be used safely in medical and for other applications.

19 Aug 2009

Scientists harness carbon nanomaterials for drug delivery, oxygen sensors

Two nanoscale devices recently reported by University of Pittsburgh researchers in two separate journals harness the potential of carbon nanomaterials to enhance technologies for drug or imaging agent delivery and energy storage systems, in one case, and, in the other, bolster the sensitivity of oxygen sensors essential in confined settings, from mines to spacecrafts.

17 Aug 2009

Time examines how zinc supplements may help save children worldwide

TIME examines the "quiet revolution [now] under way" to treat diarrhea using zinc supplements. The magazine reports that globally the disease "kills an astonishing 1.6 million children under 5 every year," according to the WHO.

9 Aug 2009

Research suggests that zinc activates a key protein on T cells needed to fight infections

Everyone knows that vitamins "from A to zinc" are important for good health. Now, a new research study in the August 2009 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that zinc may be pointing the way to new therapeutic targets for fighting infections.

31 Jul 2009