Medical Research News

RSS

SUMO1 gene implicated in cleft lip and palate defects

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health report in the current issue of the journal Science that a much-studied gene called SUMO1, when under expressed, can cause cleft lip and palate, one of the world's most common birth defects.

21 Sep 2006

New understanding of how cells defend themselves

Biologists at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) have unveiled a new twist in a metabolic pathway that cells use to defend themselves against toxins made by disease-causing bacteria.

21 Sep 2006

Direct observations of DNA provides new insights into how genetic material is copied and repaired

"We can monitor the process directly, and that gives us a different perspective," said Roberto Galletto, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis and first author on a paper published Sept. 20 on the Web site of the journal Nature.

21 Sep 2006

New target for cancer therapy identified by Australian researchers

A new target for cancer therapy has been identified by Monash University scientists investigating the cell signalling pathways that turn on a gene involved in cancer development.

21 Sep 2006

Drugs that enhance the activity of calcineurin or NFAT could become a new treatment for type-2

Certain immune-suppressing drugs, such as those taken by patients who have had organ transplants, greatly increase the risk of developing diabetes. These drugs are known to put a stranglehold on a protein called calcineurin.

21 Sep 2006

Leptin could combat type 2 diabetes

University of Florida researchers have discovered the appetite-controlling hormone leptin could also combat type 2 diabetes, a disease that has become a growing problem in the United States as more Americans pack on extra pounds.

21 Sep 2006

How the brain resolves emotional conflict

Daily life requires that people cope with distracting emotions--from the basketball player who must make a crucial shot amidst a screaming crowd, to a salesman under pressure delivering an important pitch to a client.

21 Sep 2006

Smokers may be at greater risk of HIV infection than non-smokers

Cigarette smoking has already been linked to a higher than normal chance of contracting other infections generally, including those that have been sexually transmitted.

21 Sep 2006

Researchers discover clues to the cause of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Researchers' discovery of clues to the cause of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) - a form of pediatric cancer that has a very poor prognosis - could lead to the development of new targeted therapies for this extremely difficult disease.

20 Sep 2006

M. D. Anderson targets asthma and allergic diseases

A new research alliance focuses on a molecular master switch suspected of igniting the inflammatory immune response that drives asthma and other allergic diseases.

20 Sep 2006

Nicotinamide may help people with multiple sclerosis

Researchers have found a possible way to protect people with multiple sclerosis (MS) from severe long-term disability: increase nervous-system levels of a vital compound, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), by giving its chemical precursor - nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3.

19 Sep 2006

Fat droplets play protective role inside cells

Too much body fat may be a bad thing, but there is increasing evidence that too little fat also may have some surprisingly negative consequences.

19 Sep 2006

Curcumin useful in the fight against colorectal cancer

Looking for a cancer cure? Try the spice rack. In the last few years, that tactic has proved productive for researchers investigating turmeric, a curry spice used for centuries in Indian traditional medicine.

19 Sep 2006

Acne drug Roaccutane linked to depression

A drug commonly used to treat severe acne can lead to depressive behaviour in mice, according to research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

19 Sep 2006

Detecting cancer with silica nanoparticles

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a widely accepted biomarker for cancer, but the minute amounts of this protein circulating in blood makes detecting the molecule and measuring its concentration accurately a technological challenge.

19 Sep 2006

Cell detachment model for an antibody-based microfluidic cancer screening system

In the quest to detect more types of cancers at ever earlier stages, researchers have been stymied by a lack of cell surface markers that distinguish in a clear-cut manner between healthy and malignant cells.

19 Sep 2006

Cisplatin nanoliposomes for cancer therapy

Cisplatin is one of the most powerful and effective drugs for treating a wide variety of cancers, but many tumors develop resistance to this drug, ultimately limiting its benefits for cancer patients.

19 Sep 2006

Researchers create roadmap to integrin activation

Calling it an important technical advance in the study of the complex receptors and pathways of the body's cellular system, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have reconstructed the signaling pathways that impact activation of a receptor that is critical to the control of bleeding and to the thrombosis that occurs in heart attacks and strokes.

18 Sep 2006

Fewer teens using illicit drugs, but no let up with the baby boomers

According to a new survey the use of illicit drugs among teenagers has dropped for the third year in a row.

13 Sep 2006

Are we getting enough vitamin D?

Scientists from the University of Ulster are to explore if we are getting enough vitamin D - vital for the formation of healthy bones and which may also help prevent diseases such as diabetes, cancers, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

13 Sep 2006