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New guideline makes recommendations about treating, managing distal muscular dystrophy

A new guideline from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology recommends guidance on how doctors should evaluate the full picture—from symptoms, family history, and ethnicity, to a physical exam and certain lab test results—in order to determine what genetic tests may best diagnose a person's subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy.

14 Oct 2014

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

The discovery of a "maternal age effect" by a team of Penn State scientists that could be used to predict the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations in maternal egg cells -- and the transmission of these mutations to children -- could provide valuable insights for genetic counseling.

14 Oct 2014

Medical geneticists diagnose genetic syndromes, improve children’s quality of life

The genes children inherit determine everything from their height to their hair color. But sometimes, a child's genetic code also contains hidden abnormalities that can cause an array of health issues, such as developmental delays or physical or mental illness.

13 Oct 2014

Study reveals inner workings of PKA switch that regulates cellular functions, contributes to deadly disorders

A University of Utah-led study using X-rays and neutron beams has revealed the inner workings of a master switch that regulates basic cellular functions, but that also, when mutated, contributes to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other deadly disorders.

13 Oct 2014

Findings show that blockade of OGF-OGFr interfacing influences diabetic wound healing

A major complication associated with diabetes is delayed cell replication in epithelium and skin. Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have reported the presence and function of the opioid growth factor (OGF) and its nuclear-associated receptor (OGFr) in skin.

13 Oct 2014

New surface coating for medical devices prevents blood from clotting

From joint replacements to cardiac implants and dialysis machines, medical devices enhance or save lives on a daily basis. However, any device implanted in the body or in contact with flowing blood faces two critical challenges that can threaten the life of the patient the device is meant to help: blood clotting and bacterial infection.

13 Oct 2014

Obesity greatly accelerates aging of the liver

Using a recently developed biomarker of aging known as an epigenetic clock, UCLA researchers working closely with a German team of investigators have found for the first time that obesity greatly accelerates aging of the liver. This finding could explain the early onset of many age-related diseases, including liver cancer, in obese subjects

13 Oct 2014

Blocking STAT3 in immune system cells increases anti-tumour immunity

The STAT transcription factors are involved in the development of many forms of cancer. STAT3 is frequently activated in tumour cells, so drugs targeting STAT3 could be used in cancer therapy. However, STAT3 is also important in the development of the immune system. Dagmar Gotthardt and colleagues at the Vetmeduni Vienna now show that blocking STAT3 in cells of the immune system actually leads to increased anti-tumour immunity. Anti-STAT3 therapy may thus be highly promising.

13 Oct 2014

Rockefeller University researchers gain new insight into how cholesterol processes in our body

In spite of its dangerous reputation, cholesterol is in fact an essential component of human cells. Manufactured by the cells themselves, it serves to stiffen the cell's membrane, helping to shape the cell and protect it. By mapping the structure of a key enzyme involved in cholesterol production, Rockefeller University researchers and a colleague in Italy have gained new insight into this complex molecular process.

12 Oct 2014

Hormone loss may cause colon cancer, say Thomas Jefferson University researchers

Some cancers, like breast and prostate cancer, are driven by hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, but to date, there are none that are driven by the lack of a hormone. New evidence suggests that human colon cells may become cancerous when they lose the ability to produce a hormone that helps the cells maintain normal biology. If verified by further studies, it suggests that treating patients at high risk for colon cancer by replacing the hormone guanylin could prevent the development of cancer.

12 Oct 2014

BGI issued patent for non-invasive prenatal genetic test technology

The European Patent Office has issued patent number EP2561103B1 for invention to BGI for its independently researched non-invasive prenatal genetic test (NIPT) technology. This technology has been developed by BGI in connection with the provision of its market leading NIPT, the NIFTY test.

12 Oct 2014

Four UCLA researchers receive NIH Director's New Innovator Award

Four scientists from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have received a National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award that will forward revolutionary stem cell and neuro-science in medicine.

12 Oct 2014

United Life Sciences partnership formed and Life Sciences Manifesto 2015 – 2020 published

Bionow, the BioIndustry Association (BIA), BioPartner and One Nucleus (ON) announce the formation of United Life Sciences, a strategic partnership representing over 1000 life science and healthcare members across the UK and internationally. The aim of the partnership is to work together on a range of matters that directly benefit members including Bionow’s members in the north of the UK and the wider UK sector.

10 Oct 2014

Synthetic oil triheptanoin improves Rett syndrome, longevity

When young mice with the rodent equivalent of a rare autism spectrum disorder (ASD), called Rett syndrome, were fed a diet supplemented with the synthetic oil triheptanoin, they lived longer than mice on regular diets. Importantly, their physical and behavioral symptoms were also less severe after being on the diet, according to results of new research from The Johns Hopkins University.

10 Oct 2014

Study can help breeders improve health-related traits in cultivated tomatoes

Tomatoes are known to be rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, lycopene, β-carotene, and phenolics. Antioxidants, substances capable of delaying or inhibiting oxidation processes caused by free radicals, are of interest to consumers for their health-related contributions, and to plant breeders for their ability to provide plants with natural resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

10 Oct 2014

New UCLA study reveals why people with autism experience neural stem cell overgrowth after birth

People with autism spectrum disorder often experience a period of accelerated brain growth after birth. No one knows why, or whether the change is linked to any specific behavioral changes.

10 Oct 2014

Neurobiologist Michael Meaney wins 2014 Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize

Neurobiologist Michael Meaney (McGill University and Douglas Mental Health University Institute), a senior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, has won a major award worth $1.16 million Canadian for his research on how early childhood experiences shape biological development.

10 Oct 2014

Discovery may provide new therapeutic avenue to target autophagy in tumors

No matter what type of chemotherapy you attack a tumor with, many cancer cells resort to the same survival tactic: They start eating themselves.

10 Oct 2014

University of Pittsburgh awarded NIH grant to lead Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Pittsburgh an $11 million, four-year grant to lead a Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence, an initiative that will help scientists capitalize more fully on large amounts of available data and to make data science a more prominent component of biomedical research.

10 Oct 2014

BIDMC scientists uncover new class of molecules that protects against diabetes

Scientists at the Salk Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston have discovered a new class of molecules—produced in human and mouse fat—that protects against diabetes.

10 Oct 2014

Medical Science News

New guideline makes recommendations about treating, managing distal muscular dystrophy

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

Medical geneticists diagnose genetic syndromes, improve children’s quality of life

Study reveals inner workings of PKA switch that regulates cellular functions, contributes to deadly disorders

Findings show that blockade of OGF-OGFr interfacing influences diabetic wound healing

New surface coating for medical devices prevents blood from clotting

Obesity greatly accelerates aging of the liver

Blocking STAT3 in immune system cells increases anti-tumour immunity

Rockefeller University researchers gain new insight into how cholesterol processes in our body

Hormone loss may cause colon cancer, say Thomas Jefferson University researchers

BGI issued patent for non-invasive prenatal genetic test technology

Four UCLA researchers receive NIH Director's New Innovator Award

United Life Sciences partnership formed and Life Sciences Manifesto 2015 – 2020 published

Synthetic oil triheptanoin improves Rett syndrome, longevity

Study can help breeders improve health-related traits in cultivated tomatoes

New UCLA study reveals why people with autism experience neural stem cell overgrowth after birth

Neurobiologist Michael Meaney wins 2014 Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize

Discovery may provide new therapeutic avenue to target autophagy in tumors

University of Pittsburgh awarded NIH grant to lead Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence

BIDMC scientists uncover new class of molecules that protects against diabetes

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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