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U.S. panel endorses “three-parent” IVF technique

An expert committee have recommended that the U.S. government allows the clinical investigation of mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT) to go ahead.

4 Feb 2016

Study finding could shed light on molecular mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have shown that the core of the protein clumps found in the brains of people with Huntington's disease have a distinctive structure, a finding that could shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative disorder.

4 Feb 2016

Duke researchers identify promising target for renal cell carcinomas

All cells need nutrients, but cancer cells are notoriously power hungry. As a result, cancer cells must alter their metabolism to provide the additional fuel needed for them to survive, grow and spread.

4 Feb 2016

UC Davis researchers develop Hepatitis virus-like particles to target breast cancer

UC Davis researchers have developed a way to use the empty shell of a Hepatitis E virus to carry vaccines or drugs into the body. The technique has been tested in rodents as a way to target breast cancer, and is available for commercial licensing through UC Davis Office of Research.

4 Feb 2016

CMU joins $12 million research project to reverse-engineer the brain's secret algorithms

Carnegie Mellon University is embarking on a five-year, $12 million research effort to reverse-engineer the brain, seeking to unlock the secrets of neural circuitry and the brain's learning methods. Researchers will use these insights to make computers think more like humans.

4 Feb 2016

New Leica Bioimaging Center for applied cell research opens in Munich

Leica Microsystems and the Biomedical Center (BMC) of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany, will inaugurate the new core facility Bioimaging. Leica Microsystems will use the facility as reference and demo center.

4 Feb 2016

Cell Therapy Catapult becomes Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

The Cell Therapy Catapult, the UK organisation dedicated to the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry by bridging the gap between scientific research and commercialisation, today announces the official change of its name to the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.

4 Feb 2016

New biosensor test system developed for accurate measurements of protein molecule concentration in blood

Researchers from the General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have developed a new biosensor test system based on magnetic nanoparticles.

4 Feb 2016

New study highlights important milestone for future development of infant milk formula

New data published today in The Journal of Nutrition show that Bimuno, a unique galacto-oligosaccharide, is functionally similar to human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) by producing comparable anti-inflammatory intestinal protection.

4 Feb 2016

New research identifies key enzyme linked to age-related increases in cancer and inflammation

For the first time, researchers have shown that an enzyme key to regulating gene expression -- and also an oncogene when mutated -- is critical for the expression of numerous inflammatory compounds that have been implicated in age-related increases in cancer and tissue degeneration, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

4 Feb 2016

Simple method to purify cashew allergens could help scientists better understand allergic reactions

It's well known that peanuts can cause severe reactions in people who are allergic, but research suggests that the risk of developing a life-threatening reaction could be higher for those allergic to cashews. Now scientists have come up with a fast and simple method to purify the three main cashew allergens to help better grasp how they work and their effects on people.

4 Feb 2016

Innate lymphoid cells get destroyed in patients infected with HIV

A research project headed by Henrik Kloeverpris, a postdoc at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen, shows that the so-called ILCs (innate lymphoid cells) - a component of the immune system crucial to maintaining immune system balance - are destroyed in patients infected with HIV.

4 Feb 2016

Potential treatment target identified for fatty liver disease

Two proteins, p38 gamma and p38 delta, control the accumulation of fat in the liver, a process linked to the development of insulin resistance and diabetes, which are common outcomes of obesity. These findings are presented in an article published by researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC).

4 Feb 2016

UCI researchers identify potential strategies to prevent cognitive decline

As brain cells age they lose the fibers that receive neural impulses, a change that may underlie cognitive decline. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine recently found a way to reverse this process in rats. The study was published February 3 in The Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers caution that more studies are needed, but the findings shed light on the mechanisms of cognitive decline and identify potential strategies to stem it.

3 Feb 2016

Study reveals fetal origin for social and repetitive behavior deficits

Fetal development has been known to play an important role in social interaction, a fundamental behavior found in nearly all organisms, and later adult social behaviors. Autism, a highly heritable neurodevelopment disorder that causes difficulties with social interactions, has been postulated to be caused by neuron overgrowth in the prenatal period, although the precise timing and cause of this overgrowth has been unknown.

3 Feb 2016

'Housekeeping' gene may have a link to male infertility

Researchers at Iowa State University have found evidence that a "housekeeping" gene present in every cell of the body may have a link to male infertility.

3 Feb 2016

Prenatal stress affects babies' health in war-torn areas

Children from war-torn areas of the globe are affected by trauma even before they are born, according to a new University of Florida study.

3 Feb 2016

Seafood consumption may benefit older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease

New research published Feb. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that older adults with a major risk gene for Alzheimer's disease known as APOE?4 who ate at least one seafood serving per week showed fewer signs of Alzheimer's-related brain changes. In contrast, this association was not found in the brains of volunteers who ate fish weekly but did not carry the risk gene.

3 Feb 2016

Small minority of cancer cells contribute to growth and metastasis of tumours

New research shows that a small minority of cancer cells in neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas contribute to the overall growth and metastasis of the tumour. This discovery was made by a research group at Lund University, in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institutet, in Sweden.

3 Feb 2016

Authors examine link between irrational thoughts and psychological distress

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics the link between irrational thoughts and distress is critically examined. Since the cognitive revolution of the early 1950s, thoughts have been discussed as central components in the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses.

3 Feb 2016