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Therapies that boost anti-HER2 immunity may help reduce risk of HER2-positive breast cancer recurrence

Recurrence of HER2-positive breast cancer after treatment may be due to a specific and possibly cancer-induced weakness in the patient's immune system -- a weakness that in principle could be corrected with a HER2-targeted vaccine -- according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

31 Dec 2015

Bond villain fails neuroanatomy, says St. Michael's Hospital neurosurgeon

James Bond's nemesis in the most recent film likely failed neuroanatomy, said real-life neurosurgeon and scientist Dr. Michael Cusimano of St. Michael's Hospital.

30 Dec 2015

International panel of clinical experts comment on state of their fields

In an Editorial published this week in PLOS Medicine, editors ask an international panel of eleven expert researchers and clinicians spanning a range of specialties to answer questions on their field and what developments they hope and expect to see in 2016.

30 Dec 2015

Researchers use dynamic time-series data to help improve accuracy of genome mapping

If you already have the sequenced map of an organism's genome but want to look for structural oddities in a sample, you can check the genomic barcode -- a series of distances between known, targeted sites -- by cutting a DNA sequence at those sites and examining the distance between the cuts.

30 Dec 2015

New model provides images of single cell with micrometer resolution

Thermal properties of cells regulate their ability to store, transport or exchange heat with their environment. So gaining control of these properties is of great interest for optimizing cryopreservation -- the process of freezing and storing blood or tissues, which is also used when transporting organs for transplants.

30 Dec 2015

ORNL's cell-free protein synthesis system can help save lives of soldiers injured in remote locations

Lives of soldiers and others injured in remote locations could be saved with a cell-free protein synthesis system developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

30 Dec 2015

Researchers suggest microorganisms in the womb set stage for health problems later in life

Researchers review importance of microorganisms that exist in the gut, suggesting perturbation of the environment during pregnancy, delivery and early infancy could impact the developing baby's early microbiome and set the stage for health problems later in life. The term "microbiome" refers to the trillions of organisms we harbor, on our skin and within our respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

30 Dec 2015

Exercising early in life can alter gut microbes, promote healthier brain and metabolic activity

The human gut harbors a teeming menagerie of over 100 trillion microorganisms, and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that exercising early in life can alter that microbial community for the better, promoting healthier brain and metabolic activity over the course of a lifetime.

30 Dec 2015

St. Jude scientists develop interactive tool to advance understanding of mutations that fuel pediatric cancer

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed a web application and data set that gives researchers worldwide a powerful interactive tool to advance understanding of the mutations that lead to and fuel pediatric cancer. The freely available tool, called ProteinPaint, is described in today's issue of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

30 Dec 2015

Anxious people detect threat in different region of the brain

New findings by French researchers show that the brain devotes more processing resources to social situations that signal threat than those that are benign.

29 Dec 2015

UAB's Undiagnosed Diseases Program finds answers for mysterious health issues

Stephanie and Christopher Smith have been on a long, difficult and often frustrating journey to find answers for the mysterious health issues of their children. It started 24 years ago when their third child, Gage, was born. Gage, his younger brother Aiden and then sister Mandalynn, now 13, all developed mysterious symptoms that mystified doctors.

29 Dec 2015

Scientists pin down structure of neuronal protein clumps associated with ALS

To create treatments for a disease without any, scientists need to study and understand the driving forces behind the faulty biology. Today, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine announced the first-ever evidence-based description of the neuronal protein clumps thought to be important in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition.

29 Dec 2015

New study identifies activity of brain proteins linked to memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease

A new study conducted at the University of Haifa and published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience has identified activity of brain proteins associated with memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease, and has also found that "repairing" this activity leads to an improvement in memory.

29 Dec 2015

Marmosets appear to use auditory cues similar to humans to process pitch

The specialized human ability to perceive the sound quality known as 'pitch' can no longer be listed as unique to humans. Researchers at Johns Hopkins report new behavioral evidence that marmosets, ancient monkeys, appear to use auditory cues similar to humans to distinguish between low and high notes.

29 Dec 2015

Body can control pathogen-induced inflammatory response, find Georgia State researchers

The body can control inflammatory response triggered by invasions of microbial pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, a discovery that could lead to the development of new therapeutic agents for uncontrolled inflammation, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

29 Dec 2015

E-cigarettes damage cells in ways that could lead to cancer

Adding to growing evidence on the possible health risks of electronic cigarettes, a lab team at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System tested two products and found they damaged cells in ways that could lead to cancer. The damage occurred even with nicotine-free versions of the products.

29 Dec 2015

Researchers identify inherited traits related to sleep, wake and activity cycles

In the first study of its kind, a team of international scientists led by UT Southwestern Medical Center and UCLA researchers have identified a dozen inherited traits related to sleep, wake, and activity cycles that are associated with severe bipolar disorder.

29 Dec 2015

Infusing small dose of cytokine can prevent or reverse diabetes-related kidney failure

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, and scientists have found that infusing just a small dose of a cytokine, thought to help cause that failure, can instead prevent or reverse it.

29 Dec 2015

CMU researchers develop new method to survey learning-related changes in synapse properties

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new approach to broadly survey learning-related changes in synapse properties. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience and featured on the journal's cover, the researchers used machine-learning algorithms to analyze thousands of images from the cerebral cortex. This allowed them to identify synapses from an entire cortical region, revealing unanticipated information about how synaptic properties change during development and learning.

29 Dec 2015

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

The bacterium B. cereus had so far been considered to be exclusively endospore-forming. In response to harsh conditions, the bacteria form protective endospores enabling them to remain dormant for extended periods. When conditions are more favourable, the endospores reactivate to become fully functioning bacteria.

28 Dec 2015

Medical Science News

Therapies that boost anti-HER2 immunity may help reduce risk of HER2-positive breast cancer recurrence

Bond villain fails neuroanatomy, says St. Michael's Hospital neurosurgeon

International panel of clinical experts comment on state of their fields

Researchers use dynamic time-series data to help improve accuracy of genome mapping

New model provides images of single cell with micrometer resolution

ORNL's cell-free protein synthesis system can help save lives of soldiers injured in remote locations

Researchers suggest microorganisms in the womb set stage for health problems later in life

Exercising early in life can alter gut microbes, promote healthier brain and metabolic activity

St. Jude scientists develop interactive tool to advance understanding of mutations that fuel pediatric cancer

Anxious people detect threat in different region of the brain

UAB's Undiagnosed Diseases Program finds answers for mysterious health issues

Scientists pin down structure of neuronal protein clumps associated with ALS

New study identifies activity of brain proteins linked to memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease

Marmosets appear to use auditory cues similar to humans to process pitch

Body can control pathogen-induced inflammatory response, find Georgia State researchers

E-cigarettes damage cells in ways that could lead to cancer

Researchers identify inherited traits related to sleep, wake and activity cycles

Infusing small dose of cytokine can prevent or reverse diabetes-related kidney failure

CMU researchers develop new method to survey learning-related changes in synapse properties

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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