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New strain of rice may help combat obesity and other diseases

In recent years, Okinawa has recorded the dubious distinction of having the highest obesity rate in Japan. Preventing obesity-related diseases is an urgent issue.

27 Mar 2014

Autism begins during pregnancy, study reveals

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Allen Institute for Brain Science have published a study that gives clear and direct new evidence that autism begins during pregnancy.

27 Mar 2014

Carbon nanotube paper offers potential to miniaturize mass spectrometers

Nanotechnology is advancing tools likened to Star Trek's "tricorder" that perform on-the-spot chemical analysis for a range of applications including medical testing, explosives detection and food safety.

27 Mar 2014

Research may lead the way toward new treatments for proliferative retinopathies

A new report published online in The FASEB Journal may lead the way toward new treatments or a cure for a common cause of blindness (proliferative retinopathies). Specifically, scientists have discovered that the body's innate immune system does more than help ward off external pathogens.

27 Mar 2014

Study: Guinea pigs and mice can be replaced with non-animal skin sensitization method

Guinea pigs and mice can be replaced with a non-animal skin sensitization method that uses a human-derived skin model, according to a study presented today by the PETA International Science Consortium, Ltd., at the Society of Toxicology's annual meeting.

27 Mar 2014

Study: Genetics could explain why environmental exposures can trigger onset of rheumatoid arthritis

A new international study has revealed how genetics could explain why different environmental exposures can trigger the onset of different forms of rheumatoid arthritis.

From The University of Manchester 27 Mar 2014

Researchers to discuss implications of genomic sequencing at ACMG meeting

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine will present results of three different studies evaluating implications and feasibility of genome sequencing at the ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting this week in Nashville, Tenn.

27 Mar 2014

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by a cascade of cellular and inflammatory events that weakens and kills vital motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The process is complex, involving cells that ordinarily protect the neurons from harm. Now, a new study by scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital points to a potential culprit in this good-cell-gone-bad scenario, a key step toward the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.

27 Mar 2014

Genetic testing could help determine drug dosage, reduce side effects

Usually pharmaceutical companies determine the drug dosage just as a mean value. This amount may be too much for patients who absorb the substance faster, and too little for those with a slower metabolism.

27 Mar 2014

A fast, non-invasive method to genotype late-onset Alzheimer's disease

The apolipoprotein E gene ε4 allele is considered a negative factor for neural regeneration in late-onset Alzheimer's disease cases.

27 Mar 2014

Study: Dab2 can exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's by regulating TGF-β1/SMAD signaling

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) type II receptor (TβRII) levels are extremely low in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

27 Mar 2014

Initial stage of autophagy does not affect components of beclin 1 complex

Alteration of the autophagic process is involved in neurodegeneration. The beclin 1 complex is shown to play a key role in the initial stage of autophagy.

27 Mar 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers identify protein that regulates the body's immune response to CMV

Infectious disease specialists at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center have identified a protein that regulates the body's immune response to cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common pathogen that causes lifelong infections and can lead to devastating illness in newborns and those with weakened immune systems.

27 Mar 2014

Beer marinade help reduce formation of harmful substances in grilled meats

The smells of summer - the sweet fragrance of newly opened flowers, the scent of freshly cut grass and the aroma of meats cooking on the backyard grill - will soon be upon us.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers release first comprehensive atlas of human gene expression

A large international consortium of researchers has produced the first comprehensive, detailed map of the way genes work across the major cells and tissues of the human body. The findings describe the complex networks that govern gene activity, and the new information could play a crucial role in identifying the genes involved with disease.

27 Mar 2014

New urinary catheter design can eliminate nearly all hard-to-kill biofilm

For the millions of people forced to rely on a plastic tube to eliminate their urine, developing an infection is nearly a 100 percent guarantee after just four weeks. But with the help of a little bubble-blowing, biomedical engineers hope to bring relief to urethras everywhere.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers evaluate influence of gut microbes on function of immune cells

New research suggests that gut microorganisms do not merely influence immune cell function, but also support the production of immune cells that form the first line of defense against infection.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers decode effects of antimicrobial peptide on bacterial cells

The team of Julia Bandow, who heads the RUB's Junior Research Group Microbial Antibiotic Research, has been studying the MP196 peptide as a representative of a group of very small positively charged peptides that consist of some four to ten amino acids.

27 Mar 2014

Patients with genetic variants are likely to experience bladder cancer recurrence

In the Western world, bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common in women, with many patients experiencing recurrence after treatment.

26 Mar 2014

Low dose injections of artificial properdin provides protection against septic diseases in mice

Breakthrough MRC-funded study from University of Leicester shows low dose injections of artificial properdin provides substantial protection against septic diseases in mice

26 Mar 2014