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Hormones used in breast cancer treatment could affect disease progression, outcomes in some patients

Recently, researchers have discovered that the hormone progesterone, an ingredient in contraceptives and menopausal hormone replacement therapies, might stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells that are resistant to anti-estrogen therapy and chemotherapy.

22 Jun 2015

Small intestine causes chronic inflammation in obese patients

Obesity is caused by numerous and complex factors, some of which are as yet unsuspected. Scientists from the CNRS, INSERM, UPMC and Université Paris Descartes, working with research clinicians from Paris Public Hospitals (AP-HP) have now shown that severe obesity is accompanied by inflammation of the small intestine and enhanced immune response in that region.

22 Jun 2015

Water retention linked to changes in sex hormone levels

Water retention—a cause of bloating—is associated with changes in sex hormone levels. Many women experience water retention during menopause, but how sex hormones affect water balance is not understood. A new study in in the American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology sheds light on the connection, finding that sex hormones can directly control how the body reabsorbs water.

22 Jun 2015

Researchers develop method to recreate connections between neurons from different brain areas

Mapping the human brain's network of interconnections, known as the connectome is typically done with help from computational tools because recreating interconnections between different brain regions has been challenging in the lab. Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have developed a method to recreate connections between neurons from two different brain areas in a dish.

19 Jun 2015

UW researchers identify how plants arrange cellular structures on their surface

In the age of tablet computers and smart phones, it's easy to feel inundated and overloaded by information. But on a cellular level, this bombardment is business as usual, and a team of University of Washington researchers has identified a mechanism that some plant cells use to receive complex and contradictory messages from their neighbors.

19 Jun 2015

Monash University researchers find physical differences between emotional and rational brains

Researchers at Monash University have found physical differences in the brains of people who respond emotionally to others' feelings, compared to those who respond more rationally, in a study published in the journal NeuroImage.

19 Jun 2015

UC Berkeley study shows humans can navigate through their sense of smell

Like homing pigeons, humans have a nose for navigation because our brains are wired to convert smells into spatial information, new research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows.

19 Jun 2015

Understanding how humans and animals perceive the auditory world

Sit down with a friend in a quiet restaurant and begin talking, just before the dinner crowd's arrival. Business is slow at first, but picks up quickly, just like the sound level. Music plays, glasses clink, servers discuss specials. Discussions are everywhere, colliding and competing with the other noises.

19 Jun 2015

Drug discovery experts receive £3m to find new treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Funding worth nearly half a million pounds will unite academics at the University of Southampton with drug discovery experts at the medical research charity MRC Technology, to target the immune system in the hunt for new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

19 Jun 2015

Study opens new area of discovery for different aspects of cell biology, biomedical research

Every cell in the body uses phosphorylation, the process of adding a chemical tag to control a protein's function and fate, such as when it moves from one part of a cell to another or binds to other proteins.

19 Jun 2015

UNC Lineberger scientists contribute to better understanding of genetic mutations in melanoma

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have significantly contributed to a better understanding of the genetic alterations found in cutaneous melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, as part of a multi-institution, international effort of The Cancer Genome Atlas.

19 Jun 2015

CHLA researchers provide new hope for infants with short bowel syndrome

Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles are providing new hope for babies with short bowel syndrome (SBS) by developing a novel model of SBS in zebrafish, described in a paper published online on June 18 by the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.

19 Jun 2015

Taranis protein could hold key to a good night's sleep

Most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function well, but some people seem to need a lot less sleep. The difference is largely due to genetic variability. In research published online June 18th in Current Biology, researchers report that two genes, originally known for their regulation of cell division, are required for normal slumber in fly models of sleep: taranis and Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1).

19 Jun 2015

Scientists identify four melanoma subtypes that share common 'downstream' signaling pathways

Cutaneous melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, is now believed to be divided into four distinct genomic subtypes, say researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a finding that could prove valuable in the ever-increasing pursuit of personalized medicine.

19 Jun 2015

Preventing neutrophils from producing NETs can accelerate wound healing in diabetic mice

One of the body's tools for fighting off infection in a wound may actually slow down the healing process, according to new research by a team of Harvard University, Boston Children's Hospital, and Penn State University scientists.

19 Jun 2015

WSU research provides new strategies for prevention, treatment of obesity

Washington State University scientists have shown that berries, grapes and other fruits convert excess white fat into calorie-burning "beige" fat, providing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

19 Jun 2015

Analysis of ancient DNA shows that Kennewick Man more closely related to Native Americans

DNA from the 8,500-year-old skeleton of an adult man found in 1996, in Washington, is more closely related to Native American populations than to any other population in the world, according to an international collaborative study conducted by scientists at the University of Copenhagen and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

19 Jun 2015

UCSF scientists identify characteristics of progenitor cells

University of California San Francisco scientists have identified characteristics of a family of daughter cells, called MPPs, which are the first to arise from stem cells within bone marrow that generate the entire blood system. The researchers said the discovery raises the possibility that, by manipulating the fates of MPPs or parent stem cells, medical researchers could one day help overcome imbalances and deficiencies that can arise in the blood system due to aging or in patients with specific types of leukemia.

19 Jun 2015

International researchers identify previously unknown genetic immunodeficiency

An analysis of five families has revealed a previously unknown genetic immunodeficiency, says an international team led by researchers from Boston Children's Hospital. The condition, linked to mutations in a gene called DOCK2, deactivates many features of the immune system and leaves affected children open to a unique pattern of aggressive, potentially fatal infections early in life.

19 Jun 2015

Researchers receive $1.1 million grant to pioneer novel approach to speed bone regeneration

Senior citizens and combat soldiers don't usually have much in common--unless the topic is bone injuries. Among both groups, mending serious skeletal injuries--whether caused by a blast or a common fall--is a costly, complicated challenge.

19 Jun 2015

Medical Science News

Hormones used in breast cancer treatment could affect disease progression, outcomes in some patients

Small intestine causes chronic inflammation in obese patients

Water retention linked to changes in sex hormone levels

Researchers develop method to recreate connections between neurons from different brain areas

UW researchers identify how plants arrange cellular structures on their surface

Monash University researchers find physical differences between emotional and rational brains

UC Berkeley study shows humans can navigate through their sense of smell

Understanding how humans and animals perceive the auditory world

Drug discovery experts receive £3m to find new treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Study opens new area of discovery for different aspects of cell biology, biomedical research

UNC Lineberger scientists contribute to better understanding of genetic mutations in melanoma

CHLA researchers provide new hope for infants with short bowel syndrome

Taranis protein could hold key to a good night's sleep

Scientists identify four melanoma subtypes that share common 'downstream' signaling pathways

Preventing neutrophils from producing NETs can accelerate wound healing in diabetic mice

WSU research provides new strategies for prevention, treatment of obesity

Analysis of ancient DNA shows that Kennewick Man more closely related to Native Americans

UCSF scientists identify characteristics of progenitor cells

International researchers identify previously unknown genetic immunodeficiency

Researchers receive $1.1 million grant to pioneer novel approach to speed bone regeneration

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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