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TNF signaling molecule triggers Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis

Cells lining the intestinal tract form a critical barrier, protecting our bodies from the billions of bacteria living in the gut. Breaches in this barrier are driven largely by a single signaling molecule called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), elevated amounts of which are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

17 Feb 2015

Study shows link between autoimmune diseases and gene regulatory elements

Investigators with the National Institutes of Health have discovered the genomic switches of a blood cell key to regulating the human immune system.

17 Feb 2015

Researchers identify molecule that plays key role in aggressive thyroid cancer, other cancers

Cancer researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, have identified a molecule they say is important to survival of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) — a lethal tumor with no effective therapies.

17 Feb 2015

Bacteria's DNA can pass trait to offspring in a way similar to parents' own DNA

It's a firmly established fact straight from Biology 101: Traits such as eye color and height are passed from one generation to the next through the parents' DNA.

17 Feb 2015

Scientists demonstrate the importance of RNA editing in melanoma development

The importance of RNA editing in melanoma has been demonstrated by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study revealed that a lack of RNA editing, a process by which information inside RNA molecules is transformed, leads to tumor growth and progression through manipulation of proteins.

17 Feb 2015

Researchers show how gene mutations cause common forms of cartilage tumors

Duke Medicine researchers have shown how gene mutations may cause common forms of cartilage tumors. In a study published in the Feb. 16, 2015, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Duke researchers and their colleagues revealed that mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene contribute to the formation of benign tumors in cartilage that can be a precursor to malignancies.

17 Feb 2015

Research: Complex nerve circuits first evolved in common ancestor of humans and cnidarians

New research shows that a burst of evolutionary innovation in the genes responsible for electrical communication among nerve cells in our brains occurred over 600 million years ago in a common ancestor of humans and the sea anemone.

17 Feb 2015

Research: 14% of cerebral palsy cases are linked to genetic mutation

An international research group led by a team at the University of Adelaide has made what they believe could be the biggest discovery into cerebral palsy in 20 years.

17 Feb 2015

BGRF announces publication of research into personalising nootropic drugs using in silico prediction methods

The Biogerontology Research Foundation (BGRF), a UK-based charity committed to the support of aging research to address the challenges of a rapidly aging population and to reduce the impact of disease on future generations, announces the publication of research into personalising nootropic drugs using in silico prediction methods.

17 Feb 2015

BHB compound produced during dieting blocks part of immune system involved in inflammatory disorders

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

17 Feb 2015

Wistar researchers identify new therapeutic target for aggressive form of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all cancers affecting the female reproductive system with very few effective treatments available. Prognosis is even worse among patients with certain subtypes of the disease. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified a new therapeutic target in a particularly aggressive form of ovarian cancer, paving the way for what could be the first effective targeted therapy of its kind for the disease.

16 Feb 2015

Winter weather may cause vitamin D deficiency

Residents of snowy, northern U.S. cities are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and worse, may not even know it.

16 Feb 2015

New study finds promising target for future therapies to treat breast and ovarian cancer patients

The Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of the drug olaparib for ovarian cancer patients with inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 came as welcome news to the thousands of women now eligible to receive it. A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates that the pool of patients who can benefit from the drug is potentially much wider - and offers a ready means of identifying them.

16 Feb 2015

Research findings may point to new treatment for patients with Mitofusin 2 deficiency

Researchers have discovered a novel role for Mitofusin 2, and the findings may point to a new treatment for patients with diseases caused by loss of the mitochondrial protein.

16 Feb 2015

Tissue and cell diagnostics market reaches $7.7 billion in 2014

With fast and effective testing techniques, the tissue and cell diagnostics market was estimated to have reached $7.7 billion in 2014 for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) and other reagents used by clinical laboratories, according to Kalorama Information.

16 Feb 2015

Microbes prevent malnutrition in fruit flies - and maybe humans too

A study by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) sheds significant new light on a surprising and critical role that microbes may play in nutritional disorders such as protein malnutrition. Using fruit flies—Drosophila melanogaster—as a simple and easily studied stand-in for humans, these new findings advance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying microbial contributions to metabolism and may point to long-term strategies to treat and prevent malnutrition in general.

16 Feb 2015

Achilles tendon can adapt to uphill and downhill running better than previously thought: Study

Like many runners, former BYU track star Katy Andrews Neves has had her share of injuries. Unlike most runners, one of those injuries has been witnessed by millions of people around the world.

16 Feb 2015

Harmless plant extract can help treat Cushing Disease

Cushing Disease, not to be confused with Cushing's Syndrome, is caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland in the brain. The tumour secrets increased amounts of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) followed by cortisol release from the adrenal glands leading to rapid weight gain, elevated blood pressure and muscular weakness.

16 Feb 2015

Discovery offers much needed information about how virulent insect-borne diseases cause infection

For decades, scientists have thought the bacteria that cause the bubonic plague hijack host cells at the site of a fleabite and are then taken to the lymph nodes, where the bacteria multiply and trigger severe disease. But UNC School of Medicine researchers discovered that this accepted theory is off base. The bacteria do not use host cells; they traffic to lymph nodes on their own and not in great numbers.

16 Feb 2015

KU Leuven researchers find aggressive form of HIV in Cuba

Engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners increases the risk of contracting multiple strains of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Once inside a host, these strains can recombine into a new variant of the virus. One such recombinant variant observed in patients in Cuba appears to be much more aggressive than other known forms of HIV.

16 Feb 2015

Medical Science News

TNF signaling molecule triggers Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis

Study shows link between autoimmune diseases and gene regulatory elements

Researchers identify molecule that plays key role in aggressive thyroid cancer, other cancers

Bacteria's DNA can pass trait to offspring in a way similar to parents' own DNA

Scientists demonstrate the importance of RNA editing in melanoma development

Researchers show how gene mutations cause common forms of cartilage tumors

Research: Complex nerve circuits first evolved in common ancestor of humans and cnidarians

Research: 14% of cerebral palsy cases are linked to genetic mutation

BGRF announces publication of research into personalising nootropic drugs using in silico prediction methods

BHB compound produced during dieting blocks part of immune system involved in inflammatory disorders

Wistar researchers identify new therapeutic target for aggressive form of ovarian cancer

Winter weather may cause vitamin D deficiency

New study finds promising target for future therapies to treat breast and ovarian cancer patients

Research findings may point to new treatment for patients with Mitofusin 2 deficiency

Tissue and cell diagnostics market reaches $7.7 billion in 2014

Microbes prevent malnutrition in fruit flies - and maybe humans too

Achilles tendon can adapt to uphill and downhill running better than previously thought: Study

Harmless plant extract can help treat Cushing Disease

Discovery offers much needed information about how virulent insect-borne diseases cause infection

KU Leuven researchers find aggressive form of HIV in Cuba

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

From street to lab: Advancing controlled substance testing with handheld Raman and FTIR

Reimagining light scattering for biotherapeutics

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