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Minerva scientists convert established human stem cells to the elusive naïve state

Minerva Biotechnologies, a leading cancer and stem cell development company today announced a major breakthrough in human stem cell research.

8 Mar 2013

Southeast Asia's commercial trade plays a central role in spread of amphibian pathogens

A team of scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), revealed in a new study, for the first time, the presence of the pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibians sampled in Singapore. And the American bullfrog may be a central player in the spread of the disease.

8 Mar 2013

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Some cellular proteins have multiple, and occasionally opposing, functions. Professor Adrian Krainer and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory demonstrate in a paper published online today in Molecular Cell that the oncogenic protein SRSF1 can also trigger a stop in cell growth and prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53, the powerful tumor-suppressor protein.

8 Mar 2013

Boosting hypocretin could elevate both mood and alertness in humans

What makes us happy? Family? Money? Love? How about a peptide? The neurochemical changes underlying human emotions and social behavior are largely unknown. Now though, for the first time in humans, scientists at UCLA have measured the release of a specific peptide, a neurotransmitter called hypocretin, that greatly increased when subjects were happy but decreased when they were sad.

8 Mar 2013

Researchers explore genetic testing to identify people at high risk for preventable disease

In ten years time, routine preventive health care for adults may include genetic testing alongside the now familiar tests for cholesterol levels, mammography and colonoscopy.

8 Mar 2013

Cholesterol levels seem to fluctuate significantly with turning seasons

Cholesterol levels seem to fluctuate significantly with the turning seasons, which may leave some people with borderline high cholesterol at greater cardiovascular risk during the winter months, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

7 Mar 2013

Rats sniff each other to signal a social hierarchy and prevent aggressive behavior

Sniffing, a common behavior in dogs, cats and other animals, has been observed to also serve as a method for rats to communicate-a fundamental discovery that may help scientists identify brain regions critical for interpreting communications cues and what brain malfunctions may cause some complex social disorders.

7 Mar 2013

Acid reflux can kill certain cancer cells

A University of Central Florida chemist has come up with a unique way to kill certain cancer cells - give them acid reflux.

7 Mar 2013

Salk epigenetic findings may aid in crop production and study of human diseases

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified patterns of epigenomic diversity that not only allow plants to adapt to various environments, but could also benefit crop production and the study of human diseases.

7 Mar 2013

CALHM1 channel protein releases ATP to make neural taste connections

Saying that the sense of taste is complicated is an understatement, that it is little understood, even more so. Exactly how cells transmit taste information to the brain for three out of the five primary taste types was pretty much a mystery, until now.

7 Mar 2013

Genomic analysis could illuminate more options in developing precise treatments for cancer

Investigators working on the precision medicine initiative at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey are embarking on a genomic analysis study which could illuminate more options in developing personalized and precise treatments for cancer patients.

7 Mar 2013

Midwall fibrosis may increase likelihood of death in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Detection of midwall fibrosis (the presence of scar tissue in the middle of the heart muscle wall) via magnetic resonance imaging among patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition affecting the heart muscle) was associated with an increased likelihood of death.

7 Mar 2013

Researchers identify role of Merlin in regulating integrity of axons

One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system.

7 Mar 2013

Study: Multiple sclerosis patients with cognitive problems have more brain damage

People with multiple sclerosis who have cognitive problems, or problems with memory, attention, and concentration, have more damage to areas of the brain involved in cognitive processes than people with MS who do not have cognitive problems, according to a study published in the March 6, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Mar 2013

Study reveals increased dietary salt intake may lead to autoimmune disorders

Increased dietary salt intake can induce a group of aggressive immune cells that are involved in triggering and sustaining autoimmune diseases.

7 Mar 2013

UCLA scientists discover new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at UCLA have discovered a new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease by screening people's DNA and then using an advanced type of scan to visualize their brains' connections.

7 Mar 2013

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

A pair of studies tells the tale of how a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida helped to discover the first African-American family to have inherited the rare movement disorder dystonia, which causes repetitive muscle contractions and twisting, resulting in abnormal posture.

7 Mar 2013

‘New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’ symposium to be held from Feb. 4-7

At the Keystone Symposium "New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research," held 4-7 February in Santa Fe, New Mexico, researchers explored the processes that lead to a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS).

7 Mar 2013

CALHM1 protein plays critical role in sweet, bitter and umami taste perception

Working with a multidisciplinary consortium of 19 researchers from nine institutions, Monell scientists have provided critical information to identify CALHM1, a channel in the walls of taste receptor cells, as a necessary component in the process of sweet, bitter, and umami (savory) taste perception.

7 Mar 2013

MicroRNA expression signatures may help define progression of Barrett's esophagus

A series of microRNA expression signatures that may help to define progression of the precancerous condition Barrett's esophagus into esophageal adenocarcinoma was reported recently in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

7 Mar 2013

Medical Science News

Minerva scientists convert established human stem cells to the elusive naïve state

Southeast Asia's commercial trade plays a central role in spread of amphibian pathogens

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Boosting hypocretin could elevate both mood and alertness in humans

Researchers explore genetic testing to identify people at high risk for preventable disease

Cholesterol levels seem to fluctuate significantly with turning seasons

Rats sniff each other to signal a social hierarchy and prevent aggressive behavior

Acid reflux can kill certain cancer cells

Salk epigenetic findings may aid in crop production and study of human diseases

CALHM1 channel protein releases ATP to make neural taste connections

Genomic analysis could illuminate more options in developing precise treatments for cancer

Midwall fibrosis may increase likelihood of death in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Researchers identify role of Merlin in regulating integrity of axons

Study: Multiple sclerosis patients with cognitive problems have more brain damage

Study reveals increased dietary salt intake may lead to autoimmune disorders

UCLA scientists discover new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

‘New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’ symposium to be held from Feb. 4-7

CALHM1 protein plays critical role in sweet, bitter and umami taste perception

MicroRNA expression signatures may help define progression of Barrett's esophagus

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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