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RAB3GAP complex plays important role in autophagy

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are typically characterized by protein deposits in the brain. These are comprised of defective, insoluble proteins which no longer fulfill their function and which cells are unable to break down. The work group headed by Professor Christian Behl of the Institute of Pathobiochemistry of the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has determined the RAB3GAP complex as a novel factor that influences the efficient degradation of proteins.

12 Feb 2015

NYU study could transform the fields of behavioral brain research, neuropsychobiology

Living in groups affords several benefits for animals, including better feeding opportunities and reduced risks from predators--situations in which critical information is transmitted nonverbally throughout the group.

12 Feb 2015

Longer donor leukocyte telomere length linked to improved survival following HCT

Among patients with severe aplastic anemia who received stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, longer leukocyte (white blood cells) telomere length (a structure at the end of a chromosome) was associated with increased overall survival at 5 years, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.

12 Feb 2015

Researchers identify molecular pathways associated with distinct subsets of SSc patients

For years, doctors have been baffled about why some patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) respond to therapy while others do not.

12 Feb 2015

Rare and classic EGFR mutations have different impacts on NSCLC outcome

Certain rare epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are associated with tobacco smoking, worse prognosis and poor response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy compared to the more common "classical" EGFR mutations.

12 Feb 2015

Specific combinations of therapies kill cancer cells, reduce tumors

Controlling the time and sequence of cancer therapies may hold the key to unlocking better outcomes for patients with aggressive cancers, according to research published today.

12 Feb 2015

Understanding the pattern of cellular changes that lead to retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma

Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness, usually stems from elevated eye pressure, which in turn damages and destroys specialized neurons in the eye known as retinal ganglion cells. To better understand these cellular changes and how they influence the progression and severity of glaucoma, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute turned to a mouse model of the disease.

12 Feb 2015

Researchers create new intraoperative probe for detecting cancer cells

Brain cancer patients may live longer thanks to a new cancer-detection method developed by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, at McGill University and the MUHC, and Polytechnique Montréal.

12 Feb 2015

UH professor wins Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award

University of Houston developmental psychology professor Arturo Hernandez is among this year's recipients of the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award. The award honors his work in mapping how the brain processes language. This research has implication on how language - including a second language - is taught and learned.

12 Feb 2015

Oral pathogen protects different tumor cells from being killed by immune cells

Bacteria that are commonly found in the mouth are often abundant in patients with colon cancer, but the potential role these microbes play in tumor development has not been clear. A study published by Cell Press February 18th in the journal Immunity reveals that the oral pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum protects a variety of tumor cells from being killed by immune cells.

12 Feb 2015

Diabetes medication can help white blood cells fight bacterial infections

Pioglitazone, a medication approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes, can help bypass genetic defects in chronic granulomatous disease to help white blood cells fight bacterial infections, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.

12 Feb 2015

ORNL's James Roberto elected fellow of Materials Research Society

James Roberto, the associate laboratory director for Science and Technology Partnerships at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a fellow of the Materials Research Society.

12 Feb 2015

Study shows targeted therapeutic after chemotherapy kills transitional cancer cells

Timing may be decisive when it comes to overcoming cancer's ability to evade treatment. By hitting breast cancer cells with a targeted therapeutic immediately after chemotherapy, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) were able to target cancer cells during a transitional stage when they were most vulnerable, killing cells and shrinking tumors in the lab and in pre-clinical models.

12 Feb 2015

Common protein may play strategic role in tumor growth

A common, yet previously undistinguished protein, which is elevated in many late-stage cancers, may play a strategic role in tumor growth through a non-conventional pathway, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine report in the Feb. 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12 Feb 2015

Space travel may contribute to temporary or permanent vision problems

An international partnership between Florida State University and a team from the Russian Academy of Sciences has found that space travel may severely impair the body's ability to regulate blood rushing to the brain, which could contribute to the temporary or permanent vision problems experienced by astronauts.

12 Feb 2015

Researchers develop novel approach to identify potential antimalarial drugs

Each year nearly 600,000 people--mostly children under age five and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa--die from malaria, caused by single-celled parasites that grow inside red blood cells. The most deadly malarial species--Plasmodium falciparum--has proven notoriously resistant to treatment efforts.

12 Feb 2015

Franziska Michor named winner of Creative Promise Prize in Biomedical Science

Franziska Michor was picked as the winner of a Creative Promise Prize in Biomedical Science for her research that fuses evolutionary biology, mathematics, and clinical research toward a better understanding of cancer genesis and treatments.

12 Feb 2015

Bayer launches new polycarbonate blend grade tailored for wearable medical devices

New grade offers high level of chemical resistance, excellent rigidity and toughness and limited biocompatibility compliance

11 Feb 2015

Virginia Tech purchases two Bruker fluorescence microscope solutions

The Vutara 350 can break the optical diffraction limit by an order of magnitude, opening up a myriad of research opportunities in single-molecule cellular processes.

From Bruker 11 Feb 2015

Synthetic DNA gel could bring researchers closer to printing artificial organs

A two-part water-based gel made of synthetic DNA and peptide could bring the inventors of a 3D bio printer closer to being able to print organs for transplant, or to replace animal testing. The teams led by Dongsheng Liu (Tsinghua University) and Will Shu (Heriot-Watt University) faced two main challenges: finding a matrix or scaffold to support the live cells in 3D, and being able to produce a consistent product which would not be rejected by transplant recipients.

11 Feb 2015