Medical Science News

RSS

New insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures

Research carried out by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Manchester has revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It's thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

15 Feb 2013

Protein-restricted diet supplemented with IGF-I may protect from Alzheimer's

Mice with many of the pathologies of Alzheimer's Disease showed fewer signs of the disease when given a protein-restricted diet supplemented with specific amino acids every other week for four months.

15 Feb 2013

Selumetinib shrinks tumors in women with low-grade ovarian cancer

Researchers at The University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix have discovered that many women with low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum have seen their tumors stabilize or shrink after taking a regular dose of the compound selumetinib.

15 Feb 2013

Researchers identify new molecular pathway involved in alveoli growth

In a study of mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a new molecular pathway involved in the growth of tiny air sacs called alveoli that are crucial for breathing. The scientists say their experiments may lead to the first successful treatments to regrow the air sacs in people who suffer from diseases such as emphysema in which the air sacs have been destroyed by years of smoking.

15 Feb 2013

Researchers discover SCANR that helps protect a cell's genes against DNA interlopers

Gene wars rage inside our cells, with invading DNA regularly threatening to subvert our human blueprint. Now, building on Nobel-Prize-winning findings, UC San Francisco researchers have discovered a molecular machine that helps protect a cell's genes against these DNA interlopers.

15 Feb 2013

Patient-specific cancer cell lines designed to predict chemotherapy sensitivity

In laboratory studies, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a way to personalize chemotherapy drug selection for cancer patients by using cell lines created from their own tumors.

15 Feb 2013

Genes activated for human speech are similar to ones used by singing songbirds

The genes activated for human speech are similar to the ones used by singing songbirds, new experiments suggest.

15 Feb 2013

Study reveals how calcium signal repairs damaged tissue

For the first time scientists studying the cellular processes underlying the body's response to healing have revealed how a flash of calcium is the very first step in repairing damaged tissue. The findings, published in Current Biology, could lead to new therapies that speed up the healing process following injury or surgery.

15 Feb 2013

Researchers show how gene mutations shift and evolve over time in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Tumors are not factories for the mass production of identical cancer cells, but are, in reality, patchworks of cells with different patterns of gene mutations. In a new study, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute show, more fully than ever before, how these mutations shift and evolve over time in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - providing a strobe-like look at the genetic past, present, and future of CLL tumors.

15 Feb 2013

Pivotal Response Treatment improves brain activity in children with autism

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for before-and-after analysis, a team of researchers including a UC Santa Barbara graduate student discovered positive changes in brain activity in children with autism who received a particular type of behavioral therapy.

15 Feb 2013

Nucleic Acid Therapeutics publishes special research section on noncoding RNAs

As scientists continue to unravel the complexity of the human genome and to uncover vital elements that play a role in both normal physiology and disease, one particular class of elements called noncoding RNAs is gaining a lot of attention. Guest Editor Tom Cech, PhD and Executive Editor Fintan Steele, PhD explore the enormous potential value of this rapidly advancing research area in their Editorial " The (Noncoding) RNA World."

15 Feb 2013

ASGCT to honor UNC genetics professor with 2013 Outstanding New Investigator Award

Aravind Asokan, PhD, assistant professor of genetics in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, was selected by the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy to receive a 2013 Outstanding New Investigator Award.

15 Feb 2013

ADAMTS7 enzyme plays a crucial role in coronary heart disease

Scientists investigating how certain genes affect an individual's risk of developing coronary heart disease have identified a new therapeutic target, according to research published today in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

15 Feb 2013

Researchers solve complete 3-D structure of E6 proteins in HPV 16

For the first time, researchers from the Laboratoire biotechnologie et signalisation cellulaire at the Strasbourg-based Ecole supérieure de biotechnologie (CNRS/Université de Strasbourg) and Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire (CNRS/Université de Strasbourg/Inserm) have solved the three-dimensional structure of an important oncoprotein involved in cell proliferation and in the development of the human papilloma virus (HPV).

14 Feb 2013

Personalis announces availability of Genome Services for Research

Personalis, Inc. today announced availability of its Genome Services for Research, focusing on accuracy in sequencing, analysis, and interpretation of human genomes. Personalis believes that accuracy is crucial in medicine, both in research and ultimately in clinical use.

14 Feb 2013

L-COR Biosciences launches C-DiGit Blot Scanner

Today, LI-COR Biosciences continues to demonstrate its position as a leader in laboratory instrument systems as it announces the launch of the C-DiGit Blot Scanner.

14 Feb 2013

Allografts better survive implantation into brains of immunocompetent research mice

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., and the Mossakowski Medical Research Centre in Warsaw, Poland, have found that nonself-donated cells (allografts) better survive implantation into the brains of immunocompetent research mice when the grafts are injected into the striatum (STR) of the brain rather than injected into the forceps minor (FM) region.

14 Feb 2013

Researcher to study ADAM12 gene in breast tumor initiating cells

A Kansas State University professor's research on breast cancer stem cells may help improve survival rates by preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis -- the major causes of death among breast cancer patients.

14 Feb 2013

Study shows importance of lncRNAs for regulation of adipogeneis

Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a previously unrecognized layer of genetic regulation that is necessary for the generation of undesirable white fat cells. When this regulation is disrupted, white fat cells are unable to accumulate lipid droplets or mature from their precursors.

14 Feb 2013

Activation of SK channels can lead to heart disease

Qing-Hui Chen's research focuses on hypertension, heart failure and the neuromechanisms that underlie these problems. Specifically, his research examines how a particular ion channel (that regulates resting and action in membranes)—the potassium channel (SK)—is linked to heart disease.

14 Feb 2013