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The Institute of Cancer Research, CRT and Astex to discover and develop novel drug candidates

Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics, Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, have initiated a collaboration to discover and develop drug candidates targeting an undisclosed epigenetic target in a blood cancer with high unmet medical need.

7 Sep 2012

Boston researchers develop neonatal mouse model of sepsis

Sepsis, or bacterial infection of the bloodstream, is a grave, hard-to-diagnose threat in premature newborns in the NICU. Even when it's detected and treated with antibiotics, its inflammatory effects can harm fragile babies' development. Now, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have modeled the effects of sepsis on the unique newborn immune system, using mice.

7 Sep 2012

Lack of Atoh1 master gene can lead to sudden infant death syndrome

When mice are born lacking the master gene Atoh1, none breathe well and all die in the newborn period. Why and how this occurs could provide new answers about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but the solution has remained elusive until now.

7 Sep 2012

GENCODE Consortium uncovers staggering array of genes in human genome

The GENCODE Consortium expects the human genome has twice as many genes than previously thought, many of which might have a role in cellular control and could be important in human disease. This remarkable discovery comes from the GENCODE Consortium, which has done a painstaking and skilled review of available data on gene activity.

7 Sep 2012

Book examines highly complex structures of synaptic regions

Synapses are bulbous structures where two neurons communicate. Neurotransmitter molecules released from the presynaptic terminal of one neuron diffuse to the postsynaptic terminal on the other, binding to receptors that lead to propagation or modulation of the signal.

7 Sep 2012

Interleukin-18 plays a key role in inflammation

The naturally occurring cytokine interleukin-18, or IL-18, plays a key role in inflammation and has been implicated in serious inflammatory diseases for which the prognosis is poor and there are currently limited treatment options.

7 Sep 2012

Absence of Puma and Bim protein leads to autoimmune diseases

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered that a pair of molecules work together to kill so-called 'self-reactive' immune cells that are programmed to attack the body's own organs.

7 Sep 2012

Study finds PARP1 and EZH2 as potential therapeutic targets for small cell lung cancer

Newly discovered molecular differences between small cell lung cancer and nonsmall cell lung cancer have revealed PARP1 and EZH2 as potential therapeutic targets for patients with small cell lung cancer, according to the results of a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

7 Sep 2012

Wnt5a protein essential in repairing the intestine's inner lining

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a protein essential to repairing the intestine's inner lining.

7 Sep 2012

New findings establish connection between microRNAs and cellular metabolism

New findings establish a connection between microRNAs and cellular metabolism, suggesting that a drug designed to inhibit these tiny molecules -- once considered to be "junk" DNA -- would have a positive effect against obesity.

7 Sep 2012

Researchers turn skin cells into embryonic Sertoli-like cells

Using a stepwise trans-differentiation process, Whitehead Institute researchers have turned skin cells into embryonic Sertoli-like cells.

7 Sep 2012

Clathrin protein plays a key role in cell division

A protein called "clathrin," which is found in every human cell and plays a critical role in transporting materials within them, also plays a key role in cell division, according to new research at the University of California, San Francisco.

7 Sep 2012

Researchers discover genetic cause of hereditary spastic ataxia

Researchers from the Guy Rouleau Laboratory affiliated with the CHUM Research Centre and the CHU-Sainte-Justine Research Centre have discovered the genetic cause of a rare disease reported only in patients originating from Newfoundland: hereditary spastic ataxia (HSA).

7 Sep 2012

Harvard experts create biocompatible hydrogel

A team of experts in mechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering at Harvard have created an extremely stretchy and tough gel that may pave the way to replacing damaged cartilage in human joints.

6 Sep 2012

JQ1 compound dramatically prevents sperm production in mice

Attention men: The day may be coming soon when you can take your own birth control pill with no side effects, according to a study done by a group of scientists that includes a Texas A&M University researcher.

6 Sep 2012

Ingenuity Systems, ShanghaiBio sign collaboration agreement

ShanghaiBio Corporation and Ingenuity Systems have signed a collaboration agreement enabling ShanghaiBio Corporation to extend its current lab service offering to include Ingenuity solutions for downstream analysis and interpretation of genomics data. ShanghaiBio Corporation will complement their sequencing, genotyping and gene expression lab services by creating a bundled solution with Ingenuity's applications, which combine analytics and biomedical content to help get actionable insights from experiments.

6 Sep 2012

Injecting capsule with heat-generating cells reduces abdominal and belly fat in mice

The injection of a tiny capsule containing heat-generating cells into the abdomens of mice led those animals to burn abdominal fat and initially lose about 20 percent of belly fat after 80 days of treatment.

6 Sep 2012

Scientists complete comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to small cell lung cancers

Scientists have completed a comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to an aggressive and lethal type of lung cancer.

6 Sep 2012

New approach can help researchers study genetic variations associated with disease

With the ability to sequence human genes comes an onslaught of raw material about the genetic characteristics that distinguish us, and wading through these reserves of data poses a major challenge for life scientists. Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and the Center for Human Genome Variation at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) have developed an approach for analyzing data that can help researchers studying genetic factors in disease to quickly cull out relevant genetic patterns and identify variants that lead to particular disorders.

6 Sep 2012

Tampere University of Technology to construct human 3D neuronal structure

European Commission's Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) scheme has granted 4 M- to an international consortium aiming to construct a functional 3D neuronal structure mimicking the human brain. The project titled "Biomimicking the brain - towards 3D neuronal network dynamics" is planned to last for the period 1.7.2012.12.2014.

6 Sep 2012