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Overeating and increased weight linked to brain region associated with motivation and reward

Snack consumption and BMI are linked to both brain activity and self-control, new research has found.

23 Jul 2012

Novel genomic sequencing method can help conduct in-depth analysis of single cells

Only by viewing a Georges Seurat painting at close range can you appreciate the hidden complexities of pointillism - small, distinct dots of color applied to form an image from a distance. Similarly, biologists and geneticists have long sought to analyze profiles of genes at the single cell level but technology limitations have only allowed a view from afar.

23 Jul 2012

Reward-related decision making may be affected by the emotional processing system

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 40 million American adults each year, and although they are treatable, they often cause significant distress.

23 Jul 2012

Insights on neural mechanisms behind guidance of attention

Ever wonder how the human brain, which is constantly bombarded with millions of pieces of visual information, can filter out what's unimportant and focus on what's most useful?

23 Jul 2012

Protein associated with Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases has several brain-specific forms

A protein essential for metabolism and recently associated with neurodegenerative diseases also occurs in several brain-specific forms. This discovery emerged in the course of a research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the findings of which have now been published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

23 Jul 2012

Research finds new gene involved in epilepsy

New research conducted by neuroscientists from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) published in Nature Medicine has identified a new gene involved in epilepsy and could potentially provide a new treatment option for patients with epilepsy.

23 Jul 2012

Egg allergy treatment for children: an interview with Dr Robert Wood

The tendency to get allergies is a fairly general one, which is mostly inherited – it tends to run in families. There are several foods that are most common for children to become allergic to: milk, egg and peanuts in most countries are the most common food allergies.

23 Jul 2012

Researchers uncover protein structure that regulates blood cell formation and activity

A Finnish research team together with researchers from New York, USA, has uncovered a protein structure that regulates cell signalling and the formation of blood cells. The team's results, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the most prestigious journal in the field, shed light on the mechanisms at play in haematological disorders and provide new opportunities for the design of disease-specific treatment.

23 Jul 2012

Targeting monocyte activation may reduce arterial inflammation in HIV-infected patients

The elevated risk of cardiovascular disease seen in patients infected with HIV appears to be associated with increased inflammation within the arteries, according to a study that will appear in a special issue of JAMA published in conjunction with the International AIDS Conference.

23 Jul 2012

Researchers identify several gene mutations responsible for medulloblastoma

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital have identified several gene mutations responsible for the most common childhood brain tumor, called medulloblastoma, adding evidence to the theory that the diagnosis is a group of genetically distinct cancers with different prognoses. These and accompanying findings are likely to lead to less-toxic, better-targeted treatment approaches over the next two years, the researchers said.

23 Jul 2012

Researchers link specific gene mutations with four recognized subtypes of medulloblastoma

Researchers at Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) and several collaborating institutions have linked mutations in specific genes to each of the four recognized subtypes of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor of children. The discovery, reported July in the journal Nature, provides doctors with potential biomarkers for guiding and individualizing treatment and reveals prospective therapeutic opportunities for countering this devastating malignancy.

23 Jul 2012

Researchers turn inanimate silicone and living cardiac muscle cells into a jellyfish

Using recent advances in marine biomechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering, a team of researchers at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have turned inanimate silicone and living cardiac muscle cells into a freely swimming "jellyfish."

23 Jul 2012

International Congress on Natural Products Research to be held in New York City

The urgent need to evaluate nature's repository of chemicals in plants, microbes, and marine organisms for their potential value in health care will be a major theme of a five-day scientific conference in New York that is expected to draw some 1,200 natural products researchers from around the world.

21 Jul 2012

Many patients may benefit from day 5 embryo biopsy

Over the last several years Carolina Conceptions has been offering embryo biopsy to rule out chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases in future pregnancies. One of the downsides of the technique was that biopsies were performed after 3 days of embryo culture, which was later discovered to limit the ability of the embryo to undergo normal development. This actually reduced the chance of pregnancy, often erasing any advantage that was provided by the biopsy procedure.

21 Jul 2012

Antibody detects progenitor cells in cancers and cirrhosis of liver

The study, published in the journal Stem Cell, adds to our understanding of the role of stem and next stage progenitor cells in tissue regeneration and in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

21 Jul 2012

Study identifies genetic markers that influence protein involved in regulating oestrogen, testosterone levels

A research study led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter, and Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating oestrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream.

21 Jul 2012

2-D models may often give researchers misleading results

Imagine millions of cancer cells organized in thousands of small divots. Hit these cells with drugs and when some cells die, you have a candidate for a cancer drug. But a review published this week in the journal Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery argues that these 2D models in fact offer very little information about a potential drug's effects in the body and may often give researchers misleading results.

21 Jul 2012

Neuroscience 2012 annual meeting to take place from Oct. 13-17

Neuroscience 2012, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, is the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health. Learn how the brain works and new developments on a range of topics: aging, language, brain injury, parenting, and mental illness, among others. More than 16,000 new discoveries will be presented, with 30,000 attendees from around the world.

21 Jul 2012

Researchers discover reason why breast cancer cells become drug resistant

Breast cancer treatments such as Herceptin that target a marker called HER2 have dramatically improved outcomes for women with this type of cancer. But nearly half of these cancers are resistant to Herceptin from the start and almost all of them will eventually become resistant.

21 Jul 2012

Experts examine host recognition of Staphylococcus and E.coli bacteria

We are surrounded by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The fact that we nevertheless do not fall prey to infections is thanks to certain cellular sensor molecules such as toll-like receptors (TLR), which recognize the molecular structure of pathogens and intercede by ensuring an often completely unnoticeable elimination of the invaders. Their immune-activating abilities were only detected in 1998, a discovery which was awarded with the Nobel Prize

21 Jul 2012

Medical Science News

Overeating and increased weight linked to brain region associated with motivation and reward

Novel genomic sequencing method can help conduct in-depth analysis of single cells

Reward-related decision making may be affected by the emotional processing system

Insights on neural mechanisms behind guidance of attention

Protein associated with Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases has several brain-specific forms

Research finds new gene involved in epilepsy

Egg allergy treatment for children: an interview with Dr Robert Wood

Researchers uncover protein structure that regulates blood cell formation and activity

Targeting monocyte activation may reduce arterial inflammation in HIV-infected patients

Researchers identify several gene mutations responsible for medulloblastoma

Researchers link specific gene mutations with four recognized subtypes of medulloblastoma

Researchers turn inanimate silicone and living cardiac muscle cells into a jellyfish

International Congress on Natural Products Research to be held in New York City

Many patients may benefit from day 5 embryo biopsy

Antibody detects progenitor cells in cancers and cirrhosis of liver

Study identifies genetic markers that influence protein involved in regulating oestrogen, testosterone levels

2-D models may often give researchers misleading results

Neuroscience 2012 annual meeting to take place from Oct. 13-17

Researchers discover reason why breast cancer cells become drug resistant

Experts examine host recognition of Staphylococcus and E.coli bacteria

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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