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Study: Neurons that control hunger linked to non-food associated behaviors

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have zeroed in on a set of neurons in the part of the brain that controls hunger, and found that these neurons are not only associated with overeating, but also linked to non-food associated behaviors, like novelty-seeking and drug addiction.

25 Jun 2012

Study reveals previously unknown function of Thbd-aPC pathway in radiation mitigation

New research in Nature Medicine shows that boosting a protein pathway in the body's blood making system protects mice from otherwise fatal radiation poisoning.

25 Jun 2012

De novo somatic gene mutations likely to cause hemimegalencephaly

Hemimegalencephaly is a rare but dramatic condition in which the brain grows asymmetrically, with one hemisphere becoming massively enlarged. Though frequently diagnosed in children with severe epilepsy, the cause of hemimegalencephaly is unknown and current treatment is radical: surgical removal of some or all of the diseased half of the brain.

25 Jun 2012

Study reveals function of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in the brain

Every day the human brain is presented with tasks ranging from the trivial to the complex. How much mental effort and attention are devoted to each task is usually determined in a split second and without conscious awareness. Now a study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers finds that a structure deep within the brain, believed to play an important role in regulating conscious control of goal-directed behavior, helps to optimize behavioral responses by predicting how difficult upcoming tasks will be.

25 Jun 2012

Smoking of fathers before conception can damage genetic information of their offspring

As you decide what to get dad for Father's Day, you might want to consider what he gave you when you were conceived. If he smoked, your genes are likely damaged, and your odds for cancers and other diseases throughout your life could be increased. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal, scientists show for the first time in humans that men who smoke before conception can damage the genetic information of their offspring.

23 Jun 2012

Oxytocin hormone plays an important role in Williams syndrome

The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.

23 Jun 2012

Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research launches today

Ground-breaking research to advance the application of stem cells to address critical injuries and diseases will be taking place at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in a new center funded by New York state and opened today.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 23 Jun 2012

Surprising link between dietary fat and cholesterol absorption

Buttery shrimp. Fried eggs. Burgers and fries. New research suggests there may be a biological reason why fatty and cholesterol-rich foods are so appealing together.

23 Jun 2012

Scientists recommend new type of therapeutic approach to dementia

Scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have succeeded in recommending a new type of therapeutic approach to dementia. The study published in the journal Neurology shows that immune reactions against the body's own nerve cells can be the cause of advanced dementia and an appropriate immune suppressive therapy can develop with significant effectiveness.

23 Jun 2012

WCMC researchers devise innovative boxer-like strategy to fight multiple myeloma

Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have devised an innovative boxer-like strategy, based on the serial use of two anti-cancer drugs, to deliver a one-two punch to first weaken the defenses of multiple myeloma and then deliver the final knock-out punch to win the fight.

23 Jun 2012

First study to link risk of cognitive decline to severity of diabetes

Preventing diabetes or delaying its onset has been thought to stave off cognitive decline -- a connection strongly supported by the results of a 9-year study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

23 Jun 2012

New paper discusses potential of tumor-derived microvesicles

A new paper by Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, discusses the biology of tumor-derived microvesicles and their clinical application as circulating biomarkers. Microvesicles are membrane-bound sacs released by tumor cells and can be detected in the body fluids of cancer patients.

23 Jun 2012

Disorganized cancers more difficult to treat and consistently result in lower survival rates

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta reviewed test results from thousands of patients with various types of cancer and discovered that "disorganized" cancers were more difficult to treat and consistently resulted in lower survival rates.

23 Jun 2012

First sales order for Bluechiip's products from ATCC

Bluechiip Limited - which has developed a unique asset-tracking solution initially for cryogenic sample management in the healthcare and life science industry - today announced that a successful pilot trial of its tracking solution by ATCC, a US-based leader in biological materials management and processes, has led to the first sales order for Bluechiip's products from ATCC.

23 Jun 2012

Researchers identify new virus alert signal that triggers the human immune system

Researchers from Aarhus University have now located the place in the human body where the earliest virus alert signal triggers the human immune system. They have also discovered a new alarm signal, which is activated at the very first sign of a virus attack.

23 Jun 2012

Scientists identify novel animal reservoir for tick-borne diseases

A team of scientists at Washington University in St. Louis has been keeping a wary eye on emerging tick-borne diseases in Missouri for the past dozen years, and they have just nailed down another part of the story.

23 Jun 2012

Plant compounds from South African daffodils show promise for depression

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have previously documented that substances from the South African plant species Crinum and Cyrtanthus - akin to snowdrops and daffodils - have an effect on the mechanisms in the brain that are involved in depression.

23 Jun 2012

Researchers uncover why ointment and photodynamic therapy cause pain in skin cancer patients

Apply the ointment, light on, light off - that's how easy it is to cure various forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. However, the majority of patients suffer severe pain during the so-termed photodynamic therapy.

23 Jun 2012

International conference showcases breadth of research possible with zebrafish

It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.

23 Jun 2012

First study to demonstrate that microbes are specific to their host species

Gut bacteria's key role in immunity is tuned to the host species, researchers have found, suggesting that the superabundant microbes lining our digestive tract evolved with us-a tantalizing clue in the mysterious recent spike in human autoimmune disorders.

23 Jun 2012