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Study shows enhancer RNA molecules may open new avenues for gene therapy

A study investigating the function of the recently discovered enhancer RNA molecules may open new avenues for gene therapy. According to the study researchers, altering the production and function of these molecules could affect the expression of genes and, in consequence, possibly also the progression of various diseases.

14 Aug 2013

Managing insulin levels through meal timing boosts ovulation in women with PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common disorder that impairs fertility by impacting menstruation, ovulation, hormones, and more, is closely related to insulin levels. Women with the disorder are typically "insulin resistant" - their bodies produce an overabundance of insulin to deliver glucose from the blood into the muscles.

14 Aug 2013

Gene variant linked with Mediterranean diet pattern prevents stroke

A gene variant strongly associated with development of type 2 diabetes appears to interact with a Mediterranean diet pattern to prevent stroke, report researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University and from the CIBER Fisiopatolog-a de la Obesidad y Nutriciόn in Spain.

14 Aug 2013

Exo70 protein responsible for plasma membrane reshaping and cell movement

Both basic scientists and clinicians have an interest in how the cells of our body move. Cells must be mobile in order for organisms to grow, to heal, to transmit information internally, to mount immune responses and to conduct a host of other activities necessary for survival.

14 Aug 2013

A*STAR's SIgN discovers new strategy to develop universal dengue vaccine

A new strategy that cripples the ability of the dengue virus to escape the host immune system has been discovered by A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network. This breakthrough strategy opens a door of hope to what may become the world's first universal dengue vaccine candidate that can give full protection from all four serotypes of the dreadful virus.

14 Aug 2013

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduits suitable for sciatic nerve injury repair

The conventional method for repair of peripheral nerve injury is autogenous nerve grafting, but sources of autogenous nerve are limited. Furthermore, neurological deficits in the donor site and painful neuroma can occur following surgery.

14 Aug 2013

New test hints 3 sodas daily hurt lifespan, reproduction in mice

When mice ate a diet of 25 percent extra sugar - the mouse equivalent of a healthy human diet plus three cans of soda daily - females died at twice the normal rate and males were a quarter less likely to hold territory and reproduce, according to a toxicity test developed at the University of Utah.

14 Aug 2013

New discovery to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

The fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs has taken a step forward thanks to a new discovery by scientists at The University of Nottingham.

14 Aug 2013

New proteins help patients to get more accurate diagnosis of MS

A group of proteins identified by researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology could play a role in helping multiple sclerosis patients get more accurate diagnostics about the severity and progress of their disease.

14 Aug 2013

Virus-derived particles developed to kill human blood cancer cells, eradicate disease in mice

Ottawa researchers have developed unique virus-derived particles that can kill human blood cancer cells in the laboratory and eradicate the disease in mice with few side effects. The study is published in Blood Cancer Journal by co-senior authors Drs. David Conrad and John Bell of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).

14 Aug 2013

Study reveals cancer in humans linked with high amounts of proteins responsible for cells division

Cancer in humans is frequently associated with unusually high amounts of one or more proteins responsible for controlling the rate at which cells divide. As an example, excessive amounts of the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK6 are often found in types of cancer such as lymphoma.

14 Aug 2013

NIH awards $17M to research projects to investigate emerging field of exRNA

The National Institutes of Health announced today it will award $17 million this year for 24 research projects designed to improve scientists' understanding of a newly discovered type of cell-to-cell communication based on extracellular (outside the cell) RNA, also called exRNA.

14 Aug 2013

Cultural mythologies strongly influence women’s expectations during pregnancy

Morning sickness, shiny hair and bizarre and intense cravings for pickles and ice cream -- what expectations do pregnant women impose on their bodies, and how are those expectations influenced by cultural perspectives on pregnancy? University of Cincinnati researcher Danielle Bessett, an assistant professor of sociology, presented her research at the 108th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York, N.Y.

14 Aug 2013

New protein switch plays dual role in memory-building activity

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have uncovered a protein switch that can either increase or decrease memory-building activity in brain cells, depending on the signals it detects.

14 Aug 2013

Chemical compound prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces

Targeting serious and sometimes deadly fungal infections, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has discovered a chemical compound that prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces, which, typically, is the first step of the infection process used by the human pathogen Candida albicans (C. albicans).

14 Aug 2013