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Microneedle technique may provide a painless way to deliver drugs, vaccines

Microneedles on a sticking-plaster-like patch may be the painless and safe way doctors will test for drugs and some infections in the future, thanks to work supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

3 Dec 2013

Computer models of neuronal sound processing in brain lead to cochlear implant improvements

Intact hearing is a prerequisite for learning to speak. This is why children who are born deaf are fitted with so-called cochlear implants as early as possible. Cochlear implants consist of a speech processor and a transmitter coil worn behind the ear, together with the actual implant, an encapsulated microprocessor placed under the skin to directly stimulate the auditory nerve via an electrode with up to 22 contacts.

3 Dec 2013

Scientists figure out how transporters work

Researchers have tried for decades to understand the undulations and gyrations that allow transport proteins to shuttle molecules from one side of a cell membrane to the other.

3 Dec 2013

New catalog brings interactions between pharmacological molecules and proteins

The three-dimensional structures of proteins determine how, when and where they bind to drugs and other compounds. In 2012 alone, thousands of structures like this were resolved.

3 Dec 2013

Sca-1 stem cells replace steadily aging heart muscle cells

Up until a few years ago, the common school of thought held that the mammalian heart had very little regenerative capacity. However, scientists now know that heart muscle cells constantly regenerate, albeit at a very low rate. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim, have identified a stem cell population responsible for this regeneration.

3 Dec 2013

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

In the arms race between bacteria and modern medicine, bacteria have gained an edge. In recent decades, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed faster than the production of new antibiotics, making bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat. Scientists worry that a particularly virulent and deadly "superbug" could one day join the ranks of existing untreatable bacteria, causing a public health catastrophe comparable with the Black Death.

3 Dec 2013

Researchers find evidence that gout clusters in families

It's historically known as 'the king of diseases and the disease of kings' and was long thought to be caused by an overindulgent lifestyle, but now scientists at The University of Nottingham have confirmed that 'gout' strongly runs in families.

3 Dec 2013

IRCM researcher sheds light on inconsistencies between pharmacogenomic studies

A bioinformatics expert at the IRCM, Benjamin Haibe-Kains, recently published an article stressing the importance of standardizing drug screening studies in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. The study supports the need for further development and standardization to improve the reproducibility of drug screening studies, as they are important in identifying new therapeutic agents and their potential combinations with existing drugs.

3 Dec 2013

Study: Unfolded protein response can increase risk of sudden cardiac death

A researcher at the Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals has found a link to human heart failure that if blocked, may reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.

3 Dec 2013

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Age-related cognitive decline and changes in the nervous system are closely linked, but up until recently, they were thought to result from the loss of neurons in areas such as the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain important in working memory.

3 Dec 2013

New genetics promises to change faulty genes of future generations by using "designer sperm”

Bethesda, MD-Get ready: The "new genetics" promises to change faulty genes of future generations by introducing new, functioning genes using "designer sperm." A new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal, shows that introducing new genetic material via a viral vector into the sperm of mice leads to the presence and activity of those genes in the resulting embryos.

3 Dec 2013

ATN-224 inhibitor reduces tumor sizes in mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma

Many cancers have adapted to cope with high levels of immune system-produced free radicals, also referred to as reactive oxygen species, by overproducing antioxidant proteins. One of these proteins, superoxide dismutase 1, is overproduced in lung adenocarcinomas and has been implicated as a target for chemotherapy.

3 Dec 2013

New finding links obesity and high-fat, high-sugar diets with changes in inflammatory status

Scientists have moved a step closer to an "obesity drug" that may block the effects of diets high in sugar and fats. In a new research report published in the December 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists show that there is an abnormal amount of an inflammatory protein called PAR2 in the abdominal fat tissue of overweight and obese humans and rats.

3 Dec 2013

Certain hormones which are increased during exercise may help improve memory

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found further evidence that exercise may be beneficial for brain health and cognition. The findings, which are currently available online in Behavioural Brain Research, suggest that certain hormones, which are increased during exercise, may help improve memory.

3 Dec 2013

Oxygen levels play critical role in determining effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs

A new research discovery published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology yields an important clue toward helping curb runaway inflammation. Oxygen levels play a critical role in determining the severity of the inflammatory response and ultimately the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs.

3 Dec 2013

VRC scientists receive $2.2M grant to develop new resin composite dental fillings

The American Dental Association and the ADA Foundation today announced that the foundation's Anthony Volpe Research Center (VRC) received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to develop new resin composite dental fillings.

3 Dec 2013

Researchers create computer algorithm to identify specific genes involved in breast cancer growth

Researchers from the University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services have created a computer algorithm that successfully predicts whether estrogen is sending signals to cancer cells to grow into tumours in the breast. By finding this hormone receptor, known as estrogen receptor positive, physicians can prescribe anti-estrogen drug therapies, improving patient outcomes.

3 Dec 2013

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Brachial plexus root avulsion is the most serious type of peripheral nerve injury. Valproic acid has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects and promote neurite outgrowth in several peripheral nerve injury models. However, whether valproic acid can exert its beneficial effect on neurons after brachial plexus avulsion injury is currently unknown.

3 Dec 2013

Scientists explain new family of proteins that appear to play key role in cancer

Scientists have described a new family of proteins that appear to play a key role in cancer and might be targets for future cancer drugs.

3 Dec 2013

Vitamin D2 supplementation is promising treatment for pain, depression in type 2 diabetes

Vitamin D decreases pain in women with type 2 diabetes and depression, according to a study conducted at Loyola University Chicago. These findings were presented at an Oct. 24, 2013 research conference at Loyola's Health Sciences Campus.

2 Dec 2013

Medical Science News

Microneedle technique may provide a painless way to deliver drugs, vaccines

Computer models of neuronal sound processing in brain lead to cochlear implant improvements

Scientists figure out how transporters work

New catalog brings interactions between pharmacological molecules and proteins

Sca-1 stem cells replace steadily aging heart muscle cells

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

Researchers find evidence that gout clusters in families

IRCM researcher sheds light on inconsistencies between pharmacogenomic studies

Study: Unfolded protein response can increase risk of sudden cardiac death

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

New genetics promises to change faulty genes of future generations by using "designer sperm”

ATN-224 inhibitor reduces tumor sizes in mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma

New finding links obesity and high-fat, high-sugar diets with changes in inflammatory status

Certain hormones which are increased during exercise may help improve memory

Oxygen levels play critical role in determining effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs

VRC scientists receive $2.2M grant to develop new resin composite dental fillings

Researchers create computer algorithm to identify specific genes involved in breast cancer growth

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Scientists explain new family of proteins that appear to play key role in cancer

Vitamin D2 supplementation is promising treatment for pain, depression in type 2 diabetes

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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