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Concussive brain injuries can lead to depressive behaviors later in life

A head injury can lead immune-system brain cells to go on "high alert" and overreact to later immune challenges by becoming excessively inflammatory - a condition linked with depressive complications, a new animal study suggests.

10 Dec 2013

UC Santa Barbara professor finds method for measuring cellular forces that shape tissues, organs

Like tiny construction workers, cells sculpt embryonic tissues and organs in 3D space. This task is complicated and requires constant communication between cells to coordinate their actions and generate the forces that will shape their environment into complex tissue morphologies.

10 Dec 2013

Researchers develop new technique to cure human diseases caused by misfolded protein molecules

A team led by a longtime Oregon Health & Science University researcher has demonstrated in mice what could be a revolutionary new technique to cure a wide range of human diseases - from cystic fibrosis to cataracts to Alzheimer's disease - that are caused by "misfolded" protein molecules.

9 Dec 2013

Researchers evaluate effect of zinc supplementation on aluminum-induced neurotoxicity

Studies have shown that aluminum neurotoxicity can likely affect learning and memory function, and a diet containing 100-200 mg/kg zinc is adequate for maintaining learning and memory function in rats.

9 Dec 2013

Shifts in zinc's location could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Zinc, an essential nutrient, is found in every tissue in the body. The vast majority of the metal ion is tightly bound to proteins, helping them to perform biological reactions. Tiny amounts of zinc, however, are only loosely bound, or "mobile," and thought to be critical for proper function in organs such as the brain, pancreas, and prostate gland. Yet the exact roles the ion plays in biological systems are unknown.

9 Dec 2013

Study offers new insight into benefits of vitamin D in people with multiple sclerosis

In mice with a rodent form of multiple sclerosis (MS), vitamin D appears to block damage-causing immune cells from migrating to the central nervous system, offering a potential explanation for why the so-called "sunshine vitamin" may prevent or ease symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.

9 Dec 2013

Equations help explain key parameters of stents that combat artherosclerosis

Coronary heart disease accounts for 18% of deaths in the United States every year. The disease results from a blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

9 Dec 2013

New computational model explains how brain maintains balance between plasticity, stability

To learn new motor skills, the brain must be plastic: able to rapidly change the strengths of connections between neurons, forming new patterns that accomplish a particular task. However, if the brain were too plastic, previously learned skills would be lost too easily.

9 Dec 2013

Chloroquine reduces osteoclastogenesis in murine osteoporosis by preventing TRAF3 degradation

Bone homeostasis requires precise balance between deposition of new bone by osteoblasts and resorption of old bone by osteoclasts. Bone diseases, including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are the result of increased osteoclast activity and formation, which allows bone resorption to outpace deposition.

9 Dec 2013

TAU researchers discover gene that may predict human responses to specific antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, but they don't work for everyone. What's more, patients must often try several different SSRI medications, each with a different set of side effects, before finding one that is effective.

9 Dec 2013

New drug delivery system successfully treats advanced-stage ovarian cancer in mice

Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a targeted drug delivery system that they believe could make ovarian cancer more treatable and increase survival rates for the most deadly gynecological cancer in the United States.

9 Dec 2013

MUC5B protein plays key role in many lung-related ailments

An international team of researchers has zeroed in on a protein that plays a key role in many lung-related ailments, from seasonal coughing and hacking to more serious diseases such as MRSA infections and cystic fibrosis.

9 Dec 2013

Research explores epigenetic effects that contribute to psychiatric disorders in offspring

Advanced paternal age has been associated with greater risk for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. With an increase in paternal age, there is a greater frequency of certain types of mutations that contribute to these disorders in offspring.

9 Dec 2013

Growing cord blood stem cells in lab before transplant boosts survival, study finds

Donated umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can save the lives of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers.

9 Dec 2013

Genetic deficiency in males can trigger hepatocellular carcinoma, type 2 diabetes

Michigan State University researchers have uncovered a genetic deficiency in males that can trigger the development of one of the most common types of liver cancer and forms of diabetes.

9 Dec 2013

Children and adults with high-risk ALL benefit from novel, personalized cell therapy

Nearly 90 percent of children and adults with a highly aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia showed no evidence of cancer after receiving a novel, personalized cell therapy that reprograms a patient's immune system. In pilot studies of bioengineered T cells that attack leukemia, 24 of 27 patients (89%) experienced complete responses within 28 days after treatment. In all, 27 patients received the treatment--22 children treated at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and five adults treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

9 Dec 2013

Researchers identify central switch by which HDL controls inflammatory response

High-density lipoprotein, known colloquially as "good cholesterol", protects against dangerous deposits in the arteries. An important function of HDL is its anti-inflammatory properties. An international research team at the Institute of Innate Immunity at the University Hospital of Bonn and the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn has identified a central switch by which HDL controls the inflammatory response. The results are presented in the current issue of "Nature Immunology".

9 Dec 2013

Findings hold great promise for potential use of ELABELA as therapeutic molecule for heart diseases

Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology have identified a gene encoding a hormone that could potentially be used as a therapeutic molecule to treat heart diseases. The hormone - which they have chosen to name ELABELA - is only 32 amino-acids long, making it amongst the tiniest proteins made by the human body.

9 Dec 2013

NYSCF, PersonalGenomes.org partner to identify genetic contributions to disease development

Today, the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute and PersonalGenomes.org announced a partnership to identify genetic and environmental contributions to trait and disease development. Cell lines generated by NYSCF will complement genomic data and medical histories contributed by participants in the Harvard Personal Genome Project, creating a unique and powerful resource to help researchers identify causes of disease.

9 Dec 2013

New form of gene therapy shows promising outcomes for "bubble boy" disease

Researchers reported promising outcomes data for the first group of boys with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCID-X1), a fatal genetic immunodeficiency also known as "bubble boy" disease, who were treated as part of an international clinical study of a new form of gene therapy. The mechanism used to deliver the gene therapy is designed to prevent the serious complication of leukemia that arose a decade ago in a similar trial in Europe, when one-quarter of boys treated developed the blood cancer.

9 Dec 2013

Medical Science News

Concussive brain injuries can lead to depressive behaviors later in life

UC Santa Barbara professor finds method for measuring cellular forces that shape tissues, organs

Researchers develop new technique to cure human diseases caused by misfolded protein molecules

Researchers evaluate effect of zinc supplementation on aluminum-induced neurotoxicity

Shifts in zinc's location could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Study offers new insight into benefits of vitamin D in people with multiple sclerosis

Equations help explain key parameters of stents that combat artherosclerosis

New computational model explains how brain maintains balance between plasticity, stability

Chloroquine reduces osteoclastogenesis in murine osteoporosis by preventing TRAF3 degradation

TAU researchers discover gene that may predict human responses to specific antidepressants

New drug delivery system successfully treats advanced-stage ovarian cancer in mice

MUC5B protein plays key role in many lung-related ailments

Research explores epigenetic effects that contribute to psychiatric disorders in offspring

Growing cord blood stem cells in lab before transplant boosts survival, study finds

Genetic deficiency in males can trigger hepatocellular carcinoma, type 2 diabetes

Children and adults with high-risk ALL benefit from novel, personalized cell therapy

Researchers identify central switch by which HDL controls inflammatory response

Findings hold great promise for potential use of ELABELA as therapeutic molecule for heart diseases

NYSCF, PersonalGenomes.org partner to identify genetic contributions to disease development

New form of gene therapy shows promising outcomes for "bubble boy" disease

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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