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Artificial neural connection bridging spinal cord injury may help restore paretic hand function

Functional loss of limb control in individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke can be caused by interruption of the neural pathways between brain and spinal cord, although the neural circuits located above and below the lesion remain functional. An artificial neural connection that bridges the lost pathway and connects brain to spinal circuits has potential to ameliorate the functional loss.

12 Apr 2013

Engineered protein from flesh-eating bacteria acts as molecular 'superglue'

In a classic case of turning an enemy into a friend, scientists have engineered a protein from flesh-eating bacteria to act as a molecular "superglue" that promises to become a disease fighter. And their latest results, which make the technology more versatile, were the topic of a report here today at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

12 Apr 2013

Matrix-Bio, Quest Diagnostics enter global licensing agreement for metabolomic biomarkers

Matrix-Bio, Inc., a diagnostics company that uses metabolite profiling to detect cancer and other diseases, has signed an exclusive global licensing and marketing agreement for metabolomic biomarkers with Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services. Under the agreement, Quest Diagnostics will have the rights to use the biomarkers for the future, potential development of a clinical lab-developed test to aid in the detection of breast cancer recurrence.

From Quest Diagnostics 12 Apr 2013

Novel nanoparticle-based approach enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs

New classes of drugs that can silence specific genes, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), offer great therapeutic potential. But the specific delivery of siRNAs to target cells to exert their effects remains a significant challenge. A novel nanoparticle-based approach that enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs is presented in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers.

12 Apr 2013

Study reveals inner workings of master regulator that controls diverse functions

New discoveries by a team of scientists at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans for the first time reveal the inner workings of a master regulator that controls functions as diverse as the ability of nerve cells to "rewire" themselves in response to external stimuli and the mechanism by which certain viruses hijack normal cellular processes to facilitate their replication that can ultimately lead to cancer. The research will be published in the April 12, 2013 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

12 Apr 2013

Study shows more women develop chronic low back pain, sciatica than men

More women than men develop chronic low back pain and sciatica. The explanation may lie with a gene variant that plays into the body's pain regulation.

12 Apr 2013

Researchers use metagenomics to identify the cause of outbreaks of bacterial infection

Researchers have been able to reconstruct the genome sequence of an outbreak strain of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC), which caused over 50 deaths in Germany, using an approach known as metagenomics which bypasses the need for growing bacteria in the lab.

12 Apr 2013

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol

Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol that could be an alternative or complementary therapy to statins.

12 Apr 2013

New approaches to treat persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C

UCLA scientists have shown that temporarily blocking a protein critical to immune response actually helps the body clear itself of chronic infection. Published in the April 12 edition of Science, the finding suggests new approaches to treating persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C.

12 Apr 2013

Research demonstrates easy way to influence human brain activity to improve sleep, enhance memory

Slow oscillations in brain activity, which occur during so-called slow-wave sleep, are critical for retaining memories. Researchers reporting online April 11 in the Cell Press journal Neuron have found that playing sounds synchronized to the rhythm of the slow brain oscillations of people who are sleeping enhances these oscillations and boosts their memory.

12 Apr 2013

Study sheds light on role of microglia during progression of Alzheimer's disease

The plaque deposits in the brain of Alzheimer's patients are surrounded by the brain's own immune cells, the microglia. This was already recognized by Alois Alzheimer more than one hundred years ago. But until today it still remains unclear what role microglia play in Alzheimer's disease.

12 Apr 2013

Salk neuroscientists propose how visual system automatically adapts to new environments

The irony of getting away to a remote place is you usually have to fight traffic to get there. After hours of dodging dangerous drivers, you finally arrive at that quiet mountain retreat, stare at the gentle waters of a pristine lake, and congratulate your tired self on having "turned off your brain."

12 Apr 2013

Protein EPAC2 plays major role in development of type 2 diabetes

A team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center has found that a protein long believed to have a minor role in type 2 diabetes is, in fact, a central player in the development of the condition that affects nearly 26 million people in the United States alone and counts as one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke and kidney, eye and nerve damage.

12 Apr 2013

Migraine severity and adiponectin: an interview with Dr. B. Lee Peterlin, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Migraine affects an estimated 30 million people in the U.S, with the one year prevalence of migraine estimated at 12% of the general population, including 18% of all women and 6% of all men.

12 Apr 2013

Antipsychotics seemed to normalize gene expression pattern in people with bipolar disorder: Study

Every day, millions of people with bipolar disorder take medicines that help keep them from swinging into manic or depressed moods.

12 Apr 2013

Researchers unravel dual role of tumor necrosis factor in TB

Tumor necrosis factor - normally an infection-fighting substance produced by the body- can actually heighten susceptibility to tuberculosis if its levels are too high.

12 Apr 2013

New research shows safety can be improved for people participating in medical experiments

In almost 90 per cent of cases, novel drugs tested on humans by pharmaceutical companies do not work as intended and must be scrapped. Often the drugs do not work, while at worst, test subjects die. New research from the University of Southern Denmark now shows that this number can be reduced.

12 Apr 2013

Researchers identify two specific tumor suppressor genes associated with breast cancer

Research led by Dr. Suresh Alahari, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, is the first to report that two specific tumor suppressor genes work in concert to inhibit the growth and spread of breast tumor cells to the lungs.

12 Apr 2013

Targeting pathway may lead to better hypertension treatments for at-risk patients

Obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure (hypertension) are all related, but understanding the molecular pathways that underlie cause and effect is complicated.

12 Apr 2013

MKK4 gene could be a promising therapeutic target for liver disease, study reveals

Chronic liver failure is a major health problem that causes about one million deaths around the world each year. A study published April 11th by Cell Press in the journal Cell reveals a new type of screen for identifying genes that promote liver repair in mouse models of both acute and chronic liver disease.

12 Apr 2013

Medical Science News

Artificial neural connection bridging spinal cord injury may help restore paretic hand function

Engineered protein from flesh-eating bacteria acts as molecular 'superglue'

Matrix-Bio, Quest Diagnostics enter global licensing agreement for metabolomic biomarkers

Novel nanoparticle-based approach enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs

Study reveals inner workings of master regulator that controls diverse functions

Study shows more women develop chronic low back pain, sciatica than men

Researchers use metagenomics to identify the cause of outbreaks of bacterial infection

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol

New approaches to treat persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C

Research demonstrates easy way to influence human brain activity to improve sleep, enhance memory

Study sheds light on role of microglia during progression of Alzheimer's disease

Salk neuroscientists propose how visual system automatically adapts to new environments

Protein EPAC2 plays major role in development of type 2 diabetes

Migraine severity and adiponectin: an interview with Dr. B. Lee Peterlin, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Antipsychotics seemed to normalize gene expression pattern in people with bipolar disorder: Study

Researchers unravel dual role of tumor necrosis factor in TB

New research shows safety can be improved for people participating in medical experiments

Researchers identify two specific tumor suppressor genes associated with breast cancer

Targeting pathway may lead to better hypertension treatments for at-risk patients

MKK4 gene could be a promising therapeutic target for liver disease, study reveals

Edoardo Fabini

Reducing polypharmacy through innovative drug formulation technologies

How innovation in dried blood spot testing is transforming neurological disease monitoring

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