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New non-embryonic stem cell treatment for cancer and leukaemia

A monumental discovery that provides the promise of a cure not only for leukaemia, but cancer at large was announced this morning in London during GIL 2012: Europe. Steve Shor, the founder of the National Children's Leukemia Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation in the United States, unveiled a ground-breaking therapy his research teams in the United States and Israel have discovered.

10 May 2012

MSU researcher wins Grand Challenges Explorations grant for work on TB

For his work on developing new treatments for tuberculosis, a Michigan State University researcher has been named a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

10 May 2012

Human Gene Therapy highlights new advances in human retinal disease

Gene therapy strategies to prevent and treat inherited diseases of the retina that can cause blindness have progressed rapidly. Positive results in animal models of human retinal disease continue to emerge, as reported in several articles published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 May 2012

Botanical formula inhibits breast to lung cancer metastasis in mice

Scientists at Indiana University Health's Cancer Research Laboratory have found that a sophisticated botanical formula slows human breast cancer growth and inhibits breast to lung metastasis in mice. The formula contains extracts from medicinal mushrooms, medicinal herbs and purified nutritional compounds, and showed no toxic side-effects.

9 May 2012

Grade 12 researcher wins top honors at 2012 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada

An Ontario girl, 16, who invented a disease-fighting, anti-aging compound using nano-particles from trees, won top national honours today in the 2012 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada.

9 May 2012

Study shows effects of psychotropic drug treatment on brain morphology

It is increasingly recognized that chronic psychotropic drug treatment may lead to structural remodeling of the brain. Indeed, clinical studies in humans present an intriguing picture: antipsychotics, used for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis, may contribute to cortical gray matter loss in patients, whereas lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and mania, may preserve gray matter in patients.

9 May 2012

Researchers develop potent new drug that can kill tumor cells

All cells have the ability to recycle unwanted or damaged proteins and reuse the building blocks as food. But cancer cells have ramped up the system, called autophagy, and rely on it to escape damage in the face of chemotherapy and other treatments. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine; the Abramson Cancer Center; and the School of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Pennsylvania, have developed a potent new drug that clogs up the recycling machinery and kills tumor cells in mouse models.

9 May 2012

Bloomberg Markets examines spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria in India, discusses global implications

Bloomberg Markets magazine in its June issue examines microbes that incorporate the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1, or NDM-1, gene, making them resistant to nearly all available antibiotics.

9 May 2012

Study: Y and W chromosomes are very important in fertility

The study, published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), looked at how genes on sex-linked chromosomes are passed down generations and linked to fertility, using the specific example of the W chromosome in female chickens.

9 May 2012

Bumped kinase inhibitors may control malaria

Over 200 million people contract malaria each year, and according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 655,000 people died from malaria in 2010. Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium, which is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. More effective control of malaria will require the development of new tools to prevent new infections.

9 May 2012

Rutin may inhibit formation of blood clots

A compound called rutin, commonly found in fruits and vegetables and sold over the counter as a dietary supplement, has been shown to inhibit the formation of blood clots in an animal model of thrombosis.

9 May 2012

Regulatory T cell diversity provides cumulative protective effect against RA

Untangling the root cause of rheumatoid arthritis has been a difficult task for immunologists, as decades of research has pointed to multiple culprits in our immune system, with contradictory lines of evidence. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute announce that it takes a diverse array of regulatory T cells (a specialized subset of white blood cells) to prevent the immune system from generating the tissue-specific inflammation that is a hallmark of the disease. Regulatory T cell diversity, the researchers say, provides a cumulative protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis. When that diversity is not present, it allows the immune system to attack joints.

9 May 2012

Strategies for heart repair to be addressed at UH lecture

With the heart having limited ability to regenerate following injury, heart disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Research impacting strategies for heart repair will be addressed during a lecture May 15 at the University of Houston (UH).

9 May 2012

Study shows how adolescent cannabis use can cause schizophrenia

New research from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) published in Nature's Neuropsychopharmacology has shown physical changes to exist in specific brain areas implicated in schizophrenia following the use of cannabis during adolescence. The research has shown how cannabis use during adolescence can interact with a gene, called the COMT gene, to cause physical changes in the brain.

9 May 2012

Researchers discover location and effect of abnormal heart proteins

University of Guelph researchers have found the location and effect of abnormal heart proteins that can cause cardiac failure, a discovery that points to potential new ways to treat the most costly health problem in the world.

9 May 2012

Basser Research Center to focus on treatment and prevention of inherited cancers

A $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania from alumni Mindy and Jon Gray will establish a center focused on the treatment and prevention of cancers associated with hereditary BRCA mutations.

9 May 2012

Molecule that starts DNA repairs also halts them

Repairing DNA breaks can save a cell's life - but shutting off the repair machinery can be just as critical. How cells accomplish this feat was unknown. However, new research by Johns Hopkins scientists, published in the Feb. 22 issue of Nature, suggests that shutting down the repair machinery relies heavily on the same molecule used to start repair in the first place.

8 May 2012

Psychopaths’ brains differ from healthy non-offenders: Study confirms

Approximately half of male prisoners in England and Wales will meet diagnostic criteria for ASPD. The majority of such men are not true psychopaths (ASPD-P). They are characterized by emotional instability, impulsivity and high levels of mood and anxiety disorders. They typically use aggression in a reactive way in response to a perceived threat or sense of frustration.

8 May 2012

Chemically altered proteins may be key to understanding memories

Having a fat head may not be a bad thing, according to new findings at The Johns Hopkins University. As reported in the February 9 issue of Neuron, researchers have made a significant discovery as to how adding fat molecules to proteins can influence the brain circuitry controlling cognitive function, including learning and memory.

8 May 2012

'Good' cholesterol may not protect against coronary heart disease

A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers has found that a subclass of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, may not protect against coronary heart disease (CHD) and in fact may be harmful.

8 May 2012