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GSK, Alnylam collaborate to apply VaxiRNA technology for influenza vaccine production

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today it has formed a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) focused on Alnylam's VaxiRNATM technology for certain GSK vaccine products, including influenza. VaxiRNA is a new RNAi technology for the enhanced production of viruses used in the manufacture of vaccine products. GSK, a leading vaccine manufacturer, is the first company to form a collaboration accessing this new platform.

2 Nov 2011

GM mosquitoes show promise in tackling insect-borne diseases, study shows; some concerned over possible unintended consequences

"Genetically modified mosquitoes could prove effective in tackling dengue fever and other insect-borne diseases," according to the results of a study by a U.K.-based scientific team published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on Sunday, BBC News reports.

2 Nov 2011

Restoration of dopamine levels could potentially prevent drug abuse

Portuguese researchers have discovered that rats exposed before birth to glucocorticoids not only show several brain abnormalities similar to those found in addicts, but become themselves susceptible to addiction (the glucorticoids, which are stress hormones, were used to mimic pre-natal stress).

1 Nov 2011

Scientists identify genetic mutation that causes rare childhood disease

An international collaboration of scientists, including researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified a genetic mutation that causes a rare childhood disease characterized predominantly by inflammation and fat loss.

1 Nov 2011

Peroxiredoxin enzyme holds key to ageing process

By consuming fewer calories, ageing can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the ageing process.

1 Nov 2011

Knife-edge scanning microscopy rapidly maps new blood vessels in organs

Like normal tissue, tumors thrive on nutrients carried to them by the blood stream. The rapid growth of new blood vessels is a hallmark of cancer, and studies have shown that preventing blood vessel growth can keep tumors from growing, too. To better understand the relationship between cancer and the vascular system, researchers would like to make detailed maps of the complete network of blood vessels in organs. Unfortunately, the current mapping process is time-consuming: using conventional methods, mapping a one-centimeter block of tissue can take months.

1 Nov 2011

Ultra-sensitive techniques for early detection of breast cancer

A team of scientists at Tufts University will develop ultra-sensitive techniques at the single-molecule and single-cell levels designed to detect breast cancer earlier, and treat it with greater precision, through a $6.6 million Innovator Award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program made to Tufts chemist David R. Walt, Ph.D.

1 Nov 2011

Senior Scientific's nanomagnetic technology more sensitive in detecting breast cancer

Manhattan Scientifics announced today that "Breast Cancer Research," an international, peer-reviewed online journal, has published results of a study using Senior Scientific's nanomagnetic technology.

1 Nov 2011

iBio receives U.S. patent entitled 'System for Expression of Genes in Plants'

iBio, Inc. today announced notice of issuance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for US Patent 8,058,511, entitled "System for Expression of Genes in Plants," that further extends iBio's patent coverage of viral vectors comprising its iBioLaunch platform.

1 Nov 2011

Non-carriers do not have increased risk of breast cancer due to familial mutation

A population-based analysis of more than 3,000 families including women with breast cancer has found that close relatives of women who carry mutations in a BRCA gene - but who themselves do not have such genetic mutations - do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to relatives of women with breast cancer who do not have such mutations.

1 Nov 2011

Heat, extreme exercise or febrile illness may also trigger MH

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially life-threatening inherited disorder of muscle. Patients who are at risk for MH usually have no outward signs of muscle problems. However, when exposed to certain commonly used general anesthetics they may develop very high body temperature, increased heart rate and muscle breakdown. If not recognized and treated promptly MH may be fatal.

1 Nov 2011

Researchers discover biomarker for earlier diagnosis of MS

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center identified for the first time that changes in the tissue located at the junction between the outer and inner layers of the brain, called "blurring", may be an important, non-invasive biomarker for earlier diagnosis and the development of new therapies for degenerative brain conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

1 Nov 2011

Oscillatory signals in basal ganglia cause motor deficits in Parkinson's

The research group headed by Professor Atsushi Nambu and Professor Masahiko Takada has shown that the 'oscillatory' nature of electrical signals in subcortical nuclei, the basal ganglia, causes severe motor deficits in Parkinson's disease, by disturbing the information flow of motor commands.

1 Nov 2011

JDR publishes 'MicroRNA Modulation in Obesity and Periodontitis' study

In a study titled "MicroRNA Modulation in Obesity and Periodontitis," lead author Romina Perri, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, Oral Health Institute, conducted a pilot investigation to determine whether obesity or periodontal disease modified microRNA expression and whether there was any potential interaction between obesity and periodontitis that could involve microRNA modulation.

1 Nov 2011

Vampire-like bacteria has potential to serve as living antibiotic

A vampire-like bacteria that leeches onto specific other bacteria - including certain human pathogens - has the potential to serve as a living antibiotic for a range of infectious diseases, a new study indicates.

1 Nov 2011

Infiltration of white blood cells into blood vessels may explain high blood pressure in pregnancy

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that the infiltration of white blood cells into an expectant mother's blood vessels may explain high blood pressure in pregnancy.

1 Nov 2011

Research into new Alzheimer's medication

Several potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's have worked well on mice - but none of them on humans. A leading researcher from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is now launching brand new methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's and monitoring treatment.

1 Nov 2011

UV light improves biosensing by immobilizing antibodies

From detecting pathogens in blood samples to the study of protein synthesis, Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensors have many uses in modern biology. In this technique, antibodies anchored to gold electrodes on a piece of quartz crystal act like the "hooks" on the sticky side of a Velcro strap, grabbing molecules of interest as they pass by.

1 Nov 2011

Targeted brain stimulation increases cigarette cravings

Targeted brain stimulation increases cigarette cravings, a new study in Biological Psychiatry has found, which may ultimately lead to new treatments that reverse these effects. Cues associated with cigarette smoking, such as watching someone else smoke, elicit craving and may provoke relapse when smokers are attempting to quit.

1 Nov 2011

Light-cell interaction and Born approximation rule can help detect misshapen red blood cells

Misshapen red blood cells are a sign of serious illnesses, such as malaria and sickle cell anemia. Until recently, the only way to assess whether a person's RBCs were the correct shape was to look at them individually under a microscope - a time-consuming process for pathologists.

1 Nov 2011