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Genome-wide study identifies key genetic variant associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry an allele of the PNPLA3 gene have an increased risk of developing advanced disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. A second study supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) validates these findings and further concludes that in pediatric patients, the same allele is associated with earlier disease presentation.

18 Aug 2010

Advanced Cell Technology to obtain patent for cellular reprogramming, generation of iPS cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. announced today that it is positioned to obtain significant patents relating to cellular reprogramming and the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, except they are generated from adult cells such as skin using certain reprogramming factors, without the controversial use of embryos. Although human iPS cells were first produced in 2007, ACT has been working on inducing pluripotency, with positive results, for more than a decade. The Company's efforts go back to the 1990s, providing (through existing patent filings and continuations) some of the earliest priority dates in the field.

18 Aug 2010

Mature stem cell research development hinges on quality of science peer review

Are there too many stem cell research journals? This question has been posed by Drs. Paul Sanberg and Cesar Borlongan of the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida. Their article appears in the current issue of Stem Cell Reviews and Reports.Both Sanberg and Borlongan are concerned about the quality of the science being published in the proliferating stem cell journals.

18 Aug 2010

Researcher unveils unique stem cell partnership that can lead to advances in regenerative medicine

A study led by a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has revealed a unique "partnership" between two types of bone marrow stem cells, which could lead to advances in regenerative medicine. The aim of regenerative medicine is to enable the body to repair, replace, restore or regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.

18 Aug 2010

UK scientists receive Royal Society awards for cancer research

Two Cancer Research UK scientists were recently awarded prestigious Royal Society Awards, while a number of Cancer Research UK scientists were elected fellows of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.Dr Tomas Lindahl is the recipient of the Royal Society Copley Medal, the world's oldest prize for scientific achievement, and Professor Stephen West is awarded this year's GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture.

18 Aug 2010

AMT's MAA for LPLD gene therapy product Glybera on schedule

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today announced that the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Glybera(R) remains on schedule following meetings with the European Medicine Agency (EMA) concerning the Day 120 List of Questions. The company is confident that Glybera(R), a gene therapy product for lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), remains on track for a regulatory decision by mid-2011.

18 Aug 2010

Review on energy drinks that claim athletic performance enhancement

Popular energy drinks promise better athletic performance and weight loss, but do the claims hold up? Not always, say researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Florida."Energy drinks typically feature caffeine and a combination of other ingredients, including taurine, sucrose, guarana, ginseng, niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin," says Stephanie Ballard, PharmD., assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University's West Palm Beach campus.

18 Aug 2010

Researchers develop genetically mutated stem cells for myelin research

Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease is a devastating condition that involves the destruction of brain myelin due to a mutation in a central factor. To understand the disease and test potential treatments that could apply to other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Prof. Orna Elroy-Stein of Tel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology is leading a scientific breakthrough by developing laboratory mice which carry the VWM mutation an important new tool.

18 Aug 2010

Study shows increase in IL-6 secretion can reduce Tarceva sensitivity to treat lung tumor cells

One of the most tantalizing developments in anti-cancer therapy over recent years has been the advent of targeted treatments, which have proven highly effective in holding aggressive cancers at bay in certain patients, although typically only for a limited period of time.

18 Aug 2010

Long-term entecavir therapy suppresses HBV DNA, normalizes ALT and improves liver histology

Researchers from this international study found that patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who received at least 3 years of cumulative entecavir (antiviral) therapy achieved substantial histologic improvement and regression of fibrosis or cirrhosis. Full details of the study appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

18 Aug 2010

Tips to maintain and improve brain health

While there are still mysteries surrounding the fundamental process of memory, research has revealed activities that may enhance memory and promote overall brain health. John H. Byrne, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, studies the neuronal and molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Here are three tips he offers for maintaining and improving brain health.

18 Aug 2010

Agilent's HPLC-Chip/MS technology helps identify over 200 different human milk oligosaccharides structures

Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced that a group of researchers from the University of California, Davis, has made a significant discovery: human breast milk contains an unexpected abundance of sugars that coats the lining of infants' intestines, protecting it from noxious bacteria. Results of the research, which used Agilent technology, were published in this month's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

18 Aug 2010

Moderate chocolate consumption lowers heart failure risk: Study

Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.

18 Aug 2010

Researchers discover sugars that fight body's natural defenses, vaccines

A special set of sugars found on some disease-causing pathogens helps those pathogens fight the body's natural defenses as well as vaccines, say two Iowa State University researchers.This discovery may be a first step in understanding a disease family that includes tuberculosis for which there are currently no good vaccines or cures.Nicola Pohl, professor of chemistry, and Christine Petersen, assistant professor of veterinary pathology, discovered that a natural coating of sugar interacts with the body's defense cells to dampen its own immune response.

18 Aug 2010

Holotranscobalamin protein may be key to early detection of cognitive decline

B vitamins-B-6, B-12 and folate-all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.

18 Aug 2010

Researcher identifies immune system's ability to protect body against lung cancer

A Michigan State University researcher is analyzing the immune system's own ability to protect the body against lung cancer.The results of the work by Alison Bauer, an assistant professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation in the College of Veterinary Medicine, are expected to provide new approaches to prevent, identify and treat lung cancer.

18 Aug 2010

Breast cancer accomplice discovered

Scientists have discovered an accomplice in breast cancer - a master control switch with the power to set off a cascade of reactions orchestrated by a cancer-causing gene (or oncogene) named Wnt1. This executive molecule and its modus operandi are reported in back-to-back papers featured on the cover of the August 15 issue of Cancer Research.

18 Aug 2010

Adult stem cells associated with poor prognosis of cancer: Research

Adult stem cells that are vital for airway repair in the lung but that persist in areas where pre-cancerous lesions are found are associated with a poor prognosis in patients who develop cancer, even those with early stage disease, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.These adult stem cells are found in repairing areas after injury and also are found in pre-cancerous areas, suggesting that these cells may mutate and become cancer causing stem cells, making them a potential cell-of-origin for lung cancer and a possible target for prevention strategies and new targeted therapies.

18 Aug 2010

Scientist suggests emodin can reduce impact of type 2 diabetes

Emodin, a natural product that can be extracted from various Chinese herbs including Rheum palmatum and Polygonum cuspidatum, shows promise as an agent that could reduce the impact of type 2 diabetes. Findings published in this month's edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology show that giving emodin to mice with diet-induced obesity lowered blood glucose and serum insulin, improved insulin resistance and lead to more healthy levels of lipid in the blood. It also decreased body weight and reduced central fat mass.

18 Aug 2010

Orchid Cellmark awarded two-year extensions to forensic testing contracts

Orchid Cellmark Inc., a leading international provider of identity DNA testing and other forensic services, today announced it has been awarded two-year extensions to contracts previously awarded under the North West/South West and Wales regional forensic tender process in the U.K. Total estimated annual value of the combined contracts is approximately (U.S.) $10 million (at the current foreign exchange rate).

17 Aug 2010