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SRU Biosystems extends product line with the introduction of BIND SCANNER

SRU Biosystems today announced the extension of its product line of label-free instrumentation and biosensors with the introduction of its BIND® SCANNER for primary and stem cell applications. The BIND SCANNER is a first-of-its-kind, plate-based, label-free instrument capable of monitoring cellular responses at an individual cell resolution.

7 Apr 2010

LCA: Few possess genetic mutation necessary for positive outcome from gene therapy

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a congenital retinal dystrophy present in approximately 1 of 80,000 births. It is estimated that about 3,000 people in the United States are living with LCA and will likely become blind in their lifetimes. Recently, there has been progress in gene therapy for this condition.

7 Apr 2010

RXi Pharmaceuticals, TransDerm collaborate on study of RXi's proprietary compounds in dermatology applications

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi), and TransDerm, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing nucleic acid skin delivery technologies and therapeutics for skin disorders, announced today that they will collaborate on studying the potential utility of RXi's proprietary compounds in dermatology models.

7 Apr 2010

Stem cell-enriched autologous fat for breast augmentation

Whereas US and European medical centers are still beginners in breast augmentation with stem cell-enriched autologous fat, Viennese New Cosmetic Surgery and anti-aging expert DDr. Karl-Georg Heinrich is well-versed in this revolutionary method. In his Clinic DDr. Heinrich, he has been successfully offering breast augmentations with autologous stem cells to a broad public since early 2007.

7 Apr 2010

Complex organic molecules speed development of new drugs

Professor Varinder Aggarwal is no ordinary builder. He and his team in the School of Chemistry have just discovered a new technique that could hasten the development of new drugs for today’s incurable diseases – by building complex organic molecules.

7 Apr 2010

Blocking POLQ gene activity can increase ability of radiotherapy to destroy tumours

Cancer Research UK scientists have identified a gene that once blocked could increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy on tumours, according to research published in Cancer Research today (Thursday).

7 Apr 2010

Astrogenetix narrows in on MRSA virulence onboard space shuttle Discovery

Astronauts on board Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-131) activated an experiment this morning as part of the ninth scientific payload for Astrogenetix, an Austin, Texas-based commercial biotech company. Astrogenetix is conducting the International Space Station National Laboratory Pathfinder Vaccine (NLP-V) missions to take advantage of the unique conditions of microgravity to uncover changes in bacteria that can be targeted to create new vaccines and therapeutics.

6 Apr 2010

Messenger substance plays significant role in viral diseases and reactions to infections

The connection with the blood circulatory system is a significant step in the development of cancer. Within the tissue where it is growing, the tumour develops an independent existence. With signal substances it entices white blood cells from the bone marrow into the tumour tissue.

6 Apr 2010

Nanoparticle-core polymer holds promise as weight-bearing replacement for traditional graft materials

Orthopedic surgeons are often hamstrung by less-than-ideal grafting material when performing surgeries for complex bone injuries resulting from trauma, aging or cancer. Conventional synthetic bone grafts are typically made of stiff polymers or brittle ceramics, and cannot readily conform to the complex and irregular shapes that often result from injury; in addition, they often require metallic fixation devices that require open surgeries to insert and remove.

6 Apr 2010

NIH Chief Francis Collins: Medical research 'ought to tell us what works'

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jennifer Evans talked to physician-geneticist Francis Collins, a person "who isn't afraid to think big about science. For over a decade, Collins led the Human Genome Project, overseeing the federal government's race to map people's DNA.

6 Apr 2010

Findings may help devise new strategies for Cryptococcus infections

Highly dangerous Cryptococcus fungi love sugar and will consume it anywhere because it helps them reproduce. In particular, they thrive on a sugar called inositol which is abundant in the human brain and spinal cord.

6 Apr 2010

Study finds link between BRCA mutations and contralateral breast cancer

Women with breast cancer before age 55 who carry an inherited mutation in the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 are four times more likely to develop cancer in the breast opposite, or contralateral, to their initial tumor as compared to breast cancer patients without these genetic defects.

6 Apr 2010

Study: Genetic mutation in mice elevates risk of stress-induced depression

Depression and schizophrenia can be triggered by environmental stimuli and often occur in response to stressful life events. However, some people have a higher predisposition to develop these diseases, which highlights a role for genetics in determining a person's disease risk.

6 Apr 2010

Study: Carbon nanotubes degraded by MPO enzyme induce less inflammation

A team of Swedish and American scientists has shown for the first time that carbon nanotubes can be broken down by an enzyme - myeloperoxidase (MPO) - found in white blood cells.

6 Apr 2010

Research may help scientists understand the mechanism behind cellular differentiation

Multipotent stem cells have the capacity to develop into different types of cells by reprogramming their DNA to turn on different combinations of genes, a process called "differentiation."

6 Apr 2010

Alpha cells in pancreas can convert into insulin-producing beta cells: Study

Alpha cells in the pancreas, which do not produce insulin, can convert into insulin-producing beta cells, advancing the prospect of regenerating beta cells as a cure for type 1 diabetes. The findings come from a study at the University of Geneva, co-funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, that is published today in the online edition of the scientific journal Nature.

6 Apr 2010

FDA-approved contrast agent improves optical imaging of stem cells

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (19:1) has found that using the FDA-approved contrast agent Indocyanine Green (ICG) to label human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) substantially improved efforts to optically track stem cells after transplanting them into heart tissues.

6 Apr 2010

Traces of many medicines found in fish swimming in treated waste water

Researchers at Ume- University and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming in treated waste water. One such medicine, the hormone levonorgestrel, was found in higher concentrations in the blood of fish than in women who take the contraceptive pill. Elevated levels of this hormone can lead to infertility in fish.

5 Apr 2010

Peregrine's PS-targeting antibodies block HIV from entry into blood cells

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the publication of data showing phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibodies can block one of the key ways the AIDS virus gains entry into certain blood cells. The data were generated by scientists at Duke University as part of their ongoing AIDS vaccine research. The article titled "Anti-Phospholipid Human Monoclonal Antibodies Inhibit CCR5-Tropic HIV-1 and Induces β-Chemokines" is available online today and will be published in the April 12, 2010 edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

5 Apr 2010

Menstrual stem cells may help in treatment of stroke and central nervous system disorders

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. today announced results of a study published this month in the cover article of Stem Cells and Development showing that stem cells found in menstrual blood may one day be a potential source for stem cell therapies in stroke and other central nervous system disorders.

5 Apr 2010