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Human blood stem cells can be engineered to kill HIV and other chronic viral diseases

Researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and colleagues have for the first time demonstrated that human blood stem cells can be engineered into cells that can target and kill HIV-infected cells - a process that potentially could be used against a range of chronic viral diseases.

9 Dec 2009

Research study on breast cancer susceptibility in rats

Social isolation and stress appear to increase susceptibility to breast cancer in rats, a US study has suggested.

9 Dec 2009

New findings may help restore vision in patients with corneal injury

Winston Whei-Yang Kao, PhD, professor of ophthalmology, along with other researchers in UC's ophthalmology department found that transplanting human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells into mouse models that lack the protein lumican restored the transparency of cloudy and thin corneas.

9 Dec 2009

Discovery of new compounds may dispel cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction

Sarah Steele and Langtian "Ren" Yuan were both self-admittedly inexperienced Duke freshmen in the spring of 2006. But then they followed helpful directions of an assistant chemistry professor, added their own patience and ingenuity, and ended up identifying compounds that might allay the powerful cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction.

9 Dec 2009

Researchers describe how PDNF protein prolongs the life of T. cruzi parasite

The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (or T. cruzi), which causes Chagas' disease, will go to great lengths to evade death once it has infected human host cells, researchers have discovered. In a study published in the November 17 online issue of Science Signaling, the researchers describe how a protein called parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF) prolongs the life of the T. cruzi parasite by activating anti-apoptotic (or anti-cell-death) molecules in the host cell. These protective mechanisms help to explain how host cells continue to survive despite being exploited by T. cruzi parasites.

9 Dec 2009

Breakthrough findings may lead to new treatments for Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Ebola virus, which, though rare, is one of the deadliest viruses on the planet killing between 50 and 90 percent of those infected.

9 Dec 2009

New regenerative therapies for heart disease being developed

Bioengineers from University of California, San Diego are developing new regenerative therapies for heart disease. The work could influence the way in which regenerative therapies for cardiovascular and other diseases are treated in the future.

9 Dec 2009

University of Texas launches phase II clinical trial to test stem-cell-based therapy on injured heart muscle

The second phase of a clinical trial testing a new stem-cell-based therapy on injured heart muscle has been launched by researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. It is the only study site in the Texas Medical Center.

9 Dec 2009

Researchers study incidence of heterosis for different characteristics

When two gene pools combine, you might expect the characteristics of the offspring to end up somewhere in the middle between those of its parents. But children often have characteristics that are better or worse than that middle value, sometimes even better than both parents.

9 Dec 2009

Successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta with GSMs

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals today reported the successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta or Beta-Amyloid in an aged transgenic model (Tg2576) of Alzheimer's disease with its lead gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) EVP-0962. The aggregated Abeta, containing predominately oligomeric and larger Abeta fibrillar species, is considered to be the toxic entity in Alzheimer's disease.

9 Dec 2009

Mouse model may help identify unknown mutations that make lung cancer cells resistant to therapy

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type. Many cases of lung adenocarcinoma are attributed to a mutation in a gene for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

9 Dec 2009

TMZ and small molecule combination appears to lower tumor resistance

University of Florida researchers have found a way to use just a fraction of the normal dosage of a highly toxic, debilitating chemotherapy drug to achieve even better results against colon cancer cells.

9 Dec 2009

Social isolation and stress may increase susceptibility to breast cancer, finds US study

Scientists at the University of Chicago found that rats which were prone to developing breast tumours were 3.3 times more likely to develop cancer if they were kept in isolation and suffered related stress.

9 Dec 2009

Transgenomic's SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS mutation detection kit launched

Transgenomic, Inc. announced today the launch of its SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS kit, the first in a family of mutation detection kits the company plans to offer featuring its proprietary SURVEYOR Nuclease and WAVE® HS DHPLC platform. SURVEYOR Scan technology is a novel approach to mutation detection that uses a PCR amplification reaction and hybridization to form heteroduplex DNA molecules in samples with K-RAS mutation.

9 Dec 2009

Spine system: A new technique to treat lower back pain

Using a branch of science that crosses disciplines to study complex problems, a Michigan State University researcher is introducing a new way to understand and treat lower back pain, a condition affecting more than 40 million Americans and costing billions of dollars each year.

9 Dec 2009

Biomarkers can be important in identifying PTSD symptoms, says researchers

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) frequently experience high rates of PTSD along with symptoms of depression and pain. However, little is known about why these symptoms occur together or the most effective treatments that can be used to alleviate them. One approach that may yield new insights is to search for biomarkers -- indicators of a biological state that can be easily and reliably measured in people with an illness -- to see if their presence or absence can predict symptoms that an individual will experience and identify optimal treatment strategies.

9 Dec 2009

Progenitor-cell therapy can reduce risk of another heart attack

Cells from heart attack survivors' own bone marrow reduced the risk of death or another heart attack when they were infused into the affected artery after successful stent placement, according to research reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Heart Failure.

9 Dec 2009

Multi-institutional study identifies potential treatment target for ovarian cancer

A multi-institutional study has identified a potential personalized treatment target for the most common form of ovarian cancer. In the December 8 issue of Cancer Cell, the research team describes finding that a gene called MAGP2 - not previously associated with any type of cancer - was overexpressed in papillary serous ovarian tumors of patients who died more quickly. They also found evidence suggesting possible mechanisms by which MAGP2 may promote tumor growth.

9 Dec 2009

Xanthohumol compound may aid in preventing prostate cancer

The natural compound xanthohumol blocks the effects of the male hormone testosterone, therefore aiding in the prevention of prostate cancer.

9 Dec 2009

Immune-boosting drug: A new way for improving cancer treatment

Stimulating the body's own immune system to fight cancer offers new treatment opportunities for cancer patients, and scientists have made the first step towards finding existing drugs that could help.

9 Dec 2009