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Scientists demonstrate the link between cancer and diesel fumes

Scientists here are the first to demonstrate that the link between diesel fume exposure and cancer lies in the ability of diesel exhaust to induce the growth of new blood vessels that serve as a food supply for solid tumors.

2 Sep 2009

Innovative way for culturing liver cells improves drug toxicity screening

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has developed an innovative way to culture liver cells for drug toxicity screening. In a report to be published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that has been released online, the investigators describe how liver cells grown in a high-oxygen environment and in a culture medium free of animal-derived serum quickly begin to function as they do within the liver.

2 Sep 2009

Gene causing periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis identified

Investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery, collaborating with researchers from other institutions, have contributed to the discovery that a gene called interferon regulator factor-8 (IRF-8) is involved in the development of diseases such as periodontitis (gum disease), rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. The study, which will be published online August 30, ahead of print, in the journal Nature Medicine, could lead to new treatments in the future.

2 Sep 2009

The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus causes more severe disease than human seasonal influenza viruses

Preliminary findings in ferrets suggest that the novel 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may outcompete human seasonal influenza viruses, researchers say. Tests in animals showed that levels of the 2009 H1N1 virus rose more quickly than levels of the seasonal virus strains, and the new virus caused more severe disease. In line with previous findings by other research groups, the University of Maryland researchers also observed that the novel H1N1 virus was transmitted more easily from infected to uninfected ferrets than either of the two seasonal influenza viruses.

2 Sep 2009

STEMCELL Technologies to conduct a two-day stem cell training program

STEMCELL Technologies has announced the schedule for their fall training program. This includes 2-day courses on mesenchymal stem cell biology (October 2nd and 3rd), mammary stem cell biology (October 17th and 18th), neural stem cell biology (October 30th and 31st), hematopoietic stem cell biology (October 30th and 31st), and human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell biology (November 14th and 15th).

2 Sep 2009

Researchers discover why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke

Researchers have discovered a reason why smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Nicotine promotes insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the new study, which was presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

2 Sep 2009

Induced antibodies neutralize HIV-1; recognize peptides encapsulated in liposomes

For the first time, researchers have experimentally induced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 and simultaneously recognize both HIV-1 envelope protein and lipids. The results were reported by U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) researchers on Aug. 25 in the online version of AIDS, the official journal of the International AIDS Society.

2 Sep 2009

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in diabetics

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in type II diabetics than they do in healthy people, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet published in Cell Metabolism.

2 Sep 2009

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

University of Michigan scientists say they have uncovered a fundamentally new mechanism that holds in check aggressive immune cells that can attack the body's own cells. The findings open a new avenue of research for future therapies for conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to organ transplants to cancer.

2 Sep 2009

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has provided funding for new research to learn more about how white blood cells work. Jonathan Reichner, PhD, of the department of surgery at Rhode Island Hospital has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Reichner's hope is that the research will lead to new immune-enhancing therapies, with potential implications for improvements in both cancer treatment and controlling inflammation accompanying injury and infection.

2 Sep 2009

Nanodiamonds: A novel gene delivery technology

Gene therapy holds promise in the treatment of a myriad of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among many others. However, developing a scalable system for delivering genes to cells both efficiently and safely has been challenging.

2 Sep 2009

University of North Carolina awarded the Center of Excellence in Genomic Science

To seek answers, the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health has named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a Center of Excellence in Genomic Science and awarded UNC $8.6 million over five years to fund a new Center for Integrated Systems Genetics, or CISGen.

2 Sep 2009

JAMA study reveals the genetic signature of brain cancer

A pair of studies in the July 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) spell out how much closer science has come to unraveling the genetic signature of brain cancer, according to a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology, believes these studies represent a new vanguard in the still-changing field of DNA analysis.

2 Sep 2009

Advances in traumatic brain injury to be presented at the University of New Mexico

Dr. David Durham will present Advances in Traumatic Brain Injury at the University of New Mexico on Friday, September 4th to physicians and medical students in the departments of psychiatry and neurology.

2 Sep 2009

Exercise prevents increase in the number of fat cells during weight regain

Exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting by reducing appetite and by burning fat before burning carbohydrates, according to a new study with rats. Burning fat first and storing carbohydrates for use later in the day slows weight regain and may minimize overeating by signaling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

2 Sep 2009

Biotransformed blueberry juice can function as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent

Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, was conducted by researchers from the Universit- de Montr-al, the Institut Armand-Frappier and the Universit- de Moncton who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice.

2 Sep 2009

Hexokinase 2 gene highly expressed in brain metastasis in breast cancer patients

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have identified a gene that may play a role in breast cancer metastasis to the brain, according to a report in Molecular Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

2 Sep 2009

Researchers analyze the role of bioactive lipids in inflammatory diseases

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 46 million Americans have arthritis. Many of these people take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications that block production of certain molecules, known as bioactive lipids, to reduce pain and swelling. Yet, the role of these lipids is not yet understood completely, and medications may have adverse side effects.

2 Sep 2009

NF-kappa B inhibitors protect against toxicity during radiation treatment

Directly inhibiting the activity of a key protein mediator of inflammation reduced radiation toxicity in zebrafish embryos, and may ultimately be of help to patients receiving radiation therapy, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.

2 Sep 2009

Paper discussing the mechanism of the selective TGR5 agonist INT-777 published in Cell Metabolism

Bile acids are known to be key regulators of lipid, glucose and overall energy metabolism. Bile acid activation of the G protein-coupled receptor TGR5 has been shown to induce energy expenditure in muscle and brown fat, thereby conferring resistance to weight gain.

2 Sep 2009

Medical Science News

Scientists demonstrate the link between cancer and diesel fumes

Innovative way for culturing liver cells improves drug toxicity screening

Gene causing periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis identified

The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus causes more severe disease than human seasonal influenza viruses

STEMCELL Technologies to conduct a two-day stem cell training program

Researchers discover why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke

Induced antibodies neutralize HIV-1; recognize peptides encapsulated in liposomes

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in diabetics

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

Nanodiamonds: A novel gene delivery technology

University of North Carolina awarded the Center of Excellence in Genomic Science

JAMA study reveals the genetic signature of brain cancer

Advances in traumatic brain injury to be presented at the University of New Mexico

Exercise prevents increase in the number of fat cells during weight regain

Biotransformed blueberry juice can function as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent

Hexokinase 2 gene highly expressed in brain metastasis in breast cancer patients

Researchers analyze the role of bioactive lipids in inflammatory diseases

NF-kappa B inhibitors protect against toxicity during radiation treatment

Paper discussing the mechanism of the selective TGR5 agonist INT-777 published in Cell Metabolism

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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