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Scientists design small molecules that recognize myotonic dystrophy-associated RNAs

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a new approach to alter the function of RNA in living cells by designing molecules that recognize and disable RNA targets. As a proof of principle, in the new study the team designed a molecule that disabled the RNA causing myotonic dystrophy.

21 Dec 2012

Targeting PCS may help improve health of patients with chronic kidney disease

Insulin resistance, or prediabetes, in individuals with kidney disease may be caused by the progressive retention of certain compounds that are normally excreted by the kidneys in healthy individuals, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

21 Dec 2012

Gates Foundation awards $28M in grants to Bloomberg School for Advance Family Planning

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has received $28 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to continue and expand the Advance Family Planning advocacy initiative within the Bloomberg School's Bill & Melinda Gates Institute on Population and Reproductive Health.

21 Dec 2012

Thickening of arterial walls causes branch retinal vein occlusion

Branch retinal vein occlusion - blockage of the blood vessels that channel blood from the retina - is a common eye disease. A type of blood clot in the eye, the disease causes reduced vision, and people with the disease also typically have an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes and other serious conditions. A young scientist from the University of Copenhagen has made a significant contribution to finding the cause of the disease.

21 Dec 2012

Study provides clear understanding of how the brain organizes visual input

Our eyes may be our window to the world, but how do we make sense of the thousands of images that flood our retinas each day? Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that the brain is wired to put in order all the categories of objects and actions that we see. They have created the first interactive map of how the brain organizes these groupings.

21 Dec 2012

UCLA study assesses prevalence of various types of study partners in Alzheimer's trials

For Alzheimer's disease researchers who conduct clinical trials, enrolling enough patients to make a trial meaningful is always a challenge. To enroll a single patient in a study requires not one but two participants - the patient and what's known as a study partner. Study partners provide the patient with support and update researchers about the patient's progress.

21 Dec 2012

CAC test can identify diabetes patients at high risk of fatal cardiovascular disease

People with Type 2 diabetes have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people without the disease. The best way for doctors to predict which diabetes patients are at the greatest risk for heart disease is to use a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test in addition to the most commonly used assessment tool, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

21 Dec 2012

Researchers track adipose tissue-derived stromal cells after transplantation

Using mesenchymal stromal cells derived from adipose (fat) tissues, genetically modified to express a bioluminescent marker, researchers in Italy have tracked cells after transplantation. The cells were followed from their injection into the spleen of mice modeling liver disease, to their characterization as "hepatic precursors," and to their subsequent migration through the spleen before engrafting at regenerating sites in the liver by bioluminescent imaging.

21 Dec 2012

National Academy of Inventors names BMC dermatologist as 2012 Charter Fellow

Barbara Gilchrest, MD, professor and Chair Emeritus of the department of dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and dermatologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC), has been named a 2012 Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Gilchrest, a resident of Boston's North End, is among four faculty members at Boston University nominated to the NAI in 2012.

21 Dec 2012

Researchers develop game-changing diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests for prostate cancer

Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC) have developed potentially game-changing diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests shown to better predict prostate cancer survival outcomes and distinguish clinically-relevant cancers.

21 Dec 2012

New work on Akt's role in cancer stem cell biology

The protein kinase Akt is a key regulator of cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, survival, and death. New work on Akt's role in cancer stem cell biology from the lab of senior author Honglin Zhou, MD, PhD and Weihua Li, co-first author, both from the Center for Resuscitation Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Xiaowei Xu, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, appears in Molecular Cell.

21 Dec 2012

Mayo Clinic announces UnitedHealthcare as new member of HAIL consortium

Mayo Clinic announced UnitedHealthcare as the newest member of the Healthy Aging and Independent Living (HAIL) consortium.

21 Dec 2012

Study examines five varieties of cells after transplantation in the CNS

When different types of cells are transplanted with the intent of having them aid in repairing central nervous system (CNS) trauma, what is the fate and function of those cells? A Belgian research team carried out research aimed at answering this question by determining how five varieties of cells - neural stem cells, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, dendritic cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and splenocytes - functioned and survived after transplantation in the CNS.

21 Dec 2012

New technique to directly image biological structures at atomic levels

Investigators at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have invented a way to directly image biological structures at their most fundamental level and in their natural habitats. The technique is a major advancement toward the ultimate goal of imaging biological processes in action at the atomic level.

21 Dec 2012

Study shows dramatic underuse of basic medical therapy

Patients who quit smoking and took an aspirin and statin before undergoing treatment for blocked leg arteries were less likely to suffer a complication six months later, according to new research led by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.

21 Dec 2012

Ebselen effectively inhibits thioredoxin reductase system in H. pylori, M. tuberculosis

A drug currently being used to treat ischemic strokes may prove to be a significant advance in the treatment of tuberculosis and ulcers. In a new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal, a compound called ebselen effectively inhibits the thioredoxin reductase system in a wide variety of bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori which causes gastric ulcers and Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes tuberculosis.

21 Dec 2012

Viewpoints on the fiscal cliff: Boehner as 'adult in charge'?; Sorting through entitlement program spending

Since the election, House Speaker John Boehner has emerged as that Washington rarity, the adult in charge. ... Shortly after the election, Mr. Boehner made the first move by acknowledging that Washington could draw additional revenue if it also cut spending.

21 Dec 2012

Novel way to design metal organic frameworks under completely liquid-free conditions

Researchers at Aldrich Materials Science, a strategic technology initiative of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation have discovered an innovative way to design an important class of three-dimensional (3D) hybrid structures, Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), under completely liquid-free conditions.

20 Dec 2012

Dragonfly capable of higher-level thought processes when hunting its prey

In a discovery that may prove important for cognitive science, our understanding of nature and applications for robot vision, researchers at the University of Adelaide have found evidence that the dragonfly is capable of higher-level thought processes when hunting its prey.

20 Dec 2012

Combination of diet and exercise may prevent breast cancer in obese, postmenopausal women

Obese, postmenopausal women are at greater risk for developing breast cancer and their cancers tend to be more aggressive than those in lean counterparts.

20 Dec 2012

Medical News

Scientists design small molecules that recognize myotonic dystrophy-associated RNAs

Targeting PCS may help improve health of patients with chronic kidney disease

Gates Foundation awards $28M in grants to Bloomberg School for Advance Family Planning

Thickening of arterial walls causes branch retinal vein occlusion

Study provides clear understanding of how the brain organizes visual input

UCLA study assesses prevalence of various types of study partners in Alzheimer's trials

CAC test can identify diabetes patients at high risk of fatal cardiovascular disease

Researchers track adipose tissue-derived stromal cells after transplantation

National Academy of Inventors names BMC dermatologist as 2012 Charter Fellow

Researchers develop game-changing diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests for prostate cancer

New work on Akt's role in cancer stem cell biology

Mayo Clinic announces UnitedHealthcare as new member of HAIL consortium

Study examines five varieties of cells after transplantation in the CNS

New technique to directly image biological structures at atomic levels

Study shows dramatic underuse of basic medical therapy

Ebselen effectively inhibits thioredoxin reductase system in H. pylori, M. tuberculosis

Viewpoints on the fiscal cliff: Boehner as 'adult in charge'?; Sorting through entitlement program spending

Novel way to design metal organic frameworks under completely liquid-free conditions

Dragonfly capable of higher-level thought processes when hunting its prey

Combination of diet and exercise may prevent breast cancer in obese, postmenopausal women

How industrial hygiene flow calibration supports defensible exposure data

How electrical engineering ensures accurate calibration and patient safety

The importance of ketones from a clinical and medical perspective

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