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3-D hydrogel approach to study aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer

Human glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most common, aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer, is notoriously difficult to study. Scientists have traditionally studied cancer cells in petri dishes, which have none of the properties of the brain tissues in which these cancers grow, or in expensive animal models.

24 Jul 2013

Researchers discover mechanism that prevents immune system from spinning out of control

A team led by a University of Arizona researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism that prevents the immune system from going into overdrive, shedding light not only on how our body controls its response to pathogens but on conditions such as autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic inflammation as well.

24 Jul 2013

Findings open new perspectives for research on proteins that control metastasis

In experiments on zebrafish, Freiburg researchers have demonstrated that the same proteins that lead to the formation of metastases in humans also cause the cells to migrate during embryonic development.

24 Jul 2013

Platelet activation inhibits host cell entry of HIV, shows research

Scientists of the DPZ have shown that platelet activation inhibits the host cell entry of HIV. Infection biologists of the German Primate Center (DPZ) under the direction of Stefan Pöhlmann have found evidence that platelets (thrombocytes) might constitute an innate defense against infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

24 Jul 2013

Research team receives NCI grant to develop precision therapies that kill cancer cells

A research team headed by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists Christopher Kemp, Ph.D., and Carla Grandori, M.D., Ph.D., has received a $4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop precision therapies that selectively kill cancer cells while sparing normal, healthy tissue.

24 Jul 2013

Scientists reveal new images of how white blood immune cells attack tumours, viral infections

Scientists from The University of Manchester have revealed new images which provide the clearest picture yet of how white blood immune cells attack viral infections and tumours.

From The University of Manchester 24 Jul 2013

Genentech announces that Phase III CLL11 study meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced positive results from the Phase III CLL11 study. At a pre-planned interim analysis, an independent data monitoring committee determined that the study met its primary endpoint showing that GA101 plus chlorambucil helped people live significantly longer without their disease worsening (progression-free survival; PFS) compared to Rituxan (rituximab) plus chlorambucil.

24 Jul 2013

Astrocytes can protect brain tissue and reduce disability due to stroke

One of regenerative medicine's greatest goals is to develop new treatments for stroke. So far, stem cell research for the disease has focused on developing therapeutic neurons - the primary movers of electrical impulses in the brain - to repair tissue damaged when oxygen to the brain is limited by a blood clot or break in a vessel. New UC Davis research, however, shows that other cells may be better suited for the task.

24 Jul 2013

Fibromyalgia diagnosis: an interview with Dr. Bruce Gillis, CEO of EpicGenetics

Presently, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. Patients end up spending, according to what’s been published in the medical literature, as many as 3 - 5 years going from doctor to doctor seeking a diagnosis because they tend to have nonspecific symptoms of a subjective nature.

23 Jul 2013

Array BioPharma announces positive results from ARRY-502 Phase 2 trial for allergic asthma

Array BioPharma Inc. today announced positive results from a placebo-controlled, randomized, double‑blind Phase 2 trial in mild to moderate persistent allergic asthma for ARRY-502, an oral CRTh2 antagonist.

23 Jul 2013

Discovery may help explain how anti-inflammatory steroid drugs work

A gene long presumed dead comes to life under the full moon of inflammation, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found.

23 Jul 2013

Potential breakthrough to help prevent diabetes

The resistance to insulin seen in type 2 diabetics is caused partly by the lack of a protein that has not previously been associated with diabetes. This breakthrough could potentially help to prevent diabetes.

23 Jul 2013

Research findings on brain development may shed light on neurological disorders

Dennis O'Leary of the Salk Institute was the first scientist to show that the basic functional architecture of the cortex, the largest part of the human brain, was genetically determined during development.

23 Jul 2013

Researchers develop microbial washing technique to decontaminate fetal tissues

The use of central nervous system fetal tissues derived from routine elective abortions to provide stem cells for transplantation procedures aimed at restoring damage done by neurodegenerative diseases is an established therapy.

23 Jul 2013

Melatonin pre-treatment greatly increases cell survival, say researchers

When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation.

23 Jul 2013

Animal model of human norovirus lays groundwork for developing antiviral drug treatment

An animal model of the human norovirus created at the University of Michigan Health System lays the groundwork for understanding the biology of the pesky virus and developing antiviral drug treatment.

23 Jul 2013

NIH awards $1.7M grant to develop effective treatments for brain disorders

Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.

23 Jul 2013

NF-κB protein complex may boost immune system to eliminate cancerous cells

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital in China have discovered a gene expression signature that may lead to new immune therapies for lung cancer patients.

23 Jul 2013

New finding provides fresh hope for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

A new finding provides fresh hope for the millions of women worldwide with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Australian scientists have shown that a specific change, which occurs when tumours become resistant to anti-oestrogen therapy, might make the cancers susceptible to treatment with chemotherapy drugs.

23 Jul 2013

p53 and cancer research: an interview with Professor Sir David Lane, Scientific Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

P53 is a tumor suppressor gene. The gene encodes for a protein that monitors the state of the cell. If something goes wrong, it stops the cell from dividing or causes the cell to commit suicide. I call it the “guardian of the genome” as it is the molecule that seems to keep cells normal. It is one of our big defenses against cancer.

22 Jul 2013