Laboratory News and Research

RSS

New combination approach to eradicate established tumors

A laboratory study conducted at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands has found that immunotherapy can be efficiently combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to eradicate established tumors. The approach results in strong local tumor destruction and a robust systemic immune response against the disease.

27 Nov 2015

Researchers reveal new technique to grow human hepatocytes in the laboratory

In new research appearing in the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology, an international research team led by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem describes a new technique for growing human hepatocytes in the laboratory. This groundbreaking development could help advance a variety of liver-related research and applications, from studying drug toxicity to creating bio-artificial liver support for patients awaiting transplantations.

27 Nov 2015

Research paves way for clinical trials of cell therapies to treat Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury

Stem cells that have been specifically developed for use as clinical therapies are fit for use in patients, an independent study of their genetic make-up suggests.

26 Nov 2015

Containing Airborne Contaminants

An interview with Gary Broomhead, discussing the potential sources of contamination in research and how controlling airflow in the laboratory can reduce this.

26 Nov 2015

Study: Mother Nature may help lower cholesterol levels in pregnant women

When it comes to effective solutions for lowering cholesterol levels in pregnant women, Mother Nature may know best.

26 Nov 2015

Research reveals MECP2 Duplication Syndrome can be reversed

The methyl CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) produces a protein of the same name, the level of which is critical for normal brain function. Mutations leading to protein under-expression cause Rett Syndrome while gene duplication causing over-expression lead to MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. Both disorders are severely debilitating childhood neurological diseases.

26 Nov 2015

Study points to new avenue for developing potential strategies to thwart HIV virus

Nearly 37 million people worldwide are living with HIV. When the virus destroys so many immune cells that the body can't fight off infection, AIDS will develop. The disease took the lives of more than a million people last year.

26 Nov 2015

Mathematical models may help to predict risk of cancer spread following surgery

The size of a surgically removed tumor is generally thought to relate to the risk of the cancer spreading to other regions of the body. But because tumor cells may metastasize at different times and the rate of spread is difficult to assess, the relationship between tumor size and the relative risk of recurrence after surgery is challenging to calculate.

25 Nov 2015

RPCI-led researchers identify strategies to prevent acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI), also known as acute renal failure, is one of the main contributors to death and disability worldwide, yet no preventive treatment for the condition has been established. In a new study published in the journal Cell Death and Differentiation, a team of researchers led by scientists from Roswell Park Cancer Institute reports that they have identified 10 genes whose inhibition appears to protect kidney cells.

25 Nov 2015

Risk of developing visceral leishmaniasis much higher in transplant patients

Researchers from Spain have analysed the prevalence of leishmaniasis among the population of organ transplant recipients. The findings of this study, published in the journal 'PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease', confirm that the risk of developing visceral leishmaniasis ‑the most severe form of the disease which can pose life-threatening complications‑ is more than one hundred times greater in transplant patients living in areas of disease outbreak.

25 Nov 2015

UNC study reveals how specific schizophrenia symptoms linked to distinct brain circuits

Schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder affecting about one in 100 people, is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, in large part because it manifests differently in different people. A new study published today in Molecular Neuropsychiatry helps explain why.

25 Nov 2015

Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest improves survival and neurological outcomes

Survivors of cardiac arrest who remain in comas have better survival and neurological outcomes when their body temperatures are lowered, according to new research by Dr. Sarah Perman at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

25 Nov 2015

UF Health researcher finds simple way to treat immune-related disorder in mice

A University of Florida Health researcher has found a simple, rapid way to treat an immune-related disorder in mice, an approach that could eventually help multiple sclerosis patients after further research.

25 Nov 2015

Older adults who take more steps per day perform better on memory tasks

Could staying physically active improve quality of life by delaying cognitive decline and prolonging an independent lifestyle? A new study has found that older adults who take more steps either by walking or jogging perform better on memory tasks than those who are more sedentary.

25 Nov 2015

Fat cells produced from bone marrow may be linked to chronic diseases

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that fat cells produced by stem cells from the bone marrow may be linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and some cancers.

25 Nov 2015

Dopamine measurements provides information crucial for human choice

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have reported measurements of dopamine release with unprecedented temporal precision in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease. The measurements, collected during brain surgery as the conscious patients played an investment game, demonstrate how rapid dopamine release encodes information crucial for human choice.

24 Nov 2015

Researchers reveal new technique for watching the brain's neurons in action

Researchers at Duke and Stanford Universities have devised a way to watch the details of neurons at work, pretty much in real time.

23 Nov 2015

Twin head blowdown evaporator doubles productivity

Porvair Sciences has announced the MiniVap™ Gemini - an all new entry-level product designed to remove the solvent from two microplates simultaneously.

From Porvair Sciences Limited 23 Nov 2015

Hiding cigarettes at convenience stores significantly reduces teenagers' smoking risk

Keeping tobacco products out of view in convenience stores significantly reduces teenagers' susceptibility to future cigarette use compared to when tobacco advertising and products are visible, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

23 Nov 2015

EMBL scientists develop new laser technique to prevent cells from contracting

You were once a hollow shell. To sculpt that hollow ball into an organism with layers of internal organs, muscle and skin, portions of that embryonic 'shell' folded inwards. The same happens to fruit fly embryos, and researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, have now identified a particular group of cells which are crucial for the first such fold.

23 Nov 2015