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Surgeon performs first-ever retrograde gene therapy on human heart

Ernie Lively moved to a scenic home in the mountains of Wasatch County to escape the hectic pace of Hollywood when he retired. But retirement didn't provide Lively with the active lifestyle he craved because of simple reality: His heart was failing.

28 Nov 2013

Scientists identify new approach to fight malaria parasites

Using advanced methodologies that pit drug compounds against specific types of malaria parasite cells, an international team of scientists, including researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, have identified a potential new weapon and approach for attacking the parasites that cause malaria.

28 Nov 2013

Enzyme intervenes when cancer-fighting PTEN is bound for cell's protein-destroying machinery

A protector for PTEN, a tumor-thwarting protein often missing in cancer cells, has emerged from research led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published online at Nature Cell Biology this week.

28 Nov 2013

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Studies have shown that Fructus corni has a protective effect on hepatocytes, and has anticancer, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, a compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni, has a protective effect on hippocampal neurons damaged by H2O2.

28 Nov 2013

Screening for genetic mutations may help identify silent carriers of adrenal Cushing's syndrome

Genetic research that will be published tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests to Dr. André Lacroix, professor at the University of Montreal, that clinicians' understanding and treatment of a form of Cushing's syndrome affecting both adrenal glands will be fundamentally changed, and that moreover, it might be appropriate to begin screening for the genetic mutations that cause this form of the disease.

28 Nov 2013

PLOS and DNDi to launch collection of neglected tropical diseases at 10-year anniversary of DNDi

As part of a collaborative initiative, PLOS and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) are delighted to be launching a special Collection-PLOS & DNDi: a decade of Open Access and Neglected Tropical Diseases R&D (Research and Development)-to coincide with a joint event at the Institut Pasteur in Paris celebrating the 10-year anniversary of DNDi.

28 Nov 2013

Researchers identify protein in malaria that is inhibited by newly discovered anti-malarial compounds

Researchers have identified the protein in malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites that is inhibited by a newly discovered class of anti-malarial compounds known as imidazopyrazines.

28 Nov 2013

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

A team of Stony Brook University researchers led by William Van Nostrand, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, has discovered in a model of Alzheimer's disease that early accumulation of a small protein, known as amyloid β, in the blood vessels of the brain can drive early cognitive impairment.

28 Nov 2013

NIBIB-funded researchers explore better treatment for brain aneurysms

Thirty thousand Americans suffer severe neurological damage or death from brain aneurysms each year and the existing treatments eventually fail in nearly half of patients. Currently, these "bubbles" in the blood vessel are either clamped off, which requires invasive brain surgery, or filled with platinum coils to induce clotting in the aneurysm. Both treatments, although somewhat effective, can have subsequent problems, including inflammation, incomplete healing, and the development of secondary aneurysms adjacent to the initial site. These complications result in approximately 40 percent of patients needing additional treatment to attempt to re-repair the aneurysm.

28 Nov 2013

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer. However, the particles have to be injected into patients, which has limited their usefulness so far.

27 Nov 2013

Cedars-Sinai researchers design new procedure to treat stem cell-related corneal blindness

Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have designed and tested a novel, minute-long procedure to prepare human amniotic membrane for use as a scaffold for specialized stem cells that may be used to treat some corneal diseases.

27 Nov 2013

Researchers create breathalyzer that may help control blood sugar

Finger pricks may soon be a thing of the past for diabetics. Researchers at Western New England University have created a breathalyzer that may help control blood sugar by measuring the amount of acetone in the breath.

27 Nov 2013

CRI researcher receives grant from DIPG to research on pediatric brain tumors

Javad Nazarian, PhD, a researcher with Children's Research Institute (CRI) at Children's National, is the recipient of a $99,979 grant from the DIPG Collaborative for his proposal entitled, "Comparative Proteomic and RNA Sequencing of DIPGs."

27 Nov 2013

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Scientists may have found a new treatment that can help people with spinal cord injuries walk better. The research is published in the November 27, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Nov 2013

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination.

27 Nov 2013

UCLA researchers identify cells involved in placenta development

Dr. Hanna Mikkola and researchers at UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have identified a specific type of cell and a related cell communication pathway that are key to the successful growth of a healthy placenta. The findings could greatly bolster our knowledge about the potential causes of complications during pregnancy.

27 Nov 2013

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.

27 Nov 2013

Findings highlight possible new approach to combat malaria

An international team of scientists, including researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, has identified a key metabolic enzyme that common malaria parasites require for survival at each stage of infection in humans. The findings raise the possibility of a new approach to combating malaria, one of the world's deadliest diseases. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Nature.

27 Nov 2013

Call for greater beta blocker use in COPD

Researchers say that stubbornly low rates of beta-blocker prescribing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could be contributing toward increased mortality in these patients following myocardial infarction.

27 Nov 2013

Support for personal recovery concept in bipolar disorder

Researchers have found that “respect, hope, and self-empowerment” is a key psychosocial factor in the personal recovery of adults with bipolar disorder.

27 Nov 2013

Medical Research News

Surgeon performs first-ever retrograde gene therapy on human heart

Scientists identify new approach to fight malaria parasites

Enzyme intervenes when cancer-fighting PTEN is bound for cell's protein-destroying machinery

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Screening for genetic mutations may help identify silent carriers of adrenal Cushing's syndrome

PLOS and DNDi to launch collection of neglected tropical diseases at 10-year anniversary of DNDi

Researchers identify protein in malaria that is inhibited by newly discovered anti-malarial compounds

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

NIBIB-funded researchers explore better treatment for brain aneurysms

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer

Cedars-Sinai researchers design new procedure to treat stem cell-related corneal blindness

Researchers create breathalyzer that may help control blood sugar

CRI researcher receives grant from DIPG to research on pediatric brain tumors

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

UCLA researchers identify cells involved in placenta development

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Findings highlight possible new approach to combat malaria

Call for greater beta blocker use in COPD

Support for personal recovery concept in bipolar disorder

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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