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Alligator blood may provide a source of powerful new antibiotics

Despite their reputation for deadly attacks on humans and pets, alligators are wiggling their way toward a new role as potential lifesavers in medicine, biochemists in Louisiana reported today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

7 Apr 2008

Discovery of more genes involved in height

Scientists are beginning to develop a clearer picture of what makes some people stand head and shoulders above the rest.

7 Apr 2008

Alligator blood extract promises to help fight superbugs

Biochemists from Louisiana in the U.S. say blood from alligators could help fight deadly 'superbugs' and other infections.

7 Apr 2008

Newly identified height genes may lead to treatments for arthritis and cancer

New research which has identified 20 sections of genetic code linked to height may also lead to new treatments for arthritis and cancer.

7 Apr 2008

Stem cell breakthrough offers diabetes hope

Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes.

From The University of Manchester 4 Apr 2008

Researchers learn how signaling molecule orchestrates breast cancer's spread

A study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has uncovered how breast tumors use a particular type of molecule to promote metastasis -- the spread of cancer cells. Metastasis is the cause of approximately 90 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

4 Apr 2008

Mitosis gets harder thanks to new gene discovery

A biological process taught to every pupil studying science at high school has just become a little more complicated thanks to a new discovery published today.

4 Apr 2008

Human breast tumors' 'microenvironment' primes them for metastasis

The environment within primary breast tumors can "empower" cells that break free and enter the bloodstream to successfully invade other organs, researchers report in the April 4th Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

4 Apr 2008

Enzyme complex could be key to new cancer treatments

Penn State scientists are the first to observe in living cells a key step in the creation of adenine and guanine, two of the four building blocks that comprise DNA.

4 Apr 2008

Answer to troublesome question of why some genetic assoc. studies have failed replication attempts

A team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and elsewhere have described a possible reason why some studies have been unable to replicate associations between genes and traits -- namely that the strength of a gene/trait association might vary with age and that current study designs typically fail to take that into account.

4 Apr 2008

Alcohol alters prefrontal cortex activity through ion channel disruption

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) region of the brain is involved in decision making. New rodent findings show that PFC neuron N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors are especially sensitive to concentrations of alcohol achieved during drinking.

4 Apr 2008

New nano-engineered gel inhibits for spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury often leads to permanent paralysis and loss of sensation below the site of the injury because the damaged nerve fibers can't regenerate.

3 Apr 2008

Discovery of gene variant linked to nicotine addiction and lung cancer

Scientists have identified a genetic variant that not only makes smokers more susceptible to nicotine addiction but also increases their risk of developing two smoking-related diseases, lung cancer and peripheral arterial disease.

3 Apr 2008

Not all trans fats are bad for you

University of Alberta researcher Flora Wang found that a diet with enriched levels of trans vaccenic acid (VA) - a natural animal fat found in dairy and beef products - can reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes and obesity

3 Apr 2008

Genetic variations raise lung cancer risk for smokers and ex-smokers

Two common inherited genetic variations are associated with increased risk of lung cancer for smokers and former smokers, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports April 2 in the online edition of Nature Genetics.

3 Apr 2008

Feta cheese helps combat food poisoning

Eating Feta cheese made from raw milk in small seaside tavernas when you are on holiday in Greece could be a good way to combat food poisoning, according to researchers speaking today (Thursday 3 April 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's 162nd meeting being held this week at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

3 Apr 2008