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Gene therapy transforms life for men with severe form of hemophilia B

Gene therapy developed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University College London and the Royal Free Hospital has transformed life for men with a severe form of hemophilia B by providing a safe, reliable source of the blood clotting protein Factor IX that has allowed some to adopt a more active lifestyle, researchers reported.

19 Nov 2014

Scientists unravel molecular mechanisms that drive ferroptosis signaling

Ferroptosis is a recently recognized form of regulated necrosis. Up until now, this form of cell death has only been thought to be a possible therapeutic approach to treat tumour cells. Yet, ferroptosis also occurs in non-transformed tissues as demonstrated by this study, thus implicating this cell death pathway in the development of a wide range of pathological conditions. More specifically, the deletion of the ferroptosis-regulating enzyme Gpx4 in a pre-clinical model results in high ferroptosis rates in kidney tubular epithelial cells causing acute renal failure.

19 Nov 2014

New method could make Ebola surveillance quicker, cheaper for West African nations

A new method for examining the Ebola virus genome could make surveillance quicker and cheaper for West African nations, and help detect new forms of the virus. The detailed procedure is being shared with the research community along with the study paper, which is freely available in the open access journal Genome Biology.

19 Nov 2014

Researchers find drug combination that reduces risk of skin graft rejection

A research team bringing together José Cohen and Philippe Grimbert (Inserm Unit 955/Université Paris Est Créteil [UPEC] and the Centre for Clinical Investigation - Biotherapies 504 [CIC-BT 504]), and their collaborators at Institut Curie and AP-HP (George Pompidou European Hospital) has succeeded in finding a combination of drugs that reduces the risk of rejection following a skin graft.

19 Nov 2014

Blocking key brain receptor cell could neutralize biological consequences of Alzheimer's

Blocking a key receptor in brain cells that is used by oxygen free radicals could play a major role in neutralizing the biological consequences of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University.

19 Nov 2014

Stanford scientists explore how out-of-sync circadian clock impairs brain function

Anyone who has struggled with a foggy brain while adjusting to daylight saving time knows first-hand how an out-of-sync circadian clock can impair brain function.

19 Nov 2014

New nanoparticles can simultaneously perform MRI and fluorescent imaging in living animals

MIT chemists have developed new nanoparticles that can simultaneously perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescent imaging in living animals. Such particles could help scientists to track specific molecules produced in the body, monitor a tumor's environment, or determine whether drugs have successfully reached their targets.

19 Nov 2014

Physical pain and social pain use distinct neural circuits, new study reveals

Over the last decade, neuroscientists have largely come to believe that physical pain and social pain are processed by the brain in the same way. But a new study led by the University of Colorado shows that the two kinds of pain actually use distinct neural circuits, a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments and a better understanding of how the two kinds of pain interact.

19 Nov 2014

Cholesterol efflux appears to be superior indicator of cardiovascular risk

Groundbreaking research from UT Southwestern Medical Center shows that cholesterol efflux capacity (cholesterol efflux), which measures HDL cholesterol function, appears to be a superior indicator of cardiovascular risk and a better target for therapeutic treatments than standard measurements of HDL. Current measurement methods reflect only the circulating levels of HDL and not the functional properties of this lipoprotein.

19 Nov 2014

Research breakthrough offers hope for patients with severe spinal cord injuries

Case Western Reserve researchers have developed a procedure that restores function to muscles involved in the control of breathing - even when they have been paralyzed for more than a year. The breakthrough offers hope that one day patients with severe spinal cord injuries will be able to breathe again without the assistance of a ventilator.

19 Nov 2014

New study identifies crizotinib drug as possible new coating for drug-eluting stents

A new study has identified an FDA approved cancer drug, crizotinib, as a possible new coating for drug-eluting stents. Researchers found that crizotinib in mice helped prevent the narrowing of blood vessels after stenting without affecting the blood vessel lining.

19 Nov 2014

Scientists reveal mechanisms that create 'Mexican waves' in brain

Scientists have revealed the mechanisms that enable certain brain cells to persuade others to create 'Mexican waves' linked with cognitive function.

19 Nov 2014

Cardiac stem cell treatment restores heart function damaged by Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that injections of cardiac stem cells might help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially resulting in a longer life expectancy for patients with the chronic muscle-wasting disease.

18 Nov 2014

Scientists find cells responsible for memory problems after sleep loss

Sleep is a critical period for memory consolidation, and most people don't get enough. Research has shown that even brief periods of sleep deprivation can lead to deficits in memory formation.

18 Nov 2014

Strategy to stem infections in livestock, endangered species

When a viral infection spread through five genetically identical mice in a row, the virus replicated faster and became more virulent or severe. But when the infection spread one-by-one through five genetically diverse mice, the virus had trouble adapting and became less virulent.

18 Nov 2014

Scientists identify how ADAR1 gene mutation can lead to diseases

Scientists have discovered how a gene mutation can lead to diseases that occur when the immune system attacks the body by mistake.

18 Nov 2014

Study identifies new gene for progressive form of epilepsy

A study led by researchers at University of Helsinki, Finland and Universities of Melbourne and South Australia has identified a new gene for a progressive form of epilepsy. The findings of this international collaborative effort have been published today, 17 November 2014, in Nature Genetics.

18 Nov 2014

Research finding could have major implications for diabetes treatment

Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers, representing five Harvard departments and affiliated institutions as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have demonstrated that adult cells, reprogrammed into another cell type in a living animal, can remain functional over a long period.

18 Nov 2014

Findings offer insight on mechanism reputed for triggering cell death

Synapse, the name for the signal-receiving site on a neuron, comes from the Greek word for contact. Neuroscientists used to maintain that neurons form one-to-one relationship to contact one another. Yet more researchers are finding evidence that shows how neurons function as part of a network. An incoming excitation does not always provoke an outgoing signal.

18 Nov 2014

Researchers discover second protein associated with membranous nephropathy

An international team of researchers from France, Germany, and the US have identified a protein that turns a person's immune system against itself in a form of kidney disease called membranous nephropathy (MN). The new research was presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 in Philadelphia and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

18 Nov 2014