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Selective FAK inhibition within endothelial cells prevents spontaneous tumor metastasis

A team of scientists, led by principal investigator David D. Schlaepfer, PhD, a professor in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has found that a protein involved in promoting tumor growth and survival is also activated in surrounding blood vessels, enabling cancer cells to spread into the bloodstream.

24 Jan 2014

Researchers locate two molecules involved in perpetuating chronic pain

Setting the stage for possible advances in pain treatment, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland report they have pinpointed two molecules involved in perpetuating chronic pain in mice. The molecules, they say, also appear to have a role in the phenomenon that causes uninjured areas of the body to be more sensitive to pain when an area nearby has been hurt.

24 Jan 2014

Researchers reveal role of extra thymus gland in the network of body's natural defense systems

The thymus gland is a critical component of the human immune system that is responsible for the development of T-lymphocytes, or T-cells, which help organize and lead the body's fighting forces against harmful organisms like bacteria and viruses.

24 Jan 2014

Environmental endocrine disrupters may endanger embryonic heart valves

Exposure to environmental endocrine disrupters, such as bisphenol A, which mimic estrogen, is associated with adverse health effects. Bisphenol A is commonly found in plastic bottles and plastic food containers. New research from a team including Carnegie's Daniel Gorelick and Marnie Halpern on the effects of these chemicals on zebrafish shows that embryonic heart valves could be particularly in danger. It is published by Environmental Health Perspectives.

24 Jan 2014

Researchers reveal how genetic susceptibility plays large role in cancer risk

In laboratory experiments conducted on human cell lines at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, scientists have shown that people carrying certain mutations in two hereditary cancer genes, BRCA2 and PALB2, may have a higher than usual susceptibility to DNA damage caused by a byproduct of alcohol, called acetaldehyde.

24 Jan 2014

Scientists figure out key step in how free calcium is controlled in the body

Scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have figured out a key step in how "free" calcium - the kind not contained in bones - is managed in the body, a finding that could aid in the development of new treatments for a variety of neurological disorders that include Parkinson's disease.

24 Jan 2014

American Humane and TGen uncover genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs

Every year, one out of every 88 children in the United States is diagnosed with some form of autism, with these numbers steadily rising over the last decade. Alarmingly, it is believed that now one of every 54 young boys has some form of the disease.

24 Jan 2014

Omega-3 fatty acids especially DHA may have even wider range of biological impacts, shows study

A study of the metabolic effects of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, concludes that these compounds may have an even wider range of biological impacts than previously considered, and suggests they could be of significant value in the prevention of fatty liver disease.

24 Jan 2014

New techniques simplify current test procedures for developing new medications

When developing new medications, biologists and pharma- cologists test different active ingredients and chemical compounds. The main purpose is to find out how biological cells react to these substances.

24 Jan 2014

Extracts from birch tree helps damaged skin around wounds to regenerate more quickly

Extracts from the birch tree have served for centuries as a traditional means of helping the damaged skin around wounds to regenerate more quickly. Prof. Dr. Irmgard Merfort from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Freiburg and her team have now explained the molecular mechanism behind the wound-healing effect of an extract from the outer white layer of the tree's bark.

24 Jan 2014

Statistical methods improve biological single-cell analyses

Each cell in our body is unique. Even cells of the same tissue type that look identical under the microscope differ slightly from each other.

24 Jan 2014

Study: Lingonberries completely prevented weight gain in mice fed high-fat diet

Lingonberries almost completely prevented weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet, a study at Lund University in Sweden has found - whereas the 'super berry' açai led to increased weight gain. The Scandinavian berries also produced lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

24 Jan 2014

Sexual selection enhances ability of offspring to cope with infection

To test whether female mate choice enhances the health and disease-resistance of offspring, either through immune resistance, tolerance to infection, or both, researchers led by Dustin Penn tested female house mice's preferences (Mus musculus) for particular males and then experimentally assigned each female to mate with either their preferred or their non-preferred male.

24 Jan 2014

Investigators develop human iPSCs capable of repairing damaged retinal vascular tissue in mice

Investigators at Johns Hopkins report they have developed human induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) capable of repairing damaged retinal vascular tissue in mice. The stem cells, derived from human umbilical cord-blood and coaxed into an embryonic-like state, were grown without the conventional use of viruses, which can mutate genes and initiate cancers, according to the scientists.

24 Jan 2014

Neuroscientists reveal how brain determines timing at which neurons take to create new memories

Neuroscientists from the University of Leicester, in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery at the University California Los Angeles (UCLA), are to reveal details of how the brain determines the timing at which neurons in specific areas fire to create new memories.

24 Jan 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal how calcium is controlled in the body

Scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have figured out a key step in how “free” calcium — the kind not contained in bones — is managed in the body, a finding that could aid in the development of new treatments for a variety of neurological disorders that include Parkinson’s disease.

24 Jan 2014

Human body odor contains an early chemosensory cue of sickness

Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active within just a few hours of exposure to a toxin, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

24 Jan 2014

Scientists identify critical regulator of molecule involved in progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a critical regulator of a molecule deeply involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

23 Jan 2014

CUMC researchers identify gene that appears to play major role in motor neuron degeneration in ALS

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have identified a gene, called matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), that appears to play a major role in motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The findings, made in mice, explain why most but not all motor neurons are affected by the disease and identify a potential therapeutic target for this still-incurable neurodegenerative disease. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Neuron.

23 Jan 2014

People with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids may have larger brain volumes in old age

People with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age equivalent to preserving one to two years of brain health, according to a study published in the January 22, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Shrinking brain volume is a sign of Alzheimer's disease as well as normal aging.

23 Jan 2014

Medical Science News

Selective FAK inhibition within endothelial cells prevents spontaneous tumor metastasis

Researchers locate two molecules involved in perpetuating chronic pain

Researchers reveal role of extra thymus gland in the network of body's natural defense systems

Environmental endocrine disrupters may endanger embryonic heart valves

Researchers reveal how genetic susceptibility plays large role in cancer risk

Scientists figure out key step in how free calcium is controlled in the body

American Humane and TGen uncover genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs

Omega-3 fatty acids especially DHA may have even wider range of biological impacts, shows study

New techniques simplify current test procedures for developing new medications

Extracts from birch tree helps damaged skin around wounds to regenerate more quickly

Statistical methods improve biological single-cell analyses

Study: Lingonberries completely prevented weight gain in mice fed high-fat diet

Sexual selection enhances ability of offspring to cope with infection

Investigators develop human iPSCs capable of repairing damaged retinal vascular tissue in mice

Neuroscientists reveal how brain determines timing at which neurons take to create new memories

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal how calcium is controlled in the body

Human body odor contains an early chemosensory cue of sickness

Scientists identify critical regulator of molecule involved in progression of Alzheimer’s disease

CUMC researchers identify gene that appears to play major role in motor neuron degeneration in ALS

People with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids may have larger brain volumes in old age

Microphysiological systems in drug discovery

Considerations for taking ASO discovery programs into animal models

Neurofilament light as a translational biomarker

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