Medical Science News

RSS

Researchers discover promising new approach for colorectal cancer treatment

Scientists and surgeons at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have discovered a promising new approach to treating colorectal cancer by disarming the gene that drives self-renewal in stem cells that are the root cause of disease, resistance to treatment and relapse. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.

2 Dec 2013

Nanosponge vaccine blocks adverse effects of alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA

Nanosponges that soak up a dangerous pore-forming toxin produced by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) could serve as a safe and effective vaccine against this toxin. This "nanosponge vaccine" enabled the immune systems of mice to block the adverse effects of the alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA-both within the bloodstream and on the skin. Nanoengineers from the University of California, San Diego described the safety and efficacy of this nanosponge vaccine in the December 1 issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

2 Dec 2013

Researchers examine how spindle apparatus self-organizes

Researchers at Waseda University in Japan have identified key information to help explain the formation of the "spindle apparatus", a structure required for cell division. Their findings shed light on the mechanisms behind "self-organization" - an essential characteristic of biological structures.

30 Nov 2013

Fruit fly study shows how sex may be one of the secrets to good health and longer life

Sex may in fact be one of the secrets to good health, youth and a longer life - at least for fruit flies - suggests a new University of Michigan study that appears in the journal Science.

30 Nov 2013

European Patent Office issues Notice of Grant to 22nd Century Group for NBB and A622 genes

22nd Century Group, Inc. today announced that the European Patent Office issued a Notice of Grant to the company for the NBB and A622 genes. Both genes are responsible for nicotine production in the tobacco plant.

30 Nov 2013

Researchers develop series of techniques to create active iron-based catalysts

University of Toronto researchers have developed a series of techniques to create a variety of very active iron-based catalysts necessary to produce the alcohols and amines used in the drug and perfume industry. The new synthetic methods promise to be safer and more economical and environmentally friendly than traditional industrial processes.

30 Nov 2013

UC San Diego biophysicists discover how antibiotic resistance allows bacteria to multiply

Using quantitative models of bacterial growth, a team of UC San Diego biophysicists has discovered the bizarre way by which antibiotic resistance allows bacteria to multiply in the presence of antibiotics, a growing health problem in hospitals and nursing homes across the United States.

30 Nov 2013

New whitepaper examines main strategies employed to optimise target enrichment for NGS assays

Oxford Gene Technology, provider of innovative genetics research and biomarker solutions to advance molecular medicine, has produced a free whitepaper titled ‘The importance of enrichment assay choice and optimisation for confident variant detection.’ The paper investigates the main strategies employed to optimise target enrichment for next generation sequencing assays, assisting researchers to make informed decisions when designing studies.

From Oxford Gene Technology 30 Nov 2013

Three Umeå University researchers selected as Wallenberg Academy Fellows

Jonathan Klaminder, Christian Hedberg and Sjoerd Wanrooij have been selected as Wallenberg Academy Fellows at Umeå University. They are awarded grants between SEK 5 and 9 million each spread over five years from the largest single private investment in supporting young researchers in Sweden.

29 Nov 2013

Cyclin D1 protein controls cell cycle progression, microRNA biogenesis in breast cancer

Cyclin D1, a protein that helps push a replicating cell through the cell cycle also mediates the processing and generation of mature microRNA, according to new research publishing November 29 in Nature Communications. The research suggests that a protein strongly implicated in human cancer also governs the non-protein-coding genome. The non-coding genome, previously referred to as junk DNA, makes up most of the human genome, and unlike the coding genome, varies greatly between species.

29 Nov 2013

Male roundworms shorten the lifespan of females, say Stanford researchers

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that males of the laboratory roundworm secrete signaling molecules that significantly shorten the lifespan of the opposite sex.

29 Nov 2013

Sea coral could soon be used in bone grafting procedures

Sea coral could soon be used more extensively in bone grafting procedures thanks to new research that has refined the material's properties and made it more compatible with natural bone.

29 Nov 2013

Study brings effective hepatitis C cure closer to reality

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the most detailed picture yet of a crucial part of the hepatitis C virus, which the virus uses to infect liver cells. The new data reveal unexpected structural features of this protein and should greatly speed efforts to make an effective hepatitis C vaccine.

29 Nov 2013

Study reveals new mechanism that may block formation of new blood vessels and cancer growth

A study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine demonstrates a new mechanism involving a signaling protein and its receptor that may block the formation of new blood vessels and cancer growth. The findings are published in the December issue of Science Signaling.

29 Nov 2013

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Using a video game in which people navigate through a virtual town delivering objects to specific locations, a team of neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Freiburg University has discovered how brain cells that encode spatial information form "geotags" for specific memories and are activated immediately before those memories are recalled.

29 Nov 2013

Researchers identify gene responsible for malfunctions in fear-related memory system

A study published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience points, for the first time, to the gene trkC as a factor in susceptibility to the disease. The researchers define the specific mechanism for the formation of fear memories which will help in the development of new pharmacological and cognitive treatments.

29 Nov 2013

Body’s natural circadian timing gives performance advantage to West Coast NFL teams at night

A new analysis of National Football League results suggests that the body’s natural circadian timing gives a performance advantage to West Coast teams when they play East Coast teams at night.

28 Nov 2013

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Scientists are a step closer to understanding how some of the brain's 100 billion nerve cells co-ordinate their communication.

28 Nov 2013

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, which is pathologically characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Compound preparations of Chinese medicines that can tonify the kidney have been reported to significantly improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

28 Nov 2013

Occludin and connexin 43 expression may reflect pathogenesis of brain injury

Understanding the pathogenesis of brain edema may allow for the prevention and treatment of edema in the field of neurosurgery, thus resulting in better treatments for intracranial diseases.

28 Nov 2013

Medical Science News

Researchers discover promising new approach for colorectal cancer treatment

Nanosponge vaccine blocks adverse effects of alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA

Researchers examine how spindle apparatus self-organizes

Fruit fly study shows how sex may be one of the secrets to good health and longer life

European Patent Office issues Notice of Grant to 22nd Century Group for NBB and A622 genes

Researchers develop series of techniques to create active iron-based catalysts

UC San Diego biophysicists discover how antibiotic resistance allows bacteria to multiply

New whitepaper examines main strategies employed to optimise target enrichment for NGS assays

Three Umeå University researchers selected as Wallenberg Academy Fellows

Cyclin D1 protein controls cell cycle progression, microRNA biogenesis in breast cancer

Male roundworms shorten the lifespan of females, say Stanford researchers

Sea coral could soon be used in bone grafting procedures

Study brings effective hepatitis C cure closer to reality

Study reveals new mechanism that may block formation of new blood vessels and cancer growth

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Researchers identify gene responsible for malfunctions in fear-related memory system

Body’s natural circadian timing gives performance advantage to West Coast NFL teams at night

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Occludin and connexin 43 expression may reflect pathogenesis of brain injury

Microphysiological systems in drug discovery

Considerations for taking ASO discovery programs into animal models

Neurofilament light as a translational biomarker

Latest News