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Light pulses stimulate designer peptides to trigger death pathway in cancerous cells

Researchers at Cardiff University have created a peptide (a small piece of protein), linked to a light-responsive dye, capable of switching 'on' death pathways in cancer cells. The peptide remains inactive until exposed to external light pulses which convert it into a cell death signal.

17 Oct 2013

Trovagene launches pharmaceutical alliance to monitor lung cancer patients' EGFR mutational status

Trovagene, Inc., a developer of cell-free molecular diagnostics, today announced that it will collaborate with a pharmaceutical company to evaluate Trovagene's proprietary, urine-based, cell-free DNA technology for the detection of certain epidermal growth factor receptor mutations associated with lung cancer.

16 Oct 2013

CU researchers explore why maximum heart rate decreases with age

Researchers at the University of Colorado have new insight into the age-old question of why maximum heart rate decreases with age. This decrease in maxHR not only limits the performance of aging athletes but it is also a leading cause for nursing home admittance for otherwise-healthy elderly individuals who no longer have the physical capacity required for independent living.

16 Oct 2013

Study aims to identify age-related changes in metabolic pathways

Have you ever wondered why young children can eat bags of Halloween candy and feel fine the next day - compared to adults who experience all sorts of agony following the same junk food binge? Evolution and a gene called Foxo may be to blame. Working in fruit flies, scientists at the Buck Institute have identified a mechanism that helps the flies adapt to changes in diet when they're young; they've discovered that same mechanism gets misregulated as the flies age, disrupting metabolic homeostasis, or balance.

16 Oct 2013

Simple memory test can have noticeable impact on how old some older adults feel

You're only as old as you feel, or so the saying goes. Now, research suggests that a simple memory test can have a noticeable impact on just how old some older adults feel, aging them about five years in the span of five minutes. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

16 Oct 2013

Locomotion of C. elegans worm to make big difference in biomedical research

One might wonder why researchers would even care about the nuances of the one-millimeter long nematode worm, let alone take the time to study them. But the answer is simple: they can provide powerful insights into human health and disease.

16 Oct 2013

Seven promising scientists named 2013 NYSCF - Robertson Investigators

The New York Stem Cell Foundation today named seven of the most promising scientists as its 2013 NYSCF - Robertson Investigators.

16 Oct 2013

Genetics professor turns accidental discovery into a way to study TBI

Faced with news of suicides and brain damage in former professional football players, geneticist Barry Ganetzky bemoaned the lack of model systems for studying the insidious and often delayed consequences linked to head injuries.

16 Oct 2013

Findings shed light on the role of environmental event in development of neural circuits in newborns

Neurons that process sensory information such as touch and vision are arranged in precise, well-characterized maps that are crucial for translating perception into understanding. A study published by Cell Press on October 14 in the journal Developmental Cell reveals that the actual act of birth in mice causes a reduction in a brain chemical called serotonin in the newborn mice, triggering sensory maps to form.

16 Oct 2013

Common catalyst cerium oxide opens door to nanochemistry for medicine

Scientists at Rice University are enhancing the natural antioxidant properties of an element found in a car's catalytic converter to make it useful for medical applications.

16 Oct 2013

Research shows inhibition of Rcan1 protein may reduce atherosclerosis in mice

Researchers of the Spanish research council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient-ficas, CSIC) and the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have discovered that inhibiting the protein Rcan1 in mice reduces the burden of atherosclerosis, one of the commonest cardiovascular diseases.

16 Oct 2013

New discovery may lead to effective treatments for chronic itching

Anyone who has suffered through sleepless nights due to uncontrollable itching knows that not all itching is the same. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explains why.

16 Oct 2013

Ghrelin hormone released during chronic stress may predispose people to PTSD

About a dozen years ago, scientists discovered that a hormone called ghrelin enhances appetite. Dubbed the "hunger hormone," ghrelin was quickly targeted by drug companies seeking treatments for obesity - none of which have yet panned out.

16 Oct 2013

Researchers develop new method to produce artificial membranes using nanoscaled tip

Researchers around Dr. Michael Hirtz from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Dr. Aravind Vijayaraghavan from the University of Manchester have developed a new method to produce artificial membranes: Using a nanoscaled tip, they write tailored patches of phospholipid membrane onto a graphene substrate.

16 Oct 2013

IRCM researchers identify new proteins crucial for hearing

A team of researchers led by Dr. Michel Cayouette at the IRCM made an important discovery, published online yesterday by the scientific journal Developmental Cell, that could better explain some inherited forms of hearing loss in humans. The Montr-al scientists identified a group of proteins crucial for shaping the cellular organ responsible for detecting sounds.

16 Oct 2013

Researchers develop innovative 3D method to grow miniature pancreas from progenitor cells

An international team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen have successfully developed an innovative 3D method to grow miniature pancreas from progenitor cells. The future goal is to use this model to help in the fight against diabetes. The research results has just been published in the scientific journal Development.

16 Oct 2013

Key marker in blood and urine identifies genetic mutations in gene responsible for RP

Research led by physician-scientists at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has produced a breakthrough discovery in diagnosing retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease that affects about 1 in 4,000 people in the United States.

16 Oct 2013

microRNAs may serve as therapeutic targets and predictors of metastasis

A class of molecules called microRNAs may offer cancer patients two ways to combat their disease.

15 Oct 2013

Tepnel Pharma Services uses Hologic’s Invader Plus technology to offer genotyping, CNV service

Tepnel Pharma Services, a division of Hologic, Inc., is now using Hologic’s proprietary Invader and Invader Plus technology as part of its Molecular Genetic Services offering, enabling it to offer customers a more cost effective and high throughput genotyping and copy number variation service.

From Hologic, Inc. 15 Oct 2013

Promising new type of cancer treatment to benefit more patients

More patients than ever stand to benefit from a promising new type of cancer treatment, after scientists compiled a library of molecules that can prime patients’ immune systems to fight a range of cancers including leukaemia, myeloma, lung cancer and skin cancer.

15 Oct 2013