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WU researchers to study blood-clotting disorders

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $9 million grant to investigate blood-clotting disorders. From heart attacks and strokes to uncontrolled bleeding, clotting disorders cause more deaths each year in the United States than all types of cancer combined.

7 Nov 2012

Blind people’s brain can learn to process visual input with sounds

Areas of the brain in blind people can learn to process visual input through the use of sound, even after years or perhaps even lifelong blindness, according to new research reported in the November issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron. The findings challenge the common belief that if the visual cortex of the brain is deprived of information in early life, it may never develop functional specialization.

7 Nov 2012

Atpif1 gene regulates hemoglobin synthesis during red blood cell formation

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a new gene that regulates hemoglobin synthesis during red blood cell formation. The findings advance the biomedical community's understanding and treatment of human anemias and mitochondrial disorders.

7 Nov 2012

Researchers sequence the DNA of 6,700 exomes of cystic fibrosis patients

A multi-institutional team of researchers has sequenced the DNA of 6,700 exomes, the portion of the genome that contains protein-coding genes, as part of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-funded Exome Sequencing Project, one of the largest medical sequencing studies ever undertaken.

7 Nov 2012

Ion AmpliSeq Community Panels from Life Technologies

Life Technologies Corporation today announced Ion AmpliSeq Community Panels, a community-driven solution to gene panel sequencing that leverages the expertise of scientific thought leaders and the Ion Community to create gene panels for conditions ranging from cancer to inherited diseases.

7 Nov 2012

Elafin protein protects against inflammatory diseases

This protection is provided by a human protein, Elafin, which is artificially introduced into dairy produce bacteria (Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei). In time, this discovery could be useful for individuals suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

7 Nov 2012

Texas Biomed develops rapid, less expensive route to screen suitable tests for bioterror threats

Texas Biomedical Research Institute scientists in San Antonio have developed a faster, less expensive route to screen suitable tests for bioterror threats and accelerate the application of countermeasures.

7 Nov 2012

Scientists show how sorafenib can be dangerous to the heart

Scientists for the first time have evidence showing how a widely used type of "targeted" cancer drug can be dangerous to the heart.

7 Nov 2012

Excessive turnover of placental cells may trigger unnatural increase in blood pressure

Excessive turnover of cells in the placenta may trigger an unnatural increase in blood pressure that puts mother and baby at risk, researchers say.

7 Nov 2012

Cloud technology helps researchers collect detailed information from cancer cell samples

Storing music and photos on distant computers via "cloud" technology is nothing new. But Johns Hopkins researchers are now using this tactic to collect detailed information from thousands of cancer cell samples. The goal is to help doctors make better predictions about how a patient's illness will progress and what type of treatment will be most effective.

7 Nov 2012

Link between SFRP4 protein and risk of type 2 diabetes

When a patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the disease has usually already progressed over several years and damage to areas such as blood vessels and eyes has already taken place. To find a test that indicates who is at risk at an early stage would be valuable, as it would enable preventive treatment to be put in place.

7 Nov 2012

Drug trio may reduce eliminate cardiac side effects of doxorubicin

Combining cancer medication with a drug for erectile dysfunction and one for heart transplants helped kill cancer cells and protected the heart from damage, in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

7 Nov 2012

Alpha-herpesvirus axon-to-cell spread involves limited virion transmission

New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical treatment.

7 Nov 2012

Degeneration of serotonergic neurons linked to spasticity in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with an occurrence rate in France similar to multiple sclerosis (two to three new cases per year for every 100,000 residents). It has a specific affect on neurons responsible for motor control, in particular motor neurones and central motor neurones. The former, located in the spinal cord, are directly linked to muscles and are used for muscle contraction and stretching.

7 Nov 2012

Early treatment improves behavior, communication and brain function in children with autism

When given early treatment, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) made significant improvements in behavior, communication, and most strikingly, brain function, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study.

7 Nov 2012

Taiho Pharmaceutical announces early stage data for eight novel oncology compounds

Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., the developer of the first orally available fluorouracil (FU) Chemotherapeutic treatment (TS-1/S-1), is presenting early stage data for eight novel oncology compounds, including potential first-in-class therapies.

7 Nov 2012

Researchers develop new kind of intracranial pressure sensor

An increase in cerebral pressure may cause dementia and could destroy the brain. Companies have been seeking to find monitoring sensors that can be implanted into the brain, and read from outside the body. A tiny sensor may provide the help needed.

7 Nov 2012

MASP-1 enzyme plays a central role in activating the complement system

Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, have now discovered an important mechanism behind one of our most fundamental lines of immune function. The discovery has been published in the esteemed scientific journal, The Journal of Immunology, where it has been highlighted as a top story.

7 Nov 2012

Measuring blood levels of hs-CRP could help identify men at increased risk for death from cancer

Measuring blood levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein, an important marker of inflammation, in apparently cancer-free men could potentially help identify those at increased risk for death from cancer, in particular lung cancer, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

7 Nov 2012

Loyola announces 2012 Junior and Senior Scientist of the Year during St. Albert's Day

Katherine L. Knight, PhD, one of the nation's leading immune system researchers, has been named 2012 Senior Scientist of the Year at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, FAHA, who is doing groundbreaking research on a protein that is critical for the normal functioning of the heart, has been named 2012 Junior Scientist of the Year.

7 Nov 2012

Medical Science News

WU researchers to study blood-clotting disorders

Blind people’s brain can learn to process visual input with sounds

Atpif1 gene regulates hemoglobin synthesis during red blood cell formation

Researchers sequence the DNA of 6,700 exomes of cystic fibrosis patients

Ion AmpliSeq Community Panels from Life Technologies

Elafin protein protects against inflammatory diseases

Texas Biomed develops rapid, less expensive route to screen suitable tests for bioterror threats

Scientists show how sorafenib can be dangerous to the heart

Excessive turnover of placental cells may trigger unnatural increase in blood pressure

Cloud technology helps researchers collect detailed information from cancer cell samples

Link between SFRP4 protein and risk of type 2 diabetes

Drug trio may reduce eliminate cardiac side effects of doxorubicin

Alpha-herpesvirus axon-to-cell spread involves limited virion transmission

Degeneration of serotonergic neurons linked to spasticity in ALS

Early treatment improves behavior, communication and brain function in children with autism

Taiho Pharmaceutical announces early stage data for eight novel oncology compounds

Researchers develop new kind of intracranial pressure sensor

MASP-1 enzyme plays a central role in activating the complement system

Measuring blood levels of hs-CRP could help identify men at increased risk for death from cancer

Loyola announces 2012 Junior and Senior Scientist of the Year during St. Albert's Day

The CAR T Veteran: A Journey of Resilience, Remission, and Advocacy

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

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