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BMBF awards 16M€ to support German epigenome program initiative

The German Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) will support the German epigenome program initiative "DEEP" with a budget of 16M€ over 5 years.

29 Aug 2012

Scientists decode signals that boost the burning of fat

The numbers of obese people are climbing steeply all over the world - with obvious major consequences for their health. Due to excess food intake and a lack of physical activity, but also due to genetic factors, the risk for overweight people dying from diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes und atherosclerosis increases.

29 Aug 2012

Metabolism drives the brain clock, reveals study

The rhythm of life is driven by the cycles of day and night, and most organisms carry in their cells a common, (roughly) 24-hour beat. In animals, this rhythm emerges from a tiny brain structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Take it out of the brain and keep it alive in a lab dish and this "brain clock" will keep on ticking, ramping up or gearing down production of certain proteins at specific times of the day, day after day.

29 Aug 2012

Scientists identify genes that underlie growth of primitive leukemia stem cells

University of Rochester Medical Center scientists believe they are the first to identify genes that underlie the growth of primitive leukemia stem cells, and then to use the new genetic signature to identify currently available drugs that selectively target the rogue cells.

29 Aug 2012

MAOA gene appears to make women happy

A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.

29 Aug 2012

Cyclin D3 protein regulates size and quantity of RBCs

The adult human circulatory system contains between 20 and 30 trillion red blood cells (RBCs), the precise size and number of which can vary from person to person. Some people may have fewer, but larger RBCs, while others may have a larger number of smaller RBCs. Although these differences in size and number may seem inconsequential, they raise an important question: Just what controls these characteristics of RBCs?

29 Aug 2012

SPR microscopy examines binding kinetics of membrane proteins

Proteins adorning the surfaces of human cells perform an array of essential functions, including cell signaling, communication and the transport of vital substances into and out of cells. They are critical targets for drug delivery and many proteins are now being identified as disease biomarkers - early warning beacons announcing the pre-symptomatic presence of cancers and other diseases.

29 Aug 2012

GeneTex to introduce new antibody against hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha

GeneTex, Inc., a leading manufacturer of antibodies, has announced that they will be launching a new antibody against HIF1a (hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha).

29 Aug 2012

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Special Focus provides critical view on cancer vaccines

In one of the most comprehensive peer-reviewed discussions on cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutics, a Special Focus in the journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics provides a critical view on cancer vaccines and a discussion on best approaches for the future.

28 Aug 2012

High doses of vitamin B3 stimulate CEBPE gene, enhance WBCs’ ability to combat staph infections

Cedars-Sinai researchers have found that a common vitamin may have the potential to provide a powerful weapon to fight certain "superbugs," antibiotic-resistant staph infections that health experts see as a threat to public health.

28 Aug 2012

ABCD4 and CblF proteins responsible for hereditary vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is vital for cell division, the synthesis of red blood cells and the functioning of the nervous system. Unable to produce the vitamin itself, the human body has to obtain it via animal proteins. So far it has been known that on its way into the cell vitamin B12 is absorbed by little organelles, so-called lysosomes. From there, the vitamin enters the cell interior with the aid of the transport protein CblF, which was discovered by the same research team three years ago.

28 Aug 2012

More than 40 plant-based compounds can turn on genes that slow the spread of cancer

More than 40 plant-based compounds can turn on genes that slow the spread of cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by a Washington State University researcher.

28 Aug 2012

Study shows why some fats may encourage growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive system

All dietary fats are not created equal. Some types of fats have been linked to ailments like heart disease and diabetes, while others, like those often found in plants and fish, have well documented health benefits.

28 Aug 2012

Disruption of circadian rhythm can inhibit blood vessel growth in the body

Disruptions to the circadian rhythm can affect the growth of blood vessels in the body, thus causing illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, according to a new study from Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

28 Aug 2012

Cholera toxin binds differently to intestinal cells than previously thought

The likelihood of becoming seriously ill from cholera depends on your blood group. It is possible to find a new remedy for the feared illness by studying the molecular structure in the toxin in the cholera bacteria.

28 Aug 2012

$Fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of trisomy risk$

Fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of trisomy risk

A study published in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine demonstrates that the fraction of fetal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood is unaffected by the mother's presumed risk for trisomy, offering support for the use of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for detecting genetic conditions such as Down syndrome in a broad patient population.

28 Aug 2012

EphA4 receptor may be promising target for future ALS drug

Leuven scientists (VIB/KU Leuven) are using zebrafish as a model in their search for genes that play a role in the mechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, they have identified a molecule that could be the target for a future ALS treatment.

28 Aug 2012

Researchers now add electronic sensors to tissue scaffolds

To control the three-dimensional shape of engineered tissue, researchers grow cells on tiny, sponge-like scaffolds. These devices can be implanted into patients or used in the lab to study tissue responses to potential drugs.

28 Aug 2012

Control of siRNA could aid regenerative medicine, cancer therapy

Some of the body's own genetic material, known as small interfering RNA (siRNA), can be packaged then unleashed as a precise and persistent technology to guide cell behavior, researchers at Case Western Reserve University report in the current issue of the journal, Acta Biomaterialia.

28 Aug 2012

Nicotinamide may combat antibiotic-resistance staph infections

A new study suggests that nicotinamide, more commonly known as vitamin B3, may be able to combat some of the antibiotic-resistance staph infections that are increasingly common around the world, have killed thousands and can pose a significant threat to public health.

28 Aug 2012