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New clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with BSS

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have found new clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with a rare genetic disorder, Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome.

16 May 2012

Specific populations of tumor cells have different roles

A study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers suggests that specific populations of tumor cells have different roles in the process by which tumors make new copies of themselves and grow.

16 May 2012

Researchers map processes that power health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

For the first time, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have peered inside a living mouse cell and mapped the processes that power the celebrated health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. More profoundly, they say their findings suggest it may be possible to manipulate these processes to short-circuit inflammation before it begins, or at least help to resolve inflammation before it becomes detrimental.

16 May 2012

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Genetic factor for good memory may increase risk of PTSD in war victims

Experiencing distressing memories of a shocking experience characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientists from the University of Basel have now discovered that a genetic factor for good memory is also associated with a heightened risk for the development of a posttraumatic stress disorder in war victims.

16 May 2012

Biomarker test can accurately detect early arthritis symptoms

More than 27 million adults currently suffer from osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis. In the past, doctors have been unable to diagnose patients with arthritis until they begin to show symptoms, which include joint pain and stiffness. By the time these symptoms are present, it is often too late for preventive and minimally invasive treatment options to be effective. Now, a research team from the University of Missouri's Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory has found a way to detect and predict arthritis before patients begin suffering from symptoms.

16 May 2012

Intriguing links between Snf2l gene and brain developmental disorders

Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) have discovered that mice that lack a gene called Snf2l have brains that are 35 per cent larger than normal.

16 May 2012

Combination of vaccine and letrozole effectively improves survival from breast cancer

A vaccine that targets cancer cells in combination with the drug letrozole, a standard hormonal therapy against breast cancer, significantly increased survival when tested in mice, a team of UC Davis investigators has found.

16 May 2012

Two new mouse models can help treat food allergies

Food allergies pose a serious and growing problem in the West. Many foods can lead to allergic reactions and this situation is further complicated by so-called cross-reactions, whereby an allergy to one particular food can trigger allergic reactions to another food. There are no treatments available for food allergies, but the establishment of two mouse models can be used to develop and test new forms of treatment, for example vaccines.

16 May 2012

Vejthani Hospital offers most effective procedure in gender selection

Vejthani Hospital Bangkok recommends a gender selection procedure for a couple who desire to choose a child's gender at Vejthani ART Center.

16 May 2012

Thermo Fisher signs asset purchase agreement with Nephromics for PlGF assay

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced it has signed an asset purchase agreement with Nephromics LLC, which includes a patent license for exclusive rights to use PlGF for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Clinical trials have shown that PlGF supports the diagnosis and risk prediction for preeclampsia.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 16 May 2012

Two specific gene variants speed progression of Parkinson's disease

UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson's disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention.

16 May 2012

Exendin-4 drug effectively suppresses craving for food

A drug made from the saliva of the Gila monster lizard is effective in reducing the craving for food. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the drug on rats, who after treatment ceased their cravings for both food and chocolate.

16 May 2012

Cyclophosphamide drug makes the bone marrow more tumor-friendly

Researchers found that administering a common chemotherapy drug before bone tumors took root actually fertilized the bone marrow, enabling cancer cells, once introduced, to seed and grow more easily.

15 May 2012

New Liquid ready-to-use Tumour Marker Control available now from Randox

The new Randox Acusera multi-analyte Liquid Tumour Marker Control covers a total of 15 commonly tested and esoteric cancer antigens and tumour markers. The addition of assayed target values enables laboratories to effectively monitor both accuracy and precision.

From Randox Laboratories Ltd. 15 May 2012

Researchers find protein that controls neurotransmission: findings may lead to new drugs to treat neurological disorders

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

15 May 2012

HMO critically important in understanding how breastfeeding protects babies

A new University of Illinois study shows that human milk oligosaccharides, or HMO, produce short-chain fatty acids that feed a beneficial microbial population in the infant gut. Not only that, the bacterial composition adjusts as the baby grows older and its needs change.

15 May 2012

Persistent Systems, TGen collaborate on Bio4D software program

Persistent Systems, the leader in outsourced software product development (OPD) services, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced that they are developing a high-quality biospecimen management system called Bio4D.

15 May 2012

Significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer

A team of international scientists has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer, a deadly type of liver cancer. By identifying several new genes frequently mutated in bile duct cancers, researchers are paving the way for better understanding of how bile duct cancers develop. Their discovery is published online in Nature Genetics.

15 May 2012

Human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts

Dr. Darja Marolt, an Investigator at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Laboratory, is lead author on a study showing that human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application. Dr. Marolt conducted this research as a post-doctoral NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic.

15 May 2012