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FSH, LH two important hormones that regulate puberty and maturation processes

FSH and LH are two important hormones which regulate the processes of puberty and maturation. These hormones are secreted by the pituitary gland and are transported in the blood to the genitalia, where they regulate maturation.

19 Feb 2013

Researchers design molecules that can stop colon cancer progression

A Basque research consortium has managed to halt the progress of colon cancer and its metastasis in the liver in an experimental model with mice. This advance, that may open a new path for the future treatment of such pathologies, has been achieved by creating molecules which interfere with the adhesion of tumour cells to other cells of the organism. In this way, the molecules halt both the growth of the tumour and the dissemination of the tumour to and its proliferation in other organs.

19 Feb 2013

Real-time PCR reproducibility improved by handheld electronic pipette

INTEGRA has reported how a leading US clinical diagnostic laboratory has, using a VIAFLO 96 handheld electronic pipette, significantly improved the reproducibility and productivity with which it carries out Real-time PCR assays.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 19 Feb 2013

Study describes pharmacological action of TZDs directly on pancreas

A scientific study published on the journal Diabetes, edited by the American Diabetes Association, describes for the first time the pharmacological action of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) —anti-diabetic drugs— directly on pancreas, the organ which produces insulin.

18 Feb 2013

New lab at Diamond to help scientists delve into inner workings of pathogens

The UK's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, is now the first and only place in Europe where pathogens requiring Containment Level 3 - including serious viruses such as those responsible for AIDS, Hepatitis and some types of flu - can be analysed at atomic and molecular level using synchrotron light.

18 Feb 2013

Article details mechanism by which long non-coding RNA-activators promote gene expression

Long segments of RNA- encoded in our DNA but not translated into protein-are key to physically manipulating DNA in order to activate certain genes, say researchers at The Wistar Institute. These non-coding RNA-activators (ncRNA-a) have a crucial role in turning genes on and off during early embryonic development, researchers say, and have also been connected with diseases, including some cancers, in adults.

18 Feb 2013

Scientists discover new subgroups of GC patients with different disease's characteristics

A collaboration between Portuguese and Italian scientists has discovered new subgroups of stomach cancer patients with different disease's characteristics, an information that is hoped will help improving the clinical management of a disease that still kills a dismaying 3 out of 4 patients.

18 Feb 2013

New frontiers in trauma and stroke recovery

Cynthia Thompson, a world-renowned researcher on stroke and brain damage, will discuss her groundbreaking research on aphasia and the neurolinguistic systems it affects Feb. 16 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). An estimated one million Americans suffer from aphasia, affecting their ability to understand and/or produce spoken and/or written language.

18 Feb 2013

'Innovations in Imaging' symposium at AAAS to explore leading edge of microscopy

When difficult biological questions are tackled by creative experts in physics, what can result? Images of great beauty, accessible for anyone to appreciate, that also offer rich information on fundamental life processes, and rewarding new paths for analysis and insight.

18 Feb 2013

Researchers discover genetic defect that can halt cell growth

A Melbourne-based research team has discovered a genetic defect that can halt cell growth and force cells into a death-evading survival state.

18 Feb 2013

Researchers explore cellular signals produced by the body in response to traumatic injury

When it comes to healing the terrible wounds of war, success may hinge on the first blood clot - the one that begins forming on the battlefield right after an injury. Researchers exploring the complex stream of cellular signals produced by the body in response to a traumatic injury believe the initial response - formation of a blood clot - may control subsequent healing.

18 Feb 2013

Aerobic exercise can increase brain size and improve cognition in children, older adults

Exercise doesn't only strengthen your heart and muscles - it also beefs up your brain. Dozens of studies now show that aerobic exercise can increase the size of critical brain structures and improve cognition in children and older adults.

18 Feb 2013

Study paves way for new prosthetics that connect directly to the nervous system

For an amputee, replacing a missing limb with a functional prosthetic can alleviate physical or emotional distress and mean a return of vocational ability or cosmetics. Studies show, however, that up to 50 percent of hand amputees still do not use their prosthesis regularly due to less than ideal functionality, appearance, and controllability. But Silvestro Micera, of the -cole Polytechnique F-d-rale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, is paving the way for new, smart prosthetics that connect directly to the nervous system.

18 Feb 2013

Research reveals how quickly the Achilles tendon can regenerate

The Achilles heel of the body - getting over damage to tendons can be a long and painful process. By combining the nuclear tests of the 1950s with tissue samples and modern technology, a research collaboration between the Aarhus University and University of Copenhagen now reveals why the healing process is so slow.

18 Feb 2013

Oxidized CaMKII may increase risk of death in diabetics following heart attack

Having diabetes doubles a person's risk of dying after a heart attack, but the reason for the increased risk is not clear. A new University of Iowa study suggests the link may lie in the over-activation of an important heart enzyme, which leads to death of pacemaker cells in the heart, abnormal heart rhythm, and increased risk of sudden death in diabetic mice following a heart attack.

18 Feb 2013

Dietary impacts, health changes and oral pathogen genomic evolution

DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behaviour from the Stone Age to the modern day.

18 Feb 2013

Brain damage can persist for decades after original head trauma

As the National Football League braces for lawsuits by 4000 former players alleging the league failed to protect them from the long-term consequences of concussions, game-changing research by a leading Canadian researcher shows damage to the brain can persist for decades after the original head trauma.

17 Feb 2013

Infrared signaling could create sense of touch in artificial limbs

Rats can't usually see infrared light, but they have "touched" it in a Duke University lab. The rats sensed the light as a sensation of touch after Duke neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis and his team fitted the animals with an infrared detector wired to electrodes implanted in the part of the mammalian brain that processes information related to the sense of touch.

17 Feb 2013

Study shows how gene mutations affect calcium pathway in arrhythmia

Using powerful X-rays, University of British Columbia researchers have reconstructed a crime scene too small for any microscope to observe - and caught the culprit of arrhythmia in action.

17 Feb 2013

Brain health just as important as physical health

We all know the importance of keeping healthy and are familiar with the refrains of 'exercise more', 'eat better' and 'get regular physicals'. But what about our mental health? Professor Barbara Sahakian, best known for her expertise on cognitive enhancers, challenges society (and government) to prioritise mental health in the same way as we do physical health.

17 Feb 2013