Medical Science News

RSS

TAM protein complex - a potential antibacterial target

Scientists could produce new antibacterial treatments by disarming the molecular pumps bacteria use to bring disease causing molecules in contact with animals and humans.

6 Apr 2012

Towards a drug to control cystic fibrosis

Harvard stem cell researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have taken a critical step in making possible the discovery in the relatively near future of a drug to control cystic fibrosis (CF), a fatal lung disease that claims about 500 lives each year, with 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

6 Apr 2012

Ameritox, Ridge Diagnostics partner to develop MDDScore test

Ridge Diagnostics, Inc., a neurodiagnostic company, announced today it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Ameritox, Ltd., a leader in medication monitoring, for the license rights to its proprietary developmental blood test MDDScore, a multiple biomarker analysis for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) for primary care and pain physicians.

6 Apr 2012

Gold nanostars can deliver drug directly to cancer cell nucleus

Nanotechnology offers powerful new possibilities for targeted cancer therapies, but the design challenges are many. Northwestern University scientists now are the first to develop a simple but specialized nanoparticle that can deliver a drug directly to a cancer cell's nucleus -- an important feature for effective treatment.

6 Apr 2012

New microfluidics-based microarray can accurately detect breast cancer

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment and long-term survival. However, early cancer diagnosis is still challenging as testing by mammography remains cumbersome, costly, and in many cases, cancer can only be detected at an advanced stage.

6 Apr 2012

Non-invasive and longitudinal assessment of fat in animal disease models

Researchers are increasingly aware that fat in some parts of the body is more harmful than fat in other places. To help determine how obesity works, scientists turn to animal models and now, they are able to visualize how much fat their lab rats are carrying and where they are storing it.

5 Apr 2012

New hypothesis may be a game changer in the evolution arena

A new hypothesis posed by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, associate professor and colleagues could be a game changer in the evolution arena. The hypothesis suggests some species are surviving by discarding genes and depending on other species to play their hand.

5 Apr 2012

HSP27 protein can indicate lung damage during early stages of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a widespread disease. In Austria alone, there are between 500,000 and 600,000 sufferers; around ninety per cent of cases are the result of smoking. Now, under the leadership of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit, a research team from the University Department of Surgery at MedUni Vienna and the Christian Doppler Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Regeneration of Heart and Thorax Diseases has discovered a protein marker in the blood that can already indicate lung damage during the early stages of COPD, before a decrease in lung volume is detected by a pulmonary function test.

5 Apr 2012

Novel approach to kill acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

Nora Heisterkamp, PhD, and Reshmi Parameswaran, PhD, of The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, have found a novel approach to killing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. Using a fusion toxin that specifically targets cancer cells, this novel therapeutic may offer a future alternative to patients who become resistant to chemotherapy.

5 Apr 2012

ARI-4175 drug may treat colorectal cancer patients with KRAS mutation

When combined with other treatments, the drug cetuximab-which works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells-has been shown to extend survival in certain types of cancer, including metastatic colorectal cancers. Unfortunately, about 40 percent of colorectal cancer patients-specifically those who carry a mutated form of a gene called KRAS-do not respond to the drug. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, however, have been working on a way to overcome this resistance to cetuximab by unleashing a second cetuximab driven mechanism using a novel drug called ARI-4175.

5 Apr 2012

Anti-ceramide antibody may prevent radiation gastrointestinal syndrome

A new study offers the first evidence of a drug capable of preventing lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those occurring during a nuclear incident.

5 Apr 2012

Applied BioCode receives U.S. patent titled, ‘Light Transmitted Assay Beads’

Applied BioCode, Inc. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent #8,148,139 "Light Transmitted Assay Beads," describing the method of use and manufacturing of its Barcoded Magnetic Beads (BMB) products.

5 Apr 2012

Early-life bisphenol A exposure affects later-stage learning impairment

In testing the effects of the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on zebrafish, UWM scientist Daniel Weber found himself in familiar territory.

5 Apr 2012

IntegraGen’s ARISk Test looks at 65 genetic markers associated with autism

IntegraGen, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to molecular biomarker discovery, today announced the launch of the ARISk- Risk Assessment Test, a gender specific, genetic screening test that looks at 65 genetic markers associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

5 Apr 2012

VCAM1 nanobodies can effectively visualize atherosclerotic lesions

In collaboration with a Brussels University team under the leadership of Nick Devoogdt and a French team from INSERM, Serge Muyldermans and his team, associated with VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, have succeeded in developing the first patient-friendly, non-invasive method for differentiating dangerous strictures in blood vessels, so-called vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, from less dangerous ones.

5 Apr 2012

UV light-activated on-off switch for Morpholinos

University of Oregon scientists collaborating with an Oregon company that synthesizes antisense Morpholinos for genetic research have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule. Based on initial testing in zebra-fish embryos, the enhanced molecule promises to deliver new insights for developmental biologists and brain researchers.

5 Apr 2012

Study assesses link between antifolate medications, KRAS mutations and amplification

Testing patients with non-small cell lung cancer for both mutations and amplifications of the KRAS gene prior to therapy may help to predict response to treatment with antifolates, according to the updated results of a preclinical study presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.

5 Apr 2012

Crizotinib reduces testosterone levels in men with ALK positive lung cancer

Men experience a marked drop in their testosterone levels when taking a targeted therapy to control a specific type of lung cancer. That's according to a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the April issue of Cancer, the official journal of the American Cancer Society.

5 Apr 2012

CHD8, SNC2A and KATNAL2 gene mutations lead to ASDs

Mutations in three new genes have been linked to autism, according to new studies including one with investigators at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. All three studies include lead investigators of the Autism Sequencing Consortium.

5 Apr 2012

Piceatannol blocks preadipocytes’ ability to develop and grow

A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a Purdue University study.

5 Apr 2012