Medical Science News

RSS

Scientists discover family of chemical compounds that could prevent malaria

A international team led by scientists from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) and The Scripps Research Institute has discovered a family of chemical compounds that could lead to a new generation of antimalarial drugs capable of not only alleviating symptoms but also preventing the deadly disease.

17 Nov 2011

Research shows how the bite of a small Texas snake causes extreme pain

Examining venom from a variety of poisonous snakes, a group of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has discovered why the bite of one small black, yellow and red serpent called the Texas coral snake can be so painful.

17 Nov 2011

Brain boosts processing of sexually arousing signals

Researchers at the University of Tampere and the Aalto University, Finland, have shown that the perception of nude bodies is boosted at an early stage of visual processing. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland.

17 Nov 2011

Researchers identify protein that affects production of extracellular vesicles

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a protein called TAT-5 that affects the production of extracellular vesicles, small sacs of membrane released from the surface of cells, capable of sending signals to other cells.

17 Nov 2011

Gold nanoparticles help detect lung cancer in exhaled breath

The metabolism of lung cancer patients is different than the metabolism of healthy people. And so the molecules that make up cancer patients' exhaled breath are different too.

17 Nov 2011

New smart polymer that responds to low-power NIR light could treat cancers

...

17 Nov 2011

Hard-core smokers most strongly influenced by genetic factors

A new study of twins led by the University of Colorado Boulder shows that today's smokers are more strongly influenced by genetic factors than in the past and that the influence makes it more difficult for them to quit.

17 Nov 2011

Tripling clopidogrel dosage improves platelet reactivity in cardiac patients

Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

17 Nov 2011

PCBs affect growth and bone density in turtles, an 'indicator species'

Manufactured until 1977, and banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979, pentachlorobiphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals still commonly found in the environment because they break down slowly.

17 Nov 2011

Genetic basis of human cortical regionalization similar to patterns found in other mammals, MRI study affirms

A new study using magnetic resonance imaging data of 406 adult human twins affirms the long-standing idea that the genetic basis of human cortical regionalization - the organization of the outer brain into specific functional areas - is similar to and consistent with patterns found in other mammals, indicating a common conservation mechanism in evolution.

17 Nov 2011

Nanomedicine neither a cure-all nor a potential danger

Is the emerging field of nanomedicine a breathtaking technological revolution that promises remarkable new ways of diagnosing and treating diseases? Or does it portend the release of dangerous nanoparticles, nanorobots or nanoelectronic devices that will wreak havoc in the body? A new review of more than 500 studies on the topic concludes that neither scenario is likely. It appears in ACS' journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

17 Nov 2011

Protein, not sugar, stimulates cells keeping us thin and awake

A new study has found that protein and not sugar activates the cells responsible for keeping us awake and burning calories. The research, published in the 17 November issue of the scientific journal Neuron, has implications for understanding obesity and sleep disorders.

17 Nov 2011

Modified spider silk proteins for cancer gene therapy

A new episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast series spins a real-life tale in which spider silk shows promise for overcoming a major barrier to the use of gene therapy in everyday medicine.

17 Nov 2011

Psoriasis may alter cholesterol composition and decrease HDL function

Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health.

17 Nov 2011

Researchers discover a factor in synapse-building and pruning

Like a gardener who stakes some plants and weeds out others, the brain is constantly building networks of synapses, while pruning out redundant or unneeded synapses. Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory led by Assistant Professor Zhong-wei Zhang, Ph.D., have discovered a factor in synapse-building, also showing that the building and pruning processes occur independent of each other.

17 Nov 2011

VHIO, MGHCC sign tumor biomarker agreement

The President of the BBVA Foundation, Francisco Gonz-lez, Jose Baselga, Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (MGHCC), and Andr-s de Kelety, Managing Director at the Vall d'Hebr-n Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, yesterday signed the agreement creating the BBVA Foundation Tumor Biomarkers Research Program.

17 Nov 2011

Research into role of insulin in obesity-related cancers

Niyati Parekh, an assistant professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, has received a $720,000 Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society to study the role of insulin in obesity-related cancers.

17 Nov 2011

Aurora kinase inhibitor may treat neuroendocrine prostate cancer

An international team of researchers led by clinicians at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a genetic Achilles' heel in an aggressive type of prostate cancer -- a vulnerability they say can be attacked by a targeted drug that is already in clinical trials to treat other types of cancers.

17 Nov 2011

New treatment may be on the horizon for neuroendocrine prostate cancers

A recent report in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that a new treatment may be on the horizon for neuroendocrine prostate cancers, the most lethal subtype of this disease.

17 Nov 2011

Researchers identify hepcidin hormone as potential target for atherosclerosis

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified hepcidin, a hormone that regulates iron levels in the body, as a potential target for treating atherosclerosis.

17 Nov 2011