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Blocking EETs may represent novel strategy for cancer therapy

Recent findings in mice suggest that blocking the production of small molecules produced in the body, known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), may represent a novel strategy for treating cancer by eliminating the blood vessels that feed cancer tumors.

20 Dec 2011

EETs promote primary tumor growth and metastasis in mouse models of cancer

Drugs that enhance levels of small molecules derived naturally in the body from a major component of animal fats (small molecules known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids [EETs]) are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes.

20 Dec 2011

Gene therapy may promote growth of hair cells in inner ear

Normal hearing depends on the presence of healthy hair cells in the inner ear. Gene therapy has the potential to slow the loss of hair cells and promote the growth of hair cells that have already been damaged.

20 Dec 2011

Individualised approach to cancer medicine considering genetic variations

A new cancer research centre established at the University of Adelaide will focus on treatment options tailored to the individual, taking into account DNA and genetic variations between people.

19 Dec 2011

Lixte's LB-205 shows therapeutic potential against Gaucher disease

An article in the early edition (December 12, 2011) of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, reported that Lixte's investigational drug, LB-205, was shown to have therapeutic potential in a laboratory model of Gaucher disease.

19 Dec 2011

New gel could nip Lyme borreliosis infection in the bud

They come out in the spring, and each year they spread further - the ticks. Thirty percent of them transmit borrelia pathogens, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis that can damage joints and organs.

19 Dec 2011

Soybean compounds can increase effectiveness of radiation treatment for lung cancer

A Wayne State University researcher has shown that compounds found in soybeans can make radiation treatment of lung cancer tumors more effective while helping to preserve normal tissue.

19 Dec 2011

IGN joins BCCA Genome Science Center

Illumina, Inc. today announced that the British Columbia Cancer Agency's (BCCA) Genome Science Center has joined the Illumina Genome Network (IGN). IGN is designed to link researchers needing large-scale whole human genome sequencing with leading institutions that provide this application as a service using industry-leading Illumina sequencing platforms.

19 Dec 2011

arGEN-X to advance SIMPLE Antibody platform for treatment of autoimmune disorders

arGEN-X, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of human monoclonal antibodies from its proprietary SIMPLE Antibody platform, announced today it has received a grant of €1.3 million to further advance its powerful discovery platform for addressing challenging disease targets.

19 Dec 2011

ASI launches GenASIs advanced cytogenetic and pathology platforms

Applied Spectral Imaging announced today general availability of the GenASIs automated imaging platforms for genetic and pathology analysis.

19 Dec 2011

Scientists discover a way to keep normal and cancer cells alive in the lab

In a major step that could revolutionize biomedical research, scientists have discovered a way to keep normal cells as well as tumor cells taken from an individual cancer patient alive in the laboratory - which previously had not been possible. Normal cells usually die in the lab after dividing only a few times, and many common cancers will not grow, unaltered, outside of the body.

19 Dec 2011

Increased Sirt1 expression protects against neurodegeneration in HD mouse model

Treatment that increases brain levels of an important regulatory enzyme may slow the loss of brain cells that characterizes Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders.

19 Dec 2011

Link between malaria and salmonella infections

The link between malaria and salmonella infections has been explained for the first time, opening the way to more effective treatments.

19 Dec 2011

SIRT1 gene appears to delay onset of HD in mouse model

Working with genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a gene (SIRT1) linked to slowing the aging process in cells also appears to dramatically delay the onset of Huntington's disease (HD) and slow the progression of the relentless neurodegenerative disorder.

19 Dec 2011

Researchers identify gene that causes PKD/IC in infants

A large, international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has identified the gene that causes a rare childhood neurological disorder called PKD/IC, or "paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with infantile convulsions," a cause of epilepsy in babies and movement disorders in older children.

17 Dec 2011

Researchers discover miR-520 blocks cancer-promoting signaling pathway

MicroRNAs or miRNAs are tiny RNA molecules that have only about 20 nucleotides and do not code for proteins. They regulate many important processes in cells by binding to target messenger RNAs - the instructions for protein production -, thus blocking production of the respective protein. In cancer, the production of some miRNAs is often reduced or amplified. This particularly affects miRNAs that regulate the activity of cancer-promoting genes.

17 Dec 2011

Scientists devise a way to reduce side effects of lung cancer therapy

Scientists may have a way to double the efficacy and reduce the side effects of radiation therapy.

17 Dec 2011

Researchers demonstrate laser transmission spectroscopy

A team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame have demonstrated a novel DNA detection method that could prove suitable for many real-world applications.

17 Dec 2011

Gladstone Senior Investigator named AAAS fellow for cardiac and stem cell research

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named Gladstone Senior Investigator Deepak Srivastava, MD, a Fellow for his efforts to advance science and its applications.

17 Dec 2011

Microvascular stamp stimulates, directs blood vessel growth on wound surface

Researchers have developed a bandage that stimulates and directs blood vessel growth on the surface of a wound. The bandage, called a "microvascular stamp," contains living cells that deliver growth factors to damaged tissues in a defined pattern. After a week, the pattern of the stamp "is written in blood vessels," the researchers report.

16 Dec 2011