Medical Science News

RSS

Scientists identify genetic variants associated with lung health

Scientists have for the first time discovered sixteen new sections of the genetic code that relate to lung health -- opening up the possibility for better prevention as well as treatment for lung diseases.

26 Sep 2011

Synthetic lectins inhibit HIV from entering cells

University of Utah researchers have discovered a new class of compounds that stick to the sugary coating of the AIDS virus and inhibit it from infecting cells - an early step toward a new treatment to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.

23 Sep 2011

BPA may not affect male testes

Bisphenol A (BPA), a common component of plastic used in many consumer products, has recently become infamous -- and banned in some places -- because it can mimic natural estrogen in the body. A new study by Brown University toxicologists, however, finds that male mice whose mothers were exposed even to high doses of BPA while pregnant developed no signs of harm to their testes as adults.

23 Sep 2011

Study identifies genetic mutations that affect immune response to measles vaccination

Researchers at Mayo Clinic are hacking the genetic code that controls the human response to disease vaccination, and they are using this new cipher to answer many of the deep-seated questions that plague vaccinology, including why patients respond so differently to identical vaccines and how to minimize the side effects to vaccination.

23 Sep 2011

University of Kentucky receives Department of Defense grant for lung cancer study

The University of Kentucky's Dr. Susanne Arnold and colleagues were awarded a grant by the Department of Defense to study potential environmental reasons for the high lung cancer rates in Eastern Kentucky.

23 Sep 2011

Two TGen students receive SRP grants for antibiotic resistance and Alzheimer's research

Two Arizona university graduate students working at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have each received $50,000 grants from the Salt River Project.

23 Sep 2011

New insights into nephrotic syndrome and high blood pressure

Scientists have now begun to understand kidney damage on a cellular level and how the activity of certain molecules in damaged kidneys contributes to salt and water retention in nephrotic syndrome.

23 Sep 2011

Human brain development does not stop at adolescence: Research

The human brain doesn't stop developing at adolescence, but continues well into our 20s, demonstrates recent research from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

23 Sep 2011

New assay simultaneously visualize gene number, protein expression in individual cells

Researchers have discovered a method for simultaneously visualizing gene number and protein expression in individual cells. The fluorescence microscopy technique could permit a detailed analysis of the relationship between gene status and expression of the corresponding protein in cells and tissues, and bring a clearer understanding of cancer and other complex diseases, according to researchers who led the study

23 Sep 2011

AHA certifies walnuts as heart-healthy food

California Walnuts is proud to announce that the American Heart Association is now certifying walnuts as a heart-healthy food. The Heart-Check mark easily identifies foods that meet the nutritional standards set by the American Heart Association and provides consumers a quick and reliable way to identify heart-healthy foods.

23 Sep 2011

Scientists discover mechanism behind MRI-induced vertigo

A team of researchers says it has discovered why so many people undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially in newer high-strength machines, get vertigo, or the dizzy sensation of free-falling, while inside or when coming out of the tunnel-like machine.

23 Sep 2011

NIH honors Utah biochemist with Pioneer Award for dsRNA research

University of Utah biochemist Brenda L. Bass, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to following the path less traveled.

23 Sep 2011

UCLA's gene-based imaging system can accurately detect metastatic prostate cancers

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a way to image the spread of a particularly dangerous form of prostate cancer earlier than conventional imaging in use today, which may allow oncologists to find and treat these metastases more quickly and give patients a better chance at survival.

23 Sep 2011

New microbicide may block AIDS virus from infecting cells

23 Sep 2011

Ambrx, Bristol-Myers Squibb collaborate for novel biologics to treat heart failure and diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Ambrx, Inc. today announced a collaboration under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will receive exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize biologics based on Ambrx's research surrounding the Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 protein, for potential use in treating type 2 diabetes, and the Relaxin hormone, for potential use in treating heart failure.

23 Sep 2011

Researchers discover cellular origins of breast cancer

Identifying the cellular origins of breast cancer might lead to earlier diagnosis and more efficient management of the disease. New research led by Charlotte Kuperwasser of Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) has determined that common forms of breast cancer originate from breast cells known as luminal epithelial cells while rarer forms of breast cancer, such as metaplastic carcinomas, originate from basal epithelial cell types.

23 Sep 2011

Cyclin E plays a crucial role in the formation of nerve connections

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have found that a common cancer protein leads a second, totally different life in normal adult brain cells: It helps regulates memory formation and may be implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

23 Sep 2011

Adeno-associated virus type 2 kills human breast cancer cells in lab

A nondisease-causing virus kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory, creating opportunities for potential new cancer therapies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers who tested the virus on three different breast cancer types that represent the multiple stages of breast cancer development.

23 Sep 2011

Cedars-Sinai inaugurates new facility to generate induced pluripotent stem cells

The Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute has opened a new Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Core Facility to produce powerful cells capable of making all tissues of the body from adult human skin cells.

23 Sep 2011

Bortezomib drug may also treat pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma

A drug used to treat cancer may also be effective in diseases that cause scarring of the internal organs or skin, such as pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma.

23 Sep 2011