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Ancient antibiotic resistance findings leads experts to stress need to use antibiotics sparingly

"An analysis of 30,000-year-old bacteria whose DNA has been recovered from the Yukon permafrost shows that they were able to resist antibiotics," providing "the first direct evidence that antibiotic resistance is a widespread natural phenomenon that preceded the modern medical use of antibiotics," according to a study in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, the New York Times reports.

2 Sep 2011

One third of patients with unexplained body malodor production test positive for TMAU

Scientists from the Monell Center report that approximately one third of patients with unexplained body malodor production test positive for the metabolic disorder trimethylaminuria.

2 Sep 2011

Princeton researchers match images of brain activity with complex thought

In an effort to understand what happens in the brain when a person reads or considers such abstract ideas as love or justice, Princeton researchers have for the first time matched images of brain activity with categories of words related to the concepts a person is thinking about. The results could lead to a better understanding of how people consider meaning and context when reading or thinking.

2 Sep 2011

Scientists discover genetic cause of extreme thinness

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of extreme thinness for the first time, in a study published today in the journal Nature.

2 Sep 2011

People with Alzheimer's have lower ubiquilin-1 protein levels

Researchers have found that a protein variation linked by some genetic studies to Alzheimer's disease is consistently present in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

2 Sep 2011

Two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support long-term survival of motor neurons

Although several genes have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is still unknown how they cause this progressive neurodegenerative disease. In a new study, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have demonstrated that two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support the long-term survival of motor neurons.

2 Sep 2011

Dendritic cells play central role in regulation of acetaminophen's toxicity

NYU School of Medicine researchers have discovered that dendritic cells in the liver have a protective role against the toxicity of acetaminophen, the widely used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer for adults and children.

2 Sep 2011

Fibrous stroma can help predict aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma

The nature of the connective tissue surrounding lung cancer nests can help predict the aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

2 Sep 2011

CRI announces winners of 2011 Coley Award for distinguished research in tumor immunology

The Cancer Research Institute, Inc. (CRI), a U.S. nonprofit organization established in 1953 to advance the science of tumor immunology and drive the discovery of new cancer immunotherapies, announced today the winners of the 2011 William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Tumor Immunology.

2 Sep 2011

Insight into molecular basis of Enhanced S-Cone Syndrome

A new research report published in The FASEB Journal will help ophthalmologists and scientists better understand a rare genetic disease that causes increased susceptibility to blue light, night blindness, and decreased vision called Enhanced S-Cone Syndrome or Goldman-Favre Syndrome.

2 Sep 2011

Low-cost, portable technique can detect specific proteins in human blood

Blood tests are important diagnostic tools. They accurately tease-out vanishingly small concentrations of proteins and other molecules that help give a picture of overall health or signal the presence of specific diseases. Current testing procedures, however, are expensive and time-consuming, while sophisticated test equipment is bulky and difficult to transport.

2 Sep 2011

Sunscreen pills from coral

Researchers have found that coral does not suffer from sunburn despite living in shallow water in tropical areas, because it is able to produce its own “natural sunscreen”. By studying the compounds which protect it from UV rays, researchers hope to develop a tablet which can protect human skin and eyes without the need for dark glasses or sun cream. Scientists from King's College London said the first sunscreen pill could be available within five years.

31 Aug 2011

Biocordcell Argentina begins bone marrow stem cell storage services prior to cancer surgeries

Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells to families nationwide and internationally, today announced that Biocordcell Argentina S.A., headquartered in Buenos Aires, its stem cell storage company which services South America and Miami, Florida, has begun storing bone marrow stem cells prior to transplantation in treatments for cancer

31 Aug 2011

SAIC awards Selecta a subcontract to develop synthetic nanoparticle vaccine for malaria

Selecta Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing an entirely new class of targeted vaccines and immunotherapies, today announced that Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has awarded Selecta a subcontract to develop a targeted synthetic vaccine particle product for malaria.

31 Aug 2011

Dad's stress can affect unborn children

Does Dad's stress affect his unborn children? According to the results of a new study in Elsevier's Biological Psychiatry, it seems the answer may be "yes, but it's complicated".

31 Aug 2011

Stanford method identifies essential regions of Caulobacter's genome

A team at the Stanford University School of Medicine has cataloged, down to the letter, exactly what parts of the genetic code are essential for survival in one bacterial species, Caulobacter crescentus.

31 Aug 2011

Gene variants can cut risk of Parkinson's disease

An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found a genetic variation they say protects against Parkinson's disease. The gene variants cut the risk of developing the disease by nearly 20 percent in many populations.

31 Aug 2011

CWRU, NeoProteomics sign licensing deal for four bioinformatics software programs

Case Western Reserve University and NeoProteomics Inc. have announced the university's licensing of four software programs designed to improve understanding of biology at a complex molecular level for improved treatment of cancers and various other diseases.

31 Aug 2011

Creighton pharmacology professor receives AAF's Early Excellence Award

Yaping Tu, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at Creighton University School of Medicine, has received a $450,000 Early Excellence Award from the American Asthma Foundation.

31 Aug 2011

Scientists using molecular epidemiology to diagnose and track disease outbreaks

The New York Times examines "new methods of quickly sequencing entire microbial genomes that are revolutionizing the field" of molecularly epidemiology and could help public health officials identify and track disease outbreaks.

31 Aug 2011