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Alzheimer's may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases

The brain damage that characterizes Alzheimer's disease may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob, according to newly published research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

4 Oct 2011

CNRS researcher wins 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for immunology work

The 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Jules Hoffmann, a French citizen native of Luxembourg, CNRS senior researcher emeritus and professor at the university of Strasbourg, jointly with Bruce A. Beutler for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity.

4 Oct 2011

UCLA neuro-physicists discover optimal brain rhythm for changing synaptic strength

The brain learns through changes in the strength of its synapses -- the connections between neurons -- in response to stimuli. Now, in a discovery that challenges conventional wisdom on the brain mechanisms of learning, UCLA neuro-physicists have found there is an optimal brain "rhythm," or frequency, for changing synaptic strength. And further, like stations on a radio dial, each synapse is tuned to a different optimal frequency for learning.

4 Oct 2011

Microscopy with helium ions may greatly enhance both surface and sub-cellular imaging

The ability to obtain an accurate three-dimensional image of an intact cell is critical for unraveling the mysteries of cellular structure and function. However, for many years, tiny structures buried deep inside cells have been practically invisible to scientists due to a lack of microscopic techniques that achieve adequate resolution at the cell surface and through the entire depth of the cell.

4 Oct 2011

Complete Genomics, Scripps collaborate to unlock genetic secrets of lifelong health

Complete Genomics Inc., the whole human genome sequencing company, and the not-for-profit Scripps Health system today announced a major collaboration that will help further the Wellderly Study, a landmark scientific research initiative aimed at unlocking the genetic secrets of lifelong health.

4 Oct 2011

CSHL publishes 'The Mammary Gland as an Experimental Model' book

Studies of mammary gland biology are essential in the fight against breast cancer. Moreover, the mammary gland represents an excellent model system for investigation of physiological and pathological processes that occur throughout the body.

4 Oct 2011

Researchers identify specific molecule that alters how breast cancer cells move

Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a specific molecule that alters how breast cancer cells move. This affects the cells' ability to spread or metastasize to distant parts of the body, the hallmark of deadly, aggressive cancer.

4 Oct 2011

Researchers apply new approach to take a close look at amyloid plaque formation

Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) and Osaka University applied a new approach to take a close look at amyloid plaque formation, a process that plays important roles in Alzheimer's disease.

4 Oct 2011

TAU researcher implants robotic cerebellum to repair motor function

With new cutting-edge technology aimed at providing amputees with robotic limbs, a Tel Aviv University researcher has successfully implanted a robotic cerebellum into the skull of a rodent with brain damage, restoring its capacity for movement.

4 Oct 2011

Quick injection of cortisone can prevent PTSD

As soldiers return home from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, America must cope with the toll that war takes on mental health. But the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming increasingly expensive, and promises to escalate as yet another generation of veterans tries to heal its psychological wounds.

4 Oct 2011

Researchers identify new enzyme function that may protect against anemia

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have discovered a new function for an enzyme that may protect against organ injury and death from anemia.

4 Oct 2011

Study: Fair-skinned people may need to take vitamin D supplements

Fair-skinned people who burn quickly in the sun may need to take supplements to ensure they get the right amount of vitamin D, new research finds.

4 Oct 2011

Discovery of ‘alarm-clock’ gene

Researchers led by Indian-American scientist, Satchidananda Panda at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., said the gene is responsible for starting the body’s biological clock from its restful state every morning. They add that this may open avenues in research in insomnia or sleeplessness, aging and chronic illnesses.

3 Oct 2011

Working in shifts associated with elevated levels of stress hormone cortisol

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that shift work at a young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and increased BMI. Previous studies have shown that long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

3 Oct 2011

Perinatal exposure to BPA affects mammary hormone response

A recent study accepted for publication in Molecular Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society, found that perinatal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of bisphenol A (BPA) alters long-term hormone response and breast development in mice that may increase the propensity to develop cancer.

3 Oct 2011

Potential new drug could treat mixed-lineage leukaemia

A team lead by Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that a potential new drug could treat mixed-lineage leukaemia (MLL), the most common form of leukaemia in babies, according to a study published in Nature today.

3 Oct 2011

La Jolla Institute scientist identifies previously unknown T cell interaction

Most of the time, the immune system is the body's protector, warding off invading viruses and bacteria before they can lead to infection and disease. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system does an about face, turning on the body and attacking normal cells.

3 Oct 2011

New research uses Tilman model to study metastasis of prostate cells into bone

The invasion of a new species into an established ecosystem can be directly compared to the steps involved in cancer metastasis. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling uses the Tilman model of competition between invasive species to study the metastasis of prostate cells into bone.

3 Oct 2011

Researchers identify unusual genomic architecture linked with very severe forms of disease

When cells divide normally, DNA gets copied perfectly and distributed among the daughter cells with an even hand. Occasionally though, DNA breaks during division and is rearranged, resulting in duplications or deletions of important parts of the blueprint.

3 Oct 2011

Scientists discover 16 million SNPs that associate with increased risk of ovarian cancer

Scientists at deCODE Genetics and academic collaborators from Iceland, The Netherlands, Spain and Finland today report the discovery of variants in the human genome that associate with increased risk of invasive ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer in women.

3 Oct 2011