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Nanoparticles have a detrimental effect on the fish brain

Scientists at the University of Plymouth have shown, for the first time in an animal, that nanoparticles have a detrimental effect on the brain and other parts of the central nervous system.

19 Sep 2011

Researchers reveal crystal structure of dynamin protein

The crystal structure of the dynamin protein - one of the molecular machines that makes cells work - has been revealed, bringing insights into a class of molecules with a wide influence on health and disease.

19 Sep 2011

NPF announces support for three new Parkinson's research projects

The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) is proud to announce support for three new research projects which fulfill NPF's mission of improving the quality of care in Parkinson's disease.

19 Sep 2011

High-fat maternal diet during pregnancy results in deposition of excess body fat in the newborn

New research in mice indicates that babies born to moms who eat a high-fat diet before and during pregnancy have a higher fat mass and smaller livers than babies whose moms consume low-fat fare, according to scientists at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

17 Sep 2011

Novel therapies remove the brakes cancer puts on the immune system

Some of the newest therapies in the war on cancer remove the brakes cancer puts on the immune system, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers report.

17 Sep 2011

Researchers discover molecular-level changes in brains of women with major depressive disorder

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered molecular-level changes in the brains of women with major depressive disorder that link two hypotheses of the biological mechanisms that lead to the illness. Their results, published online this week in Molecular Psychiatry, also allowed them to recreate the changes in a mouse model that could enhance future research on depression.

17 Sep 2011

ALS damages neurons in parts of the brain responsible for cognition and behaviour

Recently published studies by a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry demonstrate that ALS - known as Lou Gehrig's disease - damages neurons in parts of the brain responsible for cognition and behaviour.

17 Sep 2011

Reducing levels of protein FKBP51 may yield new antidepressant therapies

Decreasing expression of a protein associated with susceptibility to depression made old mice resistant to depressive-like behavior while improving their hormonal response to stress, a study led by researchers at the University of South Florida found. The lack of this protein, FKBP51, did not adversely affect their memory, learning, or basic motor functions.

17 Sep 2011

Additional data on safety, tolerability of Cempra's solithromycin to be presented at 51st ICAAC

Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced abstracts to be presented on its fourth generation macrolide and novel fluoroketolide antibiotic, solithromycin (CEM-101), at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), September 17 to 20, 2011, in Chicago. The abstracts provide additional data that demonstrate the safety and routes of administration of CEM-101, a new generation macrolide.

17 Sep 2011

New insight into how nervous system regulates immunity

Scientists have identified a surprising new role for a new type of T cell in the immune system: some of them can be activated by nerves to make a neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) that blocks inflammation. The discovery of these T cells is novel and suggests that it may be possible to treat inflammation and autoimmune diseases by targeting the nerves and the T cells. The study was published this week in Science.

17 Sep 2011

Researchers show how protein fortilin promotes growth of cancer cells

Researchers have shown for the first time that the protein fortilin promotes growth of cancer cells by binding to and rendering inert protein p53, a known tumor suppressor. This finding by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch may lead to treatments for a range of cancers and atherosclerosis, which p53 also helps prevent, and appears in the current print issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

17 Sep 2011

Good absorption of calcium linked to prostate cancer

A study by epidemiologists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and colleagues suggests that a high intake of calcium causes prostate cancer among African-American men who are genetically good absorbers of the mineral.

17 Sep 2011

Study reveals altered digestive genes in children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances

Researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and at the Harvard Medical School report that children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances have altered expression of genes involved in digestion. These variations may contribute to changes in the types of bacteria in their intestines.

17 Sep 2011

Vesicular stomatitis virus kills cancer cells

In a new project, researchers from LIFE - the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen - document that the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) plays a previously unknown dual role in the prevention of a number of cancers. The new findings show that the virus both kills cancer cells and stops the expression of the molecules which certain types of cancer cells produce to hide from the immune system.

17 Sep 2011

Adult stem cells hold hope for treatment of lupus

With a patient's own adult stem cells, there is new hope for the intractable autoimmune disease lupus - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - which is difficult to cure.

17 Sep 2011

Chemical composition of chitosan influences antibacterial activity

The polysaccharide (sugar substance) chitosan has a documented antibacterial effect. Hilde Mellegård's doctoral research shows that this antibacterial activity varies according to the chemical composition of the chitosan.

16 Sep 2011

New collaboration reinforces Sanofi's translational discovery platform for retinal diseases

The Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft), Germany's leading basic research organization, announced today that it has signed with Fovea Pharmaceuticals, the Ophthalmology Division of Sanofi, a research collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop innovative solutions for restoring vision in patients suffering from diseases affecting the retina.

16 Sep 2011