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Six1 transcription factor an essential regulator in development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells

Scientists at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Six1 transcription factor is an essential regulator in the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells.

6 May 2011

Novel neurotransmitter could fight against neurological diseases

A team of scientists has discovered that D-aspartic acid is a novel neurotransmitter that could potentially be used in the fight against neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

6 May 2011

Scientists use new technologies to identify genetic cause of Kufs disease

Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and the University of Melbourne have used innovative new technologies to identify the gene responsible for a rare but fatal hereditary brain disorder. The discovery will make it possible to diagnose the disease through a blood test rather than a brain biopsy.

6 May 2011

Research: Certain brain region may play a key role in gambling behavior

When a group of gamblers gather around a roulette table, individual players are likely to have different reasons for betting on certain numbers. Some may play a "lucky" number that has given them positive results in the past-a strategy called reinforcement learning.

6 May 2011

'Bad cholesterol' needed to gain more muscle mass

The so-called "bad cholesterol" - low-density lipoprotein commonly called LDL - may not be so bad after all, shows a Texas A&M University study that casts new light on the cholesterol debate, particularly among adults who exercise.

6 May 2011

Neutralizing antibodies generated by immunization associated with protection against SIV infection

Using a monkey model of AIDS, scientists have identified a vaccine-generated immune-system response that correlates with protection against infection by the monkey version of HIV, called simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The researchers found that neutralizing antibodies generated by immunization were associated with protection against SIV infection.

6 May 2011

Omeros' PDE7 program expands addiction franchise

Omeros Corporation today announced that its phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitors demonstrated robust efficacy in animal models of nicotine addiction.

6 May 2011

Targeting Aurora A gene could halt rhabdoid tumor growth in children

There are no effective treatments for rhabdoid tumors - aggressive childhood cancers that usually strike children under three years old and affect the brain or kidneys. The disease is extremely rare - fewer than 10 cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. - but is particularly difficult to treat and almost always fatal.

6 May 2011

Scripps Research receives CIRM grant for new research in stem cell biology and disease origins

Stem cells have huge potential in medicine because they have the ability to change or differentiate into many different cell types potentially providing a source of cells to replace those that have been permanently lost by a patient.

6 May 2011

Researchers solve mysteries of chikungunya's emergence in Asia

What causes a virus to suddenly begin infecting large numbers of people? Scientists have long known that the process they call "viral emergence" involves a wide variety of factors. Some are changes in the environment, either generated by natural causes or human activity. Others are internal, arising from accidental changes - mutations -in the virus' genetic code.

6 May 2011

Short courses of antibiotics safer for children with respiratory infections on ventilators

Short courses of antibiotics appear just as effective as longer ones - and a great deal safer - in treating respiratory infections that might cause pneumonia in children on temporary breathing devices, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online May 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

6 May 2011

COIN hosts nanobiotechnology event on nanomedicines and the regulatory path

The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN) today announced the upcoming NanoBio Executive Roundtable event to be hosted at RTP Foundation in Durham, NC on May 17, 2011. This Roundtable will tackle regulatory issues surrounding nanomedicine commercialization. The “Nanomedicines and the Regulatory Path” Roundtable will kick off with a presentation from Katherine Tyner, Ph.D., a Chemist in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

5 May 2011

Fluidigm ships over 1 billion microscopic NanoFlex valves

Fluidigm today announced that its Singapore factory has manufactured and shipped more than 1 billion microscopic NanoFlex™ valves. Each NanoFlex valve is so small that it takes 10 to span the width of a human hair.

5 May 2011

PhotoMedex introduces DNA Damage Control sunscreens

PhotoMedex, Inc. a leading supplier of advanced, clinical skincare and medical laser products, today introduced DNA Damage Control, the breakthrough treatment sunscreens that feature advanced photoprotection with DNA repair technology.

5 May 2011

Researchers identify key mucus component in human gut that can kill parasitic worms

Scientists have discovered why some people may be protected from harmful parasitic worms naturally while others cannot in what could lead to new therapies for up to one billion people worldwide.

5 May 2011

New test can diagnose deadly human fungal infections

Deadly human fungal infections caused by certain strains of Aspergillus fungi appear to be developing resistance to current drug treatments at an alarming rate, say scientists.

5 May 2011

Insights into psychiatric disorders

Social deficits are common in several psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Individuals with severe social dysfunction can experience significant difficulties with everyday functioning.

5 May 2011

Researchers identify unexpected triple-negative breast cancer marker

German researchers have identified an unexpected molecular marker that predicts how sensitive hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancers are to chemotherapy.

5 May 2011

Two breast cancer genomic tests produce broadly similar results for high and low-risk patients

Two multi-gene tests designed to predict the risk of disease progression and response to chemotherapy in breast cancer produce broadly similar results for high- and low-risk patients, but do not always agree in their predictions for those at intermediate risk, a new analysis shows.

5 May 2011

Insight into breast cancer

Measuring the transfer of tiny amounts of energy from one protein to another on breast cancer cells has given scientists a detailed view of molecular interactions that could help predict how breast cancer patients will respond to particular therapies.

5 May 2011