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Rockland produces new Anti-NF-κB monoclonal antibody

Rockland Immunochemicals has produced a new Anti-NF-κB monoclonal antibody validated by several assays relevant for discovery including immunofluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, western blotting and ELISA.

5 May 2011

Physical exercise generates nitric oxide intermediates critical for cardioprotection

Exercise both reduces the risk of a heart attack and protects the heart from injury if a heart attack does occur. For years, doctors have been trying to dissect how this second benefit of exercise works, with the aim of finding ways to protect the heart after a heart attack.

5 May 2011

Researchers identify regulatory protein that can inhibit cancer metastasis

A protein capable of halting the spread of breast cancer cells could lead to a therapy for preventing or limiting the spread of the disease.

5 May 2011

New non-invasive blood test may detect early stage Alzheimer's

A new blood test that will diagnose Alzheimer's disease may soon hit the market, thanks to an innovative study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

4 May 2011

Amygdala predicts spontaneous behavior: Study

A pianist is playing an unknown melody freely without reading from a musical score. How does the listener's brain recognise if this melody is improvised or if it is memorized? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig investigated jazz musicians to discover which brain areas are especially sensitive to features of improvised behaviour.

4 May 2011

Cocaine and nicotine employ similar mechanisms to induce synaptic plasticity in brain

The effects of nicotine upon brain regions involved in addiction mirror those of cocaine, according to new neuroscience research.

4 May 2011

Almac launches six enzyme screening kits

As anticipated, Almac's biocatalysis business has expanded from its 2009 launch with the sale of six enzyme screening kits, to the current supply of 100s of kgs of chiral intermediates for drug substance manufacture, regular enzyme supply to specialty chemical companies and continued growth of its screening kits offering. Biocatalysis is increasingly recognised as an alternative solution for solving complex chemistry problems due to its rapid implementation, economic benefits and 'green' reputation.

4 May 2011

New genetic discovery in megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts

White matter disease covers a large group of disorders that affect the white matter, or myelin. In children these disorders are commonly genetic and often go undiagnosed. In new research, a team led by Raúl Estévez, a lecturer from the Department of Physiological Sciences II, based at the UB's Bellvitge Health Sciences Campus, working with the researcher Marjo van der Knaap, from the University Medical Centre at VU University Amsterdam, have identified mutant GLIALCAM as responsible for 25% of cases of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts, a rare genetic disease affecting cerebral myelin.

4 May 2011

Breakthrough research offers hope for new obesity treatment

By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, Johns Hopkins researchers say they not only reduced the animals' calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report.

4 May 2011

Scientists discover new mitochondria regulation mechanism

Scientists have discovered a new component of mitochondria that plays a key part in their function. The discovery, which is presented in the journal Cell Metabolism, is of potential significance to our understanding of both inherited and age-related diseases.

4 May 2011

ChipDX identifies gene expression signature in early-stage breast tumors

ChipDX LLC, a New York-based molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine research company, has discovered a gene expression signature present in the cells of early-stage breast tumors that indicates the chance of the tumor recurring within 10 years.

4 May 2011

New book on the myth of junk DNA

Forty years ago scientists discovered that more than 95% of our DNA does not encode proteins. Since then the non-protein-coding portion was labeled "junk" and attributed to molecular accidents that have accumulated in the course of evolution.

4 May 2011

New nano-vault delivery system can fight cancer

UCLA scientists have discovered a way to wake up the immune system to fight cancer by delivering an immune system-stimulating protein in a nanoscale container called a vault directly into lung cancer tumors, harnessing the body's natural defenses to fight disease growth.

4 May 2011

New research sheds light on origins of cryptococcal fungal infection

New research has shed light on the origins of a fungal infection which is one of the major causes of death from AIDS-related illnesses. The study, published today in the journal PLoS Pathogens, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC, shows how the more virulent forms of Cryptococcus neoformans evolved and spread out of Africa and into Asia.

4 May 2011

Structured exercise training can reduce HbA1c levels in patients with diabetes

Implementing structured exercise training, including aerobic, resistance or both, was associated with a greater reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels for patients with diabetes compared to patients in the control group, and longer weekly exercise duration was also associated with a greater decrease in these levels, according to results of an analysis of previous studies, published in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

4 May 2011

New MIT drug-delivery nanoparticle could target any type of tumor

MIT chemical engineers have designed a new type of drug-delivery nanoparticle that exploits a trait shared by almost all tumors: They are more acidic than healthy tissues.

4 May 2011

Fat stem cells may help develop new regenerative therapies for cardiovascular disease

Stem cells extracted from body fat may pave the way for the development of new regenerative therapies including soft tissue reconstruction following tumor removal or breast mastectomy surgery, the development of tissue-engineered cartilage or bone, and the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

4 May 2011

TPO antibodies linked to abnormal thyroid levels in women after giving birth

Almost 1 in 20 women who gives birth will go on to develop thyroid problems within two years, according to a new study presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Rotterdam. This could have significant implications for the future health of the mother and child, as well as potentially presenting problems for future pregnancies.

4 May 2011

Ecstasy may cause long-term brain damage

Ecstasy - the illegal "rave" drug that produces feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth - has been in the news recently as a potential therapeutic. Clinical trials are testing Ecstasy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

4 May 2011

Invention of optogenetics sheds light on how brain works

Commenting on Edward Boyden's article, Ben Barres, Head of the Neuronal & Glial Cell Biology Section of Faculty of 1000 and Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine said: "There will probably be a Nobel prize for optogenetics someday as it has revolutionized our attempts to understand how the brain works. This article provides a fascinating insight into the birth of optogenetics and the roles of the major players."

4 May 2011