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Vanderbilt researcher receives Waxman Foundation's award for B-cell lymphoma study

Scott Hiebert, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation to further his research in abnormal BCL6 overexpression, which occurs in a common B-cell lymphoma.

3 Aug 2011

New insights into genesis and development of Sézary syndrome

Scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, the Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik Berlin, and four other German institutes succeeded in proving a specific gene loss in a certain human lymphoma, the genesis of which is largely unexplained to date.

3 Aug 2011

Conference to focus on connection between fluid balance and hypertension

Each day we consume liquids in order to keep hydrated and maintain our body's fluid balance. But just as a water balloon can get overtaxed by too much liquid, the human body is negatively affected when it retains fluids because it is unable to eliminate them properly. One of the key variables influencing how much fluid we hold in our bodies is ordinary table salt.

3 Aug 2011

Memantine drug could boost cognitive function in people with Down syndrome

A University of Colorado School of Medicine scientist is completing a major clinical trial on a drug that could boost cognitive function in those with Down syndrome, significantly improving their quality of life and representing a potential milestone in research on this genetic condition.

3 Aug 2011

Hydrogen sulfide protects blood vessels from diabetes complications

Hydrogen sulfide is a foul-smelling gas with an odor resembling that of rotten eggs. Sometimes called "swamp gas," this toxic substance is generally associated with decaying vegetation, sewers and noxious industrial emissions. And - as odd as it may seem - it also plays a critical role in protecting blood vessels from the complications of diabetes, according to a new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

3 Aug 2011

Cancer Research UK honors Nottingham scientist with prestigious award

A University of Nottingham scientist who uses fruit flies to study the genetics of cancer has won a prestigious award from Cancer Research UK.

3 Aug 2011

Bear bile compound may help treat heart attack: Study

The compound, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is already used to lower cholesterol and help dissolve gallstones, and it's a key ingredient in many traditional Chinese medicines, which use bear bile. According to the latest research from Imperial College London it might also be able to treat abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, in fetuses and heart attack victims.

3 Aug 2011

SDIX adds nine new polyclonal antibodies to IVD reagents portfolio

SDIX, a leading provider of In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) reagents, announced the addition of nine new polyclonal antibodies to its product line for the IVD market while exhibiting at AACC last week.

3 Aug 2011

USPTO issues notice of allowance for Vermillion's PAD biomarker patent

Vermillion, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for a patent entitled "Beta-2 microglobulin as a Biomarker for Peripheral Artery Disease."

3 Aug 2011

Sea Squirts found to have pacemaker cells similar to human heart

An international team of molecular scientists have discovered that star ascidians, also known as sea squirts, have pacemaker cells similar to that of the human heart. The research, published in the JEZ A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, may offer a new insight into the early evolution of the heart as star ascidians are one of the closest related invertebrates to mammals.

2 Aug 2011

New cold electron source could improve quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug development

A new source of very cold electrons will improve the quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug and materials development to a trillionth of a second.

2 Aug 2011

Race and the personalized medicine debate

Federal examiners have rejected patents for genetic screening tests because the applicants did not explore their effectiveness for different races, adding to the debate about whether race has scientific validity in modern DNA-based medicine.

2 Aug 2011

Prison research to examine neural circuitry of criminal psychopaths

A leading University of Chicago researcher on empathy is launching a project to understand psychopathy by studying criminals in prisons.

2 Aug 2011

Antibody discovery leads researchers one step closer to universal influenza A vaccine

"The first human antibody that can knock out all influenza A viruses has been shown effective in lab mice, an exciting step forward in the hunt for a universal vaccine, researchers said Friday," Agence France-Presse reports.

2 Aug 2011

Lack of TLR1 surface expression linked with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis

Are you genetically predisposed to tuberculosis? Scientists may now be able to answer this question and doctors may be able to adjust their therapeutic approach based on what they learn. That's because new research presented in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that two frequent mutations in an immune system gene called TLR1 are responsible for cellular changes that ultimately make us less likely to resist the disease.

2 Aug 2011

New liquid material shows promise for people with facial deformities

Biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise in restoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably.

2 Aug 2011

New insight into causes of pronoun confusion in autism

Autism is a mysterious developmental disease because it often leaves complex abilities intact while impairing seemingly elementary ones. For example, it is well documented that autistic children often have difficulty correctly using pronouns, sometimes referring to themselves as "you" instead of "I."

2 Aug 2011

Nicotine protects against Parkinson's disease

If you've ever wondered if smoking offered society any benefit, a new research report published in The FASEB Journal offers a surprising answer. Nicotine protects us from Parkinson's disease, and the discovery of how nicotine does this may lead to entirely new types of treatments for the disease.

2 Aug 2011

Blocking IGF-1 receptor cripples cancer growth in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Blocking a growth factor receptor cripples cancer growth in a form of T cell leukemia, according to a study published online on August 1 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

2 Aug 2011

Scientists produce first systematic network map of plant protein interactions

An international consortium of scientists has produced the first systematic network map of interactions that occur between proteins in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

2 Aug 2011