Medical Science News

RSS

New findings may solve mystery about how starvation hormone affects multiple biological systems

New findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers may solve a 17-year-old mystery about how the so-called "starvation hormone" affects multiple biological systems, including preventing insulin sensitivity and promoting cell survival.

27 Dec 2010

Exiqon announces introduction of GLP compliant services for miRNA biomarker screening

Exiqon A/S, a leading provider of technologies for biomarker detection, today announced the introduction of GLP compliant services for miRNA biomarker screening and diagnostic assay development for clinical trials.

27 Dec 2010

Amygdala may contribute to rich, varied social life among humans: Scientists

Scientists have discovered that the amygdala, a small almond shaped structure deep within the temporal lobe, is important to a rich and varied social life among humans. The finding was published this week in a new study in Nature Neuroscience and is similar to previous findings in other primate species, which compared the size and complexity of social groups across those species.

27 Dec 2010

Stem cell therapy helps patient with diabetes gangrene recover from foot ulcer: ICMS conference

During ICMS Annual International Congress on Regenerative and Cell Based Medicine Conference held on November 12, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was announced that a patient with complications of diabetes gangrene recovered from foot ulcer through stem cell therapy.

27 Dec 2010

Researchers develop microfluidic device to orient hundreds of embryos for research

Researchers have developed a microfluidic device that automatically orients hundreds of fruit fly and other embryos to prepare them for research. The device could facilitate the study of such issues as how organisms develop their complex structures from single cells -- one of the most fascinating aspects of biology.

27 Dec 2010

Near-complete data sets from fruit fly and roundworm genomes

An Ontario researcher has played a key role in the development of a new resource that will help genomics researchers around the world find new ways to prevent and treat cancer.

24 Dec 2010

Gold-coated liposomes could make chemotherapy more effective without harmful side effects

University of Arizona researchers may have found a way to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer tissues in controlled doses without harming healthy body cells.

24 Dec 2010

New derivation of stem cells from fat cells hold promise for therapeutic, cosmetic benefits

Two studies appearing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation 19(10) discuss stem cells derived from adipose (fat) cells and their potential use in plastic surgery and tissue reconstruction. The studies are now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/ .

24 Dec 2010

AMPK activates autophagy by activating ATG1 enzyme

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered how AMPK, a metabolic master switch that springs into gear when cells run low on energy, revs up a cellular recycling program to free up essential molecular building blocks in times of need.

24 Dec 2010

Good Clostridia prevents development of allergies and inflammatory bowel disease

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have discovered that specific gut-dwelling bacteria control key immune cells that combat allergies and autoimmune diseases. The paper describing these findings was published in today's issue of the journal Science, and technology originating from the work is being advanced by start-up Vedanta Biosciences.

24 Dec 2010

Growth hormone may be hazardous for middle aged and older people

A compound which acts in the opposite way as growth hormone can reverse some of the signs of aging, a research team that includes a Saint Louis University physician has shown. The finding may be counter-intuitive to some older adults who take growth hormone, thinking it will help revitalize them.

24 Dec 2010

Quercetin and resveratrol may play an important role in inflammation and insulin resistance

A study was carried out to examine the extent to which quercetin and trans-resveratrol (RSV) prevented inflammation or insulin resistance in primary cultures of human adipocytes treated with tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a)-an inflammatory cytokine elevated in the plasma and adipose tissue of obese, diabetic individuals. Cultures of human adipocytes were pretreated with quercetin and trans-RSV followed by treatment with TNF-a. Subsequently, gene and protein markers of inflammation and insulin resistance were measured.

24 Dec 2010

China emerging as world leader in stem-cell R&D

Recent breakthroughs show that China is emerging as a world leader in stem-cell research and development, says Emerging Healthcare Solutions President and CEO Cindy Morrissey.

24 Dec 2010

Molecular-level insights into how physical activity influences the heart

Everyone knows that exercise comes with metabolic and cardiovascular benefits, but scientists understand surprisingly little about how physical activity influences the heart itself. Now, a new study in the December 23rd issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, offers some of the first molecular-level insights.

24 Dec 2010

Scientists tweak gene to mimick heart-strengthening effects of endurance training in sedentary mice

By tweaking a single gene, scientists have mimicked in sedentary mice the heart-strengthening effects of two weeks of endurance training, according to a report from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

24 Dec 2010

Sequestering GSK3 enzyme leads to stabilization of proteins in cells

The cell signaling pathway known as Wnt, commonly activated in cancers, causes internal membranes within a healthy cell to imprison an enzyme that is vital in degrading proteins, preventing the enzyme from doing its job and affecting the stability of many proteins within the cell, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

24 Dec 2010

Silencing of specific genes of germinal cell lines reduces brain tumors

Scientists at IRB Barcelona have discovered that some brain tumours in larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster use the genetic programme of germline cells to grow. The removal of some of these genes leads to healthy brains. This finding demonstrates that these genes are crucial for tumour development. The study, headed by ICREA researcher Cayetano Gonz-lez, is published today in the prestigious journal Science.

24 Dec 2010

Paternal diet affects lipid metabolizing genes in offspring

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Texas at Austin have uncovered evidence that environmental influences experienced by a father can be passed down to the next generation, "reprogramming" how genes function in offspring. A new study published this week in Cell shows that environmental cues-in this case, diet-influence genes in mammals from one generation to the next, evidence that until now has been sparse.

24 Dec 2010

Researchers study relationship between MITF, ATF2 in melanoma development

Melanoma is one of the least common types of skin cancer, but it is also the most deadly. Melanocytes (pigment-producing skin cells) lose the genetic regulatory mechanisms that normally limit their number, allowing them to divide and proliferate out of control. One such regulator, called MITF, controls an array of genes that influence melanocyte development, function and survival.

24 Dec 2010

Oxytocin makes individuals feel calmer and dampens effect on fear receptor in the brain

"My husband of thirty-five years passed away seven years ago, and I lost my daughter in a car accident last year, I honestly could no longer find the energy to smile or laugh," recounts sixty-year-old widow Opal Perry. "My son suggested I try a new hormone being touted to help with symptoms of depression, called oxytocin. After the second day I was driving and caught myself smiling in the mirror. I couldn't believe it. I had to do a double take. I hadn't really smiled in seven years! I thought I would never smile again until now."

23 Dec 2010

Medical Science News

New findings may solve mystery about how starvation hormone affects multiple biological systems

Exiqon announces introduction of GLP compliant services for miRNA biomarker screening

Amygdala may contribute to rich, varied social life among humans: Scientists

Stem cell therapy helps patient with diabetes gangrene recover from foot ulcer: ICMS conference

Researchers develop microfluidic device to orient hundreds of embryos for research

Near-complete data sets from fruit fly and roundworm genomes

Gold-coated liposomes could make chemotherapy more effective without harmful side effects

New derivation of stem cells from fat cells hold promise for therapeutic, cosmetic benefits

AMPK activates autophagy by activating ATG1 enzyme

Good Clostridia prevents development of allergies and inflammatory bowel disease

Growth hormone may be hazardous for middle aged and older people

Quercetin and resveratrol may play an important role in inflammation and insulin resistance

China emerging as world leader in stem-cell R&D

Molecular-level insights into how physical activity influences the heart

Scientists tweak gene to mimick heart-strengthening effects of endurance training in sedentary mice

Sequestering GSK3 enzyme leads to stabilization of proteins in cells

Silencing of specific genes of germinal cell lines reduces brain tumors

Paternal diet affects lipid metabolizing genes in offspring

Researchers study relationship between MITF, ATF2 in melanoma development

Oxytocin makes individuals feel calmer and dampens effect on fear receptor in the brain

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

Latest News