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Study shows immune therapy can prevent pregnancy in mammals including humans

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males.

1 Apr 2011

Maple syrup contains a range of antioxidant compounds not found in other sweeteners

There's more good news about pure maple syrup from the University of Rhode Island (URI). Researchers there have now identified 54 compounds in maple syrup from Canada, double the amount previously reported, and many with antioxidant activity and potential health benefits. In laboratory studies, they acted as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents. Initial studies also suggest that maple compounds may inhibit enzymes relevant in Type 2 diabetes management.

1 Apr 2011

Moderate amount of protein added to three regular meals a day helps appetite control and feeling of fullness

Eating fewer, regular-sized meals with higher amounts of lean protein can make one feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals, according to new research from Purdue University.

1 Apr 2011

Lymphocyte-hepatocyte interactions: Hepatitis C virus changes the rules

New data presented at the International Liver CongressTM today show the existence of novel interactions between T cells and hepatocytes that are regulated by HCV infection, providing a novel understanding of how HCV persists in the liver.

1 Apr 2011

Insight into traumatic brain injury

Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have described for the first time how the brain's memory center repairs itself following severe trauma - a process that may explain why it is harder to bounce back after multiple head injuries.

1 Apr 2011

Diseased human hepatocytes successfully reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells

Study shows, for the first time, the successful reprogramming of diseased human hepatocytes into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).

1 Apr 2011

Smell produced by young bed bugs repels other bed bugs

Bed bugs are an increasingly common pest that necessitates extensive decontamination of homes. However, researchers from Lund and Sundsvall in Sweden have now discovered that young bed bugs produce a smell that repels other bed bugs. It is hoped that these findings could contribute to more effective control of the blood-sucking insects.

1 Apr 2011

Soy isoflavones can improve radiotherapy for lung cancer cells

A component in soybeans increases radiation's ability to kill lung cancer cells, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official monthly journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

1 Apr 2011

Study: Amygdala plays a key role in long-term memories

When we suddenly get the answer to a riddle or understand the solution to a problem, we can practically feel the light bulb click on in our head. But what happens after the 'Aha!' moment? Why do the things we learn through sudden insight tend to stick in our memory?

1 Apr 2011

Potential HIV vaccine component undergoes dramatic protein rearrangement

An international study headed by a UC Davis scientist describes how a component of a potential HIV vaccine opens like a flower, undergoing one of the most dramatic protein rearrangements yet observed in nature. The finding could reveal new targets for vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. A paper describing the work was published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Apr 2011

Scientists engineer new protein that prevents HIV virus entry into cells

In what could be a potential breakthrough in the battle against AIDS and a major development in the rational design of new drugs, scientists have engineered a new protein that prevents the virus from entering cells.

1 Apr 2011

USPTO issues patent to Asterand's BioMAP technology

Asterand plc, a leading provider of human tissue-based services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery research, and its subsidiary BioSeek LLC today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent Nos. 7,908,089 entitled "Patient classification" and 7,912,651 entitled "Function homology screening."

1 Apr 2011

New research finds HIV virus's V3 loop as attractive vaccine target

A section of the AIDS virus's protein envelope once considered an improbable target for a vaccine now appears to be one of the most promising, new research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates.

1 Apr 2011

Study: Pseudokinases can play a crucial role in pathogen-based disease

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University discovered that a supposedly inactive protein actually plays a crucial role in the ability of one the world's most prolific pathogens to cause disease, findings that suggest the possible role of similarly errant proteins in other diseases.

1 Apr 2011

How brain's memory center repairs itself after severe trauma

1 Apr 2011

Drinking coffee after a fatty fast food meal spikes blood sugar levels

Eating a fatty fast food meal is never good for you, but washing that meal down with a coffee is even worse, according to a new University of Guelph study.

1 Apr 2011

Closer to deciphering the 'language of the brain'

The moment we open our eyes, we perceive the world with apparent ease. But the question of how neurons in the retina encode what we "see" has been a tricky one. A key obstacle to understanding how our brain functions is that its components-neurons-respond in highly nonlinear ways to complex stimuli, making stimulus-response relationships extremely difficult to discern.

1 Apr 2011