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Beams of light advance prosthetic limbs

Using beams of light to allow amputees not only to control but also to feel the movement of prosthetic limbs is the ambitious goal of a new $5.6 million Department of Defense initiative.

18 Nov 2010

Cardiac stem cells from sick patients could generate new heart muscle: Research

Cardiac stem cells even in elderly and sick patients could generate new heart muscle and vessel tissue and be used to treat heart failure, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

18 Nov 2010

New findings reveal complexities in close chemical combat waged among bacteria

Like all organisms, bacteria must compete for resources to survive, even if it means a fight to the death. New research led by scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the University of California, Santa Barbara, describes new complexities in the close chemical combat waged among bacteria.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers find clue behind dementia development

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found a clue as to how some people develop a form of dementia that affects the brain areas associated with personality, behavior, and language.

18 Nov 2010

New technique to identify cancer biomarkers

The University of Liège has presented TARGETOME, the most recent of its spin-offs, which is also the first to spring from its applied geno-proteomics centre, GIGA.

18 Nov 2010

MK-4827 drug candidate shows promising anti-tumour activity in first human trial

A new drug that targets proteins responsible for helping cancer cells to repair damage to their DNA has shown promising anti-tumour activity in its first trial in humans.

18 Nov 2010

Cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust and french fries increase risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

There is growing evidence that exposure to a group of chemicals known as type-2 alkenes -- which are found in the smoke inhaled from cigarettes, the exhaust of automobiles and even in French fries - can increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

18 Nov 2010

Scientists solve structure of key protein from Lassa virus

Scientists at Emory University and the University of St. Andrews have solved the structure of a key protein from Lassa virus, which is endemic to West Africa and can cause a deadly hemorrhagic fever.

18 Nov 2010

Scientists develop new method for detecting functional sites on proteins

A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has developed a powerful new method for detecting functional sites on proteins. The technique may have broad applications in basic research and drug development.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers discover NG2+ cells may impact ALS disease progression

By tracking the fate of a group of immature cells that persist in the adult brain and spinal cord, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered in mice that these cells undergo dramatic changes in ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers reveal mechanism of early-stage anthrax infection

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have determined a key mechanism by which Bacillus anthracis bacteria initiate anthrax infection despite being greatly outnumbered by immune system scavenger cells. The finding, made by studying genetically modified mice, adds new detail to the picture of early-stage anthrax infection and supports efforts to develop vaccines and drugs that would block this part of the cycle.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers unveil novel oncogene associated with uveal melanoma

An international, multi-center study has revealed the discovery of a novel oncogene that is associated with uveal melanoma, the most common form of eye cancer.

18 Nov 2010

5-lipoxygenase protein modulates amyloid beta formation linked to Alzheimer's disease

A protein known to exist in the brain for more than 30 years, called 5-lipoxygenase, has been found to play a regulatory role in the formation of the amyloid beta in the brain, the major component of plaques implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine.

18 Nov 2010

miR765 RNA may play a role in development of heart failure: Research

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found a potential genetic target for heart disease, which could lead to therapies to prevent the development of the nation's No. 1 killer in its initial stages.

18 Nov 2010

European study on fat stem cells could help treat heart attack

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. anticipates the results of a new European study on treating heart attacks with stem cells taken from patients' belly fat.

18 Nov 2010

Statins activate bacterial-killing properties of white blood cells

Widely prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering properties, recent clinical research indicates that statins can produce a second, significant health benefit: lowering the risk of severe bacterial infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

18 Nov 2010

New theoretical model could develop novel clinical decision making in cancer research

Schonfeld, a University of Illinois at Chicago professor of electrical and computer engineering, is studying gene expression and interactions in ways that are analogous to the workings of electrical or computer networks. He is project director and principal investigator of a four-year, $1.2 million National Institutes of Health grant.

18 Nov 2010

Idera presents data on TLR7, TLR9 antagonist candidate for hyperlipidemia at American Heart Association

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it is presenting preclinical data from a study evaluating the mechanism of action of one of its Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR9 antagonist candidates in a model of hyperlipidemia.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers are revolutionizing treatment of cardiovascular disease through regenerative stem cell therapy

Northwestern Medicine physician researchers are revolutionizing treatment of cardiovascular disease by utilizing patients' own stem cells to regenerate heart and vascular tissue.

18 Nov 2010

VX-770 drug candidate improves lung function in people with cystic fibrosis

In a study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, treatment with a new drug candidate known as VX-770 resulted in improvements in lung function and markers of disease in a Phase 2 clinical trial of 39 people with cystic fibrosis (CF). There were no discontinuations due to adverse events in the study, and the frequency of adverse events was similar across the study groups.

18 Nov 2010