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ALLOZYNE's AZ17 antagonist shows positive data for treatment of autoimmune diseases

ALLOZYNE Inc. announced today positive data from preclinical studies evaluating AZ17 which is a novel bispecific Th17 antagonist that inhibits the differentiation and effector function of human Th17 cells in vivo.

17 Nov 2010

Stem cells for stroke: Clinical trial commences

Researchers have started the world’s first clinical trial of stem cells to treat stroke victims in Glasgow. The trial is undertaken by ReNeuron, a Guildford-based biotech company and started this weekend with an elderly man receiving an injection of 2 million stem cells into his brain. It received final approval to go ahead this year.

16 Nov 2010

Two-dimensional crystals from DNA origami tiles

DNA is more than just a carrier for our genetic information; DNA is also an outstanding nanoscale building material, as researchers led by Ned Seeman discovered thirty years ago. Seeman and his colleagues at the New York University (USA) have now used cross-shaped DNA tiles to produce an amazingly large grid structure that resembles woven fabric. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, these two-dimensional crystals attain dimensions of about 2×3 micrometers.

16 Nov 2010

Study finds IgE antibody levels double with increasing age

In the first such study since the 1970s, researchers observed a highly statistically significant increase of IgE, a type of antibody associated with allergic reactions.

16 Nov 2010

Study finds infants' sleep associated with cognitive functions

At ages 1 and 1-1/2, children who get most of their sleep at night (as opposed to during the day) do better in a variety of skill areas than children who don't sleep as much at night.

16 Nov 2010

New findings help identify impact of prenatal environment on early parental care on brain

New findings released today help identify the long-term impact of the prenatal environment and early parental care on the brain. Using animals as models, researchers help explain why early inflammation and a mother's exposure to drugs such as nicotine and high doses of pain killers have lasting consequences for children and even future generations.

16 Nov 2010

PubDNA Finder search engine links biomedical articles to nucleic acid sequences

Researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid's Biomedical Informatics Group based at the Facultad de Informática have created a tool called PubDNA Finder. This tool is the first search engine specialized in linking biomedical articles to nucleic acid sequences.

16 Nov 2010

Study shows asthma drugs can treat aortic aneurysm

A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that asthma drugs are a potential treatment for aortic aneurysm. These drugs, which block cysteinyl-leukotrienes, could reduce the break down of vessel wall tissue and the dilation of the aortic wall, and thus the risk of its rupturing.

16 Nov 2010

Size of hippocampus may be linked to early dementia

The size of the part of the brain known as the hippocampus may be linked to future dementia, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

16 Nov 2010

UC San Diego researchers receive NIH grant to develop scaffolds

University of California, San Diego NanoEngineers won a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the tools to manufacture biodegradable frames around which heart tissues functional blood vessels included will grow.

16 Nov 2010

Epizyme announces publication of EZH2 enzyme for lymphoma in PNAS

Epizyme, Inc., a company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class, targeted cancer therapeutics against epigenetic targets, today announced the publication of breakthrough new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). The discovery, centered on the epigenetic enzyme EZH2, illuminates a clear path for the translation of basic science into targeted therapies for the safe and effective treatment of specific forms of human lymphomas.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers identify pattern of brain activity that may develop ASD

An autism study by Yale School of Medicine researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has identified a pattern of brain activity that may characterize the genetic vulnerability to developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published today in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study could eventually lead to earlier and more accurate autism diagnosis.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers discover circadian rhythms regulate fat metabolism

UC Irvine researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms the internal body clock regulate fat metabolism. This helps explain why people burn fat more efficiently at certain times of day and could lead to new pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes and energy-related illnesses.

16 Nov 2010

Dutch government awards Innovation Credit of EUR 1.3 million to InteRNA

InteRNA Technologies B.V., a biopharmaceutical company developing pathway targeted microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cancer, today announced that it was awarded an Innovation Credit of EUR 1.3 million from the Dutch government.

16 Nov 2010

Elsevier announces winners of 2010 Semantic Web Challenge

Elsevier announced the winners of the 2010 Semantic Web Challenge. The Elsevier sponsored Challenge occurred at the International Semantic Web Conference held in Shanghai, China from 7-11 November, 2010.

16 Nov 2010

New stem cell-infused patch improves heart function after myocardial infarction

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have found that applying a stem cell-infused patch together with overexpression of a specific cell instruction molecule promoted cell migration to damaged cardiac tissue following heart attack and resulted in improved function in animal models.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers develop human cell-based model of Rett syndrome

A groundbreaking study published Friday in the leading scientific journal, Cell, revealed that a team of investigators had successfully generated nerve cells using skin cells from four individuals with Rett syndrome. The study, funded in part by IRSF, was led by Dr. Alysson Muotri at the University of California, San Diego--a leading researcher in the stem cell field.

16 Nov 2010

Iron in plaque may predict risk of myocardial infarction

Plaque in a heart artery looks threatening, but cardiologists know that many of these buildups will not erupt, dislodge and block a vessel, causing a heart attack that can be fatal. Some will, however, and the challenge is to figure out atherosclerotic plaque that is dangerous and treat or remove it.

16 Nov 2010

OtoSCOPE method offers single-run genetic testing for hearing loss

Pinpointing the exact genetic cause of inherited deafness has always involved sequencing one gene at a time, a process that can take up to a year and cost roughly $1,000 per gene. It would cost around $75,000 to test all known deafness causing genes using this approach. Now University of Iowa researchers working with colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a test that can screen all of the genes known to cause deafness in a single run, in one to three months and for about $2,000.

16 Nov 2010

New inhalable dry powder treatment for lung cancer shows significant increase in survival rates: Research

A new inhalable dry powder treatment for lung cancer shows a significant increase in survival rates and is far less invasive than current treatment options, which frequently include radiation and surgery. This research is being presented at the 2010 International Pharmaceutical Federation Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress in association with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans, La., Nov. 14-18.

16 Nov 2010