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New insights into HIV infection process may allow antiviral drug development

New insights into the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection process, which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), may now be possible through a research method recently developed in part at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where scientists have glimpsed an important protein molecule's behavior with unprecedented clarity.

15 Oct 2010

Researchers develop new lab test for diagnosing preeclampsia

In as many as 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide, women who seem fine for months develop preeclampsia, a serious complication causing symptoms including high blood pressure, severe swelling, and problems with placental development. The untreatable and unpredictable condition, with no known cause, often requires premature delivery, and can sometimes kill the mother and the fetus.

15 Oct 2010

Scientists discover mechanism of anticancer drug to kill cancer cells

A potent drug derived from an evergreen tree may soon save the lives of some patients with the deadliest form of breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer will claim approximately 40,000 lives in the U.S. this year.

15 Oct 2010

Study reveals copy number variants exclusive to obese children

A new study by pediatric researchers has added to the evidence that genes have a strong influence on childhood obesity.

15 Oct 2010

ACS awards Research Scholar Grant to Rensselaer researcher for breast cancer study

A recent Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society acknowledges the potential of Rensselaer researcher Lee Ligon's work on breast cancer. Ligon is investigating interactions between cells as breast cancer spreads within the body.

15 Oct 2010

ARTS protein increases apoptosis mechanism to balance stem cells' regenerative power: Research

Stem cells, the prodigious precursors of all the tissues in our body, can make almost anything, given the right circumstances. Including, unfortunately, cancer. Now research from Rockefeller University shows that having too many stem cells, or stem cells that live for too long, can increase the odds of developing cancer.

15 Oct 2010

Scientists identify mechanism that regulate nuclear size

Size matters when it comes to the nucleus of a cell, and now scientists have discovered the signals that control how big the nucleus gets. Nuclear size varies not only among different species, but also in different types of cells in the same species and at different times during development. In addition, cancer cells are known to develop larger nuclei as they become more malignant. Screening for cervical cancer, for example, involves looking for grossly distorted nuclei in cervical cells collected during a Pap smear.

15 Oct 2010

Study finds multiple genetic variations can contribute to common childhood obesity

A new study uncovers multiple genetic variations associated with common childhood obesity. The research, published by Cell Press on October 14th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, is likely to guide future studies aimed at characterizing the affected genes and unraveling the complex biology that underlies childhood obesity.

15 Oct 2010

Scientists discover 'switch' mechanism of lymphatic and blood vessel cells

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the way anti-cancer drugs are tested. A tumour cannot grow to a large size or spread until it has developed its own blood supply and leading research has looked for a way of halting capillary formation to stop tumours taking hold.But new findings published today in the Journal of Cell Science have shown that scientists testing such treatments may not have been studying exactly what they thought they were.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists identify protein in urine can indicate prostate cancer risk

Cancer research UK scientists have shown that a protein in urine could be a powerful indicator of prostate cancer risk, according to a study published in PLoS ONE.

14 Oct 2010

BNPD announces development of first commercial health drink product

BioCen Natural Products Development Group President Daniel J. Kennedy today commented, "We are pleased to announce that the development of BNPD's first commercial health drink, Vitamin "X" is near completion." For the past 8 weeks, BNPD has been performing test market analysis to determine the best flavor(s) and percentage of Astaxanthin actives for each bottle.

14 Oct 2010

Top citations for scientific paper on Inovio's SynCon DNA vaccines and ID DNA delivery technology

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that a scientific paper demonstrating strong and protective immune responses from candidate SynCon™ DNA vaccines in preclinical studies using Inovio's intradermal (ID) DNA delivery technology was one of the top cited scientific articles in the past three years in the journal Vaccine.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists find pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now present a potential solution to the problem. The key to the BBB is a cell-type in the blood vessel walls called pericytes, and the researchers hope that their findings will one day contribute to new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke.

14 Oct 2010

Patient-specific experimental vaccine to prevent recurrence of glioblastoma

Mary Lee's primary care physician is also a family friend. When he walked into the exam room in October 2006 with tears in his eyes, she knew something serious was wrong. But she was shocked to learn she had a brain tumor - and later found out it was the most aggressive malignant type, a glioblastoma multiforme.

14 Oct 2010

'Brain-computer interface' development receives Arizona Biomedical Research Commission grant

Efforts to advance technology to aid people who have lost communication and movement abilities are getting support from an Arizona Biomedical Research Commission grant for a project combining resources and expertise at Arizona State University and the Children's Neuroscience Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

14 Oct 2010

Improving muscle mass benefits kidney disease patients

Kidney disease patients are healthier and live longer if they've beefed up their muscles, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that patients may benefit from pumping iron or taking medications to boost their lean body mass.

14 Oct 2010

U.S. DoD awards five-year grant to study blast wave’s effects on brain neural circuitry

A team of biomedical engineers from Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University has been awarded a $6.25 million dollar, five-year Multi University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the effects of blast waves on the neural circuitry of the brain.

14 Oct 2010

Study suggests link between individual's personality and capacity to exercise

There may be a fundamental link between aspects of an individual's personality and their capacity to exercise or generate energy, recent research suggests.

14 Oct 2010

Research finds fat cells can secrete hormones

Scientists are reporting new evidence that the fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches - far from being a dormant storage depot for surplus calories - is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases. They are reporting discovery of 20 new hormones and other substances not previously known to be secreted into the blood by human fat cells and verification that fat secretes dozens of hormones and other chemical messengers.

14 Oct 2010

Watermelon effective against prehypertension

No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

14 Oct 2010