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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

Scientists identify root cause of chromosomal errors and gene diversity

A team led by a scientist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has discovered a regulatory protein that influences where genetic material gets swapped between maternal and paternal chromosomes during the process of creating eggs and sperm. The findings, which shed light on the roots of chromosomal errors and gene diversity, appear in tomorrow's issue of Nature.

14 Oct 2010

Researchers determine genetic blueprint of 13 strains of Lyme disease causing bacteria

Benjamin Luft, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Stony Brook University Medical Center, and a team of medical researchers have determined the genetic blueprint of 13 strains of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The finding is crucial to advancing research on Lyme disease, the most frequent tick-borne infection in North America and Europe, and may lead to better diagnostics and a vaccine.

14 Oct 2010

ApoE4 protein causes GABAergic interneuron loss, learning and memory deficits

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an extremely complicated disease. Several proteins seem to be involved in its cause and progression. For example, the lipid-transport protein apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) is the major genetic risk factor for AD, and apoE4 carriers account for 65% of all Alzheimer's cases, but exactly how apoE4 contributes to the disease is unclear.

14 Oct 2010

Federal guidance aims to reduce misuse of synthetic DNA to create dangerous organisms

Federal guidance issued today aims to reduce the risk that synthetic DNA will be misused deliberately to create dangerous organisms. Screening Framework Guidance for Providers of Synthetic Double-Stranded DNA, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supports national biosecurity goals and balances the promise of synthetic DNA with its potential biosecurity risks.

14 Oct 2010

Plant compound luteolin reduces age-associated inflammation in brain leading to better cognitive health

A diet rich in the plant compound luteolin reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and related memory deficits by directly inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain, researchers report.

14 Oct 2010

Drugs that restore mitochondria function may treat Alzheimer's disease at early stages: Research

Before Alzheimer's patients experience memory loss, the brain's neurons have already suffered harm for years. A new study in mouse models by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center has found that the brain's mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, are one of the earliest casualties of the disease. The study, which appeared in the online Early Edition of PNAS, also found that impaired mitochondria then injure the neurons' synapses, which are necessary for normal brain function.

14 Oct 2010

Mystery of arsenite solved

Scientists have solved an important mystery about why an arsenic compound, called arsenite, can kill us, and yet function as an effective therapeutic agent against disease and infections. According to new research published in the October 2010 issue of Genetics scientists from Johns Hopkins, Baylor and Stanford discovered that arsenite, a common water contaminant in many parts of the world, affects a special protein folding machine in yeast, called TCP, also present in humans.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists unveil quality control mechanism of immune system to destroy pathogens

An Australian team of scientists has uncovered a quality control mechanism that must take place for our immune system to subsequently effectively destroy harmful viruses and bacteria.

14 Oct 2010

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

A team of neuroscientists has discovered important new information in the search for an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the debilitating neurological disorder that afflicts more than 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Hey-Kyoung Lee, associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Biology, and her research team have shown that they may be able to eliminate debilitating side effects caused by a promising Alzheimer's drug by stimulating the brain's nicotine receptors.

14 Oct 2010

Walking six miles per week preserves memory in old age

New research suggests that walking at least six miles per week may protect brain size and in turn, preserve memory in old age, according to a study published in the October 13, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Oct 2010

Global project to find biological activity in sea organisms suitable for pharmaceutical products

Researchers at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Helsinki are co-ordinating an extensive project which aims to find biological activity from among organisms in the sea which would be suitable for use as a basis for pharmaceutical products. Interesting compounds isolated from organisms in the sea are chemically modified to be more suitable for medical purposes.

13 Oct 2010

Research shows honey bees change their circadian rhythms

Unlike humans, honey bees, when thrown into highly time-altered new societal roles, are able to alter their biological rhythms with alacrity, enabling them to make a successful "quick switch" in their daily routines, according to research carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

13 Oct 2010

New York Stem Cell Foundation names first six NYSCF Investigators

In an expansion of its ongoing effort to promote the next generation of stem cell scientists, The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) today named the first six NYSCF Investigators. Each of the NYSCF-Robertson and NYSCF-Helmsley Investigators will receive up to $1.5 million over the next five years to expand their own laboratories, train other scientists and foster innovative high-risk/high reward research to explore the therapeutic potential of stem cells derived from humans and model organisms.

13 Oct 2010

Physicist uses laws of physics to prove new conclusions about American leadership

It's possibly history's biggest conspiracy theory-one that over and over has begged the question: was there really only one gunman in the JFK assassination. Not according to science, says physicist and ballistics expert G. Paul Chambers in HEAD SHOT: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE JFK ASSASSINATION (Prometheus Books, $25.00)-the first book to accurately solve the crime of the century through science and reclaim contemporary American history.

13 Oct 2010

Research may pave way to cure cystic fibrosis

A University of Missouri researcher believes his latest work moves scientists closer to a cure for cystic fibrosis, one of the world's most common fatal genetic diseases.

13 Oct 2010

Cancer Research UK launches programme to turn genetic revolution into better treatment for cancer patients

Cancer Research UK has launched a multimillion pound programme, alongside the Technology Strategy Board's Innovation Platform, to help turn the genetic revolution into better treatment for cancer patients.

13 Oct 2010

Scientists identify gene that could predict breast cancer patients' response to tamoxifen

Scientists have identified a gene which could help predict whether a breast cancer patient will respond to taking tamoxifen. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday), showed a potential link between the activity of a gene called BCAR4 and the likelihood that a breast cancer tumour will not respond to tamoxifen - widely used to treat women with breast cancer.

13 Oct 2010

$1.5 million DOD award allows U-M scientists to pursue new application for nanoemulsion technology

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded $1.5 million over three years to the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences and to Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Corporation to develop and test nanoemulsions with potential to fight a wide range of wound infections, including drug-resistant forms.

13 Oct 2010

Study examines restrictive strategy of RBC transfusion in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery

Use of stricter guidelines for the use of red blood cell transfusions for patients undergoing cardiac surgery was associated similar rates of death and severe illness compared to patients who received more transfusions, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA. Another study in this issue of JAMA examines the variation in the use of blood transfusions for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2010

Medical Science News

Watermelon effective against prehypertension

Scientists identify root cause of chromosomal errors and gene diversity

Researchers determine genetic blueprint of 13 strains of Lyme disease causing bacteria

ApoE4 protein causes GABAergic interneuron loss, learning and memory deficits

Federal guidance aims to reduce misuse of synthetic DNA to create dangerous organisms

Plant compound luteolin reduces age-associated inflammation in brain leading to better cognitive health

Drugs that restore mitochondria function may treat Alzheimer's disease at early stages: Research

Mystery of arsenite solved

Scientists unveil quality control mechanism of immune system to destroy pathogens

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

Walking six miles per week preserves memory in old age

Global project to find biological activity in sea organisms suitable for pharmaceutical products

Research shows honey bees change their circadian rhythms

New York Stem Cell Foundation names first six NYSCF Investigators

Physicist uses laws of physics to prove new conclusions about American leadership

Research may pave way to cure cystic fibrosis

Cancer Research UK launches programme to turn genetic revolution into better treatment for cancer patients

Scientists identify gene that could predict breast cancer patients' response to tamoxifen

$1.5 million DOD award allows U-M scientists to pursue new application for nanoemulsion technology

Study examines restrictive strategy of RBC transfusion in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery

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

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