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Natural variation shows promise for increasing provitamin A in cassava roots

The roots of cassava (Manihot esculenta) serve as the primary source of carbohydrates in the diets of people in many arid regions of the world, including more than 250 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately the roots of commercial cassava cultivars are quite low in micronutrients, and micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in these regions.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers explore changes in brain regions to combat sleep apnea

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the average sleep apnea sufferer stops breathing and loses oxygen between five and 30 times a night. This lack of oxygen leads to a host of complications, including high blood pressure, vascular disease, an abnormal heart rhythm, or even a fatal cardiac event. Now, a team of University of Missouri researchers is exploring the changes in distinct brain regions that contribute to these symptoms in hopes of combating this common health issue.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers reveal ways to halt Rett Syndrome

In a study published today in the Journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers based in the U.S. and UK revealed that they were able to halt the potentially lethal, breath holding episodes associated with the neurological disease Rett syndrome.

5 Oct 2010

Mechanisms of body fat growth discovered

Using ice cream, candy bars and energy drinks to help volunteers gain weight, Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the mechanisms of how body fat grows. Increased abdominal fat seems to heighten risk for metabolic disease, while fat expansion in the lower body -- as in the thighs -- seems to lower the risk. The findings, appearing in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), help explain why.

5 Oct 2010

Inadequate sleep reduces benefits of dieting

Cutting back on sleep reduces the benefits of dieting, according to a study published October 5, 2010, in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

5 Oct 2010

NIH awards $4 million grant to develop novel genetic strategy for combating tuberculosis

William R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., professor of microbiology & immunology and of genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator, has been awarded a three-year, $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a novel genetic strategy for combating tuberculosis (TB). TB causes almost two million deaths each year, making it the world's most deadly bacterial infection.

5 Oct 2010

CardioDx publishes PREDICT trial results

CardioDx, a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular genomic diagnostics, today announced publication of results from the Personalized Risk Evaluation and Diagnosis In the Coronary Tree (PREDICT) trial in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal of the American College of Physicians.

5 Oct 2010

Asterand to supply clinically annotated human biospecimens for The Cancer Genome Atlas project

Asterand plc, a leading provider of human tissue and human tissue-based services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery research announced today that it has been awarded a 5-year, up to $24.3 million contract with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to supply clinically annotated human biospecimens for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project.

5 Oct 2010

Combining computer simulations with laboratory experiments gives best results in drug development

While computer simulations of how the body metabolises drugs save both time and money,the best results when developing new drugs come from combining such simulations with laboratory experiments, reveals a researcher from the University of Gothenburg.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers develop pioneering method to identify lytic enzymes for optimum bacteria killing characteristics

With the worrying rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA, scientists from a wide range of disciplines are teaming up to identify alternative therapies to keep them at bay.

5 Oct 2010

cobas TaqScreen DPX Test now available with CE Mark: Roche

Roche announced today that the cobas TaqScreen DPX Test for use on the cobas s 201 system is now available with the CE Mark. It is the first IVD test to offer complete coverage of all human genotypes of parvovirus B19 (B19V) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in one assay.

5 Oct 2010

mtDNA deletion: New biomarker for identifying malignant prostate cancer

Mitomics, world leader in the research and development of mitochondrial genome-based products to improve clinical insight and therapeutic decisions, today announced the publication of new research in the Canadian Urological Association Journal (CUAJ) showing that large-scale deletions in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can indicate cellular changes that are associated with the development of cancer.

5 Oct 2010

Maternal serotonin deficiency linked to development of ADHD in children

Children whose mothers are genetically predisposed to have impaired production of serotonin appear more likely to develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in life, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Oct 2010

Research on spatial memories may lead to potential treatments for addiction and obesity

A researcher from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta has discovered a mechanism underlying some forms of obesity and addictions which could lead to a treatment for both diseases.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers are developing new drug for osteoporosis

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a group of substances in the body that play a key role in controlling bone density, and on this basis they have begun development of a drug for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and other bone disorders.

5 Oct 2010

Research finds link between calcium and cancer

A protein that pumps calcium out of cells also moonlights as a signal to get massive quantities of the stuff to flow in, according to Johns Hopkins scientists. Their discovery of this surprisingly opposite function, reported Oct. 1 in Cell, highlights the link between calcium and cancer and holds the promise of a new therapeutic target for certain breast cancers.

5 Oct 2010

New biomarkers could lead to personalized radiation treatments for cancer patients

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered biomarkers that could lead to personalized radiation treatments for cancer patients. The findings appear today online in the journal Genome Research.

5 Oct 2010

Study supports therapeutic potential of deep brain stimulation in patients with chronic psychiatric disorders

Using electrodes to stimulate areas deep within the brain may have therapeutic potential for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder that is refractory to treatment, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers discover therapy for treating terminal stages of cancer

For the first time ever, researchers have discovered a therapy that can effectively treat the now invariably lethal, terminal stages of cancer in animals. The study appears in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

5 Oct 2010

Human growth hormone can treat cystic fibrosis symptoms

Human growth hormone can be used successfully to treat some symptoms of cystic fibrosis, but its impact on the disease itself remains unknown, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

5 Oct 2010