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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

Research suggests targeting spleen may promote healing of spinal cord injury

The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new research suggests.

16 Nov 2010

PolyMedix presents data on PMX-60056 Phase 1B/2 studies for blood clotting at American Heart Association

PolyMedix, Inc, an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat life-threatening infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, announced that data from two Phase 1B/2 clinical studies with PMX-60056 were presented today, in oral and poster sessions, at the Annual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Meeting. PMX-60056 is a synthetic, small-molecule designed to reverse the anti-clotting effects of both heparin and low molecule weight heparin (LMWH).

16 Nov 2010

Scientists discover new genetic variants linked to bowel cancer

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have discovered four new genetic variants linked to bowel cancer by combining data from three major genome studies, reveals a study published in Nature Genetics.

16 Nov 2010