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Scientists discover gene mutation responsible for CDG

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has discovered the gene mutation responsible for a condition in which eye and brain development is severely disrupted in affected infants.

16 Jul 2010

Spanish scientists develop new parasite detection method to prevent Anisakidosis

A new method enables anisakids to be detected in any fish product, from a whole fish, fresh or frozen, to tinned fish and surimi. Developed by Spanish scientists, the system is based on molecular techniques and overcomes the limitations of traditional procedures.

16 Jul 2010

Essential nutrient in eggs may reduce risk of infant heart defects

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a choline-deficient diet is associated with increased risk for heart defects during prenatal development. Choline is an essential nutrient required for normal cell activity, healthy brain and nerve function, liver metabolism and transportation of nutrients throughout the body.

16 Jul 2010

New study finds no evidence in support of LTPP's superiority over shorter-term methods of psychotherapy

This paper criticizes the methodology of a meta-analysis and 8 studies published in the JAMA last year which indicated that longer term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LTPP) was more effective than short therapies. The investigators found a miscalculation of the effect sizes used to make key comparisons and found no evidence to support claims of superiority of LTPP over shorter-term methods of psychotherapy.

16 Jul 2010

Arsenic nanoparticle to combat aggressive type of breast cancer prevalent in young women

You can teach an old drug new chemotherapy tricks. Northwestern University researchers took a drug therapy proven for blood cancers but ineffective against solid tumors, packaged it with nanotechnology and got it to combat an aggressive type of breast cancer prevalent in young women, particularly young African-American women.

16 Jul 2010

Waist circumference predicts diabetes risk

Waist circumference gives a better prediction of diabetes risk than does BMI. This is the conclusion drawn by Silke Feller and her colleagues from the German Institute for Nutritional Research in Potsdam-Rehbr-cke, in the current edition of Deutsches -rzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[26]: 470-6).

16 Jul 2010

i26 hyperimmune egg balances improper immune inflammatory response

Our immune systems are in a constant battle with foreign invaders to keep our bodies healthy. Outside forces like pollution, poor nutrition and new strains of disease keep our immune systems at an overly boosted or inflamed state, which affects energy levels, body and emotional health and overall quality of life. Through inflammatory immune cells, our bodies fight to defend us from this onslaught. Too few of these cells can result in illness, while too many could lead to a high immune response, resulting in heightened inflammation and collateral damage to the body's once-healthy tissues.

16 Jul 2010

Scientists discover that C35 gene becomes overactive in HER2 positive tumours

UK scientists have discovered that a gene called C35 can work together with other cancer-promoting genes to drive the growth and invasion of breast cancer cells in the lab.

16 Jul 2010

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

Immune system cells called macrophages spring into action to surround and destroy threats such as viruses or cancer cells. But sometimes the would-be protective response leads to persistent inflammation, which, in turn, can cause disease.Scientists don't know exactly how macrophages cross the line from being good cops to bad cops, but researchers at the University of Florida recently unearthed several clues about the mechanisms involved. Through the lens of two inflammation-related diseases, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis, they identified changes in specific proteins linked to the action of macrophages, white blood cells that are key to the body's natural defenses.

16 Jul 2010

Elusys, Lonza partner for commercial production of Anthim antibody for inhaled anthrax treatment

Elusys Therapeutics and Lonza today announced an agreement for the scale-up and commercial production of Anthim, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody in late-stage development for the treatment of inhaled anthrax. Under the new contract, Lonza will provide process scale-up, technology transfer, validation, and commercial manufacturing at one of its facilities in the USA. The manufacturing process for Anthim was optimized for full scale production by Lonza under a separate agreement announced in 2009.

16 Jul 2010

Professor develops sensor to better regulate fluid flow in hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain" as it is often called, is a condition that is diagnosed in tens of thousands in the U.S. every year, causing symptoms from mild gait problems to life-threatening seizures.

16 Jul 2010

Shrink Nanotechnologies files patent applications for CellAlign advanced tissue engineering technology

Shrink Nanotechnologies, Inc., an innovative nanotechnology company developing products and licensing opportunities in the solar energy production, medical diagnostics and sensors and biotechnology research and development tools businesses, announced today that certain patent applications related to its advanced tissue engineering technology platform, CellAlign™, have been filed.

15 Jul 2010

Nitto Denko, Quark collaborate to develop siRNA therapeutics for fibrotic diseases

Nitto Denko Corporation, Japan's leading diversified materials manufacturer and Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a collaboration and license agreement for the development of siRNA therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases.

15 Jul 2010

Smokers exposed to wood smoke are at increased risk of COPD: Research

Smokers who are exposed to wood smoke, either through home heating and cooking or through ambient neighborhood pollution, are not only at increased risk of COPD, but are also more likely to have epigenetic changes in the DNA that further increase their risk of COPD and related pulmonary problems.

15 Jul 2010

Fatness drives inactivity, not the other way around

According to a recent longitudinal study in children, inactivity does not lead to fatness! Moreover, the authors concluded that fatness is driving inactivity, and not the other way around. The authors noted that this "reverse causality" explains the observed association between inactivity and fatness. It also explains the repeated failures of the attempts to reduce childhood obesity by increasing physical activity. The study was published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood by Dr. Brad Metcalf and colleagues from Plymouth, UK.

15 Jul 2010

Study suggests chronic kidney disease affects persons of African, Hispanic heritage at higher rate

Chronic kidney disease affects millions in North America, with persons of African heritage being at a four-fold higher risk and those of Hispanic heritage having a two-fold higher risk compared to the rest of the population. An international study carried out by Dr. Karl Skorecki, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, and his team points to the APOL1 gene as involved in the increased risk of kidney disease in this high-risk population. The results are to be published online in Springer's journal Human Genetics.

15 Jul 2010

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

MacroGenics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company that develops immunotherapeutics to treat autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the company three new grants representing total funding of $9.8 million.

15 Jul 2010

Cigarette smoking affects entire networks of gene interaction: Research

The effects of smoking cigarettes on gene activity have been investigated in the largest study of its kind. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medical Genomics studied white blood cells taken from 1,240 people to identify 323 unique genes whose expression levels were significantly correlated with smoking behavior.

15 Jul 2010

Researchers use new biomarkers to study structure of protein deposits caused by Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have used a newly discovered class of biomarkers to investigate the possibility that the shape of brain protein deposits is different in people with Alzheimer's who have the highest-risk gene type than in those with the condition who have a neutral risk gene type. The study is being presented July 14 at the 2010 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Honolulu, Hawaii.

15 Jul 2010

Eurofins MWG Operon, Genomatix Software offer joint services to develop complete human exome array

Eurofins MWG Operon, an expert in next generation sequencing and Certified Service Provider for Roche NimbleGen sequence capture, together with Genomatix Software GmbH, a leading company in complex analysis and interpretation of such NGS data, announce that they have developed a complete human exome array, based on Roche NimbleGen sequence capture technology.

15 Jul 2010

Medical Science News

Scientists discover gene mutation responsible for CDG

Spanish scientists develop new parasite detection method to prevent Anisakidosis

Essential nutrient in eggs may reduce risk of infant heart defects

New study finds no evidence in support of LTPP's superiority over shorter-term methods of psychotherapy

Arsenic nanoparticle to combat aggressive type of breast cancer prevalent in young women

Waist circumference predicts diabetes risk

i26 hyperimmune egg balances improper immune inflammatory response

Scientists discover that C35 gene becomes overactive in HER2 positive tumours

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

Elusys, Lonza partner for commercial production of Anthim antibody for inhaled anthrax treatment

Professor develops sensor to better regulate fluid flow in hydrocephalus

Shrink Nanotechnologies files patent applications for CellAlign advanced tissue engineering technology

Nitto Denko, Quark collaborate to develop siRNA therapeutics for fibrotic diseases

Smokers exposed to wood smoke are at increased risk of COPD: Research

Fatness drives inactivity, not the other way around

Study suggests chronic kidney disease affects persons of African, Hispanic heritage at higher rate

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

Cigarette smoking affects entire networks of gene interaction: Research

Researchers use new biomarkers to study structure of protein deposits caused by Alzheimer's disease

Eurofins MWG Operon, Genomatix Software offer joint services to develop complete human exome array

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

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