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Scientists find potential Achilles Heel in JC polyomavirus

The JC polyomavirus doesn't strike very often, but it's a mean bug that preys on people with weakened immune systems, including people with AIDS, and almost always kills them. Now an international team of scientists at Brown University, the University of T-bingen in Germany, and Imperial College in London has found a potential Achilles Heel and painted a target on it: The virus must bind to a very specific sugar molecule dangling from the side of the brain cells it attacks.

21 Oct 2010

Metabolon receives patent for biomarkers to determine PPAR-affecting drugs

Metabolon, Inc., leaders in global metabolomics, biomarker discovery and biochemical analysis, announced today the grant of US Patent 7,807,138 entitled "Biomarkers of Metabolic Responses to Hepatic Drugs". The USPTO awarded the patent to Metabolon on October 5, 2010. This is the 13th patent issued to Metabolon and the second in its portfolio of biomarker patents.

21 Oct 2010

Researchers identify common link among malignant tumor types in all grades of cancer

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in collaboration with investigators of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) of France led by Nicolae Ghinea, PhD, have found a common link among several malignant tumor types in all grades of cancer. This breakthrough may ultimately provide a new diagnostic or therapeutic target to detect cancer early or stop tumor growth.

21 Oct 2010

Menopausal estrogen replacement therapy speeds growth of ovarian cancer

Estrogen therapy used by menopausal women causes a type of ovarian cancer to grow five times faster, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

21 Oct 2010

Burn injuries in children show vitamin E depletion in fat tissues

Severe burn injuries in children have been shown to rapidly deplete the levels of vitamin E in their body's adipose, or fat tissues, a new clinical study has found.

21 Oct 2010

Researchers to study effect of reovirus on cancer cells

A common virus that can cause coughing and mild diarrhea appears to have a major redemptive quality: the ability to kill cancer. Harnessing that power, researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical Center, are conducting a clinical trial to see if the virus can target and kill certain tumor types.

21 Oct 2010

Kinemed updates translational biomarkers strategy at 2010 Conference in Boston

Marc K. Hellerstein, M.D., Ph.D. Co-Founder and Chief of SAB, Kinemed, Inc. presented an "Updated Strategy for Using Disease Predictive Translational Biomarkers in the Rapidly Advancing Field of Causal Pathway Measurements" at the 2010 Personalized and Translational Medicine Conference. In Boston, on September 20-21, 2010.

21 Oct 2010

Study: p63 gene stifles spread of cancer

Long overshadowed by p53, its famous tumor-suppressing sibling, the p63 gene does the tougher, important job of stifling the spread of cancer to other organs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the Oct. 21 issue of Nature.

21 Oct 2010

Victorian Government grants assist companies build global markets

The Brumby Labor Government is providing $410,000 in grants to help three Melbourne companies improve their global competitiveness, save money on production costs and create local jobs.

21 Oct 2010

Dopamine vital for rhythmic expression in specific brain regions: Research

Daily sleeping and eating patterns are critical to human well-being and health. Now, a new study from Concordia University has demonstrated how the brain chemical dopamine regulates these cycles by altering the activity of the "clock-protein" PER2. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, these findings may have implications for individuals with Parkinson's Disease with disrupted 24-hour rhythms of activity and sleep.

21 Oct 2010

Trained service dogs can help children with Autism Syndrome Disorders

Dogs may not only be man's best friend, they may also have a special role in the lives of children with special needs. According to a new Universit- de Montreal study, specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with Autism Syndrome Disorders (ASDs).

20 Oct 2010

LANL's researcher to implement first human trial of mosaic HIV vaccine candidate

Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher Bette Korber is part of an international team of investigators working to design and implement the first human trial of a mosaic HIV vaccine candidate. The vaccine represents a novel strategy for fighting the virus that causes AIDS by attempting to address one of the most daunting challenges in HIV vaccine design: the virus's extensive genetic diversity.

20 Oct 2010

RWV bioreactor creates 3-D cell culture models

The cells and tissues in our bodies grow, develop and interact in a highly complex, three-dimensional world. Likewise, the various microbial pathogens that invade our bodies and cause infectious disease interact with this complex 3-D tissue milieu. In the current issue of the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology, researcher Cheryl Nickerson and her team at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University highlight an innovative approach for studying cells in 3-D.

20 Oct 2010

New industrial grade of liquid Chloroperoxidase

Bio-Research Products announced today that it will add to its Chloroperoxidase (CPO) offerings a lower cost, industrial grade for application to organic syntheses such as oxidations and halogenations.

20 Oct 2010

A new way of seeing the world

Scientists at The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University have discovered that our brains have the ability to determine the shape of an object simply by processing specially-coded sounds, without any visual or tactile input. Not only does this new research tell us about the plasticity of the brain and how it perceives the world around us, it also provides important new possibilities for aiding those who are blind or with impaired vision.

20 Oct 2010

First in vivo screening system for complete human nuclear hormone receptor family

The InDanio screening system can be used, for example, to functionally characterize 'orphan' receptors - those for which their natural ligands or specific function are unknown - and thus qualify them as potential targets for drug discovery. The system can also be used to screen compound libraries in order to identify and refine potential new drugs that target NR proteins.

20 Oct 2010

New sandwich wheat bread is an excellent source of antioxidants

In its continuing commitment as a leader in the bread industry, Texas-based Mrs Baird's becomes the first major baking company in its region to fortify its line of sandwich wheat breads, now providing an excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A and E.

20 Oct 2010

Researchers to develop tailor-made pain management strategies for chronic pain

Research presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting offers new data in the quest to develop tailor-made pain management strategies based upon a patient's genetic predisposition and other important factors.

20 Oct 2010

MU researchers examine Aspergillus fumigatus to find cure for fungus, parasite

If finding the cure for a fungus and parasite that affects millions of people were the subject of a detective show, University of Missouri Chemistry Professor John Tanner would be the forensic expert in the lab, using high-tech equipment to make a model that could eventually solve the crime.

20 Oct 2010

Carbon dioxide plays a role in gene regulation: Research

UCD Conway researchers have found that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not only involved in climate change and a waste product of respiration in cells but also plays an active role in regulating the genes involved in inflammation and innate immunity. Their research findings were highlighted recently in the The Journal of Immunology.

20 Oct 2010