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Susceptibility to Behcet's disease associated with genes involved in body's immune response

Researchers with the National Institutes of Health have found susceptibility to Behcet's disease, a painful, inflammatory condition, to be associated with genes involved in the body's immune response.

14 Jul 2010

NEB introduces NEBNext Quick DNA Sample Prep Reagent Set 2, Master Mix Set 2

New England Biolabs has expanded its line of reagents for sample preparation with the introduction of NEBNext Quick DNA Sample Prep Reagent Set 2 and Master Mix Set 2, both suitable for library construction for Roche's 454 GS FLX Titanium and GS Junior instruments. These new products provide all the necessary enzymes and buffers for fast fragment library preparation.

From New England Biolabs 14 Jul 2010

Study shows cigarette cravings result from habit, not addiction

Nicotine patches and gum are common ― and often ineffective ― ways of fighting cigarette cravings, as most smokers have discovered. Now a new study from Tel Aviv University shows why they're ineffective, and may provide the basis for more successful psychologically-based smoking cessation programs.

14 Jul 2010

Gene therapy represents safe alternative to current cures for blood disorder β-thalassemia

Italian scientists pioneering a new gene transfer treatment for the blood disorder β-thalassemia have successfully completed preclinical trials, claiming they can correct the lack of beta-globin (β-globin) in patients' blood cells which causes the disease. The research, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, reveals how gene therapy may represent a safe alternative to current cures that are limited to a minority of patients.

14 Jul 2010

Brookhaven Science Associates, BioSET receive U.S. patent for tissue regeneration technology

Brookhaven Science Associates, the company that manages the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Biosurface Engineering Technologies, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland, have been issued a U.S. patent for an improved second-generation technology for designing synthetic peptides that are important for tissue regeneration.

14 Jul 2010

InQ Biosciences to launch fully integrated Cell Research System

InQ Biosciences, a provider of innovative technologies for cell growth and research, announced its plans to launch the InQ™ Cell Research System during the fourth quarter of 2010. InQ is the first fully integrated system that creates a high fidelity in vivo environment for studying stem cells, plus nerve, brain, and other mammalian cells for disease research.

14 Jul 2010

Stimulation of single whisker prevents stroke in rats

Talk about surviving by a whisker. The most common type of stroke can be completely prevented in rats by stimulating a single whisker, according to a new study by UC Irvine researchers.

14 Jul 2010

CMAJ publishes new, updated guidelines on vitamin D

New and updated guidelines on recommended vitamin D intake have been published this week in the online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

14 Jul 2010

Study: Disruption of genes that control circadian rhythms may lead to diabetes

Disruption of two genes that control circadian rhythms can lead to diabetes, a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found in an animal study. Mice with defective copies of the genes, called CLOCK and BMAL1, develop abnormalities in pancreatic cells that eventually render the cells unable to release sufficient amounts of insulin.

14 Jul 2010

Role of enzyme GSTP1-1 in progression of cancer, other diseases associated with increased cell proliferation

Telik, Inc. today announced the publication of a review in the journal, Cell Death and Differentiation: Glutathione transferases as mediators of signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation and cell death; http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/cdd201080a.html. This review describes recent advances in the understanding of the important role that the enzyme GSTP1-1 plays in the progression of cancer and other diseases associated with increased cell proliferation.

13 Jul 2010

Thomson Reuters' new report: Can Nanotech Unlock the Fountain of Youth?

Small particles are becoming a big business for the world's personal care products manufacturers according to an analysis of world patent activity published today by the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters. The new report, Can Nanotech Unlock the Fountain of Youth?, finds that the beauty industry has begun to make an aggressive foray into nanotechnology, using tiny molecular compounds to improve the performance of creams, sunscreens, shampoos and other personal-care products.

13 Jul 2010

Brains of overweight people are less sensitive to feelings of hunger, finds new research

Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that that feelings of hunger have less influence on how the brain responds to the smell and taste of food in overweight than healthy weight individuals.

13 Jul 2010

BioImage Study published in American Heart Journal

BG Medicine, Inc., a U.S.-based biomarker discovery and in vitro diagnostics company, announced today the publication of The BioImage Study trial design and key objectives in the American Heart Journal. The American Heart Journal is a peer- reviewed journal that publishes original research and review articles on clinical research studies in the field of cardiology.

13 Jul 2010

Researchers discover single genetic mutation that accounts for disease

By inspecting the sequence of all 3 billion "letters" that make up the genome of a single person affected with a rare, inherited disorder, a Johns Hopkins and Duke University team ferreted out the single genetic mutation that accounts for the disease.

13 Jul 2010

Verbal cues influence even most elementary visual processing

Cognitive psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California have shown that an image displayed too quickly to be seen by an observer can be detected if the participant first hears the name of the object.

13 Jul 2010

Hormone leptin reduces food intake by activating hippocampus: Research

Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that the hormone leptin reduces food intake, in part, by activating the hippocampus, an area of the brain that controls learning and memory function. Leptin is a hormone released from fat cells that acts on the brain to inhibit feeding.

13 Jul 2010

Researchers watch armed tumor-seeking immune system cells attack dangerous melanomas in real time

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center created a large, well armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells and watched, in real time using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), as the special forces traveled throughout the body to locate and attack dangerous melanomas.

13 Jul 2010

Memoir traces lifelong, undetected bipolar disorder

When Jerry Jewler turned 60, he celebrated his "coming of age" with a splashy party -- and a glorious high. The next day, he awoke to a hell he had never known: sad and depressed, unable to make even idle chatter with his houseguests, and angry at the world.

13 Jul 2010

Research finding could yield new ideas for treating symptoms of motor neurone disease

Scientists in Aberdeen have discovered a mechanism that muscles use to regulate the nerves which control them. They believe their finding could yield new ideas for treating symptoms of motor neurone disease - a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative condition that leads to muscle weakness and wasting - and other neuromuscular conditions.

13 Jul 2010