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Loss of key proteins may account for molecular abnormalities associated with myotonic dystrophy

Research on the genetic defect that causes myotonic muscular dystrophy has revealed that the mutation disrupts an array of metabolic pathways in muscle cells through its effects on two key proteins.

24 Jan 2010

New technology may allow scientists to monitor real time activity of protein network

A new assay capable of examining hundreds of proteins at once and enabling new experiments that could dramatically change our understanding of cancer and other diseases has been invented by a team of University of Chicago scientists.

24 Jan 2010

New evidence identifies mechanical factors that limit human running speeds

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's record-setting performances have unleashed a wave of interest in the ultimate limits to human running speed. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology offers intriguing insights into the biology and perhaps even the future of human running speed.

23 Jan 2010

3D images of synapsis between neurons through electron cryotomography

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, in Germany, led by the Spanish physicist Rub-n Fern-ndez-Busnadiego, has managed to obtain 3D images of the vesicles and filaments involved in communication between neurons. The method is based on a novel technique in electron microscopy, which cools cells so quickly that their biological structures can be frozen while fully active.

23 Jan 2010

Researchers set on grand challenge to accomplish targeted drug delivery for heart disease

Virginia Tech researcher Pavlos Vlachos and his students in the College of Engineering have a tall order to tackle: Stem the grim progression of heart disease, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States alone.

23 Jan 2010

Study of 16INK4A gene's role in progression of retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a pediatric eye cancer initiated by the loss or mutation of both copies of the retinoblastoma gene. Current evidence suggests that additional genetic alterations are required for retinoblastoma to become fully malignant.

23 Jan 2010

Kalorama report predicts double-digit growth in SNP market

A setback in the scientific basis for SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) analysis may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for makers of genotyping equipment, reagents and software, according to Kalorama Information.

23 Jan 2010

Driving impairs language skills, says new study

It is well known that having a conversation (for example on a cell phone) impairs one's driving. A new study indicates the reverse is also true: Driving reduces one's ability to comprehend and use language.

23 Jan 2010

Injectable sealant found to be biocompatible and effective for fetal tissue repair

A sealant inspired by mussels' ability to stick to surfaces under wet conditions has shown promise in the repair of defects in human fetal membranes, according to a recent Northwestern University study.

23 Jan 2010

Study: Warburg effect promotes rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth

A team of scientists led by Professor Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has discovered molecular factors in cancer cells that boost the production of an enzyme that helps alter the cells' glucose metabolism. The altered metabolic state, called the Warburg effect, promotes extremely rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth. Adrian Krainer, Ph.D.

23 Jan 2010

Dark chocolates may ease emotional stress

There may well be another important reason for giving your sweetheart sweets for Valentine's Day besides the traditional romantic one: The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is now getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.

23 Jan 2010

NEB's Double Digest Finder and Enzyme Finder tools now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

New England Biolabs' (NEB) popular web tools, Double Digest Finder and Enzyme Finder, are now available for the iPhone™ and iPod® Touch. These tools to help design restriction enzyme experiments are frequently visited on the NEB website, www.neb.com; making them available as free downloads brings their accessibility closer to the bench.

From New England Biolabs 23 Jan 2010

Scientists map origin of MRSA, technology could help understanding of other diseases

"Scientists have found a way to track minutely-differing strains of the 'superbug' MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus] as they spread between people and across the globe, a finding that could aid efforts to control the deadly bacteria," Reuters/ABC News reports (Kelland, 1/21).

23 Jan 2010

Findings offer potential significance to the recovery of walking after spinal cord injury

Researchers at the medical university Karolinska Institutet have created a genetically modified mouse in which certain neurons can be activated by blue light. Shining blue light on brainstems or spinal cords isolated from these mice produces walking-like motor activity. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, are of potential significance to the recovery of walking after spinal cord injury.

22 Jan 2010

Benefits of DNA testing

Does the term “genetic testing” conjure up thoughts of cloned, robot-like human beings and malevolent plots to rule the world? If so, you’ve been reading too much science fiction! The truth is, DNA testing has been put to very beneficial use for decades, primarily in the medical, law enforcement, and legal fields.

22 Jan 2010

Elsevier announces the winners of Asian Young Women Researcher Awards

Elsevier announced today the winners of the Asian Young Women Researcher Awards, a joint development between its flagship product Scopus(R), the world's largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and the Third World Organisation for Women in Science (TWOWS) and TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world.

22 Jan 2010

ACS Chemical Biology report supports zebrafish for drug development

By combining the tools of medicinal chemistry and zebrafish biology, a team of Vanderbilt investigators has identified compounds that may offer therapeutic leads for bone-related diseases and cancer.

22 Jan 2010

Sexual reproduction leads to lesser accumulation of harmful DNA mutations than asexual reproduction

Living organisms have good reason for engaging in sexual, rather than asexual, reproduction according to Maurine Neiman, assistant professor of biology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and researcher in the Roy J. Carver Center for Genomics.

22 Jan 2010

Virtual-reality baseballs give researchers insight into long-standing mystery

While baseball fans still rank "The Catch" by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series as one of the greatest baseball moments of all times, scientists see the feat as more of a puzzle: How does an outfielder get to the right place at the right time to catch a fly ball?

22 Jan 2010

The American Journal of Pathology: Highlights from February 2010 issue

A group led by Dr. Peter Lloyd Jones at the University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland; the University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO; and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA has demonstrated that tenascin-C affects proto-oncogene function in breast cancer. Their report can be found in the February 2010 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

22 Jan 2010

Medical Science News

Loss of key proteins may account for molecular abnormalities associated with myotonic dystrophy

New technology may allow scientists to monitor real time activity of protein network

New evidence identifies mechanical factors that limit human running speeds

3D images of synapsis between neurons through electron cryotomography

Researchers set on grand challenge to accomplish targeted drug delivery for heart disease

Study of 16INK4A gene's role in progression of retinoblastoma

Kalorama report predicts double-digit growth in SNP market

Driving impairs language skills, says new study

Injectable sealant found to be biocompatible and effective for fetal tissue repair

Study: Warburg effect promotes rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth

Dark chocolates may ease emotional stress

NEB's Double Digest Finder and Enzyme Finder tools now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

Scientists map origin of MRSA, technology could help understanding of other diseases

Findings offer potential significance to the recovery of walking after spinal cord injury

Benefits of DNA testing

Elsevier announces the winners of Asian Young Women Researcher Awards

ACS Chemical Biology report supports zebrafish for drug development

Sexual reproduction leads to lesser accumulation of harmful DNA mutations than asexual reproduction

Virtual-reality baseballs give researchers insight into long-standing mystery

The American Journal of Pathology: Highlights from February 2010 issue

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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