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Noninvasive optical imaging probes to determine amount and type of cell death in tumors

For quite some time, the "Holy Grail" in medical imaging has been the development of an effective method to image cell death as a means to intervene early in diseases and rapidly determine the effectiveness of treatments. A new paper by researchers at the University of Notre Dame and the Washington University School of Medicine describes important progress in using a synthetic probe to target dead and dying cells in mammary and prostate tumors in living animals.

30 Jan 2010

Musical video to teach basics of biotechnology

The video will be made available to high school students across North Carolina to help teach them how biotechnology harnesses cellular machinery to cure diseases, detect biohazards and manufacture new materials.

30 Jan 2010

Pathway Genomics' genetic health report provides valuable insight into certain health conditions

In the past few years, the science of genetic testing has advanced exponentially, both in the amount of information genetic testing can reveal and the precision and reliability of the results.

30 Jan 2010

Study may lead to preventative and therapeutic treatments for MS patients

Previous studies have shown multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are more often born in spring than in any other season, indicating that there is an environmental risk factor for the disease. A paper in the journal Neurology, reviewed for f1000 Medicine by Emmanuelle Waubant and Ellen Mowry, now suggests that this seasonal effect is mediated by the gene HLA-DRB1.

30 Jan 2010

New biomarker may predict treatment outcomes in RA patients

Investigators have identified a biomarker that could help doctors select patients with rheumatoid arthritis who will benefit from therapy with drugs such as Enbrel, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist drug.

30 Jan 2010

Docking algorithm EADock allows successful design of new inhibitors for anti-cancer target

Many human tumors express indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme which mediates an immune-escape in several cancer types. Researchers in the Molecular Modeling group at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and Dr. Beno-t J. Van den Eynde's group at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd (LICR) Brussels Branch developed an approach for creating new IDO inhibitors by computer-assisted structure-based drug design. The study was presented in the January 2010 online issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

30 Jan 2010

New study identifies that SynDIG1 plays critical role in creating and sustaining synapses

A new study from UC Davis Health System identifies for the first time a brain protein called SynDIG1 that plays a critical role in creating and sustaining synapses, the complex chemical signaling system responsible for communication between neurons.

30 Jan 2010

New mathematical model helps in predicting treatment outcomes for cervical cancer patients

Cervical cancer is highly curable when caught early. But in a third of cases, the tumor responds poorly to therapy or recurs later, when cure is much less likely.

29 Jan 2010

BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award granted to Robert J. Lefkowitz

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category goes in this second edition to Prof. Robert J. Lefkowitz (1943, New York, United States), investigator in the Department of Medicine at Duke University (United States).

29 Jan 2010

Nectar of almond tree produces amygdalin

The nectar of the almond tree produces an extraordinary and dangerous poison. This is the only known plant to have this poison in its flowers' nectar. A study carried out at the University of Haifa has revealed that bees are mysteriously drawn to the toxic substance.

29 Jan 2010

Discovery may help in designing drugs for sun-damaged skin

Researchers at Ohio State University have found a new way to study how enzymes move as they repair DNA sun damage -- and that discovery could one day lead to new therapies for healing sunburned skin.

29 Jan 2010

Targeted sequencing of exome can help identify potential disease-causing genes

Researchers from University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Roche Applied Science have recently published a research study on human exome resequencing results from eight individuals that span across three generations of a family. The findings of this study showcased the value of targeted enrichment for family-based studies which allows researchers to quickly identify potential disease-causing genetic variants and will provide the data and information for further research to better understand disease and the impact across generations of a family.

29 Jan 2010

GSA announces recipients of 2010 awards for distinguished service in the field of genetics

The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its five awards for distinguished service to the field of genetics. These awards represent sustained activity and contributions by members of the genetics community.

29 Jan 2010

New understanding of CD44 receptor's role in immune cell survival

Investigators at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have discovered a new way the cell surface protein, CD44, helps specific T helper (Th1) cells develop immunologic memory.

29 Jan 2010

Experimental vaccine protects mice and monkeys against chikungunya virus

An experimental vaccine developed using non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP) has protected macaques and mice against chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that has infected millions of people in Africa and Asia and causes debilitating pain, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found.

29 Jan 2010

Findings could guide in developing more effective vaccines for HIV/AIDS and cancer

In an acute viral infection, most of the white blood cells known as T cells differentiate into cells that fight the virus and die off in the process. But a few of these "effector" T cells survive and become memory T cells, ensuring that the immune system can respond faster and stronger the next time around.

29 Jan 2010

Normal protein can be converted into prion that causes fatal brain diseases in humans

Scientists have determined how a normal protein can be converted into a prion, an infectious agent that causes fatal brain diseases in humans and mammals.

29 Jan 2010

DNA Medicine Institute awarded Phase II NASA SBIR grant for developing nanoscale diagnostic technologies

DNA Medicine Institute, a commercial organization focused on advancing human health through innovation, today announced it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The contract is designed to develop nanoscale diagnostic technologies that facilitate whole health analysis in a single drop of blood.

29 Jan 2010

Researchers discover new target for drugs to prevent common iron deficiency

The discovery of a major player in the body's regulation of iron levels should provide a new target for drugs that prevent common iron deficiency as well as rare, potentially deadly iron overload, researchers said.

29 Jan 2010

New research raises hopes that immune rejection of embryonic stem cell therapies can be avoided without drugs

New research in the FASEB Journal shows that bone marrow cells fuse to different types of cells, including embryonic stem cells, creating new hybrids that may evade immune rejection

29 Jan 2010

Medical Science News

Noninvasive optical imaging probes to determine amount and type of cell death in tumors

Musical video to teach basics of biotechnology

Pathway Genomics' genetic health report provides valuable insight into certain health conditions

Study may lead to preventative and therapeutic treatments for MS patients

New biomarker may predict treatment outcomes in RA patients

Docking algorithm EADock allows successful design of new inhibitors for anti-cancer target

New study identifies that SynDIG1 plays critical role in creating and sustaining synapses

New mathematical model helps in predicting treatment outcomes for cervical cancer patients

BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award granted to Robert J. Lefkowitz

Nectar of almond tree produces amygdalin

Discovery may help in designing drugs for sun-damaged skin

Targeted sequencing of exome can help identify potential disease-causing genes

GSA announces recipients of 2010 awards for distinguished service in the field of genetics

New understanding of CD44 receptor's role in immune cell survival

Experimental vaccine protects mice and monkeys against chikungunya virus

Findings could guide in developing more effective vaccines for HIV/AIDS and cancer

Normal protein can be converted into prion that causes fatal brain diseases in humans

DNA Medicine Institute awarded Phase II NASA SBIR grant for developing nanoscale diagnostic technologies

Researchers discover new target for drugs to prevent common iron deficiency

New research raises hopes that immune rejection of embryonic stem cell therapies can be avoided without drugs

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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