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Caffeinated energy drink does not neutralize alcohol intoxication, says new study

People who drink may want to know that coffee won't sober them up, according to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they're drunk.

8 Dec 2009

Multi-institutional team explores regenerative techniques for injured spinal cords

For more than 400 years, scientists have studied the amazing regenerative power of salamanders, trying to understand how these creatures routinely repair injuries that would usually leave humans and other mammals paralyzed - or worse.

8 Dec 2009

Study shows positive association between adolescent fitness and cognitive performance

In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, Nancy Pedersen of the University of Southern California and colleagues in Sweden find that better cardiovascular health among teenage boys correlates to higher scores on a range of intelligence tests - and more education and income later in life.

8 Dec 2009

Cysteine-rich whey protein supplement may maintain or increase weight in advanced NSCLC patients

Immunotec Inc. announced today the enrollment of the first patient in the US Cancer trial of IMN 1207 being run at Beaumont Hospital's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in Royal Oak, Michigan. The goal of the study is to determine the effect of IMN 1207, a cysteine-rich whey protein supplement, in preventing additional weight loss in patients with stage IV (advanced) non-small cell lung cancer.

7 Dec 2009

PharmAthene presents Protexia clinical trial results at PHEMCE conference

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, today announced Phase I clinical trial results for Protexia, a pegylated recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.

7 Dec 2009

Cytometry system to precisely control cell movement using sound waves

Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies Corporation today announced its entry into the flow cytometry instrumentation market with the debut of the Attune™ Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, a first of its kind cytometry system designed to use sound waves to precisely control the movement of cells.

7 Dec 2009

New study reveals RNA may play a critical role in cancer treatment

Researchers from Yale University and Mirna Therapeutics, Inc., reversed the growth of lung tumors in mice using a naturally occurring tumor suppressor microRNA. The study reveals that a tiny bit of RNA may one day play a big role in cancer treatment, and provides hope for future patients battling one of the most prevalent and difficult to treat cancers.

7 Dec 2009

Computer search algorithms identify FDA-approved drugs that could be the basis for new medicines

A massive, data-crunching computer search program that matches fragments of potential drug molecules to the known shapes of viral surface proteins has identified several FDA-approved drugs that could be the basis for new medicines -- if emerging viruses such as the H5N1(avian flu) or H1N1/09 (swine flu) develop resistance to current antiviral therapies -- according to a presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) 49th Annual Meeting, Dec. 5-9, 2009 in San Diego.

7 Dec 2009

Scientists identify aggression-promoting pheromone in flies’ antenna

Have you ever found yourself struggling to get your order taken at a crowded bar or lunch counter, only to walk away in disgust as more aggressive customers elbow their way to the front? It turns out that flies do much the same thing, according to biologists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

7 Dec 2009

Scientists explore new strategies for treating neurodegenerative diseases

Studies with fruit flies have shown that the specialized nerve cells called neurons can rebuild themselves after injury.

7 Dec 2009

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives SU2C grant for cancer research

Matthew Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has been awarded more than $700,000 by Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) for his high-risk/high-reward cancer research.

7 Dec 2009

Neuroscientists show how brain waves can be used to perform certain tasks

Neuroscientists at the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, Fla., have demonstrated how brain waves can be used to type alphanumerical characters on a computer screen. By merely focusing on the "q" in a matrix of letters, for example, that "q" appears on the monitor.

7 Dec 2009

TGFb growth factor controls spread of cancer cells

The spread, or metastasis, of individual breast cancer cells from the main tumor into the blood circulation to the lungs and other body tissues and organs is under the control of a growth factor abbreviated TGFb, according to a study with laboratory mice that will be presented at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) 49th Annual Meeting, Dec. 5-9, 2009 in San Diego.

7 Dec 2009

New data shows patients with Type II PNH cells experience platelet consumption and increased thrombosis risk

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced presentation of data showing that the presence of Type II paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) cells is correlated with thrombocytopenia, potentially indicating that patients with Type II cells experience ongoing platelet consumption and increased thrombosis risk.

7 Dec 2009

New approach to protein misfolding may lead to novel therapies for a number of diseases

In an encouraging new development, a team led by Scripps Research Institute scientists has restored partial function to lung cells collected from patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is still much work to be done before the therapy can be tested in humans, the discovery opens the door to a new class of therapies for this and a host of other chronic diseases.

7 Dec 2009

Vitamin D supplements may aid in treating cancer

The findings support the growing association between vitamin D and cancer risk and outcomes, and suggest that vitamin D supplements might help even those patients already diagnosed with some forms of cancer, says Dr. Drake.

7 Dec 2009

New findings may yield more effective therapies for infants with blood cancer

Pediatric oncologists have identified specific genes, dubbed partner genes, that fuse with another gene to drive an often-fatal form of leukemia in infants. By more accurately defining specific partner genes, researchers expect to better predict which infants may benefit from particular treatments.

7 Dec 2009

Study explains how circadian rhythms can drive feeding and metabolism behaviors

One of the pioneers in research on sleep:wake circadian genes, Amita Sehgal, Ph.D., has discovered that fruit flies' appetite and consumption are controlled by two rival sets of clocks, one in neurons and the other in the fly fat body, which is analogous to the liver.

6 Dec 2009

Stem cell treatment: A new hope for Multiple Sclerosis

RNL Bio Co., Ltd, (www.rnl.co.kr) a leading biopharmaceutical company specialized in adult stem cell therapeutics announced today that a 46-year-old female, Kang Sook Park's Multiple Sclerosis improved tremendously after receiving stem cell treatment. Park was suffering from MS (Multiple Sclerosis), an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).

6 Dec 2009

New study reveals genetic alteration can lead to severe childhood obesity

Scientists in Cambridge have discovered that the loss of a key segment of DNA can lead to severe childhood obesity. This is the first study to show that this kind of genetic alteration can cause obesity. The results are published today in Nature.

6 Dec 2009