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Applied Biosystems launches MeltDoctor High-Resolution Melt Reagents for scanning DNA

Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE), today announced the launch of genomic analysis tools that will help researchers in studies that associate genetic variation with specific diseases. These new tools, known as the MeltDoctor™ High-Resolution Melt (HRM) Reagents, are for research use only and are part of a PCR-based workflow that enables researchers to cost-effectively scan DNA from a variety of biological sample types to detect the smallest genetic variations among samples.

16 Sep 2009

Albumin for cancer treatment

Tiny particles of albumin, a protein found in the blood, can be used to carry radioactive isotopes to the site of a cancerous tumour in the body and so avoid many of the side-effects of conventional radiotherapy.

16 Sep 2009

Genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol in marijuana identified

In a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil, University of Minnesota researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana. Studying the genes could also lead to new and better drugs for pain, nausea and other conditions.

16 Sep 2009

Genetically removing the osteopontin protein prevents lung diseases

In a development that could lead to a novel approach to the treatment of a devastating lung disease, biochemists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston report they are the first to link the osteopontin (OPN) protein to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

16 Sep 2009

Stem cells - the answer to autoimmune diseases and cancer in the future

Stem cells are multipotent cells of the immune system. Scientists hope to use them for curing autoimmune diseases, cancer and innate genetic defects in the future.

16 Sep 2009

Research study conducted to understand radiation-induced bone loss

A research project looking for ways to reduce bone loss in astronauts may yield methods of improving the bone health of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.

16 Sep 2009

NIBIB awards University of Miami a $735,000 grant to develop a bioreactor system for tissue engineering

A new grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will provide funding for University of Miami (UM) College of Engineering researchers to develop a novel bioreactor system that will control mechano-electrochemical environment for tissue growth and also provide on-line monitoring for the properties of engineered tissues.

16 Sep 2009

Research study indicates presence of two stable bacterial ecosystems in the gut

Small-bowel transplant patients with an ileostomy -- an opening into their small bowel -- have a very different population of bacteria living in their gut than patients whose ileostomy has been closed, researchers from UC Davis and Georgetown University Medical Center have found. The results are published online Sept. 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

16 Sep 2009

Mechanism during sleep responsible for memory formation identified

A Rutgers University, Newark and Coll-ge de France, Paris research team has pinpointed for the first time the mechanism that takes place during sleep that causes learning and memory formation to occur.

16 Sep 2009

Researchers analyze how genome influences human health

Two recent studies by Dartmouth researchers use individual genetic data to reveal the powers and limits of our current understanding of how the genome influences human health and what genes can reveal about the ancestry of the people of New Hampshire.

15 Sep 2009

The Miriam Hospital researchers study brain activity patterns

A difference in brain activity patterns may explain why some people are able to maintain a significant weight loss while others regain the weight, according to a new study by researchers with The Miriam Hospital.

15 Sep 2009

NYSDOH blocks U.S.-Egypt study of ozone-based medical therapies for diabetic skin ulcers

A study exploring the healing of diabetic skin ulcers using topical oxygen/ozone gas mixtures could not proceed to completion and was now abandoned, according to Ozonics International, LLC, a veteran-owned biotechnology company engaged in the research and development of ozone-based medical therapies.

15 Sep 2009

Researchers use mTeSR1 medium for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells

In a landmark paper, researchers at Stanford University have described a new way to derive human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) without the use of contaminating mouse feeder cells. Using adipose cells as the starting cell population and mTeSR™1, a defined medium that allows the expansion of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells without the use of feeders, the researchers were able to fully reprogram the cells to the pluripotent state.

15 Sep 2009

Cardium's Gene Activated Matrix technology demonstrates benefits in periodontal tissue regeneration

Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) today reported on preclinical findings published in the scientific journal, Gene Therapy, demonstrating that Cardium's Gene Activated Matrix(TM) or GAM(TM) technology accelerates periodontal tissue regeneration of oral implant-supporting wounds.

15 Sep 2009

New book on human genetics helps to unravel complex human diseases

Many human diseases-including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease-are caused by multiple genetic variants and the interaction of those variants with the environment. Because such diseases lack a clear-cut inheritance pattern, sophisticated technological approaches and statistical analyses are required to determine their underlying cause.

15 Sep 2009

Gentic circuits that cause mucous hyper-production identified

Scientists have identified the main genetic switch that causes excessive mucous in the lungs, a discovery that one day could ease suffering for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis, or just those fighting the common cold.

15 Sep 2009

Study describes neuron's two-layer integration model

A new Northwestern University study provides evidence that supports the "two-layer integration model," one of several competing models attempting to explain how neurons integrate synaptic inputs. The findings are published in the journal Neuron.

15 Sep 2009

Stem cell therapy holds great promise for regenerative medicine

The recipients of The 2009 Lasker Awards, announced today, represent the dramatic advances achieved in biotechnology research that have led to a revolutionary cancer treatment and the tremendous promise of stem cell therapy for regenerative medicine. Such advances portend a potential $700 million global market for new therapies within less than five years, according to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN, www.genengnews.com).

15 Sep 2009

Researchers study planaria's regeneration process

Amputations trigger a molecular response that determines if a head or tail will be regrown in planaria, a flatworm commonly studied for its regenerative capabilities. Until now, no molecular connection between wounding and the decision to regenerate either a head or tail in planaria had been identified.

15 Sep 2009

Neurologix to showcase novel gene transfer approach to Parkinson’s disease

Neurologix, Inc. (OTCBB: NRGX), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of innovative gene therapies for the brain and central nervous system, announced today that the company will showcase its novel gene transfer approach to Parkinson’s disease.

15 Sep 2009