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Researchers discover why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke

Researchers have discovered a reason why smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Nicotine promotes insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the new study, which was presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

2 Sep 2009

Induced antibodies neutralize HIV-1; recognize peptides encapsulated in liposomes

For the first time, researchers have experimentally induced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 and simultaneously recognize both HIV-1 envelope protein and lipids. The results were reported by U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) researchers on Aug. 25 in the online version of AIDS, the official journal of the International AIDS Society.

2 Sep 2009

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in diabetics

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in type II diabetics than they do in healthy people, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet published in Cell Metabolism.

2 Sep 2009

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

University of Michigan scientists say they have uncovered a fundamentally new mechanism that holds in check aggressive immune cells that can attack the body's own cells. The findings open a new avenue of research for future therapies for conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases to organ transplants to cancer.

2 Sep 2009

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has provided funding for new research to learn more about how white blood cells work. Jonathan Reichner, PhD, of the department of surgery at Rhode Island Hospital has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Reichner's hope is that the research will lead to new immune-enhancing therapies, with potential implications for improvements in both cancer treatment and controlling inflammation accompanying injury and infection.

2 Sep 2009

Nanodiamonds: A novel gene delivery technology

Gene therapy holds promise in the treatment of a myriad of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among many others. However, developing a scalable system for delivering genes to cells both efficiently and safely has been challenging.

2 Sep 2009

University of North Carolina awarded the Center of Excellence in Genomic Science

To seek answers, the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health has named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a Center of Excellence in Genomic Science and awarded UNC $8.6 million over five years to fund a new Center for Integrated Systems Genetics, or CISGen.

2 Sep 2009

JAMA study reveals the genetic signature of brain cancer

A pair of studies in the July 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) spell out how much closer science has come to unraveling the genetic signature of brain cancer, according to a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology, believes these studies represent a new vanguard in the still-changing field of DNA analysis.

2 Sep 2009

Advances in traumatic brain injury to be presented at the University of New Mexico

Dr. David Durham will present Advances in Traumatic Brain Injury at the University of New Mexico on Friday, September 4th to physicians and medical students in the departments of psychiatry and neurology.

2 Sep 2009

Exercise prevents increase in the number of fat cells during weight regain

Exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting by reducing appetite and by burning fat before burning carbohydrates, according to a new study with rats. Burning fat first and storing carbohydrates for use later in the day slows weight regain and may minimize overeating by signaling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

2 Sep 2009

Biotransformed blueberry juice can function as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent

Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, was conducted by researchers from the Universit- de Montr-al, the Institut Armand-Frappier and the Universit- de Moncton who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice.

2 Sep 2009

Hexokinase 2 gene highly expressed in brain metastasis in breast cancer patients

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have identified a gene that may play a role in breast cancer metastasis to the brain, according to a report in Molecular Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

2 Sep 2009

Researchers analyze the role of bioactive lipids in inflammatory diseases

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 46 million Americans have arthritis. Many of these people take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications that block production of certain molecules, known as bioactive lipids, to reduce pain and swelling. Yet, the role of these lipids is not yet understood completely, and medications may have adverse side effects.

2 Sep 2009

NF-kappa B inhibitors protect against toxicity during radiation treatment

Directly inhibiting the activity of a key protein mediator of inflammation reduced radiation toxicity in zebrafish embryos, and may ultimately be of help to patients receiving radiation therapy, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.

2 Sep 2009

Paper discussing the mechanism of the selective TGR5 agonist INT-777 published in Cell Metabolism

Bile acids are known to be key regulators of lipid, glucose and overall energy metabolism. Bile acid activation of the G protein-coupled receptor TGR5 has been shown to induce energy expenditure in muscle and brown fat, thereby conferring resistance to weight gain.

2 Sep 2009

Human Tissue Act 2004 may have helped medical research involving human tissue

Fears that medical research using tissue such as blood or material from biopsies would be obstructed by the Human Tissue Act 2004 may have been unfounded, a new study from the University of Leicester reveals.

2 Sep 2009

Research reveals that practicing Tetris increases brain efficiency

Researchers at the Mind Research Network today announced the findings of a scientific study that used brain imaging and Tetris to investigate whether practice makes the brain efficient because it increases gray matter. Over a three-month period, adolescent girls practiced Tetris, a computer game requiring a combination of cognitive skills. The girls who practiced showed greater brain efficiency, consistent with earlier studies. Compared to controls, the girls that practiced also had a thicker cortex, but not in the same brain areas where efficiency occurred.

1 Sep 2009

MultiGEN Diagnostics launches new technology for clinical testing in molecular diagnostics

San Diego-based MultiGEN Diagnostics Inc. has launched a novel multi-target DNA sequencing technology (MultiGEN) for a wide range of clinical testing in molecular diagnostics.

1 Sep 2009

Research reveals that large non-coding RNA in mammals play an important role in telomere maintenance

A team of researchers from The Wistar Institute have shown that a large non-coding RNA in mammals and yeast plays a central role in helping maintain telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that contain important genetic information and help regulate cell division. Since this RNA also facilitates the formation of DNA at telomeres-a process that can protect aging cells and destabilize tumor cells-manipulating its expression may be useful in treating cancer and other diseases.

1 Sep 2009

New gene therapy vector developed for transferring therapeutic DNA to a cell's nucleus

A research report featured on the cover of the September 2009 print issue of The FASEB Journal describes how Australian scientists developed a new gene therapy vector that uses the same machinery that viruses use to transport their cargo into our cells. As a result of this achievement, therapeutic DNA can be transferred to a cell's nucleus far more efficiently than in the past, raising hopes for more effective treatment of genetic disorders and some types of cancers.

1 Sep 2009

Medical Science News

Researchers discover why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke

Induced antibodies neutralize HIV-1; recognize peptides encapsulated in liposomes

Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in diabetics

T cells influence aggressive immune cells by regulating the chemical environment between cells

New ARRA-funded research on white blood cell functioning

Nanodiamonds: A novel gene delivery technology

University of North Carolina awarded the Center of Excellence in Genomic Science

JAMA study reveals the genetic signature of brain cancer

Advances in traumatic brain injury to be presented at the University of New Mexico

Exercise prevents increase in the number of fat cells during weight regain

Biotransformed blueberry juice can function as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent

Hexokinase 2 gene highly expressed in brain metastasis in breast cancer patients

Researchers analyze the role of bioactive lipids in inflammatory diseases

NF-kappa B inhibitors protect against toxicity during radiation treatment

Paper discussing the mechanism of the selective TGR5 agonist INT-777 published in Cell Metabolism

Human Tissue Act 2004 may have helped medical research involving human tissue

Research reveals that practicing Tetris increases brain efficiency

MultiGEN Diagnostics launches new technology for clinical testing in molecular diagnostics

Research reveals that large non-coding RNA in mammals play an important role in telomere maintenance

New gene therapy vector developed for transferring therapeutic DNA to a cell's nucleus

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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