Medical Science News

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Synthesis of natural molecule could lead to better anti-cancer drugs

In early 2007, Northwestern University chemist Karl Scheidt's interest was piqued when marine chemist Amy Wright reported in the Journal of Natural Products that a new natural compound derived from an uncommon deep-sea sponge was extremely effective at inhibiting cancer cell growth.

24 Jan 2008

Unique fungal collection could hold key to future antibiotics

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London have joined forces with CABI to establish a facility to screen for potential new antibiotics.

23 Jan 2008

Scientists use nanoscale polymer films to control drug delivery

Using nanotechnology, scientists from UCLA and Northwestern University have developed a localized and controlled drug delivery method that is invisible to the immune system, a discovery that could provide newer and more effective treatments for cancer and other diseases.

23 Jan 2008

Johns Hopkins to participate in 1000 Genomes Project

Researchers at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM) at Johns Hopkins will join other national and international scientists in the 1000 Genomes Project, an ambitious effort that will involve sequencing the genomes of numerous people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation.

23 Jan 2008

German Research Foundation skeptical on cloning of human cells

According to a paper published in the journal Stem Cells, an American group has succeeded in inserting cell nuclei from human skin cells into human enucleated oocytes and to stimulate these new cells to undergo cell division in the laboratory.

23 Jan 2008

Flame retardant chemicals found in body fat of Tasmanian Devil

A wild carnivorous marsupial which only exists on the Australian island state of Tasmania has been found to have high levels of flame retardant chemicals.

23 Jan 2008

Genome scan shows Polynesians and Micronesians have almost no genetic relation to Melanesians

The origins and current genetic relationships of Pacific Islanders have generated interest and controversy for many decades.

21 Jan 2008

British scientists given go-ahead for human-animal embryo research

Scientists in Britain have been given the go-ahead to create human-animal hybrid embryos for research.

20 Jan 2008

Current state of the art in glycoscience

Sugars were once credited with magical healing powers but are now seen like salt as an evil necessary in small doses but the cause of numerous diseases such as diabetes if taken in excess.

18 Jan 2008

Gold nanoparticles shine brightly in tumors

Solid gold nanoparticles have long been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and more recently have shown promise in treating various types of cancer.

16 Jan 2008

Nanomechanical analysis of cells from cancer patients

A multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), were able to differentiate metastatic cancer cells from normal cells in patient samples by utilizing a modified form of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the softness of the cells.

16 Jan 2008

Smart hydrogel particles: biomarker harvesting

The long and challenging effort to find blood-borne markers for cancer and other diseases may soon enter a new realm of success using a new nanoparticle that preferentially and rapidly removes small proteins and other molecules from blood while simultaneously protecting them from degradation.

16 Jan 2008

Matrix metalloproteinase-assisted triggered release of liposomal contents

Cancer cells display a variety of proteins on their outer membranes that are not present on the surface of normal cells.

16 Jan 2008

Cancer cell targeting using multiple aptamers conjugated on nanorods

Aptamers, short stretches of DNA or RNA that can act much like antibodies, have shown promise as targeting agents for selective nanoparticle trafficking to tumors.

16 Jan 2008

Polymeric nanoparticles for tumor vaccines

The quest for an effective antitumor vaccine has received a boost from the results of work aimed at developing a nanoparticle that delivers tumor antigens to the immune system cells that trigger antibody production.

16 Jan 2008

New technique could dramatically lower costs of DNA sequencing

Using computer simulations, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated a strategy for sequencing DNA by driving the molecule back and forth through a nanopore capacitor in a semiconductor chip.

16 Jan 2008

New research may shed light on how proteins interact with drugs and other small molecules

Proteins, the biological molecules involved in virtually every action of every organism, may themselves move in surprising ways, according to a recent study from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory that may shed new light on how proteins interact with drugs and other small molecules.

16 Jan 2008

Supercarrot to protect against bone diseases

American scientists have created a "supercarrot" which may protect against conditions such as brittle bone disease and osteoporosis.

16 Jan 2008

Molecular evolution of limb length

In the January 15th issue of G&D, a research team led by Dr. Richard Behringer at MD Anderson Cancer Center reports that they have successfully switched the mouse Prx1 gene regulatory element with the Prx1 gene regulatory region from a bat - and although these two species are separated by millions of years of evolution - the resulting transgenic mice displayed abnormally long forelimbs.

15 Jan 2008