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Source - EurekAlert – Biology:
Public Release: 26-Aug-2009
Pitt study finds molecular link between insulin resistance and inflammation
An exploration of the molecular links between insulin resistance and inflammation may have revealed a novel target for diabetes treatment, say scientists at the John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Their findings were published earlier this month in the online version of Diabetes, one of the journals of the American Diabetes Association.
Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Public Release: 26-Aug-2009
A better test to detect DNA for diagnosing disease, investigating crimes
Researchers in Singapore are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other purposes. The new lab-on-a-chip test could lead to wider, more convenient use of DNA testing, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the Sept. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 26-Aug-2009
Bird flu leaves the nest -- adapting to a new host
Current research suggests that viral polymerase may provide a new therapeutic target for host-adapted avian influenza. The related report by Gabriel et al., "Spread of Infection and Lymphocyte Depletion in Mice Depends on Polymerase of Influenza Virus" appears in the September 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
Contact: Angela Colmone
acolmone@asip.org
301-634-7953
American Journal of Pathology
Public Release: 26-Aug-2009
UCF discovery could open door to obesity, diabetes treatments
A UCF research team has identified a new genetic mechanism that controls the body's fat-building process. The discovery could open the door to new treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes, and it has the potential to help hundreds of millions of people and dramatically cut health care costs.
Contact: Barb Abney
babney@mail.ucf.edu
407-823-5139
University of Central Florida
Public Release: 26-Aug-2009
OHSU Primate Center scientists develop gene therapy method to prevent some inherited diseases
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University believe they have developed one of the first forms of genetic therapy which would combat inherited diseases passed on from mothers to their children through mutated DNA in cell mitochondria.
Contact: Jim Newman
newmanj@ohsu.edu
503-494-8231
Oregon Health & Science University
Public Release: 25-Aug-2009
Blood-flow metabolism mismatch predicts pancreatic tumor aggressiveness
Researchers from Turku, Finland, have identified a blood-flow glucose consumption mismatch that predicted pancreatic tumor aggressiveness, according to results of a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research
Public Release: 25-Aug-2009
New technology helps Parkinson's patients speak louder
Researchers have developed a new technology that helps Parkinson's patients overcome the tendency to speak too quietly by playing a recording of ambient sound, which resembles the noisy chatter of a restaurant full of patrons.
Contact: Emil Venere
venere@purdue.edu
765-494-4709
Purdue University
Public Release: 24-Aug-2009
UCSB scientists discover potential drug delivery system
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered a potential new drug delivery system. The finding is a biological mechanism for delivery of nanoparticles into tissue. The results are published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contact: Gail Gallessich
gail.g@ia.ucsb.edu
805-893-7220
University of California - Santa Barbara
Public Release: 19-Aug-2009
Novel polymer could improve protein-based drugs
A new method for attaching a large protective polymer molecule to a protein appears to improve protein drugs significantly.
Contact: Richard Merritt
Richard.merritt@duke.edu
919-660-8414
Duke University
Public Release: 19-Aug-2009
Study reveals new metabolic safeguards against tumor cells
Researchers have found a new mechanism by which the body kills potential tumor cells. When cells separate from their normal environment -- a common event during tumor formation -- they develop certain metabolic disabilities that prevent them from becoming cancerous. While some tumor genes can help these cells escape such defects, the researchers also found that antioxidant treatment can restore normal metabolic activity in these detached, homeless cells, giving them a second chance to survive and potentially become cancerous.
Contact: David Cameron
david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0441
Harvard Medical School
Source - Science Daily:
Please note: Due to the format restrictions of Science Daily articles, you must click on the URL (web address) below the article summary, rather than the article title.
Unlocking The Body's Defenses Against Cancer
August 26, 2009 — Scientists have discovered a way of allowing healthy cells to take charge of cancerous cells and stop them developing into tumors in what could provide a new approach to treating early-stage ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825100649.htm
Blood-flow Metabolism Mismatch Predicts Pancreatic Tumor Aggressiveness
August 26, 2009 — Researchers from Finland have identified a blood-flow glucose consumption mismatch that predicted pancreatic tumor aggressiveness, according to results of a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825150952.htm
The Ends Of MRNAs May Prevent The Beginnings Of Cancer
August 26, 2009 — The tail end of a cell's protein templates may contain important cues that control protein creation. When this section is lopped off of a template, a cell can make too many copies of that protein and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820123935.htm
Two Million Expected To Die Each Year From Tobacco-induced Cancers By 2015
August 26, 2009 — The Tobacco Atlas, 3rd Edition, published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, estimates that tobacco use kills some six million people each year -- more than a third of whom ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151011.htm
Some Brain Tumors May Be Mediated By Tiny Filament On Cells
August 26, 2009 — Scientists have discovered that a tiny filament extending from cells, until recently regarded as a remnant of evolution, may play a role in the most common malignant brain tumor in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090823184359.htm
Evaluating More Lymph Nodes May Not Improve Identification Of Late-stage Colorectal Cancer
August 26, 2009 — Surgically removing and evaluating an increasing number of lymph nodes does not appear to identify a greater number of patients with stage III colorectal cancer, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720163546.htm
Low-carb Diets Linked To Atherosclerosis And Impaired Blood Vessel Growth
August 25, 2009 — Even as low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets have proven successful at helping individuals to rapidly lose weight, little is known about the diets' long-term effects on vascular health. Now, a study ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151300.htm
Retina Cells Created From Skin-derived Stem Cells
August 25, 2009 — Scientists have successfully grown multiple types of retina cells from two types of stem cells -- suggesting a future in which damaged retinas could be repaired by cells grown from the patient's own ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151258.htm
Parkinson's Disease: When Cells Run Out Of Fuel
August 25, 2009 — Insights into the function of Parkinson's genes can help to understand the causes of this neurodegenerative disease -- and to develop new therapies. Researchers have now discovered that two ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824115756.htm
Some Skin Cancer May Be Mediated By Primary Cilia Activity
August 25, 2009 — Tiny, solitary spikes that stick out of nearly every cell in the body play a central role in a type of skin cancer, new research has found. The discovery in mice shows that the microscopic structures ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090823184401.htm
Device For On-The-Spot Blood Analysis
August 25, 2009 — A hand-held device could offer point-of-care blood cell analysis in doctors' surgeries. The chip within the device uses microfluidics -- a set of technologies that control the flow of minute amounts ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825103225.htm
New Treatment Option For Ruptured Brain Aneurysms
August 25, 2009 — Researchers in Finland have identified an effective new treatment option using stent-assisted coil embolization on patients who have suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825081119.htm
Disrupting A Destructive Duo: Researchers Inhibit Cancer Proteins
August 24, 2009 — Researchers have developed a new way to split up a dangerous pair of cancer proteins, a finding that could ultimately lead to chemotherapy that is more effective and has fewer side ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820124127.htm
Early, Aggressive Treatment Recommended For Critically Ill Patients With Hematological Malignancy
August 24, 2009 — A study of 7,689 admissions from 178 adult intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed the factors associated with a higher mortality rate in hematological malignancy. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824204116.htm
Melanosome Dynamics And Sensitivity Of Melanoma Cells To Chemotherapy
August 24, 2009 — Manipulating the functions of melanosomes -- the organelles in pigment-producing cells -- may enhance the activity of anticancer drugs used against melanoma, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182433.htm
Little Known Type Of Cholesterol -- Oxycholesterol -- May Pose The Greatest Heart Disease Risk
August 23, 2009 — Researchers are reporting that a little known type of cholesterol, oxycholesterol, may be a bigger heart disease threat than other forms of cholesterol. The study could lead to new targets and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820123923.htm
'Glow-in-the-dark' Red Blood Cells Made From Human Stem Cells
August 23, 2009 — Victorian stem cell scientists have modified a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line to glow red when the stem cells become red blood cells. The modified hESC line, ErythRED, represents a major step ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824115915.htm
Neural Networks Mapped In Dementia Patients
August 21, 2009 — Different types of dementia show dissimilar changes in brain activity. A network mapping technique has been applied to EEG data obtained from patients with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820204454.htm
Hello Wearable Kidney, Goodbye Dialysis Machine
August 21, 2009 — Researchers are developing a Wearable Artificial Kidney for dialysis ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175853.htm
Painless 'Microneedle' Patch May Take Sting Out Of Shots
August 21, 2009 — Scientists report the design of a painless patch that may someday render hypodermic needles -- as well as annual flu shots -- a thing of the past. Lined with tiny "microneedles," these patches could ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819110010.htm
Watching Stem Cells Repair The Human Brain
August 21, 2009 — Researchers have been able to track mesenchymal stem cells through the human brain using in-vivo MRI, which gives new information on the viability of these cells and their benefits to damaged ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819153931.htm
Detecting Bias In The Reporting Of Clinical Trials
August 20, 2009 — Researchers in the United Kingdom are developing new methods for detecting distorted medical ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819110014.htm
New Light-emitting Biomaterial Could Improve Tumor Imaging, Study Shows
August 20, 2009 — A new material -- an oxygen nanosensor that couples a light-emitting dye with a biopolymer -- simplifies the imaging of oxygen-deficient regions of tumors. Such tumors are associated with increased ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162107.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: Aug. 26, 2009
- U.S. Issues New Guidelines for Treating Children With HIV
- FDA Approves Swine Flu Test for Troops
- Spending on Health Care for Seniors Still Rising: Report
- Extreme Obesity Takes Years Off Life: Report
- Circumcision Won't Shield Gay Men From HIV: Study
Rat study suggests potential for noninvasive, early diagnostic test
Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 26, 2009
- Bipolar Disorder
- Swine Flu Vaccine
- Migraine
Still too little is known about these 'in situ' malignancies, experts say
Tobacco Use Kills 6 Million People Annually: Report
And costs the global economy $500 billion each year
Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 25, 2009
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Parkinson's Disease
- Chronic Low Back Pain
- Anxiety
- Acute Migraines
- Constipation-IBS
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Sleep Apnea
- Osteoarthritis of the Hip
- Female Low Libido
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- Schizophrenia
- Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
Cell Therapeutics submits cancer drug to FDA
Cell Therapeutics Inc. said Monday its application for an experimental cancer treatment has been accepted for review by the Food and Drug Administration.
All Eyes on the Stem Cell Index Ahead of Study Results
After last week's news from Geron weighed on the sector, stem cell stocks were ahead to start the week.
J&J consolidating management, eliminating biz unit
Health care giant Johnson & Johnson is consolidating management, starting by eliminating the smallest of its four business groups, with news of more changes expected over the next several weeks.
Source - Google Health News:
H1N1 Flu: Be A Little Afraid — But Not Of An Unproven Vaccine
TIME
26, 2009 Bridget Roberts of Columbia, Maryland, receives an experimental vaccine designed to prevent her from contracting the H1N1 swine flu virus at the ...
There Could be Serious Social Disruption from H1N1 this Winter ...
HSToday
It's why there's been so much concern in recent years about the consequences of an outbreak of a pandemic level influenza strain like the H5N1 bird flu, ...
Swine Flu Vaccine: Will It Catch On?
WebMD
The authors say “no significant changes in the level of intention to accept pre-pandemic H5N1 vaccine were observed,” despite the escalation to phase 5 of ...
No Side Effects So Far in Trial of Swine Flu Shot
New York Times
The H5N1 bird flu, by contrast, is lethal to poultry, and infected flocks are usually culled. Although the possibility exists that the mild pandemic flu ...
Deafness gene found
UI The Daily Iowan
The study was partially funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and supported by the UI Carver College of Medicine in the UI Gene Therapy ...
Case Western Reserve University researcher demonstrates that ...
EurekAlert (press release)
This has huge impact on cellular protein levels and perhaps this understanding would lead to new advances in gene therapy and viral vaccinations. ...
OHSU Researchers Hope New Therapy Will Prevent Diseases In Children
OPB News
... genes donated by a healthy egg donor.” Mitalipov believes that if clinical trails in humans are successful, the new gene therapy could be ready in 5 years.
Life Extending Gene Therapy Progress and Rundown of Life Extension ...
Next Big Future
By using this specific gene therapy vector, the virus, to introduce the longevity gene, Duan and Li opened the possibility of human treatment. ...
New nanoparticle formulation for gene delivery to treat cancers
ecancermedicalscience
The success of cancer gene therapy relies on effective delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to the specific genes that cause disease, ...
Gene therapy for hepatitis
China Daily
Scientists say they've found a big reason why treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection works better for white patients than for African-Americans. ...
Looking at the Longevity Gene
KOMU-TV
COLUMBIA - A new MU study explores a gene that could give you more energy and a longer life, and one researcher hopes the gene therapy could lead to much ...
Gene Therapy To Counter Aging
Oneindia
It seems that getting old and infirm would soon be a thing of the past, as researchers claim that they have found a gene therapy to counter aging and ...
Source - Medical News Today:
New Route To Potential Breast Cancer Cure Discovered
UK scientists have discovered a new route to a potential cure for breast cancer
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161861.php
Obese People Are At Greater Risk For Developing Alzheimer's
Obesity
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161933.php
Unlocking The Body's Defenses Against Cancer
Scientists have discovered a way of allowing healthy cells to take charge of cancerous cells and stop them developing into tumours in what could provide a new approach to treating early-stage cancers
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161923.php
Report That Premiums To Rise 94% By 2020 A Reminder Why Medicare For All Would Best Control Costs, Say RNs
Alarming new numbers released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161608.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review:
Changing the Biological Battery
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23314/
Creating a Heart Patch
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23303/
Biotech Bacteria Could Help Diabetics
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23302/
A Step Forward for Microbial Machines
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23297/
Reprogrammed Human Cells Shed Light on Rare Disease
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23288/
Fighting Stomach Flu with Tobacco
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23283/
Decoding the Profit Gene
http://www.technologyreview.com/business/23282/
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