News and applications for life science research professionals
Court: 'pay to delay' generic drugs can be illegal
June 17, 2013 10:50 am | by JESSE J. HOLLAND - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court ruled Monday that deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can be sometimes be illegal and therefore challenged by federal officials in court. The justices voted...
Toxin Testing Helps Treat Spine Injuries, MS Symptoms
June 17, 2013 10:28 am | News | CommentsA medical test previously developed to measure a toxin found in tobacco smokers has been adapted to measure the same toxin in people suffering from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, offering a potential tool to reduce symptoms.
JNJ to buy Aragon for at least $650M
June 17, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJohnson & Johnson said Monday that it has agreed to buy Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc. for at least $650 million in cash, boosting its position in prostate drug development. The privately-held San Diego, company is focused on the development of drugs to treat hormonally-driven cancers. Under...
Lab-grown Organs Can Solve Shortage Dilemma
June 17, 2013 3:32 am | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsBy the time 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan finally got a lung transplant last week, she'd been waiting for months, and her parents had sued to give her a better shot at surgery. Her cystic fibrosis was threatening her life, and her case spurred a debate on how to allocate donor organs. Lungs and other organs for transplant are scarce.
Boston hospital to offer hand transplants for kids
June 17, 2013 1:44 am | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Chief Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsA Boston hospital is starting the world's first hand transplant program for children, and doctors say it won't be long until face transplants and other radical operations to improve appearance and quality of life are offered to kids, too. The move shows the growing willingness to do transplants...
Bringing Out the Cancer Genomics Suspects
June 16, 2013 12:22 pm | by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | News | CommentsAs cancer genomics scales up, more and more mutations can be detected. But in order for critical patterns and potential drug targets to emerge, researchers need to be able to eliminate the red herrings from their results and identify the genetic changes driving different cancer types. To do so, researchers have surveyed the genetic landscape of cancer to better understand the spectrum of mutations within and across cancer types.
Ala. high court to hear drug liability arguments
June 16, 2013 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe state Supreme Court is reconsidering a decision allowing makers of name brand drugs to be held liable for injuries caused by generic versions that are made by different companies. AL.com reported Sunday that (http://bit.ly/10nzALV ) the court has announced oral arguments will be held in...
Recovery from meningitis slow for 2 Va. residents
June 16, 2013 10:04 am | by JEFF STURGEON - The Roanoke Times - Associated Press | News | CommentsMichelle Powell of Moneta is again living aspects of the life she had before a doctor injected contaminated medicine into her spine and she fell horribly ill last fall. The fungal meningitis is, thankfully, gone, she said. Now she can again attack the back pain that she saw a doctor for in the...
US: Modified wheat appears to be isolated
June 14, 2013 5:50 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Agriculture Department says it has no indications that genetically modified wheat found in the western state of Oregon last month has spread beyond the field in which it was found. No genetically engineered wheat has been approved for U.S. farming, and the department is investigating how the...
FDA approves new silicone breast implant from J&J
June 14, 2013 4:53 pm | by MATTHEW PERRONE - AP Health Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Food and Drug Administration said Friday it approved a next-generation silicone breast implant from Johnson & Johnson unit Mentor. The company's MemoryShape breast implant uses a cross-linking gel design that the FDA says is firmer than previous implants. FDA regulators approved the new...
Bioreactor Roundup
June 14, 2013 10:00 am | Product Releases | CommentsIn many life science labs, a successful experiment depends on careful and accurate treatment of cell cultures. Cell culturing is supported in great deal by a reliable bioreactor and accompanying accessories.
Blood-forming Stem Cells Produced in Lab
June 14, 2013 9:51 am | News | CommentsBy transferring four genes into mouse fibroblast cells, researchers have produced cells that resemble hematopoietic stem cells, which produce millions of new blood cells in the human body every day. These findings provide a platform for future development of patient-specific stem/progenitor cells, and more differentiated blood products, for cell-replacement therapy.
Competing Sensory Cells Control Salt Preference
June 14, 2013 9:47 am | News | CommentsResearchers report that in fruit flies, at least, that the process of how our tongues and brains can tell when the saltiness of our food has crossed the line from yummy to yucky is controlled by competing input from two different types of taste-sensing cells.
Developmental Protein Regulates Cancer Spread
June 14, 2013 9:43 am | News | CommentsA protein used by embryo cells during early development, and recently found in many different types of cancer, apparently serves as a switch regulating the spread of cancer, known as metastasis, new research reports. Metastasis is responsible for 90 percent of cancer-related deaths.
Nervous System Plays Role in Arthritis
June 14, 2013 8:54 am | News | CommentsArthritis is a debilitating disorder affecting one in 10 Canadians, with pain caused by inflammation and damage to joints. Yet the condition is poorly managed in most patients, since adequate treatments are lacking. A new study adds to a growing body of evidence that the nervous system and nerve-growth factor (NGF) play a major role in arthritis.
