News and applications for life science research professionals
Inflammation Gene Controls OA Risk
May 14, 2013 11:02 am | News | CommentsIndividuals with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) who had a specific pattern of gene variations in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1RN), which is involved in controlling inflammation, were more likely to progress to severe disease than those without the gene variations.
FDA accepts Seattle Genetics Adcetris application
May 14, 2013 10:29 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDrug developer Seattle Genetics Inc. said Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration has accepted its application to market the lymphatic cancer treatment Adcetris for some additional uses. The Bothell, Wash., company is seeking approval for Adcetris to be used in treating patients who had...
India to Offer $1 Rotavirus Vaccine
May 14, 2013 7:43 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Indian government announced the development of a new low-cost vaccine proven effective against a diarrhea-causing virus that is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths across the developing world. The Indian manufacturer of the new rotavirus vaccine pledged to sell it for $1 a dose, a significant discount from the cost of the current vaccines on the market.
Higher prices for MS drug help drug firm Merck
May 14, 2013 5:46 am | by DAVID McHUGH - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsHigher prices for its multiple sclerosis drug Rebif helped German pharmaceutical and high-tech materials company Merck KGaA post a 54 percent rise in first-quarter profit. Merck also saw stronger sales of materials for liquid-crystal displays and raised its profit forecast, saying it would...
Idaho spud giant bets on biotech potatoes
May 14, 2013 3:42 am | by JOHN MILLER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its genetically engineered potato, an Idaho company aims to resurrect high-tech spuds. This month, tuber processing giant J.R. Simplot Co. asked the U.S. government to approve five varieties of biotech potatoes. They're engineered not...
High court rules for Monsanto in patent case
May 13, 2013 5:48 pm | by JESSE J. HOLLAND - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court said Monday that an Indiana farmer violated Monsanto Co.'s patents on soybean seeds resistant to its weed-killer by growing the beans without buying new seeds from the corporation. The justices unanimously rejected the farmer's argument that cheap soybeans he bought from a grain...
Deaths from West Nile virus hit record last year
May 13, 2013 5:03 pm | by MIKE STOBBE - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. health officials say last year was the worst ever for West Nile virus deaths. The final tally reported Monday was 286 deaths — or two more than the record set in 2002. But there were far fewer illnesses overall, and fewer serious cases than in previous years. The Centers for Disease...
Chemistry Breakthrough Yields New Imaging Dye
May 13, 2013 1:30 pm | News | CommentsFrom microscopes to nuclear imaging scanners, imaging technology is growing ever more vital for the world's hospitals, whether for the diagnosis of illness or for research into new cures. Imaging technology requires dyes or contrast agents of some sort. Current contrast agents and dyes are expensive, difficult to work with and far from ideal. Now, chemists have discovered a new dye and proved its worth against the dyes currently available.
New Genetic Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer Found
May 13, 2013 1:10 pm | News | CommentsA new, first-of-its-kind meta-analysis looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The discovery of these genetic variations could ultimately help researchers better understand which men are at high risk and allow for early detection or prevention of the disease.
Potential Flu Pandemic Lurks in Birds, Pigs
May 13, 2013 1:01 pm | News | CommentsIn the summer of 1968, a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong Kong. This strain, known as H3N2, spread around the globe and eventually killed an estimated 1 million people. A new study from MIT reveals that there are many strains of H3N2 circulating in birds and pigs that are genetically similar to the 1968 strain and have the potential to generate a pandemic if they leap to humans.
Spontaneous Mutations Crucial in Congenital Heart Disease
May 13, 2013 12:48 pm | News | CommentsEvery year, thousands of babies are born with severely malformed hearts, disorders known collectively as congenital heart disease. Many of these defects can be repaired though surgery, but researchers don’t understand what causes them or how to prevent them. New research shows that about 10 percent of these defects are caused by genetic mutations that are absent in the parents of affected children.
New Respiratory Viruses Could Spark Global Outbreaks
May 13, 2013 10:48 am | by MARIA CHENG - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsTwo respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials — a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China. Last week, the coronavirus related to SARS spread to France, where one patient who probably caught the the disease in Dubai infected his hospital roommate.
Medicinal Plant Can Treat Anxiety
May 13, 2013 10:17 am | News | CommentsA world-first completed clinical study by an Australian team has found Kava, a medicinal South Pacific plant, significantly reduced the symptoms of people suffering anxiety. The study revealed Kava could be an alternative treatment to pharmaceutical products for those who suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD).
Cilia Research Heats Up
May 13, 2013 9:11 am | News | CommentsExperiments have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like “antennae,” called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments. Researchers found that the size limit for entry is much greater than previously thought, allowing most of a cell's proteins into cilia.
