News and applications for life science research professionals
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.
Genetic Mutations Crucial to Evolution
June 14, 2013 8:49 am | News | CommentsA new study offers further proof that the divergence of humans from chimpanzees some 4 million to 6 million years ago was profoundly influenced by mutations to DNA sequences that play roles in turning genes on and off. The study provides evidence for a 40-year-old hypothesis that regulation of genes must play an important role in evolution.
FDA backs new for Amgen drug for rare bone tumors
June 13, 2013 7:08 pm | by the Associated PressAssociated Press | News | CommentsBiotech drugmaker Amgen Inc. said Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new use for its bone drug Xgeva. The company, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., said it now can market Xgeva for treating a rare condition, giant cell tumor of bone, when surgery isn't practical. It...
Lilly stops mid-stage Alzheimer's drug study
June 13, 2013 6:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsEli Lilly and Co. said Thursday that it stopped a mid-stage clinical trial of an experimental Alzheimer's disease drug because of potential side effects on patients' livers. The company stopped testing LY2886721 because of abnormal results in liver biochemical tests. Lilly says the results were...
New lungs buy time but don't cure cystic fibrosis
June 13, 2013 5:39 pm | by LAURAN NEERGAARD - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who fought for a lung transplant has a difficult journey ahead. The transplant isn't a cure for her cystic fibrosis, and new lungs don't tend to last as long as other transplanted organs. But it can extend life by years, buying some time. "You're keeping them...
Court Ruling May Open Up Gene Testing Market
June 13, 2013 3:11 pm | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Chief Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsA ruling by the Supreme Court that human genes can't be patented is expected to increase access and drop the cost for tests for gene mutations that greatly raise the risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. In a bit of a mixed message, the court unanimously decided that certain types of gene tests may still be protected by patents, yet it struck down patents that a company has long held for BRCA genes.
Filters and Supports for Life Science Applications
June 13, 2013 11:56 am | Product Releases | CommentsPorex introduced POREX Affinity Filters and Supports, a range of porous materials used to enhance functionality through surface modification or sorbent addition. POREX Affinity Filters and Supports are used in applications as pipette tips, 96 well plates, spin columns and gravity flow centrifuge columns.
Serum Replacement for High Density Cell Culture
June 13, 2013 11:52 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe new CDM-HD from FiberCell Systems Inc. is a chemically defined, protein free, cGMP compliant serum replacement that permits any basal medium such as DMEM or RPMI to be used without serum.
US Court Rules Against Gene Patents
June 13, 2013 11:08 am | by BY JESSE J. HOLLAND - ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court ruled today that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries. The high court's unanimous judgment reverses three decades of patent awards by government officials.
Fingernails Reveal Clues to Limb Regeneration
June 13, 2013 10:37 am | News | CommentsIn humans, an amputated fingertip can sprout back in as little as two months, a phenomenon that has remained poorly understood until now. Researchers have shed light on this rare regenerative power in mammals, using genetically engineered mice to document for the first time the biochemical chain of events that unfolds in the wake of a fingertip amputation.
Proteins in Saliva Protect Against Flu
June 13, 2013 10:16 am | News | CommentsSpit. Drool. Dribble. Saliva is not normally a topic of polite conversation, but it may be the key to explaining the age and sex bias exhibited by influenza and other diseases, according to a new study. The research provides new insights into why older people were better able to fight off the new strains of “bird” flu and “swine” flu than younger people.
Brain Scans Can Predict Depression Treatment
June 13, 2013 10:09 am | News | CommentsIn a new clinical trial, researchers have discovered that specific patterns of brain activity may indicate whether a depressed patient will or will not respond to treatment with medication or psychotherapy. The choice of medication versus psychotherapy is often based on the preference of the patient or clinician, rather than objective factors.
Mass Spec Technique Maps Metabolites
June 13, 2013 9:49 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers has developed a mass spectrometry imaging technique that not only maps the whereabouts of individual metabolites in a biological sample, but how new the metabolites are too. That’s a big milestone, because metabolites are constantly in flux.
Gene Therapy Method Restores Vision
June 13, 2013 9:25 am | News | CommentsResearchers have developed an easier and more effective method for inserting genes into eye cells that could greatly expand gene therapy to help restore sight to patients with blinding diseases ranging from inherited defects like retinitis pigmentosa to degenerative illnesses of old age, such as macular degeneration.
