Disease Research
The Lead
HIV Trial to Create New Immune Systems
June 18, 2013 10:05 am | by Cynthia Fox | Articles | Comments
People living with HIV will be treated with genetically engineered stem cells next month by the team of Nobel Prize-winning immunologist David Baltimore, PhD, Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology. The goal: to create, in patients, new immune systems resistant to HIV.
The Collaborative RNA Dream
June 12, 2013 2:28 pm | by Christina Smith | Articles | Comments
Yesterday, the RNA Institute at New York’s State University at Albany opened its doors to reveal...
Multi-Parametric Electrophysiological Imaging of the Mammalian Heart in vivo
June 6, 2013 11:05 am | by James Joubert, application scientist, Photometrics | Articles | Comments
Cardiac arrhythmia is one of the most common diseases encountered in clinical cardiology. High-...
Brain Mapping Reveals Neurological Basis of Decision-Making in Rats
March 21, 2013 11:12 am | News | Comments
Scientists at UC San Francisco have discovered how memory recall is linked to decision-making in...
DNA Confirmation of Cervical Cancer Test Specimen
June 18, 2013 1:21 pm | Product Releases | CommentsStrand Diagnostics and Manhattan Labs announced the availability of the myPAP test. Developed to complement a Papanicolaou (Pap) test by confirming a patient’s identity and helping physicians to proceed confidently with treatment recommendations, the myPAP test compares the DNA profiles of the Pap specimen with a reference DNA sample taken via cheek swab at the time of the Pap test.
Next-gen Sequencing Leads to New Virus Detection
June 18, 2013 11:37 am | News | CommentsIn new research researchers describe a technology that can detect new, previously unknown viruses. The technique uses blood serum as a biological source to categorize and discover viruses. Taking advantage of the complete deciphering of the human genome, researchers used a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach called transcriptome subtraction to identify viral genetic material in the blood.
Drawing Pad Monitors Learning-disabled Brains
June 18, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsFor less than $100, University of Washington researchers have designed a computer-interfaced drawing pad that helps scientists see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities while they read and write. To create the system, researchers hollowed out a ballpoint pen and inserted two optical fibers that connect to a light-tight box in an adjacent control room where the pen’s movement is recorded.
'Chase and Run' Mechanism Explains Cancer Metastasis
June 18, 2013 10:35 am | News | CommentsA mechanism that cells use to group together and move around the body– called "chase and run"- has been described for the first time by scientists. The new study focuses on the process that occurs when cancer cells interact with healthy cells in order to migrate around the body during metastasis.
Sweetener a Possible Parkinson's Therapy
June 18, 2013 10:18 am | News | CommentsMannitol, a sugar alcohol produced by fungi, bacteria, and algae and a common component of sugar-free gum and candy,is also used in the medical field. Now, researchers have found that mannitol also prevents clumps of the protein α-synuclein from forming in the brain— a process that is characteristic of Parkinson's disease.
Alzheimer's Drug Restores Lost Brain Connections
June 18, 2013 10:02 am | News | CommentsThe first experimental drug to boost brain synapses lost in Alzheimer’s disease has been developed by researchers. The drug, called NitroMemantine, combines two FDA-approved medicines to stop the destructive cascade of changes in the brain that destroys the connections between neurons, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline.
Researchers Tackle MERS with SARS Approach
June 18, 2013 9:46 am | News | CommentsA pair of researchers who in the past created compounds to block the SARS virus are now tackling the new Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. The team's successful work on SARS paved the way for them to swiftly work on MERS CoV, reducing parts of the process that would normally take years to a matter of month.
Melanoma Tumors 'Eradicated' in Mice
June 17, 2013 11:10 am | News | CommentsResearchers eradicated most melanoma tumors by exposing them to a fast-acting virus, according to a report in the Journal of Virology. Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer and can spread throughout the body and even into the brain.
Technique Clears Major Diabetes Transplant Hurdle
June 17, 2013 11:04 am | News | CommentsResearchers have identified a way to trigger reproduction in the laboratory of clusters of human cells that make insulin, potentially removing a significant obstacle to transplanting the cells as a treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
HIV Treatment Can Protect Injection Drug Users
June 12, 2013 3:06 pm | by MIKE STOBBE - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsDoctors should consider giving a daily AIDS drug to another high risk group to help prevent infections - people who shoot heroin, methamphetamines or other injection drugs, U.S. health officials say. A similar recommendation is already in place for gay men and heterosexual couples at high risk of catching HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Proteomics Nails Metastasis Mystery
June 12, 2013 10:33 am | News | CommentsMalignant cells can escape from primary tumors and colonize new sites in other tissues. In a new study, researchers show how the transcription factor AP4 promotes the development of such metastatic tumors. With the aid of genome-wide characterization of AP4’s target genes and direct functional tests, researchers uncovered processes relevant to tumorigenesis and cancer progression that are triggered by the protein.
Newly Identified Heart Channel Controls Beat
June 12, 2013 10:19 am | News | CommentsThe heart's regular rhythm is regulated by a bundle of cells called "the pacemaker." Previously, scientists found that many cases of inherited arrhythmias originating in the pacemaker could be attributed to functional defects in the channels responsible for the flow of sodium and calcium. Now, researchers have discovered a previously unidentified potassium channel in the cardiac pacemaker which helps to regulate the heartbeat.
Females Fend Off Gut Diseases
June 12, 2013 9:36 am | News | CommentsAt least among mice, females have innate protection from certain digestive conditions, according to a new study. While it’s tricky to draw conclusions for human health, the findings could eventually help scientists better understand and treat the 1.4 million Americans suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, or IBD.
Brain-computer Interface Tasks Simple as Motor Skills
June 12, 2013 9:20 am | News | CommentsResearchers have demonstrated that when humans use brain-computer interface technology, the brain behaves much like it does when completing simple motor skills such as kicking a ball, typing or waving a hand. Learning to control a robotic arm or a prosthetic limb could become second nature for people who are paralyzed.
Polymer Foams Treat Aneurysms
June 11, 2013 10:40 am | News | CommentsAn innovative method for treating potentially fatal brain aneurysms by filling them with foam-like plastics is a step closer to clinical trials after demonstrating an ability to promote healing at unprecedented levels. The treatment makes use of special plastics called polyurethane-based shape memory polymer foams (SMPs) and is considered a significant milestone in the development of the treatment of aneurysms.
Diabetes, Dementia Share a 'Vicious Cycle'
June 11, 2013 10:08 am | News | CommentsA study looks at the close link between diabetes and dementia, which can create a vicious cycle. Diabetes-associated episodes of low blood sugar may increase the risk of developing dementia, while having dementia or even milder forms of cognitive impairment may increase the risk of experiencing low blood sugar, according to the study.
