Industries
Flying Robot Controlled Using the Mind
June 6, 2013 10:25 am | News | CommentsResearchers have developed a new noninvasive system that allows people to control a flying robot using only their mind. The study goes far beyond fun and games and has the potential to help people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.
Novel Compound Kills Cancer Cells, Stops Metastasis
June 6, 2013 9:51 am | News | CommentsScientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body.
Biological Clock Wiring Mapped
June 6, 2013 9:28 am | News | CommentsIn a recent issue of Neuron, researchers report the discovery of a crucial part of the biological clock: The wiring that sets its accuracy to within a few minutes out of the 1440 minutes per day. This wiring uses the neurotransmitter, GABA, to connect the individual cells of the biological clock in a fast network that changes strength with time of day.
Newly Discovered Primate is Ancient Human Cousin
June 5, 2013 1:17 pm | by SETH BORENSTEIN - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsNew fossil evidence of the earliest complete skeleton of an ancient primate suggests it was a hyperactive, wide-eyed creature so small you could hold a couple of them in your hand — if only they would stay still long enough. The 55 million-year-old fossil dug up in central China is one of our...
Genetic ‘Editing’ Repairs Muscular Dystrophy Defect
June 5, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsUsing a novel genetic “editing” technique, biomedical engineers have been able to repair a defect responsible for one of the most common inherited disorders, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in cell samples from Duchenne patients. The researchers believe their approach could be safer and more stable than current methods of gene therapy.
Enhanced Hydrogel Improves Stem Cell Cartilage Formation
June 5, 2013 10:41 am | News | CommentsCurrent surgical options for cartilage injurt generally involve taking a piece from another part of the injured joint and patching over the damaged area, but this approach involves damaging healthy cartilage. Bioengineers are interested in finding innovative ways to grow new cartilage from a patient’s own stem cells, and, thanks to a new study, such a treatment is a step closer to reality.
Muscle Disease Mutation Identified Using Zebrafish
June 5, 2013 10:05 am | News | CommentsZebrafish with very weak muscles helped scientists decode the elusive genetic mutation responsible for Native American myopathy, a rare, hereditary muscle disease that afflicts Native Americans in North Carolina. Scientists originally identified the gene in mutant zebrafish that exhibited severe muscle weakness.
Oral Health, Kidney Function May be Linked
June 5, 2013 9:55 am | News | CommentsMedical research has already documented a link between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease, or serious gum infection. Now, researchers say preliminary studies suggest a connection between gum infections and kidney disease as well.
J&J Recalls 32M Contraceptive Packages
June 4, 2013 1:28 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJohnson & Johnson is conducting a voluntary recall of millions of oral contraceptive packages in 43 countries outside the U.S., but says there's a "very low" risk that the flawed tablets could cause unplanned pregnancies. It's the latest in a series of about 40 product recalls announced by the U.S.-based company since 2009.
MET Protein Levels Are Promising Biomarker for Colon Cancer
June 4, 2013 1:14 pm | by MD Anderson Cancer Center | News | CommentsMET protein levels correlate strongly with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, a treatment-resistant type of colorectal cancer and may be used as a surrogate biomarker, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Mystery of Dormant Breast Tumor Metastasis Solved
June 4, 2013 11:30 am | News | CommentsThe long-standing mystery behind dormant disseminated breast tumor cells and what activates them after years and even decades of latency may have been solved. Researchers have identified the microenvironment surrounding microvasculature as a niche where dormant cancer cells reside.
Neuron Circuits Overexcited in Fragile X Brains
June 4, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsThe genetic malady known as Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of inherited autism and intellectual disability. Brain scientists know the gene defect that causes the syndrome and understand the damage it does in misshaping the brain's synapses, but how this abnormal shaping of synapses translates into abnormal behavior is unclear. Now, researchers believe they know.
New Method Can Mass-produce High-quality DNA
June 4, 2013 10:47 am | News | CommentsA new method of manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules can solve many of the problems associated with current production methods. The new method can be of value to both DNA nanotechnology and the development of drugs consisting of DNA fragments.
Hepatitis-linked Frozen Berries Recalled
June 4, 2013 10:29 am | by BY MARY CLARE JALONICK - ASSOCIATED PRESS | News | CommentsAn Oregon company is recalling a frozen berry mix sold to Costco and Harris Teeter stores after the product was linked to at least 34 hepatitis A illnesses in five states. The Food and Drug Administration says that Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., is recalling its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend, packaged under the Townsend Farms label at Costco and under the Harris Teeter brand at those stores.
Stinky Feet Scent May Lead to Better Malaria Traps
June 4, 2013 5:27 am | by MARIA CHENG - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsFor decades, health officials have battled malaria with insecticides, bed nets and drugs. Now, scientists say there might be a potent new tool to fight the deadly mosquito-borne disease: The stench of human feet. In a laboratory study, researchers found that mosquitoes infected with the tropical disease were more attracted to human odors from a dirty sock than those that didn't carry malaria.
Sunscreen, Used Often, Slows Skin Aging
June 3, 2013 5:10 pm | by LAURAN NEERGAARD - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsIf worry about skin cancer doesn't make you slather on sunscreen, maybe vanity will: New research provides some of the strongest evidence to date that near-daily sunscreen use can slow the aging of your skin. Ultraviolet rays that spur wrinkles and other signs of aging can quietly build up damage pretty much anytime you're in the sun — a lunchtime stroll, school recess, walking the dog — and they even penetrate car windows.
Obesity's Early Risk Factors
June 3, 2013 3:33 pm | by Harvard Medical School | News | CommentsEarly-life risk factors—most of which could be changed—appear to explain much of the recognized racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity. A team of researchers reported that increased prevalence of obesity and overweight among black and Hispanic 7-year-olds could be explained mostly by a variety of risk factors.
Glycans Probed as Possible Lung Cancer Biomarker
June 3, 2013 12:42 pm | by Arizona State University | News | CommentsMany of the critical processes underlying cancer formation and eventual metastasis to other organs remain mysterious. In the quest for earlier diagnoses and more effective treatment, intensive research efforts have been applied to the search for biomarkers – presymptomatic signs of disease detectable in blood, saliva or other biofluids.
Brain Visualization Prototype Promising for Precision Medicine
June 3, 2013 10:38 am | News | CommentsThe ability to combine all of a patient’s neurological test results into one detailed, interactive “brain map” could help doctors diagnose and tailor treatment for a range of neurological disorders, from autism to epilepsy. But before this can happen, researchers need a suite of automated tools and techniques to manage and make sense of these massive complex datasets.
New Role for Brain Protein in Autism-related Disorders
June 3, 2013 10:26 am | News | CommentsResearchers have found a novel role for a protein that has been implicated in an autism-related disorder known as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The disease, which affects 1 in about 8,000 children, manifests itself in the form of mental retardation in addition to severe epileptic episodes.
One Step Closer to Artificial Livers
June 3, 2013 10:16 am | News | CommentsPrometheus, the mythological figure who stole fire from the gods, was punished for this theft by being bound to a rock. Each day, an eagle swept down and fed on his liver, which then grew back to be eaten again the next day. Modern scientists know there is a grain of truth to the tale: The liver can indeed regenerate itself if part of it is removed.
Obama hosts event to reduce mental health stigma
June 3, 2013 6:05 am | by NEDRA PICKLER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsActors Bradley Cooper and Glenn Close are among those gathering Monday at the White House for a conference on mental health, organized as part of President Barack Obama's response to last year's shooting massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.
3-D Printing Goes From Fantasy to Reality
June 2, 2013 9:37 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA - AP National Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsInvisalign, a San Jose company, uses 3-D printing to make each mouthful of customized, transparent braces. Mackenzies Chocolates, a confectioner in Santa Cruz, uses a 3-D printer to pump out chocolate molds. And earlier this year, Cornell University researchers used a 3-D printer, along with...
New Respiratory Virus Spreads to Italy
June 1, 2013 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThree people were being treated Saturday for a new respiratory virus that is alarming global health officials, in the first cases in Italy, says the country's health ministry. A 45-year-old man who had recently returned from a 40-day visit to Jordan was hospitalized in Tuscany with a high fever, cough and respiratory problems, says the ministry.
Pretesting Cervical Tumors Can Predict Chemo Response
May 31, 2013 11:32 am | News | CommentsDoctors have shown that testing cervical tumors before treatment for vulnerability to chemotherapy predicts whether patients will do well or poorly with standard treatment. The study supports the future possibility of personalized medicine for cervical cancer, a tumor normally addressed with a one-size-fits-all approach.
