Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have created a new class of hybrid virus and demonstrated its ability to find, highlight, and deliver genes to tumors in mice.

Researchers say the advance, reported in the journal Cell, is potentially an important step in making human cancer both more visible and accessible to treatment; it may also allow prediction and monitoring of how specific anti-cancer agents are actually working.

“In tumor-bear

For the last few years, women have heard conflicting reports about the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A new study that analyzes many trials together concludes that HRT can reduce heart attacks by about one-third in women under age 60 but has mixed results for older women.

The statistical analysis of 23 trials with more than 39,000 women found that when women started HRT (estrogen with or without progesterone) in their 50s to relieve such menopausal sympt

A research team from Uppsala University and AstraZeneca has found that the schizophrenia gene QKI affects the production of myelin, the material that insulates nerve fibers. It is hoped that these findings will lead to enhanced treatment of schizophrenia. The findings are being published in the Net edition of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) in mid-April.

The research group has previously shown that the QKI gene is a possible contributing cause of the disease schizoph

In the frantic world of fruitfly courtship, the difference between attracting a mate and going home alone may depend on having the right wing spots. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have learned which elements of fly DNA make these spots come and go in different species. Their studies have also uncovered surprising new evidence supporting the idea that evolution is an incessant tinkerer when it comes to complex traits.

The experiments are among the first to root out “th

Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to the University of Antwerp are the first to show that the quantity of amyloid protein in brain cells is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid protein has already been known to be the primary component of the senile plaques in the brains of patients. The new discovery demonstrates that the greater the quantity of the protein that is produced, the younger the dementia patient is.

Scientists uncover signatures near crucial developmental genes; Analysis provides framework for understanding cells’ unusual plasticity

A team of scientists announced today a critical step on the path of realizing the promise of embryonic stem (ES) cells for medicine. As described in the April 21 issue of Cell, the researchers have discovered unique molecular imprints coupled to DNA in mouse ES cells that help explain the cells’ rare ability to form almost any body

UCI study points to new therapeutic possibilities for epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases

UC Irvine researchers have found that a protein best known for building connections between nerve cells and muscle also plays a role in controlling brain cell activity. The finding points to possible therapeutic applications in the development of new drugs for treatment of epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders.

Martin Smith, professor of anatomy and neurobiology in the School o

Colon cancer treatment could be revolutionised with a pioneering computer system to help doctors fight the disease.

Colon cancer is the third biggest killer cancer and the £2 million EU-funded project could mean faster and more accurate diagnosis, leading to better treatment outcomes for patients.

The system identifies gene mutations that contribute to the growth of cancerous tumours, giving doctors vital details about the type of cancer and its possible causes. It works

A new target-seeking affibody molecule can be used to visualize cancer tumors and to treat them. This has been shown in a dissertation by Ann-Charlott Steffen to be publicly defended at Uppsala University on April 22.

Every third Swede is estimated to receive a cancer diagnosis sometime in their lives, and nearly one Swede in four dies as a result of the disease. The need for improved detection and treatment of the disease is great.

Existing treatments include surgery,

Professor Markku Mäki and Ilma Korponay-Szabo MD, PhD, of the University of Tampere in Finland have developed a reliable new method which makes it possible to diagnose celiac disease quickly and easily. The research results were translated into a commercial product by a Finnish company. The test returns a result in 10-15 minutes.

A pinprick of blood is taken from the fingertip to test for tissue transglutaminase and endomysial antibodies. An increased level of antibodies correlates well wit

The first neuropathological examination of a Camelford resident who, in 1988, was exposed to extremely high concentrations of aluminium in drinking water and died of an unknown neurological condition, has revealed a rare form of an early onset Alzheimer’s-like disease.

Analysis of affected brain tissue revealed extremely high concentrations of aluminium – levels similar to those observed previously in aluminium-induced brain diseases, including dialysis-associated encephalop

Results of the Warfarin-Aspirin Recurrent Stroke Study published in the journal “Cerebrovascular Diseases” show no benefit of warfarin over aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke or death. Therefore, pending future clinical trial evidence to the contrary, antiplatelets are recommended for survivors of noncardioembolic stroke.

The efficacy of adjusted-dose warfarin to aspirin for recurrent ischemic stroke or death within 2 years was compared among prespecified and explorato

As early as one or two days after a stroke, that is, far earlier than was previously thought, the formation of new nerve cells and blood vessels gets underway in the affected area. This is indicated by findings in a dissertation by Wei Juang at Umeå University in Sweden.

Stroke is most often caused by a blockage of one of the heart’s blood vessels, which results in disrupted blood flow, so-called ischemic stroke. Brain damage occurs directly and spreads for the first few critical

Scientists from Imperial College London and Pfizer have developed a new method that could predict individual patient responses to drug treatments. The authors anticipate that the development will advance biomedical research further towards development of personalised medicines.

Research published today in Nature demonstrates the new ‘pharmaco-metabonomic’ approach that uses a combination of advanced chemical analysis and mathematical modelling to predict drug-induced responses in ind

Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to the University of Antwerp are the first to show that the quantity of amyloid protein in brain cells is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid protein has already been known to be the primary component of the senile plaques in the brains of patients. The new discovery demonstrates that the greater the quantity of the protein that is produced, the younger the dementia patient is.

’Life detector’ could be part of evolutionary old system, say researchers

The reason people can approach animals in the wild more easily from a car than by foot may be due to an innate “life detector” tuned to the visual movements of an approaching predator’s feet, says Queen’s University psychologist Niko Troje.

“We believe this visual filter is used to signal the presence of animals that are propelled by the motion of their feet and the force of grav