The genomic DNA sequencing of an extinct Pleistocene cave bear species–the kind of stuff once reserved for science fiction–has been logged into scientific literature thanks to investigators from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI). This study, published in the June 2 online edition of the journal Science, has set the research community’s sights on traveling back in time through the vehicle DNA sequencing to reveal the story of other extinct species including our ne

Cells sent to fight infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients actually enhance the development of permanent bacterial infections, according to researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Infections with the bacteria Pseudomonas are a major cause of sickness and death in cystic fibrosis patients. The findings, published in the June issue of Infection and Immunity, suggest new treatment strategies for patients with cystic fibrosis.

“Pseudomonas can use the

Although apparently uncommon, fungal contamination of saline-filled breast implants is readily preventable, according to a study in the July 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. The key steps are to use closed systems for filling the devices and to adhere to the strict moisture control and operating room ventilation standards in force at major hospitals. The potential benefits of these precautions could be considerable, since 265,832 women in the United States u

Pain-blocking effect lasted six weeks in animals; first clinical trial in humans planned

Remember how it felt the last time you burned your finger on a hot stove? Imagine what it’s like to have that burning pain in your hands or feet all the time and know there’s virtually nothing you can do about it. It’s called neuropathic pain, and it’s a common complication of many diseases and medical conditions, especially diabetes. Drugs have little effect on this type

Early surgical removal of the spleen combined with antiangiogenic cancer therapy may halt the progression of leukemia, according to scientists at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre.

The research, published today in Blood, is the first to show the combination of two factors secreted from the environment of the spleen is important in the promotion of leukemia.

Dr. Yaacov Ben-David, a Senior Scientist in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Sunnybro

A report by Yale scientists in the journal Cell sheds new light on how the protein Ro, a major autoantigen in patients with autoimmune disease, recognizes misfolded RNAs, creating a RNA quality control system for cells.

The quality control process in the cell has been well-studied for the DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) components for making proteins. However, little was known about what cells do with abnormal or misfolded RNAs that are not translated into protein — such as ribos

For Tadeusz Molinski, the sea is full of riches — and he does not mean oil fields or fisheries. Molinski, a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Davis, is searching for new treatments for cancer, infectious diseases and other conditions that could be made from natural products in the soft bodies of some of the ocean’s simplest inhabitants.

“Three quarters of the world is covered by oceans, and we’ve only dipped below the surface,” Molinski said.

Researchers eager to test laboratory findings in patient trials

A novel strategy devised by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists has proved highly effective in killing drug-resistant multiple myeloma cells in the laboratory and could open a new form of attack on the deadly blood cancer, they report.

Highly encouraged by the findings, the researchers hope to move rapidly to clinical trials of the therapy, a combination of the drug Velcade and an experimental compound

Without use of antibiotics

A method for controlling bacterial activity without antibiotics by interfering with their communication process has been developed by a young Hebrew University of Jerusalem researcher.

For his work, Adel Jabbour will be presented with a Kaye Innovation Award on June 6 during the 68th meeting of the Hebrew University Board of Governors. Jabbour, a Ph.D. student, conducted his work under the supervision of Prof. Morris Srebnik of the School of

Nature abounds with examples of bacteria that can thrive in extreme situations—surviving on toxic chemicals, for instance. In a paper published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) May 25, University of Michigan researchers show how some bugs manage to do that: by harnessing other potentially harmful chemicals known as free radicals to degrade the toxins they live on.

Such insights could lead to new ways of engineering bacteria to clean up environmental

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues from Boston area medical institutions have linked short term high pollution concentrations with an increased incidence of irregular and very dangerous heart arrhythmias among a group of cardiac patients from the greater Boston area who had implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). The findings appear in the June 1, 2005 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

“Particulate pollution and gaseous pollution from autom

Becoming the market leader in the neurostimulation sector, by initially helping blind patients regain their sight, is the vision of Bonn-based start-up company IIP-Technologies.

IIP has made considerable progress in developing the first ‘intelligent’ retina implant in the world. Thanks to this implant it is possible to restore limited eyesight to people who have lost their sight following retina degeneration.

In Germany alone, about 60,000 people suffer from retinitis pi

Scientists have for the first time mapped multiple complex biological interactions in a yeast cell in a simple graphical form, enhancing our understanding of how the networks of interaction by which components of a cell influence one another. New research published in the Open Access journal Journal of Biology shows that such maps can also reveal cryptic interactions and enable accurate predictions about interactions that haven’t been observed experimentally.

A living cell contains

New treatment for complicated grief holds promise for millions of Americans, University of Pittsburgh researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association

Each year in the United States, approximately 2.5 million people die, each leaving behind, on average, five grieving survivors. Many of these survivors – more than a million people each year – develop a chronic, debilitating condition known as complicated grief that is more intense than normal grief, yet dif

A single treatment of 8 gray (Gy–a unit of measure of absorbed radiation dose) of radiation appears to be as effective in palliating painful bone metastases as the current U.S. standard treatment course of 30 Gy delivered in 10 daily treatments, according to a new study in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Patients with a variety of solid tumor cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate, can develop painful metastases in the bones of the spine,

People with diabetes may be at higher risk for cardiovascular problems when air pollution levels are higher, according to a new study of Boston-area residents. The ability of the blood vessels to control blood flow was impaired in adults with diabetes on days with elevated levels of particles from traffic and coal-burning power plants. The researchers evaluated several kinds of fine particles found in urban air pollution. These included sulfate particles, which come mainly from coal-burning p