Combination of computer science and biology could aid cancer research

In a boost to cancer research, Princeton scientists have invented a fast and reliable method for identifying alterations to chromosomes that occur when cells become malignant. The technique helps to show how cells modify their own genetic makeup and may allow cancer treatments to be tailored more precisely to a patient’s disease. Cancer cells are known among biologists for their remarkable ability to disable s

Soap bubbles delight children and the young at heart, but they also have been objects of scientific study for centuries. Operating under the laws of physics, bubbles always try to minimize their surface area, even when many bubbles are aggregated together.

Now two Northwestern University scientists have demonstrated that the tendency to minimize surface area is not limited to soap bubbles but extends to living things as well. In a paper published Oct. 7 in the journal Nature, t

A team of University of Florida researchers has created tiny hybrid particles that can speedily root out even one isolated E. coli bacterium lurking in ground beef or provide a crucial early warning alarm for bacteria used as agents of bioterrorism and for early disease diagnosis. The study will appear this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Our focus is the development of a bionanotechnology that combines the strengths of nanotechnology and biochemist

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type VII (also known as Sly syndrome) is a lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) characterized by a deficiency of the lysomal enzyme beta-glucuronidase. MPS VII leads to bone and joint abnormalities, enlargement of the visceral organs, cardiovascular disease and neurologic impairment. Using a MPS VII adult animal model, researchers in the Center for Gene Therapy at Columbus Children’s Research Institute (CCRI) on the campus of Columbus Children’s Hospital have demonstrat

Milestone in maize genomics

Rutgers researchers, with the support of the National Science Foundation, have pushed back the frontiers on the genetic nature and history one of the world’s most important crops – corn. This crop dominates agriculture in the United States, where approximately 9 billion bushels are produced annually at a value of $30 billion. Maize (or corn) is also an important dietary staple in much of the third world. Rutgers’ Joachim Messing and his colle

Imprint Pharmaceuticals (www.imprintpharma.com) is pleased to announce that its DepotOne needle technology has received its CE Mark and is now cleared for use in Europe. This CE Approval means that the DepotOne needle can be incorporated into clinical studies and existing products with minimal additional regulatory work.

DepotOne is a ‘small’ needle which can replace large needles. It has the penetration characteristics of a small needle with the flow of a large needle. The needle d

A unique new non-invasive technique for high resolution optical imaging of the eye is receiving global acclaim. The technique, pioneered by the University of Kent, is funded by the Toronto-based company, Ophthalmic Technology Inc (OTI). The University’s Applied Optics Group is currently working with university hospitals in New York (USA), Osaka (Japan), Asahikawa (Japan), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Milan (Italy) to carry out preliminary clinical trials. By combining two high-resolution imaging t

Certain blood pressure drugs may slow the deterioration of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the October 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors, the drugs are used to treat high blood pressure. Only ACE inhibitors that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier were shown to have the effect on Alzheimer’s. The blood-brain barrier is a natural protective

A recent analysis of tamoxifen studies completed since 1980 revealed an increased risk of stroke in women who were randomized to tamoxifen versus placebo or other therapies. Details of the analysis and the researchers’ conclusions are reported in the October 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

More than 250,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Breast cancer accounts for nearly one in three cancers diagnosed in th

Respiratory therapists are at an increased risk of developing asthma and asthma-related symptoms due to their involvement in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with respiratory conditions. A new study in the October issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), showed that respiratory therapists have an elevated prevalence of asthma diagnosis after they enter into the profession and, when compared to physiotherapists, are more than twice as l

Using modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, researchers at Johns Hopkins have been able to detect the early benefits of a cholesterol-lowering medication much sooner than before.

The researchers applied MRI to measure the success of simvastatin (Zocor), a widely used form of so-called statin therapy, in reducing plaque formation in patients with hardened and clogged arteries, or atherosclerosis. Reductions in plaque levels were detected within six months after thera

New technology makes visualization possible

Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute have found a way to see proteins in cells that have been tagged by a molecular “sticky note” called ubiquitin. “This technology allows us to see, under a microscope, proteins modified by ubiquitin inside the cell,” says Tom K. Kerppola, Ph.D., an associate professor of biological chemistry in the Medical School and an HHMI associate investigator.

Research in monkeys found that low-dose estrogen therapy significantly reduced the progression of fatty buildup in the arteries leading to the heart, according to research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, reported today at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society in Washington, D.C.

“We’ve shown that you can get the same reduction in coronary artery atherosclerosis with standard-dose or low-dose estrogen,” said Thomas B. Clarkson, D.V.M., o

A team led by Mayo Clinic researchers has determined that over-reactive immune responses to airborne fungi could cause the stuffy noses and airway inflammation among sufferers of chronic rhinosinusitis. These findings could one day lead to a new, longer-lasting treatment.

“It’s time to recognize there is a greater sensitivity to airborne fungi in some patients, and therefore we need to remove or reduce the fungal exposure,” says lead investigator Hirohito Kita, M.D.

Drug may help prevent learning, memory deficits caused by treatment for brain tumors

Patients who undergo radiation for treatment of brain tumors may survive their cancer only to have lasting memory and learning deficiencies, the impact of which can be particularly devastating for children. Now, researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have discovered that lithium, a drug commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, can protect the brain cells inv

Chemists at Emory University have made an important advance in harnessing the ability of bacteria to make new molecules, and their discovery could eventually lead to the creation of naturally decaffeinated coffee plants. The research, by Emory chemist Justin Gallivan and graduate student Shawn Desai, is scheduled to appear in the Oct. 27 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Bacteria are terrific chemists, but they normally synthesize only molecules they need