diseases

Wisconsin scientists grow critical nerve cells

... pave the way for novel treatments of degenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. With healthy cells grown in the lab, scientists could, in theory, replace dying motor neurons to restore function and alleviate the symptoms of disease or injury. Much ...

Man and mouse share genome structures

...portant as changes in the genome itself in causing diseases such as cancer. This regulatory structure, called chromatin, is a key regulator of gene expression in healthy and diseased cells, Bernstein said. Chromatin is composed of DNA spooled around bundles of histone proteins, and resembles a chain of beads...

Genes In The Interferon System Important In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

... behind the disease SLE, and maybe otherautoimmune diseases at the molecular level," says Professor LarsRönnblom. "Itis remarkable that by studying only eleven of the some 200 genes thatare seen as belonging to the interferon system, we were able toidentify two genes with such clear connection to SLE," says ...

W.M. Keck Foundation funds study of friendly microbes

...ing health and preventing or treating a variety of diseases both inside and outside of the gastrointestinal tract." ...

Priming embryonic stem cells to fulfill their promise

...g sought as possibletreatments for dozens of human diseases and health conditions. SangeetaBhatia and Shu Chien, UCSD bioengineering professors, and ChristopherJ. Flaim, a bioengineering graduate student, described the cell-culturetechnique in a paper published in the February issue of Nature Methods,which be...

Computers to be used to find blueprint for new influenza drug

...gner drug that could stop influenza and some other diseases from replicating in humans. The announcement of t...ilar approach may also be useful in fighting other diseases such as the South American sleeping sickness, Chagas Disease. ...

Ecological destruction fuels emerging diseases

... linked to the emergence of new human and wildlife diseases such as West Nile Virus and avian flu. "The biodiversity crisis is not just about extinctions," says Dr. Brooks, whose pioneering parasite systematics research is supported by Science and Engineering Research Canada (NSERC). "In the past, when there...

Newly discovered virus linked to childhood lung disorders and Kawasaki disease

...avirus may account for someof the many respiratory diseases for which a causative agent isunidentified, and may have a role in Kawasaki disease, the most commoncause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries. In the first of two studies, Jeffrey S. Kahn and co-workers at YaleUniversity use...

Inexpensive, mass-produced genes core of synthetic biology advances at UH

...ent of genetic disorders,debilitating neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and endocrinedisorders such as diabetes. This technology may therefore yieldprofound benefits for human health and quality of life.“The technology developed by Dr. Gao and her collaborators has thepotential to make research that m...

HIV Patients May Be at Risk of Heart Problems When Taking Protease Inhibitor Drugs

...th Genomics Laboratory that specializes in various diseases and conditions that make a person vulnerable to sudden death by a ventricular arrhythmia. There are several specific actions physicians can take to use this new information wisely, Drs. Ackerman and Badley say. The first is to screen by electrocardi...

Learning to fight an adversary that won't stay down

...avies, adding that doctors who deal with microbial diseases in hospitals must remain cautious about exposing the bacterial pathogens to the newest and most effective drugs so as to avoid overuse and the accompanying onset of resistance. "There are a relatively small number of antibiotics that have come out t...

Emory Eye Center Implants Its First Retinal Chips In Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa

...in both eyes. It is a general term for a number of diseases that predominantly affect the photoreceptor layer or "light sensing" cells of the retina. Night blindness develops, usually in childhood, followed by loss of peripheral visual field, progressing over many years to tunnel vision and finally blindness....

Researchers reveal the infectious impact of salmon farms on wild salmon

...rom Princeton University who researches infectious diseases in wildlife. "We're seeing similar effects in Scotland, Norway, and Ireland; in each area parasite amplification on fish farms seems to increase disease levels in the local fish community. However previous studies have not shown nor quantified the di...

Molecular machine may lead to new drugs to combat human diseases

...erial is revealing possible new paths for treating diseases such as some forms of cancer and opportunistic inf... a potential target for therapeutics against these diseases by using a strategy called targeted trans-splicing in which introns are manipulated to cut out malfu...

Female sex hormones play a vital role in defense against sexually transmitted diseases

... well as the public regarding sexually transmitted diseases and women." Extending these findings into clinical studies is the next step. McMaster researchers are currently discussing the design of a study with infectious disease clinicians in Hamilton, which may begin in as early as the next few months. Addi...

A bacterial genome reveals new targets to combat infectious disease

...s, African river blindness, and other debilitating diseases in more than 150 million people worldwide. The nem...p may help identify new strategies for controlling diseases caused by filarial nematodes. In a new study published in the freely-available online journal PLoS B...

Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides

...fically targeting mosquito larvae that carry human diseases such as West Nile or malaria, while leaving other insects and vertebrates unharmed," says King. ...

Purdue proves concept of using nano-materials for drug discovery

... very important because many future drugs to treat diseases will likely work by controlling proteins in cell membranes." Researchers tested the devices with an enzyme that produces a blue color when combined with a liquid that contains molecules small enough to easily pass through the pores. The enzyme, whic...

Protein Packages Found To Activate Genes; May Be What Regulates Development And Disease

...hed on during development of the human body and in diseases such as cancer. "Each type of cell in our bodies contains the same genes. What makes them do different things involves which genes are turned on," notes Bradley Bernstein, a pathologist at Harvard Medical School. He is also a research associate at t...

First 'atlas' of key brain genes could speed research on cancer, neurological diseases

...ccelerate research on brain tumors andneurological diseases that result from mutations in these switch genes?called “transcription factors.?When these genes are altered, thegenes they control can go awry, causing abnormalities in thedevelopment or function of nerves and related structures.Although the gene re...

Vital step in cellular migration described by UCSD medical researchers

...ld lead to therapeutic interventions in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease," said the paper's first author Naoyuki Nishiya, Ph.D., a postgraduate researcher in the lab of senior author Mark Ginsberg, M.D., UCSD professor of medicine. "Since cell migration plays an important rol...

Deficiency of growth hormone and IGF-1 reduces cancer and kidney disease, but creates other problems

...y. But the hormones also increase cancer and other diseases that limit lifespan. The researchers developed a strain of dwarf rats that were naturally deficient in both growth hormone and in IGF-1. To mimic the rise in growth hormone and IGF-1 during adolescence in normal rats, some of these deficient rats we...

New SARS Protein Linked To Important Cell Doorway

...on detailed biophysical investigations of emerging diseases months before we can even begin to work with such diseases in culture." Fremont led the initial analysis, which was dedicated to identifying sequences of gene...

New studies suggest airborne SARS transmission is possible

...ng to Dr. Yu, "no other known routes of infectious diseases transmission could adequately explain the spread of the disease in the outbreak, and hence we feel that the evidence is quite strong." An editorial accompanying the Toronto study, by Tommy Tong, MBBS, of Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong, emph...

Circles Of DNA Might Help Predict Success Of Stem Cell Transplantation

...ll transplants as part of therapy for a variety of diseases such as leukemia or sickle cell disease. In these ...s (e.g., acute lymphoblastic leukemia) or red cell diseases (e.g., sickle cell disease). Because blood from the normal, healthy donors contained 1,200 to 155,0...

UCLA scientists transform HIV into cancer-seeking missile

...it may be possible to correct acquired and genetic diseases where the mutations exert their harmful effects on the body." Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 59,580 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2005, and about 7,770 people will die...

First real-time view of developing neurons reveals surprises, say Stanford researchers

...ons are required to retain that information. Some diseases also seem to be caused by brain connections not forming normally. Dyslexia, for example, may be caused by connections failing to form between certain brain regions, whereas schizophrenia may result from too many connections forming. What's more, any...

Plants defy Mendel's inheritance laws, may prompt textbook changes

...ill be an avenue for gene therapy to treat or cure diseases in both plants and animals." The study is publish...d animals in order to correct mutations that cause diseases and abnormal growth. Though further research is required to learn how this form of inheritance happ...

Scientists identify new model Of NK cell development

...ing more effective treatments for cancer and other diseases says Caligiuri. "NK cells are the 'minutemen' of the defense system ?the first to respond to an attack. The more we know about them, the more we can help them do their work. In cancer, as in other diseases, the sooner you intervene, the better." ...

White blood cell waste disposal system plays critical regulatory role

...ossible relevance to the treatment of inflammatory diseases and the mitigation of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia," says Dr. Ley. ### Matthew A. Stark, Yuqing Huo, Tracy L. Burcin, Margaret A. Morris, Timothy S. Olson, and Klaus Ley: "Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Neutrophils Regulates Granulopoiesis via IL-23...

Agilent Technologies releases automated literature search tool for biology researchers

... focusing on proteomics and metabolomics for these diseases as a complement to Labs collaborators' work in genomics. Using Labs' systems biology informatics prototypes, Labs researchers have built qualitative biological models based on experimental data, scientific knowledge from published papers and curated ...

Examination of internal 'wiring' of yeast, worm, and fly reveals conserved circuits

...ring plan of human cells to more effectively treat diseases while also generating fewer side-effects. "We're basically now able to open the hood of yeast, worm, and fly cells and look at the protein interactions inside," said Trey Ideker, a bioengineering professor at the University of California, San Diego ...

Affymetrix and the Karolinska Institutet Announce Translational Medicine Strategic Alliance

..., rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and dyslexia. These diseases affect a large number of patients worldwide. Syste...cine is all about -- enabling clinicians to detect diseases earlier and manage them more effectively. We are excited about the potential of this agreement to mo...

Carnegie Mellon scientists develop tool that uses MRI to visualize gene expression in living animals

... gene of interest, including therapeutic genes for diseases like cancer and arthritis, to detect where and when they are being expressed," Ahrens said. Existing methods used to image gene expression have limitations, according to Ahrens. Some methods cannot be used in living subjects, fail to image cells dee...

Measuring the impact of post-genomics on Mediterranean populations

...ing to alleviate communicable and non-communicable diseases in the region. ...

Ophthalmologists Use Artificial Silicon Retina Microchip To Treat Vision Loss

... The implants are designed for people with retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, which cause blindness and vision impairment in about 10 million Americans. More than one million of these people are legally blind. "As is commonly seen in with retinitis pigmentosa, these patie...

International HapMap consortium expands mapping effort

...he genetic risk factors underlying a wide range of diseases and conditions," said NHGRI Director Francis S. Co...ealth, such as those protecting against infectious diseases or promoting longevity. "We are excited by the opportunity to apply our technology to all publicly ...

Antibiotic might fight HIV-induced neurological problems

... can protect brain cells in animal models of other diseases -- multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and more. The drug is being tested in early clinical trials for some non-HIV-related conditions. "Last year we discovered that SIV triggers some of the same biological...

Researchers develop rapid diagnostic tool for pathogen identification

...ntial diagnosis. “We focused first on respiratory diseases because differential diagnosis is a common clinical problem with implications for outbreak control and individual case management,?stated W. Ian Lipkin, MD, Jerome L. and Dawn Greene Professor of Epidemiology and professor of Neurology and Pathology ...

Ophthalmologists implant five patients with artificial silicon retina microchip

... The implants are designed for people with retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, which cause blindness and vision impairment in about 10 million Americans. More than one million of these people are legally blind. "As is commonly seen in with retinitis pigmentosa, these patie...

UCLA launches $20 million stem cell institute to investigate HIV, cancer and neurological disorders

...r diseases, and perhaps shed new light on how some diseases develop. However, most scientists agree that human...d novel and more effective therapies to treat many diseases for which present-day therapy is either unsatisfactory or unavailable." Because the university and ...

NASA links nanobacteria to kidney stones and other diseases

...es. "Hopefully, eradication or treatment of these diseases will be possible in the near future. We need more research and support to solve this puzzle, but we feel that we are close," adds Ciftcioglu. NB was discovered in the 1990s and has been found in the calcium phosphate centers of kidney stones. This n...

Chemists identify immune system mechanism for methamphetamine binges

...e immune system, making abusers more vulnerable to diseases such as HIV. The new study is the first to suggest that the drug can engage the body's defense system to attack methamphetamine in such a way that makes users inclined to use more of the drug, the researchers say. Their study, which paints a clearer ...

Epstein-Barr virus protein crucial to its role in blood cancers

...lays a role in cancers such as lymphoproliferative diseases in transplant or AIDS patients, Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and also causes the well-known disease, infectious mononucleosis. As many as 95 percent of adults 20 years and older have been infected with EBV, bu...

Defensins neutralize anthrax toxin

...lays a role in cancers such as lymphoproliferative diseases in transplant or AIDS patients, Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and also causes the well-known disease, infectious mononucleosis. As many as 95 percent of adults 20 years and older have been infected with EBV, bu...

Antiretroviral therapy may prevent excess risk of some cancers in people with HIV

...pidemic and how the knowledge of cancer and immune diseases has grown since it began. They note that questions remain about the types and severity of cancers that will appear in coming years among patients on HAART, who have less severe but prolonged immunosuppression. "Controlling the epidemic and ameliorati...

Discovery Promises Simpler Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease

...the role that nitric oxide may play in other blood diseases and conditions characterized by a deficiency in oxygen delivery to tissues, such as heart failure, diabetes and pulmonary hypertension. Collaborators on the study include lead author John Pawloski and Douglas Hess. The work was supported by the Nati...

Molecule that usually protects infection-fighting cells may cause plaque deposits inside arteries

... contributing factor to a number of cardiovascular diseases ?the No. 1 cause of death among people in the United States. It is also highly associated with other risk factors such as smoking, obesity and diets high in fat and cholesterol. ...

Nanoscale Diagnostic Sets Sights on Alzheimer's

...uld eventually be configured to detect hundreds of diseases simultaneously ?with a single procedure, doctors c...ating diseases. This is particularly important for diseases like Alzheimer's where a reliable diagnostic tool is lacking and early intervention could have a sig...

Fibril Shape Is The Basis Of Prion Strains And Cross-species Prion Infection

... Since then, barriers to the transmission of prion diseases between species "have emerged as a major public he...urewicz of Case Western Reserve University. Prion diseases are caused by misfolded variants of the normal prion protein, which aggregate into fibrous tangles c...

WHO Warns Of Increased Risk Of Vector-borne Diseases In Tsunami-affected Areas

... (WHO) warned about increased risk of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever across tsunami-affected areas in Southeast Asia. Nearly four weeks after the disaster struck the region on 26 December, the organization is strengthening its disease surveillance, stagnant water conditions creating co...

New Drugs For Bad Bugs: UF Approach Could Bolster Antibiotic Arsenal

...ken to find substitute drugs, previously treatable diseases could again emerge in more virulent forms. Public health officials cite antibiotic resistance as a growing problem for a host of diseases, from childhood ear infections to malaria. Last year, the FDA published a report calling attention to inefficie...

Gene Therapy Cures Inherited Liver Disease In Rats

...d Lee. "This approach would be applicable to many diseases where you are trying to put something back, targeting the liver," he said. He is hesitant to predict when the treatment can be tried in humans. While the viral vector is fairly benign long term, he would like to see one developed that minimizes the ...

Multi-purpose protein regulates new protein synthesis and immune cell development

...the unfolded protein response is activated in many diseases from viral infections to stroke to Alzheimer's dis... development, which could be helpful in autoimmune diseases like diabetes and lupus." ...

Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Angola update

...me test of international capacity to hold emerging diseases at bay. The outbreak in Angola is the largest and ...rarity of this disease and its similarity to other diseases seen in countries where deaths from infectious diseases are common. Neither the source nor the date ...

Microbial forensics: The next great forensic challenge

...se of rapidly expanding knowledge about infectious diseases and biotoxins and their potential to wreak havoc in complex, interdependent societies. The nation is in the process of developing a strong microbial forensic program to attribute and prosecute such attacks, and perhaps deter them. The opportunities ...

Birds brains reveal source of songs

...ns and what we learn may eventually apply to human diseases that affect motor abilities, such as Parkinson's disease. "The question we're trying to answer is how a young bird learns its song," says Professor Michale Fee of MIT's McGovern Institute about his recent study, which was published online in advance...

Strongest proof yet found for prion hypothesis

...roof yet that the mysterious and devastating brain diseases known as "transmissible spongiform encephalopathies" (TSEs) are transmitted by an infectious agent composed only of a malformed protein, and not a virus. TSEs, which can afflict both human beings and animals, include mad cow disease, new-variant Creu...

Disease diagnosis, biodefense among UH chemical research projects

...on." This research is important because infectious diseases cause 26 percent of global mortality and are the t...enome sequencing and making DNA-based vaccines for diseases like Ebola and HIV. ### For more information about the ACS meeting and to access a schedule of pre...

Silence the gene, save the cell: RNA interference as promising therapy for ALS

...particularly in incurable progressive neurological diseases such as ALS. "I would not be surprised to see, in ... next ten years, this technology used for treating diseases of the nervous system, particularly diseases that involve toxic gain-of-function, such as inherited ...