lead in Biological News

Stem cell 'daughters' lead to breast cancer

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have found that a population of breast cells called luminal progenitor cells are likely to be responsible for breast cancers that develop in women carrying mutations in the gene BRCA1. BRCA1 gene mutations are found in 10-20 per cent of women with hered...

Newly discovered gene fusion may lead to improved prostate cancer diagnosis

Researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have discovered a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers. The results may lead to more accurate prostate cancer testing and new targets for potential treatments. Experts believe that gene ...

Stunting plants' skyward reach could lead to improved yields

EAST LANSING, Mich. In the forest's fight for survival, it's the tallest trees that prevail by reaching for sunlight and shading competition. Corn and other plants, too, divert precious energy to grow higher when nearby plants start to encroach. Michigan State University plant scientist Berond...

Work in mice will contribute to the study of hereditary diseases that lead to blindness

This release is available in Spanish . Researchers of the University of Granada (Spain) have used a technique consisting of the induction of neuronal degeneration neuronal for intense light exposure in the mouse's retina that will be helpful for the study of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a g...

Genetic finding could lead to targeted therapy for neuroblastoma

GAINESVILLE Researchers have identified a genetic glitch that could lead to development of neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer that typically strikes children under 2. Two University of Florida scientists are part of the multicenter team of researchers that made the discovery, which could p...

Discovery of the cell's water gate may lead to new cancer drugs

The flow of water into and out from the cell may play a crucial role in several types of cancer. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now found the gate that regulates the flow of water into yeast cells. The discovery, which will be published in the journal PLoS Biology , rais...

'Shortcuts' of the mind lead to miscalculations of weight and caloric intake, says Penn study

PHILADELPHIA - Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a cognitive shortcut, or heuristic, they call "Unit Bias," which causes people to ignore vital, obvious information in their decision-making process, points to a fundamental flaw in the modern, evolved mind and may also...

Rice University researchers ask if biofuels will lead to a 'drink or drive'

Rice University scientists warned that the United States must be careful that the new emphasis on developing biofuels as an alternative to imported oil takes into account potential damage to the nation's water resources. "The ongoing, rapid growth in biofuels production could have far-reaching ...

Newly discovered reactions from an old drug may lead to new antibiotics

A mineral found at health food stores could be the key to developing a new line of antibiotics for bacteria that commonly cause diarrhea, tooth decay and, in some severe cases, death. The trace mineral selenium is found in a number of proteins in both bacterial cells and human cells called sele...

New lead on malaria treatment

Approximately 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. While medications to prevent and treat malaria do exist, the demand for new treatments is on the rise, in part, because malaria parasites have developed a resistance to existing medicat...

Princeton team's analysis of flu virus could lead to better vaccines

A team of Princeton University scientists may have found a better way to make a vaccine against the flu virus. Though theoretical, the work points to the critical importance of what has been a poorly appreciated aspect of the interaction between a virus and those naturally produced defensive p...

New evidence of how high glucose damages blood vessels could lead to new treatments

AUGUSTA, Ga. New evidence of how the elevated glucose levels that occur in diabetes damage blood vessels may lead to novel strategies for blocking the destruction, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. They found a decreased ability of blood vessels to relax resulted from increased acti...

$1.6 million grant to lead development of resistance-detecting field kit

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has been awarded a 1.1m grant by the US National Institutes of Health to lead a five year project to develop a Field Applicable Screening Tool (FAST) kit to detect resistance to public health insecticides in mosquitoes. The two principal methods for ...

Changing climate will lead to devastating loss of phosphorus from soil

Crop growth, drinking water and recreational water sports could all be adversely affected if predicted changes in rainfall patterns over the coming years prove true, according to research published this month in Biology and Fertility of Soils . Scientists from Biotechnology and Biological Scie...

Plant gene mapping may lead to better biofuel production

UPTON, NY -- By creating a "family tree" of genes expressed in one form of woody plant and a less woody, herbaceous species, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered clues that may help them engineer plants more amenable to biofuel production. The...

Research could lead to new non-antibiotic drugs to counter hospital infections

Lack of an adequate amount of the mineral phosphate can turn a common bacterium into a killer, according to research to be published in the April 14, 2009, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science . The findings could lead to new drugs that would disarm the increasingly antib...

Ancient diatoms lead to new technology for solar energy

CORVALLIS, Ore. Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way to use an ancient life form to create one of the newest technologies for solar energy, in systems that may be surprisingly simple to build compared to existing silicon-based solar cells. The secret: diatoms. These ti...

Gene discovery could lead to male contraceptive

A newly discovered genetic abnormality that appears to prevent some men from conceiving children could be the key for developing a male contraceptive, according to University of Iowa researchers reporting their findings in the April 2 online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics . ...

Lipid droplets lead a Spartin existence

Spartin, a protein linked to the neuronal disease Troyer syndrome, was thought to function in endocytosis. In the March 23, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology ( www.jcb.org ), Eastman et al. identify an unexpected role for Spartin in regulating the cell's lipid storage depots. Cells tr...

Cellular discovery may lead to targeted treatment for rare form of anemia

CINCINNATIUniversity of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have identified the specific biological mechanisms believed to lead to a rare and incurable blood disease known as Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA). Scientists say with further investigation, their discoveries could result in drastic changes to curr...

Lower increases in global temps could lead to greater impacts than previously thought, study finds

Princeton, NJ February 23, 2009 - A new study by scientists updating some of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 Third Assessment Report finds that even a lower level of increase in average global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions could cause signi...

Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension, may lead to new therapies

A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. The report receiving early online release in the journal Nature Genetics identifies variants in genes for prote...

Small male chimps use politics, rather than aggression, to lead the pack, U of Minnesota study says

With most mammals, the biggest and most aggressive male claims the alpha male role and gets his choice of food and females. But a new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that at least among chimpanzees, smaller, more mild-mannered males can also use political behavior to secure the top...

New discovery may lead to new class of allergy drugs

If you've ever wondered why some allergic reactions progress quickly and may even become fatal, a new research report published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology ( http://www.jleukbio.org ) provides an important part of the answer. In the report, scientists from Quee...

Discovery could lead to a new animal model for hepatitis C

During its career, the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus has banked its success on a rather unusual strategy: its limitations. Its inability to infect animals other than humans and chimpanzees has severely hampered scientists in developing a useful small animal model for the disease. But now, in...

Statins may treat blood vessel disorder that can lead to fatal strokes

SALT LAKE CITY In a finding that could save thousands of lives a year, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have shown that a blood vessel disorder leading to unpredictable, sometimes fatal, hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, paralysis or other problems is treatable with the same statin ...

Small changes can lead to big rewards, says ASN president

Small changes can lead to big rewards, such as maintaining a healthy weight, American Society for Nutrition (ASN) President James O. Hill, PhD, describes in a recent report. The article, to be published in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , is written by Hill on be...

Genetic variation may lead to early cardiovascular disease

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center have identified a variation in a particular gene that increases susceptibility to early coronary artery disease. For years, scientists have known that the devastating, early-onset form of the disease was inherited, but they knew little about the gene...

Purdue study suggests warmer temperatures could lead to a boom in corn pests

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Climate change could provide the warmer weather pests prefer, leading to an increase in populations that feed on corn and other crops, according to a new study. Warmer growing season temperatures and milder winters could allow some of these insects to expand their territo...

New way of viewing cells could lead to easier routes for drug manufacture

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Research by a Michigan State University chemist could eventually lead to a quicker and easier way of developing protein-based drugs that are key to treating a number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and hepatitis. Proteins used in drug manufacture and research oft...

New discovery may enhance MRI scans, lead to portable MRI machines

COLLEGE PARK, MD, Nov. 25, 2008 -- Researchers in Ohio and France have solved a longstanding scientific mystery involving magnetic resonance -- the physical phenomenon that allows MRI instruments in modern hospitals to image tissues deep within the human body. Their discovery, a new mathematical ...

NC State takes research lead in protecting Puerto Rico's unique freshwater fisheries

A team of researchers led by North Carolina State University has made an enormous advance in the understanding of some of Puerto Rico's most remarkable ecosystems by conducting the first comprehensive study of the island's freshwater fish species. NC State's Dr. Thomas Kwak, who led the study, say...

Sibling study could lead to better treatments for inherited form of colon cancer

SALT LAKE CITYResearchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) believe they may be one step closer to understanding how certain forms of colon cancer develop. In a study using siblings who have been diagnosed with colon cancer, scientists discovered similarities on a region of a particular chromo...

RSV may hide in the lungs, lead to asthma, UT Southwestern researchers report

DALLAS Oct. 21, 2008 Conventional wisdom has been that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) a common virus that causes infection in the lungs comes and goes in children without any long lasting impact. A study conducted in mice by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers, however, suggests...

NC State takes lead in crime scene investigation training

North Carolina State University researchers are launching a new project that will standardize forensic crime scene investigation training throughout the state, decrease the cost of providing the training to law enforcement personnel and forensic scientists, and hopefully contribute to the establis...

Research about plant viruses could lead to new ways to improve crop yields

An interdisciplinary group of scientists has obtained the first detailed information about the structure of the most destructive group of plant viruses known: flexible filamentous viruses. The cost of worldwide crop losses due to plant diseases is estimated at $60 billion annually. Alth...

Groundbreaking discovery may lead to stronger antibiotics

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 1, 2008 The last decade has seen a dramatic decline in the effectiveness of antibiotics, resulting in a mounting public health crisis across the world. A new breakthrough by University of Virginia researchers provides physicians and patients a potential new approach to...

Duke to lead new NSF, EPA center to study the environmental implications of nanotechnology

DURHAM, NC--The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have awarded $14.4 million to create the Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT) to explore the potential ecological hazards of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are as much as a ...

Pay attention! Small packages may lead to overeating

Tempting treats are being offered in small package sizes these days, presumably to help consumers reduce portion sizes. Yet new research in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people actually consume more high-calorie snacks when they are in small packages than large ones. And smaller pa...

College cocktails lead to science career

If you knew what possessed the young Jim Sacchettini to become a biochemist, you might look upon the "bar scene" more approvingly. But that story's for later. Instead, ponder what Sacchettini calls "the diseases of the poor" infectious diseases that not long ago were considered wiped from the...