Using “microbubbles” and ultrasound can mean more targeted breast biopsies for patients with early breast cancer, helping to determine treatment and possibly saving those patients from undergoing a second breast cancer surgery,…
Category: News
Genetic Cause Of New Vascular Disease Identified, First Discovered In Undiagnosed Diseases Program
Clinical researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) have identified the genetic cause of a rare and debilitating vascular disorder not previously explained in the medical literature. The…
Researchers Develop New, Working Mammalian Model To Combat Genetic Causes Of Parkinson’s
Evidence is steadily mounting that genetic factors play an important role in many cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In a study published February 2, 2011, online in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers…
Detailed Map Of Structural Variants Behind Our Genetic Differences Revealed By Multiple Genome Sequencing
Analyzing billions of pieces of genetic data collected from people around the world, Boston College biologist Gabor Marth and his research team are playing an integral role in the global effort to…
Researchers Pinpoint How One Cancer Gene Functions
For several decades, researchers have been linking genetic mutations to diseases ranging from cancer to developmental abnormalities. What hasn’t been clear, however, is how the body’s genome sustains such destructive glitches in…
Researchers Identify Molecular Predictor Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Prostate tumors that carry a “signature” of four molecular markers have the potential to become dangerously metastatic if not treated aggressively, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report in a study published online…
Schizophrenia Gene Mutation Found
In a major advance for schizophrenia research, an international team of scientists, led by Jonathan Sebat, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San…
Potential To Prevent And Treat Bone Diseases From Mother Nature’s Medicine Chest
One of Mother Nature’s latest gifts to medical science is stirring excitement with the discovery that the substance – obtained from a coral-reef inhabiting cyanobacterium – appears to be an ideal blueprint…
Metabolic Syndrome Linked To Memory Loss In Older People
Older people with larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome may be at a higher risk for memory loss, according to a study published in…
One Type Of Frontotemporal Dementia May Respond To Malaria Medication
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by a breakdown of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal region of the brain (fronto-temporal lobe), which leads to, among other symptoms, a change in personality and…
New Study Reveals That Lead Exposure May Affect Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Even minute amounts of lead may take a toll on pregnant women, according to a study published by Lynn Goldman, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., Dean of George Washington University’s School of Public Health…
A Study From The 1000 Genomes Project Yields Data For Analyzing Structural Variants In DNA
Advances in DNA sequencing technology have revolutionized biomedical research and taken us another step forward in personalized medicine. Now, scientists led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Harvard Medical School (HMS), the…
Researchers Create Prototype Test To Screen For Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) From Donor Blood
Evidence shows there is a risk of transmitting the neurodegenerative condition variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) through transfusion of blood and blood products, and thus also via surgery and dental procedures. Current strategies…
Dry Powder Vaccine Could Improve Vaccine Delivery In Developing Countries
Sustained high vaccination coverage is key to preventing deaths from measles. Despite the availability of a vaccine, measles remains an important killer of children worldwide, particularly in less-developed regions where vaccination coverage…
Key Step In The Development Of A Norovirus Treatment
With the number of norovirus infection cases rising across the country, scientists from the University of Southampton have successfully crystallised a key norovirus enzyme, which could help in the development of a…