28 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New Neuroscience Findings to Help Improve Drug Treatment for AddictionScripps Research Institute scientists recently published findings that could allow for the future development of more effective drugs for the treatment of addiction. The results of the studies demonstrated that one active compound â known as 6â-GNTI â maintains a strong bias towards a single biological pathway, which is a huge step towards finding an addiction treatment medication without numerous...... Read More
27 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Stem Cell Technology Can Mass-Produce Tumor Targeting CellsA new clinical application for existing and future stem cell technologies focuses on creating specialized T cells designed to target and attack tumor cells. While, in theory, cancerous cells can be fought by the white blood cells known as T cells, they often bypass the opportunity to attack a cancerous mass or tumor cells. But new research being led by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in...... Read More
26 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New Cell Biology Findings May Improve Safety and Performance of Reprogrammed CellsRegenerative medicine seems to be comprised of equal parts promise and challenge. But cell biology researchers at New Yorkâs Weill Cornell Medical College might have made a discovery that has the potential to improve both the performance and, even more importantly, the safety of reprogrammed cells. The early results of the researchersâ study point to an enzyme, known as activation-induced cytidine...... Read More
23 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Effective Malaria Vaccine May Be on the HorizonVaccine developer Inovio recently announced success with a synthetic vaccine for malaria in clinical trials, reporting strong and enduring antibody and T-cell responses with its vaccine in small animals and non-human primates. The synthetic DNA vaccine was delivered via the companyâs electroporation device and demonstrated strong antibody responses to all four malaria antigens. This, the company...... Read More
22 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Fecal Transplants Could Be a Viable Treatment for Childhood DiarrheaWhile antibiotics have dramatically reduced the incidence of illness and death from infectious diseases, overuse of the drugs has been a growing problem for decades, resulting in antibiotic-resistant âsuperbugs.â Prolonged and even short-term use of antibiotics can often be likened to dropping Napalm on healthy gut flora, killing not only harmful bacteria but healthy organisms as well. Enter...... Read More
21 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Are we getting closer to being able to prevent cancer?Cancer is caused by genetic mutations. However, the causes and biological processes that lead to these mutations have been somewhat of a mystery. Now, the genetic cause of tumor development in common cancers is becoming evident. This is helping to identify the biological processes that damages the DNA originally and causes cancer. Researchers at University of Queenslandâs Institute for Molecular...... Read More
19 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Anxiety might develop in the wombWhen certain hormones are missing in the womb, the deprived fetus might be at a greater risk of suffering from high anxiety later in life. Researchers at Cardiff University are interested in how disrupting the delicate balance of hormones during fetal development can influence emotional behaviors as an adult. Development is very complex, with lots of control mechanisms in place to ensure nutrients...... Read More
16 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New antibiotic could be based on E. coli proteinResearchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a protein in two different strains of bacteria that can control cell division. Once these proteins are isolated and studied more closely, they could be the basis for new antibiotics that could stop bacterial cell division, killing the cells. The bacteria, Bacillis subtilis and Escherichia coli, have similar proteins that can sense food...... Read More
15 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Nanoparticles in cancer therapy help reprogram immune cellsThere is a potential new treatment technique in the works using nanoparticles to reprogram immune cells that can recognize and attack cancer cells. Most cancer cells are able to bypass detection by the immune system because they are so similar to normal cells. This allows the cancer cells to multiply and grow freely. Researchers at the University of Georgia are now working on a system specifically...... Read More
14 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Missing Brain Enzyme Causes Abnormal Fear LevelsA neuroscience study being conducted at USC has led researchers to connect abnormal levels of fear in mice models with a missing brain protein. Small amounts of learned fear are not only normal, they are actually healthy. Fear makes us cognizant of our important decisions, and keeps animals and humans from making unnecessarily risky choices. But there are cases of severe and unwarranted fear that...... Read More