13 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New Drug May Increase Effectiveness of Radiation Treatment for Brain CancerScientists at the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University are conducting a fascinating preclinical study on a novel new drug. The clinical applications of an ATM inhibitor are varied, but the most exciting of its uses is related to its ability to increase the effectiveness of radiation treatment on glioblastoma multiforme. GBM is the deadliest form of brain cancer, with a survival...... Read More
12 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Innovative Epilepsy Study Utilizes Stem Cells in a Search for Seizure TreatmentsScientists and cell biology experts at the University of Michiganâs Medical School have taken a stem-cell-based approach to studying the origins and possible treatment routes for epilepsy. Converting skin cells from current epilepsy patients into stem cells, the scientists could turn those stem cells into neurons. Utilizing these brain nerve cells, the team was then able to test epilepsy in a whole...... Read More
09 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Drugs Bypass Sleeping Cancer CellsNew research from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute shows it is possible to therapeutically target cancer cells to keep them from entering quiescence or a state of âcell sleepâ. Drugs created to help treat cancer normally do not destroy quiescent cells. This allows these once quiescent cancer cells to cause tumor progression. By inhibiting a key regulator of quiescence, a larger percentage...... Read More
08 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Prion Protein’s Tail Responsible for Brain Cell DeathInfectious pathogens known as prions are responsible for illnesses like Mad Cow Disease. But recent news points to the true cause of the proteinâs destructive nature, and why some prion proteins remain completely harmless while others become toxic. Prion protein occurs naturally in the human brain cell membrane. Sometimes, those normally harmless proteins will morph or become deformed. Itâs these...... Read More
07 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Bacteria Strain Inactivates Cardiac MedicineAre you sure your medication is working when you take it? For certain people, a strain of bacteria in their gut is getting to their cardiac drugs and inactivating them before theyâve had a chance to work. Itâs a discovery that could give new insight to human cell biology and why different people experience different reactions to certain medications. The idea of microbes stealing and chewing through...... Read More
06 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Neural Origins of Menopausal Hot Flashes IdentifiedA new neuroscience study from the Wayne State University of Medicine may have identified the first real insight into the neural origins of the uncomfortable hot flashes experienced by menopausal women. Until now, every study attempting to understand the bodyâs response to thermoregulatory events has been carried out by applying heat stimuli to the skin. But a hot flash is completely different because...... Read More
05 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Scientists Come Closer to Custom-Built Blood VesselsResearchers at Johns Hopkins made big steps towards the eventual creation of customized blood vessels this month. Creating new blood vessel networks from stem cells, the scientists were able to successfully transplant them into laboratory mice. The manufactured blood vessel network, which is produced through the reprogramming of ordinary cells, is a big accomplishment in the world of cell biology....... Read More
02 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New Hydrogel Gives Researchers a Better Way to Study Brain CancerEngineers have created a brand new, three dimensional hydrogel that mimics the conditions of the human brain better than any previous gel. The clinical applications of the new hydrogel are varied, but at the moment itâs giving researchers a whole new way to study glioblastoma multiforme â an aggressive and notoriously deadly form of brain cancer. Traditionally, researchers have been forced to...... Read More
01 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Could Psychedelic Drugs Hold the Key to Erasing PTSD?A new clinical application of some psychedelic drugs may provide a surprising new method for treating PTSD and related disorders. Found naturally in some mushrooms, psilocybin is a compound that stimulates certain serotonin receptors inside the human brain. Used for years in religious ceremonies by non-western cultures and people, psilocybin is best known for its psychedelic and hallucinatory properties....... Read More
31 Jul, 2013 | by Labroots
Long-Term Memory Protein Linked to Psychiatric DisordersNeuroscience researchers at Virginia Techâs Carilion Research Institute have made a discovery that links schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to a brain protein pathway critical in the formation of long-term memories. Rap1 is a protein pathway found in the brain, and itâs responsible for controlling the L-type calcium channels that assist in the formation of long-term memories. According to earlier...... Read More