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
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