"Going forward, Huang said there are numerous possibilities for the material to control elastic waves including super-resolution sensors, acoustic and medical hearing devices,
Abnormalities in these brain regions are associated with neurological and mental health disorders. According to Professor Donohoe: For years scientists have been fascinated by the development of different brain structures and how this changes in brain-based disorders.
and learning and is implicated in Parkinson's disease. This finding opens up new avenues for research in this disease by giving new clues about the biological mechanisms involved.
The research was funded in part by Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board in Ireland and involved collaboration between researchers at NUI Galway and Trinity college Dublin.
and to understanding the basis of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders such as schizophrenia Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.
Unless you know what'normal'development looks like it's hard to know how disease manifests in these sub-cortical regions.
of which has previously been implicated in risk for schizophrenia. The article published in Nature today is'Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures
The findings come weeks after a report commissioned by British Prime minister David cameron concluded that failure to battle drug-resistant infections
Because the antibiotics are present on the particulate matter with bacteria the selective pressure for bacteria to retain their resistance remains during their flight said Greg Mayer an associate professor of molecular toxicology at the institute.
The system could be tested with transplant patients at UPMC later this year. The findings, which were published online in the American Journal of Transplantation,
suggest that it's possible to use the technique of"machine perfusion"with a newly created cell-free oxygenated solution to expand the number of high-quality livers available for transplant,
explained senior investigator Paulo Fontes, M d.,UPMC transplant surgeon, associate professor, Starzl Transplantation Institute, Department of Surgery, Pitt School of medicine,
and easily moved around their pens just hours after they woke up from the surgery,
#Key factor discovered in formation of metastases in melanoma Melanoma, the most aggressive of all skin cancer strains, is often fatal for patients due to the pronounced formation of metastases.
Until now, a melanoma's rampant growth was attributed mainly to genetic causes, such as mutations in certain genes.
This opens up new possibilities for future cancer treatments. Patients who visit the doctor because of malignant skin cancer often go too late--the aggressive cancer has formed already numerous metastases in their bodies.
This rapid malignant metastatic formation of melanoma, was previously put down to the high mutation rate that is characteristic of melanoma,
i e. genetic changes that stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Various cancer drugs therefore target the signaling pathways activated in the process, some
of which have recorded astonishingly positive results in the clinic and are able to prolong the lives of seriously sick patients.
and the tumor spreads again. Evidently, the cancer cells have found new ways to grow. A team of researchers headed by Professor Lukas Sommer from the University of Zurich's Institute of Anatomy has now found a possible explanation for this dynamic behavior in cancer cells:
whether epigenetic factors are especially active in melanoma cells --and stumbled across EZH2, an epigenetic control protein found very frequently in malignant melanoma cells compared to normal cells.
Joining forces with dermatologists and oncologists from the University Hospital in Zurich and backed by the University Research Priority Program"Translational Cancer Research,
"Sommer's team was able to demonstrate that, in melanoma cells, the epigenetic factor EZH2 controls genes that govern tumor growth as well as genes that are important for the formation of metastases.
In their study, the researcher exploited this central position of EZH2 to combat the cancer:
They used a pharmacological inhibitor to suppress the activity of EZH2. As a result, the researchers were able to prevent the growth and malignant spread of the cancer in the animal model and human melanoma cells."
"To our astonishment, we were able to use the approach to influence the progression of the disease,
even if tumors had developed already, "explains Sommer. Epigenetic factors like EZH2 therefore appear to be highly promising targets for future cancer treatments,
especially combined with other drugs that are already available e
#New technique for growing high-efficiency perovskite solar cells This week in the journal Science, Los alamos National Laboratory researchers reveal a new solution-based hot-casting technique
that allows growth of highly efficient and reproducible solar cells from large-area perovskite crystals.""These perovskite crystals offer promising routes for developing low-cost, solar-based, clean global energy solutions for the future,"said Aditya Mohite,
#Medicaid'fee bump'to primary care doctors associated with better access to appointments The increase in Medicaid reimbursement for primary care providers,
and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation--published online-first by the New england Journal of Medicine.
and health policy colleagues at the Urban Institute, utilized trained field staff, posing as Medicaid and privately insured patients seeking new-patient primary care appointments, calling offices in two
and parent study principal investigator, Karin V. Rhodes, MD, MS, director of the department of Emergency Medicine's Center for Emergency Care Policy and Research."
Reductions of that magnitude would offset some of the gains in appointment availability identified in this new study,"observed Stephen Zuckerman, co-director of the Urban Institute's Health policy Center r
The discovery could lead to targeted therapies and interventions for Alzheimer's disease, autism and other neurological conditions.
The discovery will guide research into more personalized medical treatments for Alzheimer's, autism, depression and other disorders."
if the genetic mutations are implicated in disease. The ENIGMA researchers screened millions of"spelling differences"in the genetic code to see which ones affected the size of key parts of the brain in magnetic resonance images (MRIS) from 30,717 individuals.
some of the genes are implicated in cancer and mental illness. In October 2014, the NIH invested nearly $32 million in its Big data Initiative,
creating 12 research hubs across the United states to improve the utility of biomedical data. USC's two BD2K centers of excellence, including ENIGMA,
"The ENIGMA Center's work uses vast datasets as engines of biomedical discovery; it shows how each individual's genetic blueprint shapes the human brain,
#Erectile dysfunction drugs could protect liver from sepsis-induced damage Infection can lead to the release of chemicals that cause whole-body inflammation
and kidneys explained senior investigator Timothy Billiar M d. professor and chair of surgery Pitt School of medicine.
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the intensive care unit. Sepsis is a very challenging problem so the possibility that we might be able to repurpose a drug that is in use and well understood is very exciting Dr. Billiar said.
Sepsis triggers production of a protein called tumor necrosis factor or TNF which helps fight infection but is sustained harmful at high levels.
The researchers found in a mouse model of sepsis that sildenafil more commonly known as Viagra induced the liver to produce greater amounts of a protein called CYCLIC GMP
which in turn led cells to shed surface proteins called TNF receptor reducing TNF signaling in the cells and preventing liver damage.
Our study suggests that increasing the bioavailability of CYCLIC GMP might be beneficial in ameliorating the inflammation associated with sepsis Dr. Billiar said.
Sildenafil and other ED drugs might be a good approach to try early in the course of the illness to forestall organ damage.
The research team plans to verify their findings in a large animal model of sepsis s
If hypoglycemia develops in these premature babies and persists for over an hour, it can affect brain development.
and stress would be too great. In a project funded by The swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF),
Empa and the University Hospital Zurich thus teamed up to develop the sensor"Glucolight,""which gages the blood sugar level through the skin,
A different method to previous sensors Glucolight spares the premature babies blood samples and enables the blood sugar level to be monitored permanently thanks to the sensor's novel measuring technology,
The computer then uses these two different readings to calculate the premature baby's blood sugar level.
and the first clinical studies are scheduled at the University Hospital Zurich for 2015. However it could be years before the use of Glucolight becomes standard.
Empa and the University Hospital Zurich are currently in negotiations with partners for the industrial production of the sensor.
For the future, the researchers also envisage the use of Glucolight in other fields, such as diabetes s
#Connection between childhood adversity psychiatric disorders seen at cellular level Mitochondria convert molecules from food into energy that can be used by cells
and psychiatric disorders but the research is limited very and no prior work has examined the relationship of MITOCHONDRIAL DNA to psychosocial stress.
We are interested in these relationships because there is now clear evidence that stress exposure and psychiatric conditions are associated with inflammation
and health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Identifying the changes that occur at a cellular level due to these psychosocial factors allows us to understand the causes of these poor health conditions
and possibly the overall aging process. said Audrey Tyrka MD Phd Director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience at Butler Hospital and Associate professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University.
Tyrka and fellow researchers recruited 299 healthy adults from the community for the study. Participants completed diagnostic interviews to assess psychiatric disorder diagnosis
and assess childhood adversities including parental loss and childhood abuse and neglect. Participants were categorized into four groups based upon the presence
or absence of childhood adversity and the presence or absence of lifetime depressive anxiety or substance use disorders.
Using standard techniques researchers extracted DNA from whole blood samples for each participant and quantified telomere length
These effects were seen in individuals with major depression depressive disorders and anxiety disorders as well as those with parental loss and childhood maltreatment.
These findings indicate that childhood stress and some psychiatric disorders are linked to important cellular changes that may represent advanced cellular aging.
Understanding this biology is necessary to move toward better treatment and prevention options for stress-related psychiatric and medical conditions
and may shed light on the aging process itself. said Dr. Tyrka also the director of research for Butler Hospital l
#New cancer-fighting strategy would harden cells to prevent metastasis Existing cancer therapies are geared toward massacring tumor cells
This is a novel approach to cancer therapy that we believe could fight the disease with less potential for side effects
We think the new screening system we devised will help identify drugs for many other diseases as well.
Since changes in cell shape figure into conditions from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to degenerative nerve diseases compounds that affect cells shape could turn out to stall disease progress.
Most drug screens look for an effect on a specific biochemical pathway that has been linked to disease;
In collaboration with another Johns Hopkins lab led by Robert Anders M d. Ph d. an associate professor of pathology Robinson's group identified changes in the amount of myosin II in pancreatic cancer cells as they spread from the original
tumor into other areas of the body a crucial step in progression of the disease. The research team tested 4-HAP on lab-grown pancreatic cancer cells
The drug is already in use in some countries as a treatment for jaundice so if it shows success against pancreatic cancer it could potentially make it to market relatively quickly Robinson says.
#Scientists invent system to improve effectiveness of cancer surgery With the goal of making it easier for surgeons to detect malignant tissue during surgery
and hopefully reduce the rate of cancer recurrence, scientists have invented a new imaging system that causes tumors to ight upwhen a hand-held laser is directed at them. surgeon goal during cancer surgery is to remove the tumor,
as well as enough surrounding tissue to ensure that malignant cells are not left behind, said Aaron Mohs, Ph d,
. assistant professor of regenerative medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical center and a co-inventor of the system. ut how do they know when theye removed enough tissue?
Our goal is to provide better real-time information to guide the surgery. Published online ahead of print in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical engineering (TBME),
Mohs and co-authors report on their prototype system that combines a fluorescent dye that localizes in tumors with a real-time imaging system that allows the surgeon to simply view a screen to distinguish between normal tissue and the ightedmalignant tissue.
In both mice and companion dogs with tumors, the scientists found that the fluorescent dye accumulated at higher levels in tumors than in the surrounding tissue
and the system was able to detect a distinct boundary between normal and tumor tissue.
Canine tumors are known to be similar to human tumors in architecture and canines get the same types of tumors as humans.
The scientists are working to further develop the system so it can be evaluated in human patients.
Current technology allows cancer surgeons to scan tumors prior to surgery with magnetic resonance imaging and other systems.
However, to scan the tumor during surgery involves moving the patient from the operating table and into the machinery hich prolongs the surgery. eing able to quickly scan a tumor during surgery to visualize tumor tissue from non-tumor tissue is an unmet clinical need,
said Mohs. athology techniques that examine tumor tissue during surgery can take up to 20 minutes
and they focus on the tissue removed during surgery, not the tissue that remains in the body.
In TBME, the authors noted that the ideal system would find tumor boundaries with high sensitivity,
have minimal impact on operative time and surgical technique, present findings in an intuitive manner and avoid the use of ionizing radiation or a specialized imaging environment, such as MRI machines.
The system, invented by Mohs, Michael C. Mancini at Spectropath Inc, . and Shuming Nie with Emory University and Georgia Institute of technology, combines two types of imaging.
A surgeon-controlled laser can be directed at any area of interest. In addition an imaging system with three cameras sits above the surgical field.
The images recorded by both systems are processed to display a composite image. Using this system,
a surgeon would scan the tumor prior to surgery to determine its boundaries. The tumor would then be removed surgically
and the area would be scanned re to assess for any remaining malignant tissue. If diseased tissue is found,
and nanoparticles that can be targeted to specific tumors. Recently, Mohs was awarded a $1. 37 million research grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
and Bioengineering for a project to optimize the system and to test it in rodents.
The research will investigate invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer. Under the project, the researchers will focus on optimizing the loading of the dye,
and whether disease recurrence is reduced. Members of the research team all from Wake Forest Baptist, are:
Edward Levine, M d.,Surgical Sciences Oncology; Frank Marini, Ph d, . and Graca Almeida Porada, M d.,Ph d.,Institute for Regenerative medicine;
in addition to the inventors, were James M. Provenzale, M d.,Duke university Medical center and Emory University; and Corey F. Saba, D. V. M.,Karen K. Cornell, D. V. M.,Ph d,
Wake Forest Baptist Medical center (www. wakehealth. edu) is recognized a nationally academic medical center in Winston-salem, N c,
. with an integrated enterprise including educational and research facilities, hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers and other primary and specialty care facilities serving 24 counties in northwest North carolina and southwest
Wake Forest School of medicine, an established leader in medical education and research; and Wake Forest Innovations,
#New antibodies for cancer treatment A research team at Aarhus University i Denmark has developed ten new antibodies that can possibly be used in the battle against cancer.
The antibodies we've found prevent a cancer tumour from growing. They appear to work perfectly in the laboratory
and this means of course that they've got incredibly interesting therapeutic potential that we'll investigate further.
The antibodies neutralise the effects of signal substances released by carcinoma cells to get blood vessels to replicate
A cancer tumour deprived of oxygen and nutrients becomes dormant and is made thereby harmless. If it receives a supply from the bloodstream
They are among the world's leading specialists in developing artificial antibodies for cancer treatment
To date they have identified actually ten that appear to be able to impede the development of cancer.
A small number of therapeutic antibodies already exist some of which have the same effect as the antibodies developed by the Aarhus University researchers.
The demand for therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment is steadily increasing. In 2013 alone worldwide sales amounted to more than DKK 340 billion.
We've got a large library of antibodies that can supplement the body's own fight against disease.
and this is crucial for our better understanding of disease mechanisms and possibly developing new forms of therapy says Associate professor Kristensen.
The researchers isolated their antibodies from a library consisting of billions of different antibodies and they subsequently analysed the ability of the individual antibodies to inhibit blood vessel formation.
Professor Mahiran said in pharmaceuticals an innovation has produced successfully a drugs delivery method to penetrate the'blood brain barrier'especially for diseases that are associated with the brain such as Alzheimer Parkinson epilepsy and meningitis.
#Insights into a rare genetic disease Recently a grassroots effort initiated by families and clinicians led to the discovery of a human genetic disorder with severe consequences that is linked to a mutation in the human NGLY1 gene.
In a big step towards understanding the effects of this mutation research by scientists at the RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research center in Japan implicates the enzyme ENGASE as the factor responsible for deficient protein degradation that occurs in the absence
and epilepsy to abnormal liver function and the inability to make tears. The leader of the research effort Tadashi Suzuki notes that
if the abnormal aggregation of this type of glycoprotein is somehow related to them it is tempting to speculate that inhibition of ENGASE activity may serve as a therapeutic target for patients carrying mutations in the NGLY1 gene.
Chemical analysis of venom confirmed that it contained abundant amounts of this insulin. The type of insulin found in venom glands seems to match the prey of a given cone snail.
Its stripped down size and odd chemical modifications may have evolved as a way to make it better at causing hypoglycemia in prey y
#New cellular pathway triggering allergic asthma response identified Researchers at the University of California, San diego School of medicine,
with collaborators in Korea and Scotland, have identified a novel signaling pathway critical to the immune response of cells associated with the initiation of allergic asthma.
could point the way to new therapies that suppress the inflammatory allergic response, offering potential relief to millions of Americans with the chronic lung condition and potentially other allergic diseases.
the scientists demonstrated that T helper 2 (Th2) type inflammation in allergic asthma involves dendritic cells (DC), a type of white blood cell,
which shares many similarities with human asthma. Conversely, increasing camp levels inhibited the cells'inflammatory response that results in asthma's characteristic symptoms."
"These findings and the related mechanism are very different from the current residing view of activation of specific T helper cell responses,
"said principal investigator Eyal Raz, MD, professor of medicine.""The role of camp formation and action in dendritic cells in the induction of allergic response was added really surprising
co-author Paul Insel, MD, professor of pharmacology and medicine.""It suggested to us that this signaling pathway is involved in other immune-related functions."
"The immune response of humans, mice and other vertebrates consists of two fundamental components. The first is the innate immune system,
which recognizes and responds to pathogens in an immediate, but generalized, way and does not confer long-lasting immunity.
or prevent pathogen growth --and create immunological memory in case of future encounters with the same pathogen.
Th2 immunity is one of two major aspects of adaptive immunity. Th1 responses target intracellular pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria that have invaded host cells.
The Th2 response is more effective against extracellular pathogens (such as bacteria parasites and toxins that operate outside of cells) and also plays a major role in allergic reactions and related diseases.
Allergic asthma is triggered by inhaled allergens, such as pet dander, pollen, mold and dust mites. It is characterized by inflammation
and narrowing of the airways, resulting in wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and other symptoms.
The common form of allergic asthma is associated with an exaggerated Th2 immune response. Allergic asthma affects people of all ages, most often appearing in childhood.
More than 25 million Americans suffer from the condition.""This research will open a new field of exploration of DC-related molecules as mediators that influence Th2 induction
and Th2'bias,'"said Jihyung Lee, Phd, a postdoctoral fellow and first author of the study."
professor of medicine and a member of the Veteran's Affairs San diego Healthcare System, said"such molecules
or ones that mimic or block them might be used as novel therapeutics of allergic and asthmatic diseases."
"Raz noted that the genetic mouse model developed for the research shares multiple similarities with human allergic asthma,
"We are quite optimistic the mice will reveal additional, novel insights into human allergy, "he said d
Gas sensors or implantable chips for medical applications which can gather information about blood sugar levels
New method improves single-cell genomics analyses Single-cell RNA-sequencing is a relatively new technology that helps scientists understand how genes are expressed in different types of healthy tissue and in cancers.
Cancer cells differentiation processes and the pathogenesis of various diseases can be explored better and understood when they are based only on known detailed cell profiles.
The ability to perform real-time 3d imaging at cellular resolution in behaving organisms is a new frontier for biomedical
The emergence of fluorescent proteins and transgenic techniques over the past 20 years has transformed biomedical research even delivering neurons that flash as they fire in the living brain.
) and Kimara Targoff (assistant professor of pediatrics Department of Pediatrics) all of whom are starting to use the SCAPE system in their research.
or understand how cancer cells are organized in a metastasizing tumor or how immune cells are configured in an autoimmune attack you have to look at a large piece of tissue with nanoscale precision he says.
While Boyden's team is focused on the brain other possible applications for this technique include studying tumor metastasis
and angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels to nourish a tumor) or visualizing how immune cells attack specific organs during autoimmune disease e
#Gene tied to profound vision loss discovered by scientists An exhaustive hereditary analysis of a large Louisiana family with vision issues has uncovered a new gene tied to an incurable eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa,
according to an examination led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHEALTH).
It is a family of eye diseases that affects more than 200,000 in the United states and millions worldwide The retina converts images into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain.
Retinitis pigmentosa damages this film (the retina) and its early symptoms include decreased night vision and peripheral vision.
Once it starts, the loss of vision is relentlessly progressive, often ending in blindness. In the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, UTHEALTH's Stephen P. Daiger, Ph d,
. and his colleagues report their discovery of a new gene tied to retinitis pigmentosa, which brings the total of genes associated with this sight-threatening disease to more than 60.
The gene is called hexokinase 1 (HK1. This information is important because it helps affected families cope with the disorder,
helps explain the biologic basis of these diseases and suggests targets for drug treatments and gene therapy, said Daiger, the report's senior author and holder of the Thomas Stull Matney Ph d. Endowed Professorship in Environmental and Genetic sciences at UTHEALTH School of Public health."
"The challenge now is to block the activity of these mutations and clinical trials are underway to do just that,
"he said.""Dr. Daiger is trying to make a breakthrough in potentially blinding diseases with no known treatments,
"said Richard S. Ruiz, M d.,professor of ophthalmology and holder of the John S. Dunn Distinguished University Chair in Ophthalmology at UTHEALTH."
"Right now, we address the symptoms of the disease and help patients make the most of their existing vision."
"For approximately three decades, Daiger, a member of the Human genetics Center at the UTHEALTH School of Public health, has been following the progress of hundreds of families across the country with retinitis pigmentosa."
"We've found the cause of disease in 80 percent of the families we have studied,
"Daiger said.""Our goal is to find the cause in the remaining 20 percent.""Equipped with the genetic profiles of family members, Daiger's team has identified differences in the genetic makeup of those with the disease.
The researchers also use family histories and DNA tests to glean information about the condition's hereditary nature.
There are different types of retinitis pigmentosa and Daiger's laboratory is focused on the autosomal dominant type.
This means that only one parent needs the mutation in order to pass the disease to a child.
This type accounts for about a third of all cases and many of its disease-causing genes have been discovered
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