Freezing technique exposes molecule-to-molecule attachments

[Eric Gershon] Researchers at Yale University have developed a new way of exposing the atomic attachments that keep complex molecules in precise alignment. The new method could provide insight into the mechanics of a variety of molecular structures, potentially aiding efforts to manipulate them for drug discovery and other purposes. 2 Feb 2012 15:32

Scientists map one of life's molecular mysteries

All living organisms are made up of cells, behind these intricate life forms lie complex cellular processes that allow our bodies to function. Researchers working on protein secretion - a fundamental process in biology - have revealed how protein channels in the membrane are activated by special signals contained in proteins destined for secretion. The results help explain the underlying mechanism responsible for the release of proteins such as hormones and antibodies into the blood stream. 31 Jan 2012 14:00

Scientists reveal first 3D image of cancer prevention molecule

Cancer Research UK scientists have created the first 3D structure of a key protein that protects against the development of cancer, according to research published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology on Sunday, 22 January. 24 Jan 2012 11:05

US baby boomers feed need for joint replacements

WASHINGTON, USA: US baby boomers are fueling a wave of joint replacement surgeries, hoping to use new artificial knees and hips to stay active as they get older. 6 Dec 2011 16:42

Watching the nervous system being wired in real time

[Bill Hathaway] Thanks to a new imaging technology developed at Yale, the National Institutes of Health and Sloan-Kettering, scientists can now see for the first time the development of a living organism at the level of a single cell. 5 Dec 2011 13:08

Study to look at nerve cells in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Bristol have been awarded a grant that by using state-of-the-art stem cell technology will enable them to analysis nerve cells produced from skin biopsies of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). 23 Nov 2011 16:40

Brain tumor group narrows search for genetic susceptibility

[Michael Greenwood] An international consortium of researchers, including members from the Yale School of Public Health, has narrowed the search for the gene or genes associated with inherited susceptibility to a malignant brain cancer to a region on chromosome 17. 16 Nov 2011 17:19

World's first stem cell bandage in human clinical trials

The company behind a pioneering stem cell bandage, believed to be the world's first adult and autologous (patient's own) stem cell treatment designed to heal torn meniscal cartilage, can now take the technology to human clinical trials thanks to an investment from one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs. 16 Nov 2011 17:07

EEG scan helped contact patients in vegetative state

PARIS, FRANCE: Electro-encephalography (EEG) helped doctors realise that several patients diagnosed as being in a permanently vegetative state were in fact aware, according to a study published on Thursday, 10 November, in The Lancet. 14 Nov 2011 13:16

Stem cell approach primes immune system to fight cancer

Stem cell techniques have been used in the lab as a new way of priming the body's own immune cells to attack cancer, in a proof-of-principle study by Oxford University scientists. 11 Nov 2011 08:51

Preventing pancreatic cell death in type 1 diabetes

[Helen Dodson] Diabetes researchers at Yale University have developed a method to detect and measure the destruction of beta cells that occurs in the pancreas by measuring DNA expression in the blood. The destruction of beta cells leads, over time, to type 1 diabetes. Their finding could ultimately lead to a treatment that stops the progression of the disease. The paper appears in the Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 11 Nov 2011 08:47

Gene test helps tailored treatment for cancer patients

PARIS, FRANCE: Doctors on Wednesday, 9 November, said they had used a wide-ranging genetic test for mutations in cancer cells to help fine-tune treatment for patients with lung tumours. 9 Nov 2011 16:03

Could social media be used to detect disease outbreaks?

New research has looked at whether social media could be used to track an event or phenomenon, such as flu outbreaks and rainfall rates. 7 Nov 2011 13:20

Non-communicable diseases: Africa must 'spend a lot more'

BERLIN, GERMANY: According to scidev.net, Olive Shisana, CEO of the South African Human Sciences Research Council, said at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany that infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, are expected to decline while non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, will increase in Africa over the coming decades. 4 Nov 2011 11:47