Researchers have discovered a key protein that controls how stem cells “choose” to become either skeletal muscle cells that move limbs, or smooth muscle cells that support blood vessels, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
In a study of the maternity records of more than 6,000 women, David J.P. Barker, M.D., Ph.D., and Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., of Oregon Health & Science University discovered a strong correlation between the size and shape of a woman’s hips and her daughter’s risk of breast cancer. Wide, round hips, the researchers postulated, represent markers of high sex hormone concentrations in the mother, which increase her daughter’s vulnerability to breast cancer.
University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have identified the neurotransmitter serotonin as the chemical responsible for inhibiting milk production and secretion in human mammary glands.
Cornell University engineers say they have developed a microvascular system that can nourish growing tissues, a step that may one day allow laboratories to grow synthetically engineered tissues for transplants.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered three genes that interact with cancerous results in 20 percent of lung cancers. The three genes are located next to each other on human chromosome 14 and two are known to play key roles in fetal lung development.
Scientists may have discovered a new way of killing tumours in what they hope could one day lead to alternative forms of cancer treatments.
Ossur, a leading provider of noninvasive orthopedic products and services, today announced the inauguration of its Asia Pacific operations in Shanghai, China. Ossur, renowned for its pioneering work in lower-limb prosthetics and a comprehensive range of braces and supports, established its China office as the regional headquarters catering to customers not just in China but across Asia including Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Since it first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 avian flu virus has been slowly evolving into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans. The final form of the virus, biomedical researchers fear, will be a highly pathogenic strain of influenza that spreads easily among humans.
Malaria drug and vaccine research is booming. According to a report launched today in the UK byAustralian researchers at the George Institute for International Health, 16 new malaria vaccinecandidates are now in clinical trials; six new malaria drugs are about to reach the market; and by2011 we will have up to 12 new antimalarial drug product registered.
Since it first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 avian flu virus has been slowly evolving into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans. The final form of the virus, biomedical researchers fear, will be a highly pathogenic strain of influenza that spreads easily among humans.