Bioscience Technology Online - Disease Research

'Linc-ing' a noncoding RNA to a central cellular pathway

Thursday, 29 Jul 2010 13:44:27 GMT

(Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) The recent discovery of more than a thousand genes known as large intergenic noncoding RNAs (or "lincRNAs") opened up a new approach to understanding the function and organization of the genome. That surprising breakthrough is now made even more...

Study finds respiratory symptoms more reliable indicator of H1N1, not fever alone

Thursday, 29 Jul 2010 12:43:08 GMT

(Elsevier Health Sciences) New research shows that individuals with mild H1N1 infection may go undetected using standard diagnostic criteria, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for...

Male breast cancer in family leads to high perception of risk, low likelihood of genetic counseling

Thursday, 29 Jul 2010 12:43:02 GMT

(University of Louisville) People with a family history of male breast cancer perceive themselves to be at higher risk of developing the disease than do patients with a family history of female breast cancer; however those with male breast cancer in their families are less likely to know...

The evolution of melanoma diagnosis: 25 years beyond the ABCDs

Thursday, 29 Jul 2010 11:45:30 GMT

(American Cancer Society) Twenty-five years after publishing the mnemonic "ABCD" to facilitate the early diagnosis of melanoma, the group who came up with that moniker says early detection remains a key factor in lowering mortality from malignant melanoma.

Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions, says Stanford researcher

Wednesday, 28 Jul 2010 16:43:04 GMT

(Stanford University) Soot from the burning of fossil fuels and solid biofuels contributes far more to global warming than has been thought, according to a new Stanford study. But, unlike carbon dioxide, soot lingers only a few weeks in the atmosphere, so cutting emissions could have a...

New transplantation criteria for liver cancer patients

Wednesday, 28 Jul 2010 10:41:53 GMT

(Wiley-Blackwell) Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco propose that treatments used on liver cancers beyond the established Milan criteria for liver transplantation may be appropriate for all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are listed for transplantation....

Few people are doing it, so why should I? Motivating men to seek cancer screening

Tuesday, 27 Jul 2010 12:41:49 GMT

(Association for Psychological Science) In Germany, several national health campaigns promote cancer screening by announcing that only one in five German men gets screened. This is supposed to motivate men to have an examination. But a new study published in Psychological Science, a...

Seeing the forest and the trees reveals heart problems

Monday, 26 Jul 2010 14:42:47 GMT

(Inderscience Publishers) A statistical analysis of publicly available heart rate data using three classification tools -- Random Forests, Logistic Model Tree and Neural Network -- could lead to a rapid and precise way to diagnose heart problems, according to research in the International...

The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation donates additional research funds to TGen

Monday, 26 Jul 2010 03:41:57 GMT

(The Translational Genomics Research Institute) The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation continues its fight against advanced breast cancer with a $50,000 donation to the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), for a total contribution over two years of $300,000.

Diagnostic 'guidelines' a barrier to prompt relief for some back pain

Friday, 23 Jul 2010 17:42:32 GMT

(Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions) Slavishly following long-held guidelines for diagnosing the cause of arthritis-related back pain is resulting in excessive tests, delays in pain relief and wasteful spending of as much as $10,000 per patient, new Johns Hopkins-led research suggests.

Gene may hold key to reducing spread of oral cancers

Friday, 23 Jul 2010 13:43:01 GMT

(University of Illinois at Chicago) The spread of cancer cells in the tongue may be reduced if a gene that regulates cancer cell migration can be controlled, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Living Up to Potential

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 15:24:17 GMT

Researchers are intrigued by the possibilities of Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in basic science and drug development, but much work remains if expectations are to be met.

How do cells die? Biophotonic tools reveal real-time dynamics in living color

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 13:42:09 GMT

(University at Buffalo) Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is essential to normal development, healthy immune system function, and cancer prevention. The process dramatically transforms cellular structures but the limitations of conventional microscopy methods have kept much about this...

Scientists discover how deadly fungal microbes enter host cells

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 12:42:23 GMT

(Virginia Tech) A research team led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech has discovered a fundamental entry mechanism that allows dangerous fungal microbes to infect plants and cause disease. The discovery paves the way for the development of new...

Study suggests link between metabolic disease, bone mass in mice

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 12:42:15 GMT

(Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions) A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers has found that insulin, the sugar-regulating hormone, is required for normal bone development and that it may provide a link between bone health and metabolic disease, such as diabetes.

Study describes health effects of occupational exposures in Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 11:42:36 GMT

(University of Louisville) A five-year study into the causes of deaths of workers at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant shows significantly lower death rates from all causes and cancer in general when compared to the overall United States population. This is known by occupational health...

Study links more time spent sitting to higher risk of death

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 10:43:05 GMT

(American Cancer Society) A new study from American Cancer Society researchers finds it's not just how much physical activity you get, but how much time you spend sitting that can affect your risk of death.

A breakthrough for child survival in the poorest nations and America's cities

Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 10:42:59 GMT

(Burness Communications) A Johns Hopkins University scientist, whose team of researchers recently identified pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria as the primary causes of death of 6 million of the world's poorest children, today called on leaders in donor and developing nations to take action...

Video game processors help lower CT scan radiation

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 17:43:06 GMT

(American Institute of Physics) A new approach to processing X-ray data could lower by a factor of ten or more the amount of radiation patients receive during cone beam CT scans, report researchers from the University of California, San Diego.

Students design early labor detector to prevent premature births

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 17:43:00 GMT

(Johns Hopkins University) A team of graduate students and their faculty adviser have invented a system to pick up very early signs that a woman is going into labor too soon.

A new drug treatment to close the window on colon cancer

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 15:43:15 GMT

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) Professor Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu, head of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology, has opened on a new frontier in cancer research: he is recruiting colon cancer patients for a new clinical study which will test a cocktail of drugs to prevent...

New links between cholesterol and depression in the elderly

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 15:43:11 GMT

(Elsevier) Prior research has shown that particular types of strokes contribute to one's risk for depression, and that abnormal blood lipid levels can increase the risk of depression in the elderly. However, new findings by French researchers, published in Biological Psychiatry, suggest...

Every action has a beginning and an end (and it's all in your brain)

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 13:43:22 GMT

(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia) Rui Costa and Xin Jin describe in the latest issue of the journal Nature, that the activity of certain neurons in the brain can signal the initiation and termination of behavioral sequences we learn anew. Furthermore, they found that this brain activity...

Lack of insurance coverage remains obstacle to wider colorectal cancer screening with CT colonography

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 13:42:50 GMT

(American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society) A recent questionnaire submitted to a group of patients at one of the nation's largest general hospitals suggests that a significant number of patients, who have previously refused colorectal cancer screening, are willing to...

Gladstone and Lundbeck collaborate to study neurovascular disease

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 13:42:46 GMT

(Gladstone Institutes) The Gladstone Institutes and the international pharmaceutical company H. Lundbeck A/S have announced a collaborative research agreement to study and identify therapeutic candidates for neurological diseases.

Research links recreational pool disinfectants to health problems

Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 12:41:52 GMT

(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Splashing around in a swimming pool on a hot summer day may not be as safe as you think. A recent University of Illinois study links the application of disinfectants in recreational pools to previously...

Global HIV/AIDS survey by IAPAC reveals critical gap in patient-physician conversations

Tuesday, 20 Jul 2010 19:42:43 GMT

(Cohn & Wolfe) Results from the landmark AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey (ATLIS 2010), a multi-country survey of more than 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, revealed a significant gap in patient-physician dialogue about critical health-related conditions that may negatively...

Yale scientists discover new genetic marker of ovarian cancer risk

Tuesday, 20 Jul 2010 15:43:21 GMT

(Yale University) A team of Yale researchers have identified a genetic marker that can help predict the risk of developing ovarian cancer, a hard to detect and often deadly form of cancer.

FDA accepts historical controls for epilepsy monotherapy studies

Tuesday, 20 Jul 2010 15:43:15 GMT

(Wiley-Blackwell) New York University researchers revealed that data from previously completed withdrawal to monotherapy studies for antiepileptic drugs provide a valid control for future studies, obviating the need for placebo/pseudo-placebo trials to demonstrate the efficacy of these...

Women help women live and cope with a chronic medical condition in the family

Tuesday, 20 Jul 2010 14:41:16 GMT

(Cooney Waters Group, Inc.) A new campaign explores the roles and responsibilities women uniquely encounter when living, or caring for a loved one, with epilepsy. "Women Succeeding with Epilepsy" is a collaboration between Epilepsy Advocate and HealthyWomen to educate, empower and inspire...