Archive for August 2008
Scientists suspect omega-3 fatty acids could slow acute wound healing
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
A recent study shows that popular fish oil supplements have an effect on the healing process of small, acute wounds in human skin. But whether that effect is detrimental, as researchers initially suspected, remains a mystery. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are widely considered to benefit cardiovascular health and other diseases related [...]
Vitamin A pushes breast cancer to form blood vessel cells
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that vitamin A, when applied to breast cancer cells, turns on genes that can push stem cells embedded in a tumor to morph into endothelial cells. These cells can then build blood vessels to link up to the body’s blood supply, promoting further tumor growth.
Biology in Pictures: Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
- In: Biology | Cancer
- Leave a Comment
Morphology: Thrombocytopenia, 4+ schizocytes, 3+ spherocytes, 4+ polychromatophilic rbc. Diagnosis: Disseminated carcinomatosis with DIC DIC With Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.
Scientists have developed a new method for making biological ‘chips’
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Protein chips – or ‘protein arrays’ as they are more commonly known – are objects such as slides that have proteins attached to them and allow important scientific data about the behaviour of proteins to be gathered. Functional protein arrays could give scientists the ability to run tests on tens of thousands of different proteins [...]
Researchers link cocoa flavanols to improved brain blood flow
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Cocoa flavanols, the unique compounds found naturally in cocoa, may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal. The researchers suggest that long-term improvements in brain blood flow could impact cognitive behavior, offering future potential for debilitating brain conditions including dementia and stroke.
Dean Kamen’s Amazing Robotic “Luke” Arm
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Segway inventor Dean Kamen is looking to re-invent the prosthetic arm. IEEE Spectrum caught up with Kamen and one of his “test pilots,” to see the robotic arm (named after Luke Skywalker’s articficial limb) in action.
Genes That Control Embryonic Stem Cell Fate Identified
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Scientists have identified about two dozen genes that control embryonic stem cell fate. The genes may either prod or restrain stem cells from drifting into a kind of limbo, they suspect. The limbo lies between the embryonic stage and fully differentiated, or specialized, cells, such as bone, muscle or fat. By knowing the genes and [...]
Antibody Engineering Cuts the Collateral Damage of Cancer Drugs
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
Killing cancer cells, while leaving normal tissue unscathed, is almost impossible. Nanotechnology may do the trick, but big pharmaceutical companies are far from embracing that strategy. In the meantime, highly-engineered biological molecules will fill the void.
Killer carbs: scientist finds the key to overeating as we age
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
- In: Brain
- 2 Comments
A Monash University scientist has discovered key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger and potentially weight-gain as we grow older.
Researchers converts biodiesel byproduct into omega-3 fatty acids
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
The typical American diet often lacks omega-3 fatty acids despite clinical research that shows their potential human health benefits. Zhiyou Wen, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, found a way to grow these compounds using a byproduct of the emerging biodiesel industry.
Coatings to help medical implants connect with neurons
Posted by: Derya on: August 31, 2008
- In: Bioengineering | Brain | Neuroscience | technology
- Leave a Comment
Plastic coatings could someday help neural implants treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson’s disease and macular degeneration. The coatings encourage neurons in the body to grow and connect with the electrodes that provide treatment.
Biology in pictures: Mimivirus
Posted by: Derya on: August 27, 2008
- In: Biology
- 3 Comments
Mimivirus on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.
Cranberry juice creates energy barrier that keeps bacteria away from cells
Posted by: Derya on: August 27, 2008
For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that the juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an [...]
Slipping through cell walls, nanotubes deliver high-potency punch to cancer tumors in mice
Posted by: Derya on: August 27, 2008
- In: Biomedical | Cancer | technology
- 1 Comment
The problem with using a shotgun to kill a housefly is that even if you get the pest, you’ll likely do a lot of damage to your home in the process. Hence the value of the more surgical flyswatter. Cancer researchers have long faced a similar situation in chemotherapy: how to get the most medication [...]
Relearning process not always a ‘free lunch’
Posted by: Derya on: August 27, 2008
- In: Biology | Brain | Neuroscience
- Leave a Comment
Researchers at Sheffield University and the University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom, have helped determine why relearning a few pieces of information may or may not easily cause a recollection of other associated, previously learned information. The key, they find, is in the way in which the learned information is forgotten. Details are published August [...]
To protect against liver disease, body puts cells ‘under arrest’
Posted by: Derya on: August 27, 2008
A stable form of cell-cycle arrest known to offer potent protection against cancer also limits liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by an excess of fibrous tissue, according to a new report in the August 22nd Cell, a Cell Press publication. Triggered by chronic liver damage produced by hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse, or fatty liver disease, [...]
New study shows compounds from soy affect brain and reproductive development
Posted by: Derya on: August 25, 2008
- In: Brain | Diet | Neuroscience | technology
- 3 Comments
Two hormone-like compounds linked to the consumption of soy-based foods can cause irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, resulting in early-onset puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause in research animals, according to a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University. The study is important in determining how these compounds can cause [...]
Being a control freak aids dividing cells
Posted by: Derya on: August 25, 2008
Micromanagers may generate resentment in an office setting, but they get results in your body. New data indicate that a dividing cell takes micromanagement to the extreme, tagging more than 14,000 different sites on its proteins with phosphate, a molecule that typically serves as a signal for a variety of biological processes. This preponderance of [...]
Biology in pictures: Synchiropus splendidus (Herre, 1927)
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
Synchiropus splendidus (Herre, 1927) on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.
Researchers Unveil Near-complete Protein Catalog For Mitochondria
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
Imagine trying to figure out how your car’s power train works from just a few of its myriad components: It would be nearly impossible. Scientists have long faced a similar challenge in understanding cells’ tiny powerhouses — called “mitochondria” — from scant knowledge of their molecular parts. Now, an international team of researchers has created [...]
Supercomputer explores biochemical landscape to find memory switches
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
- In: Biology | Biotechnology | technology
- 3 Comments
Switches are a part of daily life, from snoozing your alarm, turning on the coffee maker, firing up your car engine, and so on until we turn off the lights at night. Researchers have now cataloged even more templates of possible switches within a living cell than we use throughout our day.
Synthetic molecules may be less expensive alternative to therapeutic antibodies
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have developed a simple and inexpensive method to screen small synthetic molecules and pull out a handful that might treat cancer and other diseases less expensively than current methods. In one screen of more than 300,000 such molecules, called peptoids, the new technique quickly singled out five promising candidates [...]
Caltech bioengineers develop ‘microscope on a chip’
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have turned science fiction into reality with their development of a super-compact high-resolution microscope, small enough to fit on a finger tip. This “microscopic microscope” operates without lenses but has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, can be used in the field to analyze blood samples [...]
JoVE, the video-publication for biological research, is now listed on PubMed
Posted by: Derya on: August 24, 2008
I had posted on this really cool online video journal called Jove which is sort of like Youtube for scientists. The scientific videos are peer reviewed and is now also accepted for indexing in PubMed and MEDLINE. Great idea and implementation.
Biology in pictures: Heart Cells
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
Cardiomyocytes (red) and fibroblasts (green) isolated from chicken embryo heart. Heart cells on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.
Biology enters ‘The Matrix’ through new computer language
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
- In: Biology
- 4 Comments
Ever since the human genome was sequenced less than 10 years ago, researchers have been able to access a dizzying plethora of genomic information with a simple click of a mouse. This digitizing of genomic data—and its public access—is something that would have been unthinkable a generation earlier.
Researchers correct decline in organ function associated with old age
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
As people age, their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein — resulting in a buildup of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Now, for the first time, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have prevented this age-related decline [...]
Excellent animation explaining the mechanism of RNAi technology
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
- In: Biology | Biotechnology | technology
- 4 Comments
This superb animation from Youtube explains the RNA interference mechanism that recently won the Nobel prize for its discovery. The original video is from the journal Nature.
Scientists discover major genetic cause of colorectal cancer
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
About one-third of colorectal cancers are inherited, but the genetic cause of most of these cancers is unknown. The genes linked to colorectal cancer account for less than 5 percent of all cases. Scientists at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and colleagues have discovered a genetic trait that is present in 10 to 20 [...]
Designer RNA fights high cholesterol
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
Small, specially designed bits of ribonucleic acid (RNA) can interfere with cholesterol metabolism, reducing harmful cholesterol by two-thirds in pre-clinical tests, according to a new study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in collaboration with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In a study that appears online today and in an upcoming [...]
Aspirin, acid blocker a-day keeps GI bleeding
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
For patients with clogged heart arteries who take long-term, low-dose aspirin to prevent a cardiac event, adding a stomach acid-blocking drug to their daily routine has been shown to reduce their risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding – an infrequent, but serious side-effect of regular aspirin use. But do the benefits of these acid blockers – [...]
Scientists overcome nanotech hurdle
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
When you make a new material on a nano scale how can you see what you have made? A team of scientists has made a significant step toward overcoming this major challenge faced by nanotechnology scientists. With new research published today (13 August) in ChemBioChem, the team from the University of Liverpool, The School of [...]
Synthetic molecules could add spice to fight against cancer
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
- In: Biomedical | Biotechnology | Cancer
- Leave a Comment
Seeking to improve on nature, scientists used a spice-based compound as a starting point and developed synthetic molecules that, in lab settings, are able to kill cancer cells and stop the cells from spreading. The researchers are combining organic chemistry, computer-aided design and molecular biology techniques in developing and testing pharmaceutical compounds that can fight [...]
Scientists resurrected 1918 flu antibodies from elderly survivors
Posted by: Derya on: August 23, 2008
Ninety years after the sweeping destruction of the 1918 flu pandemic, researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have recovered antibodies to the virus – from elderly survivors of the original outbreak. In addition to revealing the surprisingly long-lasting immunity to such viruses, these antibodies could be effective treatments to have on hand [...]
New evidence of battle between humans and ancient virus
Posted by: Derya on: August 11, 2008
- In: Biotechnology | Science | technology
- 2 Comments
For millennia, humans and viruses have been locked in an evolutionary back-and-forth — one changes to outsmart the other, prompting the second to change and outsmart the first. With retroviruses, which work by inserting themselves into their host’s DNA, the evidence remains in our genes. Last year, researchers at Rockefeller University and the Aaron Diamond [...]
Brain plays key role in appetite by regulating free radicals
Posted by: Derya on: August 11, 2008
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found the brain’s appetite center uses fat for fuel by involving oxygen free radicals—molecules associated with aging and neurodegeneration. The findings, reported in the journal Nature, suggest that antioxidants could play a role in weight control.
Hot peppers really do bring the heat
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
- In: Biology | Biotechnology
- 1 Comment
Chili peppers can do more than just make you feel hot, reports a study in the August 1 Journal of Biological Chemistry; the active chemical in peppers can directly induce thermogenesis, the process by which cells convert energy into heat. Capsaicin is the chemical in chili peppers that contributes to their spiciness; CPS stimulates a [...]
Water is ‘designer fluid’ that helps proteins change shape, scientists say
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
According to new research, old ideas about water behavior are all wet. Ubiquitous on Earth, water also has been found in comets, on Mars and in molecular clouds in interstellar space. Now, scientists say this common fluid is not as well understood as we thought.
Spices may protect against consequences of high blood sugar
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar. Researchers, whose results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices. In [...]
Vitamin C injections slow tumor growth in mice
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report in the August 5, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [...]
Exercise in a pill
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
Trying to reap the health benefits of exercise? Forget treadmills and spin classes, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may have found a way around the sweat and pain. They identified two signaling pathways that are activated in response to exercise and converge to dramatically increase endurance.
Brain’s reaction to self-administered cocaine differs
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
- In: Brain | Neuroscience
- Leave a Comment
New research has uncovered a fundamental cellular mechanism that may drive pathological drug-seeking behavior. The study, published by Cell Press in the July 31 issue of the journal Neuron, examines the brain’s reward circuitry and details strikingly distinct influences of self-administered cocaine compared to natural rewards or passive cocaine injection.
When neurons fire up: Study sheds light on rhythms of the brain
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
- In: Biology | Brain | Neuroscience
- 2 Comments
In our brains, groups of neurons fire up simultaneously for just milliseconds at a time, in random rhythms, similar to twinkling lightning bugs in our backyards. New research from neuroscientists at Indiana University and the University of Montreal provides a model — a rhyme and reason — for this random synchronization.
New disease-fighting nanoparticles look like miniature pastries
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped particles — called nanobialys because they resemble tiny versions of the flat, onion-topped rolls popular in New York City — could soon be carrying medicinal compounds through patients’ bloodstreams to tumors or atherosclerotic plaques.
Researchers discover cell’s ‘quality control’ mechanism
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
- In: Bioengineering | Biology
- 1 Comment
Discovery may lead to new treatments for cystic fibrosis, other inherited diseases Researchers in Japan and Canada have discovered a key component of the quality control mechanism that operates inside human cells – sometimes too well. The breakthrough has significant implications for the development of new treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF) and some other hereditary [...]
Obesity predisposition traced to the brain’s reward system
Posted by: Derya on: August 10, 2008
The tendency toward obesity is directly related to the brain system that is involved in food reward and addictive behaviors, according to a new study. Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and colleagues have demonstrated a link between a predisposition to obesity and defective dopamine signaling in the mesolimbic system in rats. Their [...]
Medical Professional Database Award
Visitors Now
Advances in Nanotechnology
- IEEE Spectrum: American Chemical Society Touts Nanobots as Nanotechnology’s Big Impact
- New force-fluorescence device measures motion previously undetectable
- Photon-transistors for the supercomputers of the future
- Tumors gobble up nanoparticles
- Silicon nanoparticles enhance performance of solar cells
- Beyond batteries: Storing power in a sheet of paper
- Anthrax vaccine produces immunity with nanoparticles, not needles
- Computing breakthrough could elevate security to unprecedented levels
- Nanoscale blasting adjusts resistance in magnetic sensors
- Researchers develop method for mass production of nanogap electrodes
Flickr Photos
|
![I keep holding on [Explored]](http://static.flickr.com/7097/7309045590_eb4be7eaca_t.jpg "I keep holding on [Explored]")
Maps
Recent Comments