19 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Anxiety might develop in the wombWhen certain hormones are missing in the womb, the deprived fetus might be at a greater risk of suffering from high anxiety later in life. Researchers at Cardiff University are interested in how disrupting the delicate balance of hormones during fetal development can influence emotional behaviors as an adult. Development is very complex, with lots of control mechanisms in place to ensure nutrients...... Read More
16 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New antibiotic could be based on E. coli proteinResearchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a protein in two different strains of bacteria that can control cell division. Once these proteins are isolated and studied more closely, they could be the basis for new antibiotics that could stop bacterial cell division, killing the cells. The bacteria, Bacillis subtilis and Escherichia coli, have similar proteins that can sense food...... Read More
15 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Nanoparticles in cancer therapy help reprogram immune cellsThere is a potential new treatment technique in the works using nanoparticles to reprogram immune cells that can recognize and attack cancer cells. Most cancer cells are able to bypass detection by the immune system because they are so similar to normal cells. This allows the cancer cells to multiply and grow freely. Researchers at the University of Georgia are now working on a system specifically...... Read More
14 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Missing Brain Enzyme Causes Abnormal Fear LevelsA neuroscience study being conducted at USC has led researchers to connect abnormal levels of fear in mice models with a missing brain protein. Small amounts of learned fear are not only normal, they are actually healthy. Fear makes us cognizant of our important decisions, and keeps animals and humans from making unnecessarily risky choices. But there are cases of severe and unwarranted fear that...... Read More
13 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
New Drug May Increase Effectiveness of Radiation Treatment for Brain CancerScientists at the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University are conducting a fascinating preclinical study on a novel new drug. The clinical applications of an ATM inhibitor are varied, but the most exciting of its uses is related to its ability to increase the effectiveness of radiation treatment on glioblastoma multiforme. GBM is the deadliest form of brain cancer, with a survival...... Read More
12 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Innovative Epilepsy Study Utilizes Stem Cells in a Search for Seizure TreatmentsScientists and cell biology experts at the University of Michiganâs Medical School have taken a stem-cell-based approach to studying the origins and possible treatment routes for epilepsy. Converting skin cells from current epilepsy patients into stem cells, the scientists could turn those stem cells into neurons. Utilizing these brain nerve cells, the team was then able to test epilepsy in a whole...... Read More
09 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Drugs Bypass Sleeping Cancer CellsNew research from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute shows it is possible to therapeutically target cancer cells to keep them from entering quiescence or a state of âcell sleepâ. Drugs created to help treat cancer normally do not destroy quiescent cells. This allows these once quiescent cancer cells to cause tumor progression. By inhibiting a key regulator of quiescence, a larger percentage...... Read More
08 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Prion Protein’s Tail Responsible for Brain Cell DeathInfectious pathogens known as prions are responsible for illnesses like Mad Cow Disease. But recent news points to the true cause of the proteinâs destructive nature, and why some prion proteins remain completely harmless while others become toxic. Prion protein occurs naturally in the human brain cell membrane. Sometimes, those normally harmless proteins will morph or become deformed. Itâs these...... Read More
07 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Bacteria Strain Inactivates Cardiac MedicineAre you sure your medication is working when you take it? For certain people, a strain of bacteria in their gut is getting to their cardiac drugs and inactivating them before theyâve had a chance to work. Itâs a discovery that could give new insight to human cell biology and why different people experience different reactions to certain medications. The idea of microbes stealing and chewing through...... Read More
06 Aug, 2013 | by Labroots
Neural Origins of Menopausal Hot Flashes IdentifiedA new neuroscience study from the Wayne State University of Medicine may have identified the first real insight into the neural origins of the uncomfortable hot flashes experienced by menopausal women. Until now, every study attempting to understand the bodyâs response to thermoregulatory events has been carried out by applying heat stimuli to the skin. But a hot flash is completely different because...... Read More