Diseases
Scientists reengineer antibiotic to overcome resistent bacteria
August 25, 2011 7:32 am | News | CommentsA team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have successfully reengineered an important antibiotic to kill the deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The researchers report the finding has clinical significance.
Scientists create natural Alzheimer's-fighting compound in lab
August 25, 2011 4:20 am | News | CommentsScientists at Yale University have developed the first practical method to create a compound called huperzine A in the laboratory. The compound, which occurs naturally in a species of moss found in China, is an enzyme inhibitor that has been used to treat Alzheimer's disease in China since the late 1990s and is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement to help maintain memory.
Common bacterium stops mosquitoes from transmitting dengue virus
August 24, 2011 9:55 am | News | CommentsStrains of a bacterium commonly found in fruit flies can prevent the Aedes aegypti mosquito from transmitting the virus that causes dengue fever, researchers have found. Their discovery could lead to a more effective way to control dengue worldwide.
Nickel nanoparticles may contribute to lung cancer
August 24, 2011 6:00 am | News | CommentsAll the excitement about nanotechnology comes down to this: Structures of materials at the scale of billionths of a meter take on unusual properties. Technologists often focus on the happier among these newfound capabilities, but new research by Brown University finds that nanoparticles of nickel activate a cellular pathway that contributes to cancer in human lung cells.
Found: Protein that may lead to stress-related DNA damage
August 23, 2011 6:34 am | News | CommentsResearchers from Duke University and The Scripps Research Institute have identified a molecular pathway that plays a key role in stress-related damage to the genome. Until this new study, exactly how chronic stress wreaks havoc on DNA was basically unknown.
Evidence builds that caffeine lowers risk of skin cancer
August 16, 2011 9:14 am | News | CommentsCoffee-based sunscreen may not be so crazy after all. Several years ago, researchers discovered that caffeine has a positive effect against certain types of skin cancers at the molecular level. A new study from Rutgers University strengthens this theory.
Can the Spanish Flu devastate us again?
August 15, 2011 9:12 am | News | CommentsThe last century has seen two major pandemics caused by the H1N1 virus—the Spanish flu in 1918 and the swine flu scare of 2009. But scientists did not know what distinguished the swine flu from ordinary influenza in pigs or seasonal outbreaks in humans, giving it the power to travel extensively and infect large populations. Until now.
Microwaves join fight against malaria
August 12, 2011 8:33 am | News | CommentsWorking on the knowledge that the parasite that causes malaria has extra iron in its system, researchers at Pennsylvania State University are developing a process that destroys the disease using lower-power microwaves. They say these waves do not harm human blood cells.
Software predicted virus risk in California epidemic
August 12, 2011 7:14 am | News | CommentsA computer model of the spread of West Nile virus was able to predict areas where human cases would be concentrated, especially around Sacramento in 2005. The success of the model, say researchers, depended on its focus on biological factors and on a high volume of reports from members of the public.
Gene therapy wipes out leukemia in study
August 12, 2011 4:36 am | by Stephanie Nano, Associated Press | News | CommentsScientists are reporting the first clear success with a new approach for treating leukemia. The breakthrough involves turning the patients' own blood cells into assassins that hunt and destroy their cancer cells.
Rapid blood test answers biggest infection question
August 11, 2011 7:17 am | News | CommentsTo successfully fight infection, the right treatment must be started quickly. But sometimes physicians have difficulty differentiating between a viral or a bacterial affliction. A simple blood test has been developed that should quickly answer this question.
New drug could cure nearly any viral infection
August 10, 2011 4:34 am | by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office | News | CommentsMost bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin. However, such drugs are useless against viral infections. Now, in a development that could transform how viral infections are treated, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory has designed a drug that can identify cells that have been infected by any type of virus, then kill those cells to terminate the infection.
Curry spice offers treatment hope for tendinitis
August 9, 2011 6:58 am | News | CommentsAn international team of researchers has shown a derivative of a common culinary spice found in Indian curries could offer a new treatment hope for sufferers of the painful condition tendinitis.
Antibody recognizes many strains of flu virus
August 8, 2011 11:53 am | News | CommentsUnlike many vaccines, the shot for influenza needs yearly updating. Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have discovered a human antibody that recognizes many different flu strains and could be the basis for a longer-lasting vaccine.
Hang out at the water cooler, live longer
August 5, 2011 7:52 am | News | CommentsCompanies like Google and Zappos.com are famous for their "work hard, play hard" attitudes and friendly work environments, but are their employees healthier too? According to a Tel Aviv University researcher, a positive relationship with your co-workers has long-term health benefits.
New molecule could help image and kill brain tumors
August 4, 2011 9:49 am | News | CommentsA single compound with dual function?the ability to deliver a diagnostic and therapeutic agent?may one day be used to enhance the diagnosis, imaging and treatment of brain tumors. A nanoparticle called a metallofullerine served as the basis for this research at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.
Gold nanoparticles diagnose flu in minutes
August 4, 2011 9:45 am | by Sam Fahmy | News | CommentsBy coating gold nanoparticles with antibodies that bind to specific strains of the flu virus and then measuring how the particles scatter laser light, a new technology from the University of Georgia can detect influenza in minutes at a cost of only a fraction of a penny per exam.
Researchers increase the potency of HIV-battling proteins
July 29, 2011 4:49 am | News | CommentsResearchers at the California Institute of Technology have applied a relatively simple engineering technique to boost the battling prowess of an algae-sourced protein, called cyanovirin-N, that has gained attention for its antiviral properties.
Newly designed molecule blocks chlamydia bacteria
July 22, 2011 8:09 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered a way to block the damaging actions of chlamydia. The team, which included Duke University microbiologists and chemists, designed a molecule that takes away the bacteria's self-defense mechanisms.
Novel biodegradable pellet targets glue ear infection
July 21, 2011 6:16 am | News | CommentsScientists at The University of Nottingham have developed a novel biodegradable pellet, which over a period of three weeks, will release effective quantities of antibiotics into the middle ear, targeting glue ear infection.
Evolution provides clue to blood clotting
July 20, 2011 12:15 pm | News | CommentsA simple cut to the skin unleashes a complex cascade of chemistry to stem the flow of blood. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have used evolutionary clues to reveal how a key clotting protein assembles.
Blood-sucking could be made deadly for mosquitoes
July 18, 2011 7:53 am | by Daniel Stolte | News | CommentsBiochemists have hit mosquitoes where it hurts most: their blood meal. Inhibiting a molecular process the insect’s cells use to direct proteins to their proper destinations, they have found, causes more than 90% of affected mosquitoes to die within 48 hours of feeding.
Neutralizing HIV
July 18, 2011 5:12 am | by Katie Neith | News | CommentsA study involving researchers at Caltech points to the possibility of using neutralizing antibodies in the development of a vaccine for HIV. Their research describes a group of novel antibodies that were isolated from HIV-infected individuals using a new cloning approach.
Molecules 'light up' Alzheimer's roots
July 13, 2011 10:31 am | News | CommentsA breakthrough in sensing at Rice University could make finding signs of Alzheimer's disease nearly as simple as switching on a light. The technique should help researchers design better medications to treat the devastating disease.
Scientists: Stinky sock smell helps fight malaria
July 13, 2011 9:37 am | by Katharine Houreld, Associated Press | News | CommentsDutch scientist Dr. Bart Knols first discovered mosquitoes were attracted to foot odor by standing in a dark room naked and examining where he was bitten. For the last 15 years, researchers have struggled to put the knowledge to use. But now an affordable, inexpensive trap that employs foot odor may soon reach market.
