Virus Tamed to Destroy Cancer Cells but Leave Healthy Cells Unharmed
from Science Daily
 Scientists at Oxford University have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells. They determined how to produce replication-competent viruses with key toxicities removed, providing a new platform for development of improved cancer treatments and better vaccines for a broad range of viral diseases. More 
No Survival Benefit Seen with Taxanes in Early Breast Cancer
from Medscape Medical News
Docetaxel (Taxotere, sanofi-aventis) added to standard anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy had no overall effect on disease-free survival among patients with early breast cancer, according to results of a study published in the Lancet. These results contrast with those from other adjuvant trials, which showed a modest survival benefit when sequential docetaxel was added to the standard treatment regimen. More
Nearly 96,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Products Recalled
from CNN
An Illinois meat producer recalled nearly 96,000 pounds of potentially contaminated beef, the federal government announced last month. The Department of Agriculture designated as "Class One" the recall of 95,898 pounds of ground beef products from Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Ill., meaning the health risk associated with eating the meat is high. More
La Jolla Institute Unlocks Mystery of Potentially Fatal Reaction to Smallpox Vaccine
from Journal of Experimental Medicine via EurekAlert!
Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology in La Jolla. Calif., have pinpointed the cellular defect that increases the likelihood, among eczema sufferers, of developing eczema vaccinatum, a severe and potentially fatal reaction to the smallpox vaccine. The research, conducted in mouse models, was funded under a special research network created by the National Institutes of Health in 2004. The network is working toward the development of a new smallpox vaccine that could be administered to the millions of Americans who suffer from atopic dermatitis, a chronic, itchy skin condition commonly referred to as eczema. More
MicroRNA Regulation of Tumor-killing Viruses Avoids Unwanted Viral Pathology
from Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Scientists have determined how to produce replication-competent viruses with key toxicities removed, providing a new platform for development of improved cancer treatments and better vaccines for a broad range of viral diseases. Cellular microRNA molecules regulate the stability of mRNA in different cell types, and this newly-understood mechanism provides the possibility to engineer viruses for cell-specific inactivation. More
How Superbugs Control their Lethal Weapons
from Science Daily
It appears that some superbugs have evolved to develop the ability to manipulate the immune system to everyone's advantage. Researchers discovered some processes that reduce the lethal effects of toxins from superbugs, allowing humans and microbes to co-evolve. This discovery may lead to novel alternatives to antibiotics that specifically target the toxic effects of these superbugs. More
Why Chimps, Monkeys Don't Develop Alzheimer's
from HealthDay via Discovery
Scientists have long noticed a curious phenomenon among primates: Humans get the devastating neurological disorder known as Alzheimer's disease, but their closest evolutionary cousins don't. Even more inexplicable is the fact that chimpanzee and other non-human primate brains do get clogged with the same protein plaques that are believed by many to cause the disease in humans. More
Swine Flu Genes Circulated Undetected for Years
from The Associated Press via U. S. News & World Report
Genes included in the new swine flu may have been circulating undetected in pigs for at least a decade, according to researchers who have sequenced the genomes of more than 50 samples of the virus. The findings suggest that pig populations need to be more closely monitored in the future for emerging influenza viruses, said a team led by Rebecca Garten of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More
Related article: Feds to Set Aside $1 Billion for Swine Flu Vaccine Development (USA Today)
A Genetic Clue to Why Autism Affects Boys More
from TIME Magazine
Among the many mysteries that befuddle autism researchers: why the disorder affects boys four times more often than girls. But in new findings reported online by the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers say they have found a genetic clue that may help explain the disparity. More
Human Genome Sciences Submits Biologics License Application to FDA for ABthrax
from Medical News Today
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced that it has submitted a Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its human monoclonal antibody drug ABthrax (raxibacumab) for the treatment of inhalation anthrax. More
Renal Gene and Protein Expression Signatures for Prediction of Kidney Disease Progression
from The American Journal of Pathology
Although chronic kidney disease is common, only a fraction of CKD patients progress to end-stage renal disease. Molecular predictors to stratify CKD populations according to their risk of progression remain undiscovered. Here we applied transcriptional profiling of kidneys from transforming growth factor-β1 transgenic (Tg) mice, characterized by heterogeneity of kidney disease progression, to identify 43 genes that discriminate kidneys by severity of glomerular apoptosis before the onset of tubulointerstitial fibrosis in two-week-old animals. More
|
