Stem Cell Research
Critics maintain that Geron's repeated assertion that it is a year away from beginning trials on its stem cell program serves as an example of research companies that bilk investors for funding work that will never produce results. Blog
Scientists in China say they have created the first cloned rabbit by using a new procedure that takes cells from a fetus. Biotech leaders in the country say the project represents China's advance into the forefront of cloning science. Report
Germany moved one step closer to ending a five-year ban on embryonic stem cell research. Scientists in the European have long complained that the ban was stifling research. Report
A new method of adult stem cell growth, designed in the Area of Cellular Therapy of the University Clinic (University of Navarra), has demonstrated its efficacy in growing cornea stem cells. Report
Fears that therapeutic cloning could become illegal in Missouri have chilled researchers' new-found interest in the state. Report
Cancer Research
The protein IKK-alpha, which is largely absent in a type of skin cancer, serves to guard a gene against mutations, according to researchers at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "Although IKK-alpha can protect the checkpoint gene 14-3-3-sigma from silencing, IKK-alpha itself is frequently impaired in cancer cells," says Yinling Hu, Ph.D., senior author of the paper. "We are going to define specific downstream targets of IKK-alpha involved in regulating DNA methylation of the checkpoint gene." Release
Doctors at the University of Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center are first in the world to study a new, targeted agent that zeroes-in on B-cell lymphomas. The new twice-a-day pill offers patients with recurrent disease another choice as their options grow thin. Release
Australian researchers have concluded that the number of stem cells involved in the growth of tumors has been grossly underestimated. In some cancers, all the cells in the tumor contribute to their growth, instead of a small group of stem cells. Report
More Research
Scientists in the UK say they have tested a compound that stopped Alzheimer's from killing brain cells in animal models. They believe that the compound may eventually help lead to a cure to the disease. Report
A rise in the number of animal experiments used for medical research made the UK the most active country in Europe for such work, raising criticism that scientists are too often given a free hand to test animals. Report
Rice University physicists have unveiled an innovative way of finding out how proteins get their shape based on how they unfold when pulled apart. The experimental method could be of widespread use in the field of protein folding science, which has grown dramatically in the past decade, due in part to the discovery that misfolded proteins play a key role in diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Release
Researchers at McGill University have found a clue in developing new drug candidates to fight the hepatitis C virus by identifying a defense mechanism in the virus similar to resistance found in HIV. Report
Researchers at the Center for Genome Sciences at Allegheny General Hospital say that they have demonstrated how bacterial strains can scavenge DNA from each other, making it possible to defend themselves against broad-spectrum antibiotics. Report
A University of Nottingham researcher has been awarded more than £440,000 by the Parkinson's Disease Society to investigate the causes of the condition. Report
Researchers at the University of Michigan say that their investigation into the way that bacteria forms fibers is revealing new clues about the role of protein tangles in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Report
Coming soon: Protein synthesis without amino acids. Report
Scientists say that certain genetic variations may help HIV patients control their viral loads. Report
Scientists in the U.K. have identified six common genetic variations linked to an increased risk of heart disease. That work would help diagnostics work in the field. Report
A variant of the C3 gene significantly raises the risk of age-related macular degeneration, according to a new study. Report