Stem Cell Research
A long lineup of Indian groups is pushing new research into stem cells as analysts project a big future for stem cell treatments in the subcontinent. Report
Human embryos that are discarded every day as medical waste from in vitro fertilization clinics could be an important source of stem cells for research, according to a team of researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. Release
Researchers report success using stem cells to treat brittle bone disease in embryonic rats. This approach could offer therapy prior to birth. Report
Researchers backing embryonic stem cell work in Michigan have submitted language for a constitutional amendment that would lift the state's prohibition on the work. Report
British scientists have used ESCs to make sperm cells, making it possible for lesbian couples to have their own biological children. Report
Cytori Therapeutics enrolled the first two patients in a clinical trial using adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells in the treatment of heart attack. Report
The UK is backing away from regulations that would have restricted stem cell research. Report
Genetics
University of Oregon scientists say they have identified a gene that is the key switch that allows embryonic cells to form into muscles in zebrafish. Release
Utah researchers have identified six genes linked to higher rates of cold sores. Report
Research into new infertility treatments may be assisted by identifying the role of the PTEN gene in preventing eggs in the ovary from developing too quickly. Report
Using a mouse model of Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), the Stowers Institute's Trainor Lab has demonstrated that it can prevent this rare disorder of craniofacial development either by inactivating a gene implicated in the abnormality or by inhibiting its protein product. Release
US researchers have reported that genetic mutations increase the risk of preterm birth, after establishing a link between the mutations in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene and inflammatory injury to the placenta and developing baby. Release
A genetic variation can seriously aggravate chronic lung disease in passive smokers. Report
Genetic research has drawn a link between rheumatoid arthritis and an early death from cardiovascular disease. Release
Cancer Research
A study of identical twins has for the first time confirmed the existence of cancer stem cells that cause the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Release
The microRNA miR-21 may be helpful in predicting outcomes for people with colon cancer. Report
An Italian study concludes that high levels the Ki-67 protein are associated with poor prognosis in women with early-stage breast cancer. Report
A new study may explain why women with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene face up to an 85 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer. Release
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have discovered biomarkers that predict which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer will respond to a combination treatment of the anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex and the growth factor receptor blocker Tarceva. Release
Synthetic chemists say that a natural molecule found in a deep-sea sponge could help them design better cancer therapies. Release