Stem cell research
University of Florida researchers were able to program bone marrow stem cells to repair damaged retinas in mice, suggesting a potential treatment for one of the most common causes of vision loss in older people. Release
Genetics
Scientists have identified a genetic defect that could be responsible for up to half of all cases of epilepsy. Article
Researchers say a "gene signature" found in resistant cancer cells that remain after a woman with breast cancer undergoes treatment may lead to new drug targets. Release
Cancer research
Using a novel delivery system, researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center were able to successfully targeted a protein that is over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. The protein is also found in other types of cancer, including breast, colon, and prostate and non-small cell lung cancers, but is "virtually absent" in normal cells, the study's senior author said. Release
Clark Atlanta University's Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development and Georgia Tech's Integrative Cancer Research Center have teamed up to launch the Collaborative Cancer Genomics Center, a state-of-the-art $5 million gene sequencing facility at Clark Atlanta. The collaboration will focus on exploring the genetics behind prostate, ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancers. Report
And Finally... Pneumonic plague has killed three people in China, though health officials say there's little chance that the outbreak will cause mass fatalities. Report