The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, reveals that damaged alpha-synuclein proteins (which are implicated in Parkinson’s disease) can spread in a ‘prion-like’ manner, an infection model previously described for diseases such…
Scientists at Inserm and Institut Pasteur have performed biomarker discovery on patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C infection. Their work, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, demonstrates that the plasma levels of the p…
AURORA, Colo. (Dec. 22, 2010) — A class of drugs thought to kill cancer cells may in fact block “cross talk” between the cancer cell and normal immune cells, resulting in reduced cancer growth and spread — a discovery that could significantly alte…
YOUR BODY’S OWN VACCINE: Researchers at BRIC, the University of Copenhagen, have discovered for the first time a protein normally found in the body that can act to prevent chronic tissue inflammation. When administered in the form of a therapeut…
DALLAS — Dec. 3, 2010 — Thanks to findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers, individuals with a potentially life-threatening condition predisposing them to blood clots, or thrombosis, might someday receive therapy to prevent the…
INDIANAPOLIS — A potent anti-tumor gene introduced into mice with metastatic melanoma has resulted in permanent immune reconfiguration and produced a complete remission of their cancer, according to an article to be published in the December 2…
LA JOLLA, Calif., November 1, 2010 — One of the many advantages of maintaining a normal body weight is having healthy fat, which in turn supports a healthy heart. Fat tissue is increasingly seen as more than just a storage depot — it’s als…
New research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators adds to evidence that the Six3 gene functions like a doorman in the developing brain and visual system, safeguarding the future retina by keeping the region where the eye is for…
Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a naturally occurring “good guy” for patients infected with HIV. It is a helpful gene mutation that impairs the HIV virus’ cell-killing machinery, thus preserving immune system function. Moreover, Mayo’s experiments in mice suggest that the presence or absence of this mutation in the gene known as Vpr may play a central role in determining which HIV-infected patients develop full-blown, fatal AIDS.
Researchers have shown that cells from the bone marrow give rise to insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of mice, opening a potential new way to treat diabetes. These morphed cells actually produce the hormone insulin in response to glucose and display other characteristics demonstrating that they truly function as pancreas cells, according to a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers.
Tumor cells have evolved a crafty scheme for protecting themselves from the killing power of the host immune system; in part, they disable the immune response. New studies implicate a receptor for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in this phenomenon of tumor-induced immune suppression. The findings, published in the March 1 Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that drugs that block the PGE2 receptor, called EP2, might restore the immune system’s tumor-killing capacity.
New research into the origin of kidney stone formation published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation may well change the direction of the most basic level of research in that area. The study will dispel the current beliefs of where stone formation begins, said the article’s lead author, adding that the research confirmed instead a hypothesis published in 1940 by Alexander Randall, M.D.