Viruses used for good in cancer-killing experiments

Tests show success, but general use not yet approved

Viruses aren’t always the bad guys. Sure, they can cause colds, measles, AIDS and other miseries. But with some tinkering, these tiny organisms may become a new and better way to treat cancer.

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FDA Approves First Generic Risperidone to Treat Psychiatric Conditions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Risperdal (risperidone) tablets. Risperdal is an antipsychotic drug used for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. Read more

Researchers overcome chemotherapy resistance in the lab

Re-purposed Malaysian folk medication reduces resistance to cancer treatments

Researchers from McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine have discovered a compound that reduces resistance to chemotherapy agents used to treat cancer. Their results were published in the June issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI).

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Nerve cells derived from stem cells and transplanted into mice may lead to improved brain treatments

Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have, for the first time, genetically programmed embryonic stem (ES) cells to become nerve cells when transplanted into the brain, according to a study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience. The research, an important step toward developing new treatments for stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions showed that mice afflicted by stroke showed tangible therapeutic improvement following transplantation of these cells. None of the mice formed tumors, which had been a major setback in prior attempts at stem cell transplantation.

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Crucial Factors in Lymphoma Development and Survival Discovered

Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center have discovered an important factor in the development of B-cell lymphomas, one of the fastest growing forms of cancer. The B-cell receptor on the surface of B cells can cooperate with the MYC oncogene to accelerate the development of lymphomas. The research team, led by Yosef Refaeli, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Medical and Research Center , also showed that disruption of signals from the B-cell receptor can inhibit growth of the tumors. The research is being published in the June 24 issue of the journal, PLos Biology.

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Leukemia drug could save lives of stroke patients

Studies in mice reveal why tPA may cause brain damage

The drug tPA is the most effective treatment currently available for stroke patients, but its safety is limited to use within the first three hours following the onset of symptoms. After that, tPA may cause dangerous bleeding in the brain. However, in a study published today in Nature Medicine, investigators from the Stockholm Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) and the University of Michigan Medical School show that these problems might be overcome if tPA is combined with the leukemia drug, imatinib (Gleevec®). The results demonstrate that imatinib greatly reduces the risk of tPA-associated bleeding in mice, even when tPA was given as late as five hours after the stroke had begun. The LICR team, in collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, is now planning a clinical trial with imatinib in stroke patients.

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Drug reverses mental retardation caused by genetic disorder

UCLA mouse study offers hope for correcting how autism disrupts brain

UCLA researchers discovered that an FDA-approved drug reverses the brain dysfunction inflicted by a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Because half of TSC patients also suffer from autism, the findings offer new hope for addressing learning disorders due to autism. Nature Medicine publishes the findings in its online June 22 edition.

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A novel X-ray source could be brightest in the world

Oscillator projected to increase current brightness by millions of times

The future of high-intensity x-ray science has never been brighter now that scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have devised a new type of next generation light sources.

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Researchers seek children for a study of antibiotics for a urinary tract disorder

Researchers conducting a study to learn if children with a urinary tract disorder known as vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) should be treated with an antibiotic for an extended period of time are seeking to enroll more participants. The study, known as the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) study is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Researchers find new ways to regulate genes, reduce heart damage

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) are looking for ways to reduce or prevent heart damage by starting where the problem often begins: in the genes.

Following a heart attack, cells die, causing lasting damage to the heart.

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