|  Empty decoys divert antibodies from neutralizing gene therapy in cell, animal studies  | Gene therapy researchers have produced a bioengineered decoy that fools the immune system and prevents it from mistakenly defeating the benefits delivered by a corrective gene. The decoy was effective in animal studies, and if the approach succeeds in humans, it offers a potential new treatment for genetic diseases such as hemophilia, while advancing the broader field of gene therapy. | Read More » Personality may predict if you like spicy foods  | Certain aspects of an individual's personality may be a determining factor in whether they like their food plain and bland or spicy and hot, according to new research. | Read More » 'Intelligent knife' tells surgeon which tissue is cancerous  | Scientists have developed an "intelligent knife" that can tell surgeons immediately whether the tissue they are cutting is cancerous or not. In the first study to test the invention in the operating theatre, the "iKnife" diagnosed tissue samples from 91 patients with 100 per cent accuracy, instantly providing information that normally takes up to half an hour to reveal using laboratory tests. | Read More » Earth's gold came from colliding dead stars  | We value gold for many reasons: Its beauty, its usefulness as jewelry, and its rarity. Gold is rare on Earth in part because it's also rare in the universe. Unlike elements like carbon or iron, it cannot be created within a star. Instead, it must be born in a more cataclysmic event -- like one that occurred last month -- known as a short gamma-ray burst. | Read More » Great white sharks' fuel for oceanic voyages: Liver oil  | New research shows that great white sharks power their nonstop journeys of more than 2,500 miles with energy stored as fat and oil in their massive livers. The findings provide novel insights into the biology of these ocean predators. | Read More » BPA and chlorine means bad news: Modified forms of bisphenol A found to alter hormone signaling in new, disturbing ways  | The ubiquity of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A led researchers to ask what it might be doing in publicly supplied, chlorinated drinking water. The answer: Chlorinated BPA has different, but no less profound effects on cell-signaling networks than unmodified BPA. | Read More » A heart of gold: Gold nanofibers in engineered heart tissue can enhance electrical signalling  | Scientists have integrated cardiac cells with nanofibers made of real gold particles to create functional engineered cardiac tissues. With the gold particles, these tissues contract much faster and stronger as a whole, he reports, making them more viable for transplants and post-heart-attack therapies. | Read More » How rice twice became a crop and twice became a weed -- and what it means for the future  | With the help of modern genetic technology and the resources of the International Rice GeneBank, which contains more than 112,000 different types of rice, evolutionary biologist Kenneth Olsen has been able to look back in time at the double domestication of rice (in Asia and in Africa) and its double "de-domestication" to form two weedy strains. Olsen predicts the introduction of pesticide-resistant rice will drive ever faster adaptation in weedy rice. | Read More » Protein responsible for 'bad' blood vessel growth discovered  | The discovery of a protein that encourages blood vessel growth, and especially "bad" blood vessels -- the kind that characterize diseases as diverse as cancer, age-related macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis -- has been reported. | Read More » Big-nosed, long-horned dinosaur discovered in Utah: Dinosaur in same family as Triceratops  | A remarkable new species of horned dinosaur has been unearthed in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah. The huge plant-eater inhabited Laramidia, a landmass formed when a shallow sea flooded the central region of North America, isolating western and eastern portions for millions of years during the Late Cretaceous Period. The newly discovered dinosaur belongs to the same family as the famous Triceratops. | Read More » Targeting malaria: Engineered liver tissue could help scientists test new drugs and vaccines  | A team of researchers has now developed a way to grow liver tissue that can support the liver stage of the life cycle of the two most common species of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. | Read More » Scientists show proof-of-principal for silencing extra chromosome responsible for Down syndrome  | Scientists have established that a naturally occurring X chromosome "off switch" can be rerouted to neutralize the extra chromosome responsible for trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by cognitive impairment. The discovery provides the first evidence that the underlying genetic defect responsible for Down syndrome can be suppressed in cells in culture. | Read More » Scientists find 3-D structure of key drug target for diabetes  | Scientists have determined and analyzed the three-dimensional atomic structure of the human glucagon receptor. The receptor, found mainly on liver and kidney cells, helps regulate glucose levels in the bloodstream and is the target of potential therapeutic agents for type 2 diabetes. | Read More » Molecular switch controls the destiny of self-eating cells  | Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that controls whether a cell survives autophagy, a process that can be compared to the cell consuming parts of itself. The discovery means that it might now be possible to influence the process, which is involved in a wide variety of diseases. | Read More » Seafood still considered a good source of nutrients but consumers confused on safety  | Seafood continues to be a proven strong nutrient-rich food providing essential vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, but consumers and some toxicologists still keep a watchful eye on safety, according to new research. | Read More » Elastic electronics: Stretchable gold conductor grows its own wires  | Networks of spherical nanoparticles embedded in elastic materials may make the best stretchy conductors yet, engineering researchers have discovered. | Read More » Researchers target Achilles' heel of bacteria behind hospital-associated infections  | Researchers are defeating persistent bacteria known for causing infections in hospitals. They have discovered how a regulatory system helps this bacteria resist a host's innate immune defense -- a finding that may help develop novel drug compounds to fight the bacteria. | Read More » Uncovering a healthier remedy for chronic pain  | Physicians and patients who are wary of addiction to pain medication and opioids may soon have a healthier and more natural alternative. A study revealed that a derivative of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a main ingredient of over-the-counter fish oil supplements, can sooth and prevent neuropathic pain caused by injuries to the sensory system. | Read More » Unattractive people more likely to be bullied at work  | It's common knowledge that high school can be a cruel environment where attractive students are considered "popular," and unattractive kids often get bullied. And, while that type of petty behavior is expected to vanish with adulthood, new research proves it does not. Colleagues can be just as immature as classmates. | Read More » Nano drug crosses blood-brain tumor barrier, targets brain-tumor cells and blood vessels  | The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from poisons but also prevents drugs from reaching brain tumors. A preclinical study shows that an experimental nanotechnology drug called SapC-DOPS crosses the tumor blood-brain barrier, targets brain-tumor cells and retards growth of tumor blood vessels. The findings also show why the agent targets tumor cells and recommend the drug's further development as a novel treatment for glioblastoma. | Read More » Ironing out the origins of wrinkles, creases and folds  | Engineers have mapped out the amounts of compression required to cause wrinkles, creases, and folds to form in rubbery materials. The findings could help engineers control the formation of these structures, which can be useful in designing nanostructured materials for flexible electronic devices or surfaces that require variable adhesion. | Read More » Compound discovered at sea shows potency against anthrax  | Scientists have discovered anthracimycin, a new chemical compound from an ocean microbe that could one day set the stage for new treatments for anthrax and other ailments such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. | Read More » Discovery of stone monument at El Perú-Waka' adds new chapter to ancient Maya history: New World 'Cleopatra story' waits 1,000 years to be retold  | Archaeologists tunneling beneath the main temple of the ancient Maya city of El Perú-Waka' in Guatemala have discovered a stone monument with hieroglyphic text detailing the exploits of a little-known sixth-century princess whose progeny prevailed in a bloody struggle between two of the civilization's most powerful royal dynasties. | Read More » High tooth replacement rates in largest dinosaurs contributed to their evolutionary success  | Rapid tooth replacement by sauropods, the largest dinosaurs in the fossil record, likely contributed to their evolutionary success, according to a new article. The study also hypothesizes that differences in tooth replacement rates among the giant herbivores likely meant their diets varied, an important factor that allowed multiple species to share the same ecosystems for several million years. | Read More » In the zone: How scientists search for habitable planets  | There is only one planet we know of, so far, that is drenched with life. That planet is Earth, and it has all the right conditions for critters to thrive on its surface. Do other planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, also host life forms? Astronomers still don't know the answer, but they search for potentially habitable planets using a handful of criteria. Ideally, they want to find planets just like Earth, since we know without a doubt that life took root here. The hunt is on for planets about the size of Earth that orbit at just the right distance from their star -- in a region termed the habitable zone. | Read More » Curiosity Mars rover passes kilometer of driving  | The latest drive by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover brought the total distance that the rover has driven on Mars to more than 1 kilometer. One kilometer is about 0.62 mile. | Read More » Milestone in quest to advance emerging super-black nanotechnology  | A NASA engineer has achieved yet another milestone in his quest to advance an emerging super-black nanotechnology that promises to make spacecraft instruments more sensitive without enlarging their size. | Read More » 80 percent of Malaysian Borneo degraded by logging  | A new study has found that more than 80 percent of tropical forests in Malaysian Borneo have been heavily impacted by logging. The team used the Carnegie Landsat Analysis System-lite (CLASlite) to reveal the vast and previously unmapped extent of heavily logged forest. CLASlite's high-resolution satellite imaging uncovered logging roads in Brunei and in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. | Read More » Compounds outsmart solid tumors' malfunctioning machinery  | Molecular biologists have found a novel way to fine-tune the activity of cells' protein-disposing machinery, with potentially cancer-fighting effects. | Read More » 'Impossible' material made with record-breaking surface area and water adsorption abilities  | A novel material with world record-breaking surface area and water adsorption abilities has been synthesized by researchers in Sweden. The magnesium carbonate material that has been given the name Upsalite is foreseen to reduce the amount of energy needed to control environmental moisture in the electronics and drug formulation industry as well as in hockey rinks and ware houses. It can also be used for collection of toxic waste, chemicals or oil spill and in drug delivery systems, for odor control and sanitation after fire. | Read More » Researcher finds way to convert blood cells into autoimmune disease treatment  | Cells from one's own blood could be converted into a treatment for autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, thanks to new research. | Read More » New evidence for warm-blooded dinosaurs  | A scientist in Australia has shown new evidence that dinosaurs were warm-blooded like birds and mammals, not cold-blooded like reptiles as commonly believed. The researchers argues that cold-blooded dinosaurs would not have had the required muscular power to prey on other animals and dominate over mammals as they did throughout the Mesozoic period. | Read More » Probiotic bacterium lessens severity of Salmonella infections by hoarding iron  | Microbiologists have learned how a probiotic bacterium used to treat irritable bowel syndrome can soothe gut bacterial infections caused by salmonella, paving the way for potential relief from foodborne illnesses that affect millions of people annually. | Read More » Mutation linked to congenital urinary tract defects  | Researchers have identified a genetic mutation that causes congenital malformations of the kidney and urinary tract, a common form of birth defect and the most common cause of kidney failure in children. It is the first time that a specific genetic mutation has been linked to a non-syndromic form of urinary tract malformation. | Read More » Poor sleep in pregnancy can disrupt the immune system and cause birth-related complications  | Poor sleep quality and quantity during pregnancy can disrupt normal immune processes and lead to lower birth weights and other complications, a new study finds. Women with depression also are more likely than non-depressed women to suffer from disturbed sleep and to experience immune system disruption and adverse pregnancy outcomes. | Read More » Study first to identify heart attack-causing plaque in living patients  | Scientists may be closer to predicting who is at risk for a heart attack, according to a recently published study. Researchers used new imaging technology on patients being treated for heart attacks. | Read More » Splitting donated livers shown to be safe, allowing doctors to save two lives from single organ, study suggests  | Split liver transplantation carries no increased risk of failure in either recipient, allowing surgeons to safely save two lives from a single donated organ, according to new research. | Read More » The best defense against catastrophic storms: Mother Nature, researchers say  | Researchers say that natural habitats such as dunes and reefs are the best protection against storms and rising sea levels along the U.S. coastline. | Read More » Genomic imprinting maintains a reserve pool of blood-forming stem cells in mouse bone marrow  | Hematopoietic stem cells -- bone marrow-derived adult stem cells that give rise to the wide variety of specialized blood cells -- come in two flavors: the reserve force sits quietly waiting to be called upon while the active arm continually proliferates spawning billions of blood cells every day. In a new study, researchers reveal a new mechanism that is critical in maintaining the delicate balance between the two. | Read More » Bees under threat from disease-carrying bumblebee imports, research reveals  | Stricter controls over bumblebee imports to the UK are urgently required to prevent diseases spreading to native bumblebees and honeybees, scientists have warned. The call follows the discovery of parasites in over three-quarters of imported bumblebee colonies they tested. | Read More » No benefit found from oxytocin treatment for autism  | The so-called trust hormone, oxytocin, may not improve the symptoms of children with autism, a new study has found. In a randomized controlled clinical trial of 38 boys with autism, half were given a nasal spray of oxytocin on four consecutive days. Compared to a placebo, oxytocin did not significantly improve emotion recognition, social interaction skills, repetitive behaviors, or general behavioral adjustment. | Read More » Irish potato famine-causing pathogen even more virulent now  | The plant pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s lives on today with a different genetic blueprint and an even larger arsenal of weaponry to harm and kill plants. | Read More » This fungus cell only looks like the 405 freeway  | Mathematicians have created a video of a live fungus, with many millions of nuclei in a single cell. | Read More » Southern California crustacean sand-dwellers suffering localized extinctions  | Two types of small beach critters –– both cousins of the beloved, backyard roly-poly –– are suffering localized extinctions in Southern California at an alarming rate, says a new study. As indicator species for beach biodiversity at large, their disappearance suggests a looming threat to similar sand-dwelling animals across the state and around the world. | Read More » | |
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