Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Viral mimic induces melanoma cells to digest themselves
Recent research has uncovered an unexpected vulnerability in deadly melanoma cells that, when exploited, can cause the cancer cells to turn against themselves. The study, published by Cell Press in the August issue of the journal Cancer Cell, identifies a new target for development of future therapeutics aimed at selectively eliminating this aggressive skin cancer which is characterized by a notoriously high rate of metastasis and treatment-resistance.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Integrative Cancer Therapies
Groundbreaking study shows exercise benefits leukemia patients
A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that exercise may be an effective way to combat the debilitating fatigue that leukemia patients experience.
UNC Lineberger Internal Grants Award, UNC Junior Faculty Development Award, UNC Institute of Aging, Stimulus Grant in Aging, UNC Hospitals
Contact: Ellen de Graffenreid edegraff@med.unc.edu
919-962-3405
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Stanford scientists discover bladder cancer stem cell
Researchers at Stanford's School of Medicine have identified the first human bladder cancer stem cell and revealed how it works to escape the body's natural defenses.
Contact: Krista Conger
kristac@stanford.edu
650-725-5371
Stanford University Medical Center
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Project Zero Delay accelerates drug's path to clinical trial
A phase I clinical trial enrolled its first patient only two days after US Food and Drug Administration clearance of the experimental drug for a first-in-human cancer trial, a milestone that normally takes three to six months. Investigators from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca have reported their work in the Journal of Clinical Oncology published online on Aug. 3.
Contact: Robyn Stein
robyn.stein@gabbe.com
212-220-4444
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Cannibalistic cells may help prevent infections, UT Southwestern researchers report
Infectious-disease specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have demonstrated that a cannibalistic process in cells plays a key role in limiting Salmonella infection.
National Institutes of Health, Ellison Medical Foundation
Contact: Kristen Holland Shear
kristen.hollandshear@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Self-healing surfaces
The engineers' dream of self-healing surfaces has taken another step towards becoming reality -- researchers have produced a electroplated layer that contains tiny nanometer-sized capsules. If the layer is damaged, the capsules release fluid and repair the scratch.
Contact: Martin Metzner
Martin.Metzner@ipa.fraunhofer.de
49-711-970-1041
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Cancer Detection and Prevention
Heavy drinkers face significantly increased cancer risk
Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says a group of Montreal epidemiologists and cancer researchers. Their findings show that people in the highest consumption category increased their risk of developing esophageal cancer sevenfold, colon cancer by 80 percent and even lung cancer by 50 percent.
Health Canada, National Cancer Institute of Canada, Institut de recherche en sante et securite au travail du Quebec, Fonds de la recherche en sante du Quebec, Canadian Institutes for Health Research
Contact: Mark Shainblum
mark.shainblum@mcgill.ca
514-398-2189
McGill University
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Lab on a Chip
New microchip technology performs 1,000 chemical reactions at once
UCLA researchers have developed technology to perform more than a thousand chemical reactions at once on a stamp-size, PC-controlled microchip, which could accelerate the identification of potential drug candidates for treating diseases like cancer.
US Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Rachel Champeau
rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2270
University of California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scientists report original source of malaria
Researchers have identified what they believe is the original source of malignant malaria: a parasite found in chimpanzees in equatorial Africa.
National Institutes of Health, Tufts University, National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration
Contact: Jennifer Fitzenberger
jfitzen@uci.edu
949-824-3969
University of California - Irvine
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Is there long-term brain damage after bypass surgery? More evidence puts the blame on heart disease
Brain scientists and cardiac surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence from 227 heart bypass surgery patients that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems they experience are due to the underlying coronary artery disease itself and not ill after-effects from having used a heart-lung machine.
National Institutes of Health, Dana Foundation
Contact: David March
dmarch1@jhmi.edu
410-955-1534
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Science
University of Minnesota researchers discover breakthrough method for chemical separations
Researchers, led by chemical engineering and materials science professor Michael Tsapatsis in the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology, have developed a more energy-efficient method of chemical separations that could revolutionize processes in the petrochemical and biofuels industries.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Patty Mattern
mattern@umn.edu
612-624-2801
University of Minnesota
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
NYU physicists make room for oddballs
Here's a question. How many gumballs of different sizes can fit in one of those containers at the mall so as to reward a well-spent quarter? It's hard to believe that most people never consider it even when guessing the number of candies in a bowl at Halloween.
Contact: Bobbie Mixon
bmixon@nsf.gov
703-292-8485
National Science Foundation
Domestic dog origins challenged
The suggestion that the domestic dog originated in East Asia has been challenged.
By Judith Burns Science reporter, BBC News
3 August 2009 23:01 UK
Public Release: 4-Aug-2009
Cortex
Looking at language
The study of the neural basis of language has largely focused on regions in the cortex -- the outer brain layers thought by many researchers to have expanded during human evolution. Research at Brown University's Department of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, reported in the September issue of Cortex, published by Elsevier, adds to evidence that deeper, subcortical regions are also critical by pinpointing when Parkinson's disease patients have difficulty while processing grammatically complex sentences.
Contact: Valeria Brancolini
v.brancolini@elsevier.com
39-288-184-260
Elsevier
Public Release: 4-Aug-2009
Nerve-block anesthesia can improve surgical recovery, even outcomes
When planning for surgery, patients too often don't consider the kind of anesthesia they will receive. In fact, the choice of anesthesia can improve recovery, even outcomes.
Contact: Linda Kamateh
lib9027@med.cornell.edu
212-821-0560
New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
After the boom, is Wikipedia heading for bust?
Growth has levelled off and the online encyclopaedia has lost some of its community spirit – Wikipedia is looking in need of a revamp
12:12 04 August 2009
Fertile mice created from skin cells
Scientists transform skin cells into live mice for the first time – the same technique could be used to provide tissue for human reconstructive surgery
UPFRONT:  14:14 04 August 2009
Really?
The Claim: Cold Temperatures Improve Sleep
Does sleeping in a colder room help you sleep?
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Synthetic Life
There is a growing consensus (at least in Silicon Valley) that the information age is about to give way to the era of synthetic genetics.
By John Markoff
August 3, 2009, 8:00 am
Basics
Finally, the Spleen Gets Some Respect
Scientists have discovered that the spleen, long consigned to the B-list of abdominal organs and known as much for its metaphoric as its physiological value, plays a more important role in the body’s defense system than anyone suspected.
By NATALIE ANGIER
Published: August 3, 2009
Medical Papers by Ghostwriters Pushed Therapy
Court documents suggest a broad level of hidden industry influence on medical literature.
* Documents Documents: A Case Study in Medical Writing
By NATASHA SINGER
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Biology Letters
Scary ancient spiders revealed in 3-D models, thanks to new imaging technique
Early relatives of spiders that lived around 300 million years ago are revealed in new 3-D models, in research published today in the journal Biology Letters.
Contact: Colin Smith
cd.smith@imperial.ac.uk
44-207-594-6712
Imperial College London
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Nature
UNC researchers decode structure of an entire HIV genome
The structure of an entire HIV genome has been decoded for the first time by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The results have widespread implications for understanding the strategies that viruses, like the one that causes AIDS, use to infect humans. The study, the cover story in the Aug. 6, 2009, issue of the journal Nature, also opens the door for further research which could accelerate the development of antiviral drugs.
National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Kim Spurr
spurrk@email.unc.edu
919-962-4093
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Circulation
Researchers from CIC bioGUNE have found a way to treat ischemic pathologies
A team of researchers from CIC bioGUNE from the Cellular Biology and Stem Cell Unit, alongside a team from Paris' Cardiovascular Research Center have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising as regards the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in general.
Contact: Oihane Lakar
oihane@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes
Cooling treatment after cardiac arrest is cost-effective, Penn study shows
A brain-preserving cooling treatment called therapeutic hypothermia is a cost-effective way to improve outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, which claims the lives of more than 300,000 people each year in the United States. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine findings, showing that hypothermia is considered a "good value" when compared to many other accepted and widely utilized medical treatments, including dialysis for kidney failure or complex heart surgeries, are published this week in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Contact: Holly Auer
holly.auer@uphs.upenn.edu
215-200-2313
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Orang-utans fashion only known animal instrument
The apes blow through leaves to modulate the sound of their alarm calls – no other animals are known to use objects in this way
00:01 05 August 2009
Martian methane mystery deepens
Methane on Mars is produced and destroyed far faster than on Earth, according to analysis of recent data.
By Judith BurnsScience reporter, BBC News
5 August 2009 18:17 UK
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Journal of Neuroscience
Abnormal brain circuits may prevent movement disorder
Most people who carry a genetic mutation for a movement disorder called dystonia will never develop symptoms, a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists since the first genetic mutation was identified in the 1990s. Now, scientists at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have figured out why these mutation carriers are protected from symptoms of the disorder -- they have an additional lesion that evens the score.
Contact: Jamie Talan
jtalan@nshs.edu
516-562-1232
North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
BMC Medicine
Blood transfusion study: Less is more
A new study suggests that blood transfusions for hospitalized cardiac patients should be a last resort because they double the risk of infection and increase by four times the risk of death. The analysis of nearly 25,000 Medicare patients in Michigan also showed that transfusion practices after heart surgery varied substantially among hospitals, a red flag that plays into the health care reform debate.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation
Contact: Karin Christensen
karin_christensen@urmc.rochester.edu
585-275-1311
University of Rochester Medical Center
Ancient bones show earliest 'human' infection
Telltale damage to 2-million-year-old bones provides the earliest evidence for infectious disease in a hominin
12:15 05 August 2009
Found: A pocket guide to prehistoric Spain
Engravings on a 14,000-year-old chunk of rock may be the oldest map in western Europe
THIS WEEK:  18:00 05 August 2009
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Surface features on Titan form like Earth's, but with a frigid twist
Saturn's haze-enshrouded moon Titan turns out to have much in common with Earth in the way that weather and geology shape its terrain, according to two pieces of research to be presented at the XXVII General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wind, rain, volcanoes, tectonics and other Earth-like processes all sculpt features on Titan's complex and varied surface in an environment more than 100 °C colder on average than Antarctica.
Contact: Lars Lindberg Christensen
lars@eso.org
49-173-387-2621
International Astronomical Union
Clever rooks repeat ancient fable
One of Aesop's fables may have been based on fact, scientists report.
By Rebecca MorelleScience reporter, BBC News
6 August 2009 17:39 UK
Scientists Use Curvy DNA to Build Molecular Parts
Researchers have taken a step toward creating parts for molecular machines, out of DNA.
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Quick Tests for the Flu Found Often Inaccurate
As the swine flu spreads, many doctors and hospitals are turning to rapid tests. Sales of such tests are soaring. But the tests have a severe limitation: They may fail more than half the time to detect swine flu infections.
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: August 5, 2009
High-Risk Drug Is in Spotlight in Wake of High-Profile Death
The death of Michael Jackson has brought a new spotlight to the anesthetic propofol, which experts say is being widely abused.
By PAM BELLUCK
The Pain of Being a Redhead
Nobody likes going to the dentist, but redheads may have good reason.
By Tara Parker-Pope
August 6, 2009, 2:20 pm
Mini-magnet test makes things sticky for TB
Tuberculosis can now be diagnosed in just 30 minutes rather than weeks, using magnetic nanoparticles that adhere to the bacteria that cause the disease
NEWS:  10:17 07 August 2009
Skin growths saved poisoned Ukrainian president
Unsightly skin welts formed a 'new organ' that helped Victor Yushchenko survive severe dioxin poisoning, say doctors who helped him recover
17:46 07 August 2009
Public Release: 8-Aug-2009
American Psychological Association 117th Annual Convention
Renowned canine researcher puts dogs' intelligence on par with 2-year-old human
Although you wouldn't want one to balance your checkbook, dogs can count. They can also understand more than 150 words, and intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats, according to psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, Ph.D., of the University of British Columbia. He spoke Saturday on the topic "How Dogs Think" at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention.
Contact: Pam Willenz
pwillenz@apa.org
202-336-5707
American Psychological Association
Extinction hits 'whole families'
Whole "chunks of life" are lost in extinction events, as related species vanish together, say scientists.
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News
7 August 2009 00:24 UK