Nanotechnology

Researchers at MIT have been designing new nanoparticles that can be used to transport therapeutics through the cell membrane barrier. Article [1]

Evidence that shows carbon nanotubes cause the same physical havoc as asbestos is raising an alarm over the potential health threats raised by a new generation of nanomaterials. Report [2]

Stem Cell Research

Brazil's Supreme Court has approved embryonic stem cell research, which is likely to spur new funds for the field. Story [3]

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Release [4]

Genetics

U.S. researchers have identified a gene signature responsible for the spread of cancer from one organ to another, a process scientifically known as metastasis. Release [5]

Focusing on two large families with a history of late-onset Alzheimer's, scientists have discovered a gene that plays a key role in the disease. Story [6]

Scans of the genome of patients with schizophrenia have revealed rare spontaneous copy number mutations that account for at least 10 percent of the non-familial cases of the disease. Release [7]

Research by Gu Zhu, M.D., and colleagues supports the theory that the refractive errors known as nearsightedness and farsightedness are primarily inherited. The group also identified the probable location---on the long arm of chromosome 5---of genes that help determine axial length, a key factor in these refractive errors. Release [8]

A variant of the NQO1 gene has been linked to poor survival rates among women with breast cancer who receive a common chemotherapy. Report [9]

Carriers of a common genetic disorder previously linked to lung disease may have a 70-percent to 100-percent increased risk of lung cancer, according to a report in the May 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Release [10]

Cancer Research

Researchers gathering for the annual ASCO meeting used the forum on new therapies to highlight the need for more funds. "As a nation we face two critical challenges to advancing cancer care--stalled federal funding for cancer research and limited access to high quality cancer care," said Julie Gralow, associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington. Report [11]

New genetic research is revolutionizing the way cancer drugs will be prescribed in the future, and that's having a big impact on development companies in the field. Report [12]

More Research

In a first, scientists were able to watch as molecules assembled to form a particle of HIV. The work helps shed light on how the virus is created and also how researchers can study other viruses as well. Article [13]