For the past 15 years one of the most intriguing ideas in cancer research has been that the growth and spread of most – if not all – cancers is driven by cancer stem cells. The hypothesis is that only a tiny proportion of cancer cells, cancer stem cells, have the stem cell-like ability to … Continue reading Cancer Stem Cells: Mouse studies lead to paradigm shift in cancer research
Category: Science News
Fighting the White Death: A new treatment for drug resistant TB
For most people born in the United States in the past half century tuberculosis (TB) is a disease you only read about in the history books, to which it was consigned by the development of antibiotics such as streptomycin in the aftermath of the second world war. However, the reality of TB in the world … Continue reading Fighting the White Death: A new treatment for drug resistant TB
Natural Antibiotic Casts a Net Against Bacteria
A "natural antibiotic" protects the body against bacteria by tangling them in a net, not poking holes in them, UC Davis researchers have found. Experiments with genetically-modified, or transgenic mice were crucial to the discovery, along with cell cultures, biochemistry and sophisticated studies of how small proteins assemble together. It's an entirely new mechanism of … Continue reading Natural Antibiotic Casts a Net Against Bacteria
Speaking of Research welcomes 2011 UK statistics for animal use in scientific research
The UK Home Office has released the animal research statistics for 2011, which show a 2% increase overall in procedures compared to 2010 figures. A summary of the report is available here, while the full report can be downloaded here. Once again basic research and breeding of GM animals accounted for the lions share - 88% - … Continue reading Speaking of Research welcomes 2011 UK statistics for animal use in scientific research
Millenium Technology Prize 2012: Mouse stem cell research heralds a new era in biomedical research
Every year since 2004 the Technology Academy Finland has awarded the prestigious Millennium Technology Prize as a tribute to life-enhancing technological innovations, and the list of past winners includes some of the world’s leading technological innovators. This year the Grand Prize is for the first time being shared between two innovators, Linus Torvalds, who created … Continue reading Millenium Technology Prize 2012: Mouse stem cell research heralds a new era in biomedical research
So, what can a growing fly teach us about skin cancer?
Back in April we welcomed launch of the Golden Goose Awards , an annual prize awarded to honor federally funded research “whose work may once have been viewed as unusual, odd, or obscure, but has produced important discoveries benefiting society in significant ways.”. The Golden Goose award was developed in response to attacks on basic research … Continue reading So, what can a growing fly teach us about skin cancer?
Bridging the gap: Monkey studies shed light on nature, nurture, and how experiences get under the skin
“Is it nature or nurture?” “How does that work? How can social experiences actually change someone’s brain?” “So early experiences matter, but how much? Is it reversible? How long does it last? Is there a way to change the course?” All of these are popular questions that I hear from students, community members, clinicians, and … Continue reading Bridging the gap: Monkey studies shed light on nature, nurture, and how experiences get under the skin
Swiss scientists restore voluntary locomotion in paralysed rats.
A study published yesterday in the journal Science, in which a team of scientists led by Professor Gregoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology used a combination of electrical stimulation, drug treatment and a training regime that encouraged active participation to restore voluntary control of movement in paralysed rats, has received widespread media … Continue reading Swiss scientists restore voluntary locomotion in paralysed rats.
Speaking of Research 