Scientists pinpoint molecular signals that make some women prone to miscarriage
21 January, 2013Scientists have identified molecular signals that control whether embryos are accepted by the womb and appear to function abnormally in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages.
Frequent mating key to male reproductive fitness
18 January, 2013Fertility tests frequently reveal that males have problems with the quality of their seed. The problems often relate to senescence, which is a reduction in quality with age.
The genes that drive soft drink consumption and weight gain
17 January, 2013In a letter to the Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), published online today, endocrinologists from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research applauded a study in the 11 October issue showing a direct correlation between consumption of sugary soft drinks, obesity and genetic predisposition to weight gain.
Potential new treatment for gastrointestinal cancers discovered
17 January, 2013Researchers have identified a complex of proteins that promotes the growth of some types of colon and gastric cancers, and shown that medications that block the function of this complex have the potential to be developed into a new treatment for these diseases.
Saliva glands may diagnose Parkinson’s disease
15 January, 2013 by Lauren DavisNew research from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute suggests that testing a portion of a person’s saliva gland may be a way to diagnose the degenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in San Diego in March.
Not only humans wilt in heat: developing heat-tolerant crops
11 January, 2013With heatwaves predicted to increase in intensity and duration, the importance of heat tolerant crops is becoming increasingly urgent. Dr Daniel Tan, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, specialises in exactly that.
Images of insulin in action could lead to better diabetes treatments
10 January, 2013An Australian-led research team has obtained the world’s first 3D pictures of insulin in the process of binding to cell surfaces so that the cells can take up sugar from the blood. The images solve the 20-year mystery of how insulin binds to the insulin receptor and will enable the development of improved forms of insulin for treating type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Alzheimer’s to be diagnosed online
10 January, 2013The early onset of Alzheimer’s disease could be detected using a simple online test, according to scientists from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The University of Queensland (UQ).
A temperature below absolute zero
09 January, 2013Atoms at negative absolute temperature are the hottest systems in the world.
Researchers find new molecule to target in pancreatic cancer treatment
08 January, 2013Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have identified a new target to improve treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer, which accounts for more than 95% of pancreatic cancer cases.
Research collaboration to develop greener medical treatments
08 January, 2013Research into a cost-effective biomimetic that has the potential to treat many bone diseases such as osteoporosis will be pioneered through a joint venture between Cardia Bioplastics and the University of Sydney.
Planting ideas for medicine
08 January, 2013Medical research designed to benefit humans may, in the future, also be carried out on plants, according to Associate Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian of the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University.
Growing tumours grows hope for children with cancer
21 December, 2012 by Lauren DavisDiffuse Pontine Glioma (DIPG) may not be particularly well known, but according to oncologist Dr David Ziegler, it is “one of the most common and the most aggressive brain tumours we see in kids”. Now, Dr Ziegler and colleagues from the Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia (CCIA) have set out to grow their own tumours in the institute’s ACRF Drug Discovery Centre.
National initiative to personalise breast cancer treatment
20 December, 2012Researchers are working on a solution for a large number of breast cancer patients who do not respond to chemotherapy, thanks to $5 million in funding.
Immune system kill switch could be target for chemotherapy and infection recovery
10 December, 2012Researchers have discovered an immune system ‘kill switch’ that destroys blood stem cells when the body is under severe stress, such as that induced by chemotherapy and systemic infections.
