Nanoparticle research could enhance drug delivery through skin

Medicine & Technology Oct 10, 2014

Scientists at the University of Southampton have identified key characteristics that enhance a nanoparticle's ability to penetrate skin, in a milestone study which could have major implications for the delivery of drugs.

The mathematics behind the Ebola epidemic

Oct 10, 2014

Researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich have calculated new benchmark figures to precisely describe the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from a mathematical perspective. Their results may help health authorities to contain the epidemic.

UPMC programs to improve hand hygiene reduced infections, increased compliance

Oct 10, 2014

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital's infection prevention teams have improved hand washing and sanitizing compliance at the hospital to nearly 100 percent among clinical staff through accountability and educational measures. In a separate effort at UPMC Mercy Hospital, rates of a deadly infection were reduced by educating patients about hand hygiene.

Drinking decaf coffee may be good for the liver

Oct 10, 2014

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute report that decaffeinated coffee drinking may benefit liver health. Results of the study published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that higher coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, was linked to lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that chemical compounds in coffee other than caffeine may help protect the liver.

Long-term treatment success using gene therapy to correct a lethal metabolic disorder

Oct 10, 2014

Excessive and often lethal blood levels of bilirubin can result from mutations in a single gene that are the cause of the metabolic disease known as Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1 (CNS1). A new gene therapy approach to correcting this metabolic error achieved significant, long-lasting reductions in bilirubin levels in a mouse model of CNS1 and is described in an Open Access article in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Human Gene Therapy website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2013.233.

Wild tomato species focus of antioxidant study

Oct 10, 2014

Results can help breeders improve health-related traits in cultivated tomatoes

Researchers reveal genomic diversity of individual lung tumors

Oct 10, 2014

Findings suggest sequencing a single region of a localized tumor will identify driver mutations

Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant

Oct 10, 2014

In rare cases, patients with allergies to metals develop persistent skin rashes after metal devices are implanted near the skin. New research suggests these patients may be at increased risk of an unusual and aggressive form of skin cancer.

University of Maryland School of Medicine begins Ebola vaccine trails in Mali

Oct 09, 2014

First study of a promising Ebola vaccine undertaken in West Africa

DNA nano-foundries cast custom-shaped metal nanoparticles

Oct 09, 2014

DNA's programmable assembly is leveraged to form precise 3D nanomaterials for disease detection, environmental testing, electronics and beyond

Ebola research shows rapid control interventions key factor in preventing spread

Oct 09, 2014

Quick and forceful implementation of control interventions are necessary

New technique yields fast results in drug, biomedical testing

Oct 09, 2014

A new technique makes it possible to quickly detect the presence of drugs or to monitor certain medical conditions using only a single drop of blood or urine, representing a potential tool for clinicians and law enforcement.

Penn Medicine's 'sepsis sniffer' generates faster sepsis care and suggests reduced mortality

Oct 09, 2014

Early identification and intervention lead to better results for hospital inpatients

Flies with colon cancer help to unravel the genetic keys to disease in humans

Oct 08, 2014

Researchers generate for the first time Drosophila melanogaster with intestinal cancer and reveal key genetic factors behind human colon cancer.

Teenage Girls Are Exposed to More Stressors that Increase Depression Risk

Oct 08, 2014

Adolescence is often a turbulent time, and it is marked by substantially increased rates of depressive symptoms, especially among girls. New research indicates that this gender difference may be the result of girls' greater exposure to stressful interpersonal events, making them more likely to ruminate, and contributing to their risk of depression.