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In a molecular genetic evaluation involving 91 cases of intrauterine fetal death, mutations associated with susceptibility to long QT syndrome (LQTS; a heart disorder that increases the risk for an irregular heartbeat and other adverse events) were discovered in a small number of these cases, preliminary evidence that may provide insights into the mechanism of some intrauterine fetal deaths, according to a study in the April 10 issue of JAMA, a Genomics theme issue.

Presence of the genetic mutation BRAF V600E was significantly associated with increased cancer-related death among patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC); however, because overall mortality in PTC is low and the association was not independent of tumor characteristics, how to use this information to manage mortality risk in patients with PTC is unclear, according to a study in the April 10 issue of JAMA, a Genomics theme issue.

An irregularity within many neuroblastoma cells may indicate whether a neuroblastoma tumor, a difficult-to-treat, early childhood cancer, is vulnerable to a new class of anti-cancer drugs known as BET bromodomain inhibitors, Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center scientists will report at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, April 6-10.

PHILADELPHIA - A variation in the gene ABCA7 causes a twofold increase in the risk of late onset Alzheimer disease among African Americans, according to a meta-analysis by a team of researchers including experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This is the largest analysis to date to determine genetic risk associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) specifically in African American individuals. The study appears in the April 10 issue of JAMA, a genomics theme issue.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from the United States and Europe discovered genetic mutations associated with long QT syndrome (LQTS), a genetic abnormality in the heart's electrical system, in a small number of intrauterine fetal deaths, according to a study in the April 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

MADISON – The age at which a child with autism is diagnosed is related to the particular suite of behavioral symptoms he or she exhibits, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows.

Certain diagnostic features, including poor nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, were associated with earlier identification of an autism spectrum disorder, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Displaying more behavioral features was also associated with earlier diagnosis.

ATLANTA – A potential new strategy to developing new drugs to control inflammation without serious side effects has been found by Georgia State University researchers and international colleagues.

Jian-Dong Li, director of Georgia State's Center for Inflammation, Immunity and Infection, and his team discovered that blocking a certain pathway involved in the biological process of inflammation will suppress it.

NEW ORLEANS, April 9, 2013 — Scientists reported new evidence today that a component of egg whites — already popular as a substitute for whole eggs among health-conscious consumers concerned about cholesterol in the yolk — may have another beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure. Their study was part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, which continues here through Thursday.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Myc oncogene can disrupt the 24-hour internal rhythm in cancer cells. Postdoctoral fellow Brian Altman, PhD, and graduate student Annie Hsieh, MD, both from the in the lab of Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, present their data in the "Metabolic Pathway Regulation in Cancer" session at the 2013 American Association for Cancer Research meeting, Washington, D.C., April 9, 2013.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — April 9, 2013 — The safety and preliminary efficacy of a new class of tumor fighting drugs were reported today by Scottsdale Healthcare's Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Early results from the phase I, first in-human study of an RNA interface (RNAi) drug were announced during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013, April 6-10, in Washington, D.C. The drug, TKM-080301 (also known as TKM-PLK1) is being developed by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

Tumbling in the waves as they hit a rocky shore tells purple sea urchin larvae it's time to settle down and look for a spot to grow into an adult, researchers at the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory have found. The work is published April 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida have found that when given together, a two-drug combination acts synergistically in test animals modeled with sarcoma tumors. They report that the drug combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine resulted in a 70 percent decrease in the tumor volume when compared to receiving one drug or the other.

Their study was published in the March 8 online edition of PLOS ONE.

Results of this study, that appeared last July in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, found that Antimicrobial Copper can continuously kill 83% of bacteria that cause HAIs within two hours, including strands resistant to antibiotics. The study compared copper to equivalent non-copper touch surfaces during active patient care between routine cleaning and sanitizing.

Cambridge, MA, April 9, 2013– BIND Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of highly selective targeted and programmable therapeutics called AccurinsTM, announced today that positive Phase 1 clinical data for BIND-014, the company's lead drug candidate, were presented today in an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2013 Annual Meeting.

Field trials and genetic studies have shown that a new variety of broccoli reliably yields higher levels of a health-promoting compound.

Broccoli contains a compound called glucoraphanin, which has been shown to promote health by maintaining cardiovascular health and a reduction in the risk of cancer. A long term breeding programme to increase glucoraphanin levels has resulted in the commercial release of Beneforté broccoli. Beneforté was developed by crossing standard broccoli with a wild relative derived from Sicily.