Body

Human breast cancer cells growing in the lab on a three-dimensional (3-D) extracellular matrix reverted to a normal phenotype when subjected to compression force applied by an elastic chamber, researchers reported on Dec. 17 at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Neutrophils, critical components of the immune system's response to bacteria and other pathogens, throw out tube-like tethers that act as anchor points, controlling their speed as they roll along the walls of blood vessels during extremely fast blood flow en route to an infection site, according to research presented on Dec. 17 at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Researchers testing a theory about how a cell divides and how cancer begins have discovered a new type of cell division, the fundamental process by which cells replicate, Mark Burkard, MD, PhD, reported at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, Dec. 17 in San Francisco.

A Harvard University chemical biology lab has re-engineered optogenetic switches, photosensitive proteins called rhodopsins inserted into mammalian cells to control electrical firing, so that the switches run backward, firing off bursts of fluorescent light that reveal newly detailed patterns of electrical activity in neural networks, beating cardiac cells and developing embryos, according to a Dec. 17 presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

BERKELEY — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have put the squeeze — literally — on malignant mammary cells to guide them back into a normal growth pattern.

MADISON -- Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center have discovered a new form of cell division in human cells.

They believe it serves as a natural back-up mechanism during faulty cell division, preventing some cells from going down a path that can lead to cancer.

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Finding ways to diagnose cancer earlier could greatly improve the chances of survival for many patients. One way to do this is to look for specific proteins secreted by cancer cells, which circulate in the bloodstream. However, the quantity of these biomarkers is so low that detecting them has proven difficult.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Building a tunnel made up of both hard and soft materials to guide the reconnection of severed nerve endings may be the first step toward helping patients who have suffered extensive nerve trauma regain feeling and movement, according to a team of biomedical engineers.

DALLAS – Dec. 17, 2012 – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have taken another step toward better understanding the metabolic functions of obesity and its connection to type 2 diabetes.

CLEVELAND -- Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a molecule linked to more aggressive forms of breast cancer – a discovery that could point the way to potential cures.

Until this study, the ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule called miR-181a had never before been tied to breast cancer metastasis. But when scientists found elevated levels of the molecule in late-stage breast cancer tissues, they in turn tested an inhibitor in mouse models. The approach not only prevented metastasis, but also extended the animals' lives.

There is no difference between proton radiotherapy (PRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) when comparing the toxicity among Medicare beneficiary patients with prostate cancer at 12 months post-treatment according to a study published December 14 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

New Rochelle, NY, December 17, 2012—The health care system in the U.S. is a $2.5 trillion industry and depends heavily on communication and the transfer of information via the Internet. This puts it at ever-increasing risk of a cyberterrorism attack, which could jeopardize lives and threaten patient care and privacy. Cyber threats are on the rise, and U.S.

Gliomas are the most common form of brain tumor. They are highly aggressive and effective treatments are not currently available. The tumors contain glioma initiating cells (GICs), a population that is highly similar to neural stem cells. GICs drive tumor progression and must stay in a particular extracellular niche in order to maintain their cancer-promoting, stem cell-like characteristics.

Gliomas are the most common form of brain tumor. They are highly aggressive and effective treatments are not currently available. The tumors contain glioma initiating cells (GICs), a population that is highly similar to neural stem cells. GICs drive tumor progression and must stay in a particular extracellular niche in order to maintain their cancer-promoting, stem cell-like characteristics.

Physicians in Canada should consider refusing to prescribe cognitive enhancement medications — also used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) — to healthy patients, states an analysis article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Lack of evidence for benefits and possibility of harm, limited health care resources and professional integrity of physicians are reasons why this use is not acceptable.