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A team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has discovered a new combination of drugs that may be effective against one of the deadliest cancers, malignant melanoma. The combination - pairing a drug targeted against mutations in the BRAF gene with a second drug that targets another important signaling pathway - was discovered through one of the largest screens of cancer drug combinations conducted to date.

Danish researchers have found that the ability to produce insulin is pivotal to the success of weight loss surgery in patients with type 2-diabetes. The study provides a better point of departure for advise and determining which patients will benefit from surgery.

A nanofiber hydrogel infused with snake venom may be the best material to stop bleeding quickly, according to Rice University scientists.

The hydrogel called SB50 incorporates batroxobin, a venom produced by two species of South American pit viper. It can be injected as a liquid and quickly turns into a gel that conforms to the site of a wound, keeping it closed, and promotes clotting within seconds.

Offering pregnant women a DNA test for Down's syndrome on the NHS would reduce the dependency on invasive tests and potentially save the lives of unborn babies, a study shows.

The research - led by the team of Professor Kypros Nicolaides at King's College Hospital and King's College London - is published in the Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology journal today.

(WASHINGTON, October 26, 2015) - The immunosuppressant sirolimus is an effective and safe steroid-sparing therapy for children and young adults with highly treatment-resistant autoimmune blood conditions, according to a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

Madrid, October 26th, 2015: For the next few days, thousands of oncology experts in gynecologic cancers are gathering during the 19th Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO 2015), which is taken place from October 24-27, 2015 in Nice, France. ESGO is the European leading organization that aims to advance gynecologic cancer care and is strongly committed to help women in Europe with this disease.

Brooklyn, NY - Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Arizona State University have published the first study of levels of parabens - antibacterial substances commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics and other products - in human cord blood samples. The researchers found that a cohort of pregnant women in Brooklyn predominantly of Caribbean- and African-American descent had the highest level worldwide of methyl paraben and propyl paraben.

Scientists from Aarhus University have developed a model that makes it easier for beekeepers to assess the seriousness of viral infections in their honey bees.

Do you need to sound the alarm if there are 100,000 virus particles in the beehives - or is there nothing to be worried about until there are 10 million? It may be difficult for most people to juggle such large numbers, but now scientists from Aarhus University have made it easier for beekeepers to conclude on how serious the pressure of viral infections in their bee colonies is.

Petroleum might well be replaced by wood soon when it comes to manufacturing chemical substances. Research has now made significant progress towards using sustainable biomass, like wood, as an alternative raw material for chemical production. Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany and at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the USA recently managed to synthesize two complex chemical substances from wood-based starting materials. The process can be as cost-effective as the conventional petroleum product-based process and is less damaging to the environment.

New research reveals that some corals are more protective than others of their partner algae in harsh environmental conditions. This individual variation among corals could reflect a greater capacity than currently recognized to adapt to changing ocean conditions brought about by climate change. The study, led by marine biologists at Penn State University, will be published online October 26, 2015 in the open access journal Scientific Reports.

BALTIMORE - October 26, 2015 - A new research study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness finds that low-weight, high-repetition resistance training increases bone mineral density in adults, challenging assumptions that heavy weight-training is required to build bone mineral density. Participants who completed the study experienced up to 8 percent bone mineral density increases in the legs, pelvis, arms and spine.

Benzodiazepines and related drugs are initiated frequently in persons with Alzheimer's disease already before the diagnosis, and their use becomes even more common after the diagnosis, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Benzodiazepines and related drugs are used as a sleep medication and for anxiolytic purposes. These drugs were initiated more frequently in persons with Alzheimer's disease than in persons not diagnosed with AD.

A promising new avenue for treating hepatitis B has been reported by researchers at Hiroshima University who have developed a new animal model of the disease.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2015) -- Two wrongs don't make a right, but in the case of genetic mutations, having two mutations in the same gene could be better than having either one individually. Recent research by biologists at San Diego State University found that two separate genetic modifications each greatly reduced the function of the myosin muscle protein in fruit flies, but flies with both mutations had nearly three-quarters of the protein function restored. The findings are important for researchers looking to better understand and treat heart muscle disease in humans.

Like mariners lured on to the rocks by the siren songs of legend, male mosquitoes have been found to zero in on inexpensive traps that broadcast sound that is similar in frequency to the sound that is produced by the wing-beats of female mosquitoes -- a discovery that may lead to better mosquito control in developing countries.