22 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Some Day a Simple Blood Draw Could Help Personalize Cancer TreatmentA paper by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers that was recently published in Science, revealed a method that with a simple blood draw, could allow personalized treatment of a patientâs cancer. In this method a blood sample is taken and the cancer cells are isolated, placed in a laboratory dish, and experimented with to find which drugs work best to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in the...... Read More
15 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
New Approaches Needed to Speed up New Drug DevelopmentScientific advances are bringing the time closer to when personalized approaches will become more common in treating illnesses. Medicines would take into account the patientâs history, disease risk and pathology and be tailor-made to be most effective for that specific patient. But, slowing the developments of these therapies is todayâs clinical trial process, which has fallen behind scientific...... Read More
11 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Resetting Your Internal Clock with DietOur internal biological clock (or circadian clock) plays an important role in regulating the daily rhythms of human behavior and biology. The human circadian clock enables maximum expression of genes at appropriate times of day to help the body adapt to the earthâs rotation. Desynchronization of the clock with the environment can affect physiological performance as well as increase risk of certain...... Read More
10 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs Bill Granting Patient Access to Interchangeable Biologic MedicinesThe Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) commended Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for signing legislation yesterday designed to create a pathway for the substitution of interchangeable biologic medicines. The policies outlined in House Bill 3734 align withall five of BIOâs principles on biologic substitution. BIO and MassBio commended...... Read More
08 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Could Zombies Help Us During An Infectious Disease Outbreak?Zombies are enjoying a recent surge in popularity, but our interest in them spans centuries. Their origins trace back to the folklore of tribes in Western Africa. Can our current interest in zombies be used to educate about public health infrastructure and the spread of infectious disease? Melissa Nasiruddin, Monique Halabi, Alexander Dao, Kyle Chen, and Brandon Brown of the University of California,...... Read More
02 Jul, 2014 | by Labroots
Do You Worry A Lot? Good.Worrying about skin cancer appears more effective in getting people to wear sunscreen than disease statistics, a new study from the University of Buffalo finds. Research on whether people use sunscreen or not usually tends to focus on education and what information people have read about and retain. Now, it seems worrying about the potential of getting cancer is more influential than knowledge, though...... Read More
30 Jun, 2014 | by Labroots
New Research Offers Hope That Dyslectic Children Can Get Off to a Smooth Start in SchoolItâs estimated that about 10 to 15% of the U.S. has some degree of dyslexia. But, before their condition is diagnosed it can be a confusing and difficult time for children and their parents as they struggle to figure out why their children are having trouble in school. But, now thereâs hope that dyslectic children can be identified and helped before they get into a cycle of failure. Dyslexia is...... Read More
27 Jun, 2014 | by Labroots
Big Brains from Bugs?Foraging for food and the challenges that come with it has been recognized as important in shaping brain evolution in primates. New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that having to figure out how to survive on difficult to find bugs in the ground and forest could have helped us develop bigger brains and higher cognitive functions, mainly due to both the innovation needed to...... Read More
24 Jun, 2014 | by Labroots
Diabetes? There’s An App for That.A bionic pancreas developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Boston University could help normalize life for diabetics. The newly-developed pancreas automatically monitors blood sugar using a wireless glucose monitor that sends a signal to an iPhone app every five minutes. The app determines how much insulin should be injected via a pump to make blood sugar levels decrease...... Read More
20 Jun, 2014 | by Labroots
Rapid Testing Technology for Biopharma Drug Development Speeds Development, Testing and Trial Cycles for Pathogen TreatmentsPathSensors Inc., a leading biotechnology and environmental testing company, has developed new technology that provides rapid detection and identification of bacteria, viruses and toxins. The new Zephyr system for liquid-based assays further expands PathSensorsâ instrumentation for aerosol collection and identification of airborne pathogens. It can help lower cost and hasten development of treatments...... Read More