http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. If you have an overactive bladder or incontinence, help could be on the way. A new research report published online in the FASEB Journal, shows that the epithelium, a thin layer of cells which line the surface of the bladder, is able to sense how full the bladder is through the action of a family of proteins called integrins. As the bladder becomes full, the cells in the epithelium stretch and become thinner, which activates the integrins to send that information to nerves and other cells in the bladder. As a result of this new knowledge, researchers may one day be able to design drugs that target this mechanism to treat conditions like incontinence and overactive bladder, both of which are common, serious, problems affecting millions of people. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-harvard-scientists-figure.html Medical research Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:21:22 EST news279566477 Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer's disease pathway, according to new research from the University of Leeds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-green-tea-red-wine-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:00:01 EST news279305737 Obesity might be a very modern problem, but a team of scientists from Taiwan and China is turning to the age-old principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to help fight it.  Breaking research published in the Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics indicates a possible new direction for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-traditional-chinese-medicine-obesity-problem.html Medical research Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:13:51 EST news278838824 Dartmouth scientists showed that more than half of all the SNPs associated with breast cancer risk are located in distant regions and bound by FOXA1, a protein required for estrogen receptor-α (ER) function according to a paper published in the journal Nature Genetics in November. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-snps-breast-cancer-affinity-factor.html Cancer Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:17:02 EST news278180216 Almost 10 years after completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, scientists are making progress toward the next major goal in applying the genetic information in that "Book of Life" in medicine, leaders of an international research effort are reporting. A package of the latest updates on the goals, organization and achievements of the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) appear in a special issue of ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-special-efforts-human-proteins.html Genetics Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:30:40 EST news278159433 A team of scientists has developed a playbook for ending the devastating impact of fibrotic diseases of the liver, lung, kidney, and other organs, which are responsible for as many as 45 percent of all deaths in the industrialized world. Despite the prevalence of these illnesses, which are caused by buildup of scar tissue, there are no approved antifibrotic drugs on the market in the U.S. A top fibrosis expert from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and three other institutions have described drug targets and compounds they hope will prove broadly effective in an article, "Therapy for Fibrotic Diseases: Nearing the Starting Line," appearing in the January 9 issue of Science Translational Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-therapies-diagnostics-deadly-fibrotic-diseases.html Medical research Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:00:04 EST news276958730 Fusion genes are common chromosomal aberrations in many cancers, and can be used as prognostic markers and drug targets in clinical practice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-fusion-gene-contributes-glioblastoma.html Cancer Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:07:49 EST news276959258 A team, led by senior author Morris J. Birnbaum, MD, PhD, the Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Medicine, with the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found that the diabetes drug metformin works in a different way than previously understood. Their research in mice found that metformin suppresses the liver hormone glucagon's ability to generate an important signaling molecule, pointing to new drug targets. The findings were published online this week in Nature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-most-used-diabetes-drug-previously-thought.html Diabetes Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:00:31 EST news276685322 (Medical Xpress)—Scientists have identified 46 previously overlooked but potentially 'druggable' cancer targets, using a powerful new online approach that allows researchers to carry out 'virtual experiments' to quickly prioritise which are the best targets for drug discovery. The findings are published in the journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-scientists-virtual-uncover-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:53:14 EST news276339123 The first-ever comprehensive study of prostate cancer tissue has revealed a completely new gene network driving the disease in patients who have stopped responding to standard hormone treatment, according to Cancer Research UK research published today in Cancer Cell. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-world-first-tissue-re-shape-future-advanced.html Cancer Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:39:37 EST news275294369 University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) researchers have identified over 125 genetic components in a chemotherapy-resistant, brain tumor-derived cell line, which could offer new hope for drug treatment to destroy the cancer cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-drugs-defeat-aggressive-brain-tumor.html Cancer Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:26:52 EST news274702934 Scientists have isolated cancer stem cells that lead to the growth of Wilms' tumours, a type of cancer typically found in the kidneys of young children. The researchers have used these cancer stem cells to test a new therapeutic approach that one day might be used to treat some of the more aggressive types of this disease. The results are published online in EMBO Molecular Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-cancer-stem-cells-isolated-kidney.html Cancer Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:41:44 EST news274610497 Genomic sequencing has revealed therapeutic drug targets for difficult-to-treat, metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), according to an unprecedented study by the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) and US Oncology Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-tgen-us-oncology-treatment-metastatic-triple-negative.html Cancer Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:19:37 EST news274029561 Scientists searching for ways to develop treatments for Huntington's disease (HD) just got a roadmap that could dramatically speed their discovery process. Researchers at the Buck Institute have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to identify hundreds of "druggable" molecular targets linked to the toxicity associated with the devastating, ultimately fatal disease. The results from this unprecedented genome-scale screen in a human cell model of HD are published in the November 29, 2012 edition of PLOS Genetics. The work was is a collaboration between Buck Institute faculty members Robert E. Hughes, Ph.D., Sean Mooney, Ph.D., Lisa Ellerby, Ph.D. and Juan Botas, Ph.D. at the Baylor College of Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-genome-scale-hundreds-potential-drug-huntington.html Genetics Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:32:16 EST news273432726 Scientists have discovered new types of early cells in mammary glands, uncovering clues to the origins of different breast cancers - and potential new drug targets, according to findings published in Breast Cancer Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-scientists-progenitor-cells-potential-roots.html Cancer Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:50:12 EST news270725994 (Medical Xpress)—Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients sometimes experience "natural" improvements in disability at least over the short term, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-ms-patients-natural-disability.html Neuroscience Thu, 18 Oct 2012 07:41:15 EST news269764866 Although tumor metastasis causes about 90 percent of cancer deaths, the exact mechanism that allows cancer cells to spread from one part of the body to another is not well understood. One key question is how tumor cells detach from the structural elements that normally hold tissues in place, then reattach themselves in a new site. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-adhesion-molecules-key-cancer-body.html Cancer Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:38:59 EST news269015911 Predictive mathematical models of signalling pathways are powerful biological tools that could be used for drug development. Using a similar approach, European scientists developed a computational model for answering research questions regarding the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-mathematical-tackle-metabolic-diseases.html Medical research Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:25:34 EST news265537529 By sequencing cancer-cell genomes, scientists have discovered vast numbers of genes that are mutated, deleted or copied in cancer cells. This treasure trove is a boon for researchers seeking new drug targets, but it is nearly impossible to test them all in a timely fashion. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-nanoparticles-cancer-genes-tumors-mice.html Cancer Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:00:06 EST news264252262 Through novel experiments involving small nematode worms, scientists from Wyoming have discovered several genes that may be potential targets for drug development in the ongoing war against cancer. Specifically, researchers hypothesize that inhibiting these genes could reverse certain key traits associated with cancer cells. This discovery is published in the August 2012 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal GENETICS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-scientists-worms-unearth-cancer-drug.html Cancer Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:28:05 EST news263730476 Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new computational method that will make it easier for scientists to identify and prioritize genes, drug targets, and strategies for repositioning drugs that are already on the market. By mining large datasets more simply and efficiently, researchers will be able to better understand gene-gene, protein-protein, and drug/side-effect interactions. The new algorithm will also help scientists identify fellow researchers with whom they can collaborate. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-method-gene-drug-scientists.html Medical research Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:05:15 EST news262368300 When hospital patients need assistance breathing and are placed on a mechanical ventilator for days at a time, their lungs react to the pressure generated by the ventilator with an out-of-control immune response that can lead to excessive inflammation, new research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-lungs-hospital-ventilator-infection.html Medical research Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:00:47 EST news261849639 Pathological rage can be blocked in mice, researchers have found, suggesting potential new treatments for severe aggression, a widespread trait characterized by sudden violence, explosive outbursts and hostile overreactions to stress. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-hulk-anymore-scientists-block-excess.html Neuroscience Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:00:16 EST news259341016 In recent years, a growing body of evidence has linked inflammation to the development of insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, the hormone insulin is less effective in promoting glucose uptake from the bloodstream into other tissues. Obesity is a major factor that contributes to insulin resistance, which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that proinflammatory molecules found in fat tissue decreases sensitivity of tissues to insulin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-obesity-induced-insulin-sensitivity.html Overweight and Obesity Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:05:49 EST news257774686 Overactive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling has been linked to the development of cancer. Several drug therapies have been developed to treat these EGFR-associated cancers; however, many patients have developed resistance to these drugs and are therefore no longer responsive to drug treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-combination-drug-resistance-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:01:11 EST news257774460 Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently no reliable method for early detection or therapeutic intervention. The paper will be published May 15 in Cancer Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-early-biomarker-pancreatic-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 15 May 2012 00:20:01 EST news256233809 Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency and University of British Columbia have identified new breast cancer genes that could change the way the disease is diagnosed and form the basis of next-generation treatments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-scientists-breast-cancer-genes-rewrite.html Cancer Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:00:15 EST news253972596 The feasibility of selecting treatment based on individual molecular characteristics was demonstrated in a first-of-its kind pancreatic cancer clinical trial reported today by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-pancreatic-cancer-clinical-trial-results.html Cancer Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:51:24 EST news252665467 Researchers at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics have discovered an answer to the long-standing mystery of how brain cells can both remember new memories while also maintaining older ones. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-memory-formation-triggered-stem-cell.html Neuroscience Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:56:36 EST news249224191 A recent large and comprehensive analysis of 50,000 genetic variants across 2,000 genes linked to cardiovascular and metabolic function has identified four genes associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and six independent disease-associated variants at previously known loci. The findings, which provide valuable insight into the genetic risk for T2D across multiple ethnicities, add to the growing list of genetic variants that affect the risk of developing T2D and could pave the way for identification of valuable drug targets. The research will be published by Cell Press on February 9th in The American Journal of Human Genetics, the official journal of the American Society of Human Genetics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-genetic-diabetes-span-multiple-ethnicities.html Diabetes Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:01 EST news248007170