Month: May 2013
-
Clinical Trial Underway to Test MicroRNA Cancer Therapy
Mirna Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company in Austin, Texas, recently began a clinical trial to test its lead candidate, MRX34 that simulates the tumor-suppression action of microRNA, as a therapy for cancer. The trial is an early-stage study mainly of MRX34’s safety with patients suffering from cancer of the liver or advanced or metastatic cancer…
-
New Contrast Dyes Improve Medical Images, Reduce Prep Time
Chemistry researchers at University of Copenhagen in Denmark, with colleagues from two Texas universities, developed a new type of contrast dye for medical imaging that the inventors say cuts the time and labor needed for preparation. Their discoveries are described in a series of publications over the past five months, the most recent appearing in…
-
Preclinical Test Shows Vaccine Stops Cocaine Reaching Brain
Medical researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York tested in primates a vaccine candidate against cocaine addiction, which showed the vaccine prevented cocaine from reaching the brain and inducing a dopamine high. The findings from the team led by genetic medical researcher Ronald Crystal, with colleagues from Weill Cornell, Columbia University, and Scripps…
-
Algorithm Identifies HIV Antibodies For Vaccine Design
Biologists at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of National Institutes of Health, developed a mathematical model to highlight antibodies that neutralize viruses in people with HIV, which can help design a vaccine against HIV infection. The team from NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, with colleagues from Columbia University and research institutes in…
-
Quality Check Technique Devised for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Engineers at Purdue University in Indiana developed a method that can detect flaws in lithium-ion battery electrodes during their manufacture. The team led by mechanical engineering professor Douglas Adams and chemical engineering faculty James Caruthers will discuss its technique next month at the annual meeting of the Society for Experimental Mechanics near Chicago. Arrays of…
-
Antibiotic Resistance Biosensor Developed for Staph Bacteria
Researchers at Auburn University in Alabama and Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi developed a bio-based sensor that can discriminate between strains of staph bacteria resistant and sensitive to antibiotics. The team led by Auburn veterinary medicine professor Vitaly Vodyanoy published its findings in the May 2013 issue of the online Journal of Visualized Experiments…
-
Nimbus, Shire Partner on Rare Genetic Disease Drug Discovery
Nimbus Discovery, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts will discover and develop new small-molecule drug candidates to treat a set of rare genetic disorders, for the specialty pharmaceutical company Shire plc based in Ireland. Under the deal, Shire will provide Nimbus with periodic milestone payments, and while financial details of the agreement were not disclosed,…
-
Silk, Cellulose Provide Useful Scaffold to Repair Cartilage
Researchers at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge in the U.K. found natural silk and cellulose fibers effective as scaffolding to rebuild damaged cartilage with stem cells. The team led by Wa’el Kafienah in Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published its findings in a recent issue of the journal Biomacromolecules (paid subscription required).…
-
Power Company, Research Center Partner on Wind Forecasts
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado and the electric utility Xcel Energy are collaborating on a new forecasting system to improve the company’s wind energy operations. Financial aspects of the two-year partnership, which continues an existing agreement between the organizations, were not disclosed. NCAR is a federally funded research and development center…
-
Simplified Medicare Could Save Money, Improve Senior Health
Public health researchers found combining into one program Medicare’s separate hospital, doctor, and drug plans with supplemental insurance could save $180 billion over a decade while improving care for older Americans. The study, led by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health professor Karen Davis and conducted for the Commonwealth Fund, appears in the May 2013 issue…