NANOTECHNOLOGY

Google’s Magic Pill Will Search Out Cancer—Or Is It the Nanoparticles?

NANOTECHNOLOGY In a day and age where nearly every problem is solvable with the help of the trusty internet and fast-powered search engines, why wouldn’t we expect some help in the health department, much more clinical than what we can find on WebMD? It’s a sector many companies have not been able to explore, but with the support and funding of the world’s largest search engine, researchers at Google are aiming to diagnose cancers, strokes and even a heart attack through tiny technology you can track on a wristwatch.

DNA 'Wires' Can Carry Electricity

Scientists working at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have reportedly made a breakthrough in nanotechnology that could have far-reaching implications for nanotechnology. The group, comprised of researchers from the U.S., Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Denmark, published their findings in Nature Nanotechnology and claim they have been able to show that DNA molecules can carry electric current.

Paving the way for a fructose tolerance test

A new study finds that the hormone FGF21 is stimulated by fructose ingestion A new study finds that the hormone FGF21 is stimulated by fructose ingestion BOSTON - Increased consumption of table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup has been linked to rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States and throughout the world.

Hunger games: How the brain 'browns' fat to aid weight loss

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have uncovered a molecular process in the brain known to control eating that transforms white fat into brown fat. This process impacts how much energy we burn and how much weight we can lose. The results are published in the Oct. 9 issue of the journal Cell.

An enzyme and synaptic plasticity

Study reveals novel role for the Pin1 molecule Study reveals novel role for the Pin1 molecule A small, "empty" space teeming with activity: a synapse is a complex structure where the neural (electrical) signal from the presynaptic neuron, as it travels towards its target -a muscle, a gland or another neuron - turns into a chemical signal capable of crossing the synaptic space before becoming electrical again once on the other side.

An unexpected bonus - blocking STAT3 could help cancer patients in two ways

The STAT transcription factors are involved in the development of many forms of cancer. STAT3 is frequently activated in tumour cells, so drugs targeting STAT3 could be used in cancer therapy. However, STAT3 is also important in the development of the immune system. Dagmar Gotthardt and colleagues at the Vetmeduni Vienna now show that blocking STAT3 in cells of the immune system actually leads to increased anti-tumour immunity. Anti-STAT3 therapy may thus be highly promising.

More Treasures Come To Surface at Antikythera Wreck Site

Over a hundred years ago, in 1900, sponge divers swimming at the bottom of the sea nearest the island of Antikythera in southern Greece unearthed an extraordinary treasure from the wreckage of a once sea-ferrying ship. Known simply as the Antikythera shipwreck, over the years many artifacts have been discovered bringing to light the culture and the technology of the time the ship sank, and this year excavation efforts have revealed even more.

Long-term treatment success using gene therapy to correct a lethal metabolic disorder

Excessive and often lethal blood levels of bilirubin can result from mutations in a single gene that are the cause of the metabolic disease known as Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1 (CNS1). A new gene therapy approach to correcting this metabolic error achieved significant, long-lasting reductions in bilirubin levels in a mouse model of CNS1 and is described in an Open Access article in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Human Gene Therapy website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2013.233.

Drug-infused nanoparticle is right for sore eyes

For the millions of sufferers of dry eye syndrome, their only recourse to easing the painful condition is to use drug-laced eye drops three times a day. Now, researchers from the University of Waterloo have developed a topical solution containing nanoparticles that will combat dry eye syndrome with only one application a week.

Coral Bleaching Near Oahu Signals Ecosystem’s Distress

With this summer bringing record-breaking heat waves throughout the northern hemisphere, the people of Hawaii have found that the lack of trade winds have made for a particularly warm and humid summer. And they’re not the only ones suffering.

Toddlers regulate behavior to avoid making adults angry

When kids say "the darnedest things," it's often in response to something they heard or saw. This sponge-like learning starts at birth, as infants begin to decipher the social world surrounding them long before they can speak.

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