Body

LA JOLLA, Calif., September 15, 2009 -- Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered that reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, play a key role in forming invadopodia, cellular protrusions implicated in cancer cell migration and tumor metastasis. Sara Courtneidge, Ph.D., professor and director of the Tumor Microenvironment Program at Burnham's NCI-designated Cancer Center, and colleagues have found that inhibiting reactive oxygen reduces invadopodia formation and limits cancer cell invasion.

Researchers from Brigham Young University found how to shape customized segments of DNA into tiny letters that spell "BYU." This new method of DNA origami will appear in the aptly titled journal Nano Letters.

The letters are about 100 nanometers in size. That's roughly a billion times smaller than the block Y on the mountain overlooking BYU's campus and 1/1000 the width of a human hair.

The team's larger pursuit is to design nanoscale shapes for electrical circuitry and make tiny – yet inexpensive – computer chips.

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been used to alleviate the shortage of available liver donors. Accurate estimation of the standard liver volume (SLV) of the living donor and recipient is crucial. Scholars of different countries established several SLV formulae from clinical data, but which formula was the most accurate for Chinese adults has remained unclear.

Previous studies revealed that HBV genotypes as well as mutations in the core promoter, precore or HBx gene have been shown to have an association with the clinical outcome of liver disease, however, this is still controversial. It is likely that this depends on the HBV genotype distribution in certain region. So far, there is no such data from Indonesia, which is a big country with a big population and a relatively high HBV carrier rate.

The intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) can evolve through all biological stages, from slight dysplasia to carcinoma. As one of the few surgically curable pancreatic tumors, accurate preoperative prediction of malignancy remains one of the major issues in the optimal treatment of IPMNs, and it also influences the outcome of the resection.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a type of cellular adaptor protein and transcriptional co-activator. In recent years, some investigators have found YAP to be overexpressed and highly activated in hepatic cancers and mammary cancers, suggesting its tumorigenicity. Survivin is a new member of the inhibitor of apoptotic protein (IAP) family, which was initially cloned by the cDNA of the effector cell protease receptor-1 in the human genomic library in 1997.

Zits, pimples, bumps and blemishes are a young person's worst nightmare. Collectively they are known as acne, a very common skin condition that affects millions of adolescents. Now a Norwegian study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health has investigated the links between acne, diet and mental health issues in both males and females.

Supervised exercises are more effective than shockwave treatment to relieve chronic shoulder pain, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

Shoulder pain is the fourth most common type of musculoskeletal pain reported to general practitioners and physiotherapists. Treatments often include physiotherapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroid injections. Physiotherapy can include shockwave treatment, ultrasound, exercises and acupuncture.

The ice sheets that sculpted the landscape of northern Britain moved in unexpected ways and left distinctive egg-shaped features according to new research.

Scientists from Durham University have deciphered the landforms and created a model of the British and Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) which reveals for the first time how glaciers reversed their flows and retreated back into upland regions from where they originated.

Results of a clinical trial published Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, demonstrate an infusion of blood that is "supersaturated" with oxygen (SS02) can reduce the amount of damaged heart muscle immediately following a life-threatening heart attack.

A comparison of outcomes of different eras of conservative treatment for localized prostate cancer indicates that survival rates are higher for men diagnosed from 1992 through 2002 compared to men diagnosed in the 1970s and 1980s, according to a study in JAMA.

New research indicates that patients with lesser degrees of celiac disease-related symptoms, such as intestinal inflammation or latent celiac disease, have a modestly increased risk of death, according to a study in JAMA.

In patients with recent onset type-2 diabetes, treatment with insulin or the diabetes drug metformin did not reduce inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, although the treatment did improve glucose control, according to a study in JAMA.

Patients who sustain injury to their kidneys and require in-hospital dialysis are three times more likely to need long-term dialysis later in life compared to those without a history of this condition, says a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. Patients with acute kidney disease are a high-risk group for whom early medical surveillance and intervention may prevent progression to irreversible end-stage kidney disease.

Supersaturated oxygen (SSO2) administered during catheter-based treatments for heart attack can significantly reduce heart muscle damage, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of the American Heart Association.

In another study, a different group of researchers found that manually removing a blood clot provided greater recovery of heart function after a heart attack.