university of rochester medical center

Researchers discover how rheumatoid arthritis causes bone loss

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis destroys bone, according to a study published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The findings are already guiding attempts to design new drugs to reverse RA-related bone loss and may also address more common forms of osteoporosis with a few adjustments.

FDA approves first drug for Huntington's disease

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) The US Food and Drug Administration today approved tetrabenazine, the first drug approved for use in the United States to treat Huntington's disease, a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure.

As rates rise, researchers find better way to identify melanoma

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) University of Rochester Medical Center researchers found a new protein produced excessively in malignant melanoma, a discovery that is particularly relevant as skin cancer rates climb dramatically among young women.

URMC, FDA to collaborate on national data repository for heart r...

admin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) The University of Rochester Medical Center will collaborate with the US Food and Drug Administration to develop a national repository of data that will aid academic and industry researchers studying the electrical activity of the heart. In addition to helping researchers understand many cardiac problems, the data may aid the development of new tools to detect drugs that can have dangerous effects on the heart.

Pregnancy may help protect against bladder cancer

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Pregnancy seems to confer some protection against bladder cancer in mice, scientists have found. Female mice that had never become pregnant had approximately 15 times as much cancer in their bladders as their counterparts that had become pregnant, according to new findings by investigators at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Their work appears online as a rapid communication in the journal Urology.

Study in Circulation provides detail on how low blood flow promo...

admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Researchers have found the first direct proof that a key protein drives the clogging of arteries in two ways, and that lowering levels of it opens them up, according to study results published in the June edition of the journal Circulation. The work establishes cyclophilin A as an exciting target in the design of drugs against atherosclerosis, the number one cause of heart attacks and strokes, which occur when vessels become completely blocked.

Salmonella: Trickier than we imagined

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Salmonella is serving up a surprise not only for tomato lovers around the country but also for scientists who study the rod-shaped bacterium that causes misery for millions of people. Researchers have identified a molecular trick that may explain part of the bacteria's fierceness: A protein allows the bacteria to maintain a low profile in the body, giving Salmonella crucial time to gain a foothold before the immune system is roused to fight the invader.

Researchers find roadmap to next-generation cancer therapies

admin — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Pinpointing new targets for cancer treatments is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, yet a University of Rochester team has discovered an entire novel class of genes they believe will lead to a greater understanding of cancer cell function and the next generation of effective and less harmful therapies for patients.

Separation from mom, dad linked with learning trouble in kids

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) In the wake of divorce, illness, violence and other problems that can unsettle homes, countless young children are liable to experience temporary separations from one or both parents before packing their knapsacks for kindergarten. Published in the May/June issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics, a new, community-wide study from Rochester, New York, warns that such kids are at increased risk for learning difficulties.

Vitamin D protects cells from stress that can lead to cancer

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

(University of Rochester Medical Center) By inducing a specific gene to increase expression of a key enzyme, vitamin D protects healthy prostate cells from the damage and injuries that can lead to cancer, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers report.