ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Steroid hormone receptor prefers working alone to shut off immune system genes
• Brain study shows why some people are more in tune with what they want
• Scientists target DNA repair to eradicate leukemia stem cells
• Bugs without borders: Researchers track the emergence and global spread of healthcare associated Clostridium difficile
• Hypergiant star amazes for 30 years
• Pre-clinical data suggests Angiocidin effective against leukemia
• More than a third of high-risk leukemia patients respond to experimental new drug
• Secrets of gentle touch revealed

Steroid hormone receptor prefers working alone to shut off immune system genes Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:26 PM PST Researchers have obtained a detailed molecular picture that shows how glucocorticoid hormones shut off key immune system genes. The finding could help guide drug discovery efforts aimed at finding new anti-inflammatory drugs with fewer side effects.

Brain study shows why some people are more in tune with what they want Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:26 PM PST Researchers have discovered how the brain assesses confidence in its decisions. The findings explain why some people have better insight into their choices than others.

Scientists target DNA repair to eradicate leukemia stem cells Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:26 PM PST Despite treatment with imatinib, which targets chronic myeloid leukemia, some patients may be at risk for relapse because of leukemia stem cells that are resistant to treatment, accumulating additional genetic errors, and leading to disease progression. Researchers have shown they can block leukemia stem cell repair by targeting a protein that cells depend on to fix genetic mistakes. The findings may lead to a new strategy to overcome drug resistance.

Bugs without borders: Researchers track the emergence and global spread of healthcare associated Clostridium difficile Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST Researchers show that the global epidemic of Clostridium difficile 027/NAP1/BI in the early to mid-2000s was caused by the spread of two different but highly related strains of the bacterium rather than one as was previously thought. The spread and persistence of both epidemics were driven by the acquisition of resistance to a frontline antibiotic.

Hypergiant star amazes for 30 years Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST Astronomers have published the results of a 30-year study of an extraordinary hypergiant star. They have found that the surface temperature of the super-luminous star HR 8752 increased by about 3000 degrees in less than three decades, while it went through an extremely rare stage called the 'Yellow Evolutionary Void'. The discovery marks an important step closer to unraveling the evolution of the most massive stars.

Pre-clinical data suggests Angiocidin effective against leukemia Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST Angiocidin, a novel tumor-inhibiting protein, has shown in vitro and in vivo effectiveness against acute myeloid leukemia cells in pre-clinical experiments.

More than a third of high-risk leukemia patients respond to experimental new drug Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST A new drug for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) marked by a specific type of genetic mutation has shown surprising promise in a Phase II clinical trial. In more than a third of participants, the leukemia was completely cleared from the bone marrow, and as a result, many of these patients were able to undergo potentially curative bone marrow transplants, according to investigators. Many of the participants who did well with the new drug, quizartinib or AC220, had failed to respond to prior therapies.

Secrets of gentle touch revealed Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST Stroke the soft body of a newborn fruit fly larva ever-so-gently with a freshly plucked eyelash, and it will respond to the tickle by altering its movement —- an observation that has helped scientists uncover the molecular basis of gentle touch, one of the most fundamental but least well understood of our senses.

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