Scientists identify mutation linked to common form of epilepsy
A team of EU-funded scientists has discovered that a mutation on chromosome 15 is linked to a common form of epilepsy. The findings, which are published in the journal Nature Genetics, add to our understanding of the underlying causes of epilepsy and could eventually lead to the development of new drugs to treat the condition.
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Study uncovers potential new drug target for arthritis treatments
EU-funded researchers in the UK have found that the joint damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis may be partly due to antibodies produced within joints themselves. Their findings shed light on why drugs that clear antibody-producing B cells from the bloodstream do not always lead to improvements in rheumatoid arthritis, and point to an enzyme called 'activation-induced cytidine deaminase' (AID) as a potential target for the development of drugs to treat this debilitating disease.
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EU Launches Project to Improve In-Vitro Diagnostics
The European Union launched a new research project targeting to expand the potentials and utility of in-vitro diagnostics through the creation of new standards for the collection, handling and processing of blood, tissue, tumor and other sample materials. Under the 7th Framework Programme, the European Commission approved the initiative's funding and scope to develop corresponding standards, tools and quality assurance schemes.
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Scientists speed up body's repair systems
EU-funded researchers have succeeded in tricking the bone marrow into releasing extra adult stem cells into the bloodstream. The scientists hope that their findings, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, will eventually lead to the development of new therapies to speed up the treatment of heart disease and broken bones.
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Study sheds new light on aggressive childhood cancer
EU-funded researchers have uncovered some of the complex molecular mechanisms that drive the growth of neuroblastoma, a type of cancer found in very young children. The scientists hope that their findings, published in the journal Cancer Cell, will lead to the development of new therapies to treat this often aggressive and unpredictable disease.
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Metabolic disturbances indicate progress of the disease even years in advance
Finnish scientists have reported a breakthrough in the attempts to understand the development of type 1 diabetes. They discovered disturbances in lipid and amino acid metabolism in children who later progressed to type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. The alterations preceded the autoimmune response by months to years.
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Expert System for Automatic Analysis of Data Quality in Clinical Trials
In the framework of the development scheme 'Central Innovation Scheme for Medium-sized Businesses' of the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (BMWI), clinIT AG, based in Freiburg, Germany, has been awarded a six-figure federal grant in cooperation with the Institute for Informatics of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Faculty for Data Bases and Information Systems.
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