ResearchSEA - Asia Research News | Medicine

Answers to Sleep Disorder and new paradigm for treatment and mechanism of neurodegenerative disease [research]

Ulsan, Republic of Korea, May 17, 2013 – Researchers have identified a novel role of ATAXIN-2 as a posttranscriptional coactivator crucial for circadian behaviors and molecular clocks. The work was carried out by Chunghun Lim and colleagues during his post-doctoral time at Northwestern University.

Tokyo Institute of Technology research: An insight into cell survival [research]

(Tokyo, 16 May, 2013) Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology report details on the biological mechanisms through which cells degrade own cellular material, allowing them to survive starvation conditions.

PolyU researchers develop novel Brain Training Device to reconnect the brain and paralyzed limb after stroke [research]

The world’s first Brain Training Device has given a ray of new hope to the recovery of survivors after stroke. Developed by researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this novel device can detect brainwave and control the movement of paralyzed limbs.

What we are called upon to consider regarding the acceptance of new prenatal testing methods [research]

Opinion article by Prof. Waichiro Iwashi of Waseda University on the implementation of a new non-invasive prenatal genetic testing that uses maternal blood in Japan

Combating H7N9: Using Lessons Learned from APEIR’s Studies on H5N1 [research]

Studies on this disease recently completed by researchers from the Asia Partnership on Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (APEIR) developed a series of messages for policy makers that are highly relevant to the current outbreak.

Rigid growth matrix: a key to success of cardiac tissue engineering [research]

Tsukuba, Japan & Los Angeles, Ca. 12 April - A new study by researchers at UCLA suggests that the elasticity of the physical matrix used for growing heart muscle cells outside of the body may be critical to the success of cardiac tissue engineering. The results were published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials this week.

GlaxoSmithKline and A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical Engineering and Sciences To Develop New Medicines For Emerging Markets [research]

Singapore, 9 April 2013 – GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) have signed a five-year strategic agreement to develop new evidence based formulations (EBFs) specifically for emerging markets. EBFs are medicines which are reformulated to provide additional patient benefit.

Bird flu (H7N9) in China – Australian and UK experts respond [research]

The World Health Organisation has reported seven people in China have contracted Influenza A H7N9, including two deaths. The UK and Australian Science Media Centre has asked some experts for their opinions. Journalists are welcome to use these expert quotes.

Biomedical engineering: No batteries required [research]

Microscale medical sensors inserted under the skin can be powered wirelessly by an external handheld receiver

YCHSSD and PolyU jointly develop novel health qigong for frail elderly [research]

Yan Chai Hospital Social Services Department (YCHSSD), in collaboration with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, has developed a novel health qigong protocol for frail elderly in Hong Kong.

Novel Drug Delivery System Releases Drugs in Response to Compression by the Patient’s Hand [research]

A research group at NIMS International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) have succeeded in developing a gel material which is capable of releasing drugs in response to pressure applied by the patient.

Uncovering maternal to paternal communications in mice [research]

Kanazawa, Japan, 25 Feb - Researchers at Japan’s Kanazawa University have proven the existence of communicative signalling from female mice that induces male parental behaviour. The research was published in Nature and is described in the Feb issue of the Kanazawa University Research Bulletin

The February issue of Kanazawa University Research Bulletin is now out [research]

Kanazawa, Japan, 25 Feb - From uncovering maternal to paternal communications in mice; obesity-induced diabetes linked to enzyme deficiencies; ‘cool’ organic solar cell fabrication; links of asthma to gender and more in covered in the Kanazawa University Research Bulletin

Research Highlight - Spectral Texture Segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Brain Images For Glioma Brain Tumour Detection [research]

Universiti Teknologi MARA researchers outline a non-invasive method for detecting brain tumours by utilizing spectral texture features of the MRI images

“Patients who Don’t Listen” And “Medical Staff who Are Inflexible” - Cultural Anthropology in the Medical Workplace [research]

Opinion article by Assist. Prof. Maho Isono, a cultural anthropologist in medicine. "Medical personnel frequently have feelings and conflicts that are not expressed to their patients, while patients often experience confusion and hesitation that are not told to medical personnel."

Pinpointing Protein Locations [research]

An innovative technique which pinpoints protein locations and helps researchers unravel the protein's functions has been developed by the researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), researchers who recently moved from MIT to the Ulsan National Institute of Science (UNIST) explain.

Drug manufacture: Going green with iron [research]

Safe and inexpensive iron catalysts provide a ‘greener’ alternative to typical pharmaceutical production methods

Gene therapy: Editing out genetic damage [research]

New design guidelines from researchers in Singapore simplify the development of targeted therapies for muscular dystrophy and other diseases

XXVIth International Symposium on Cerebral Blood Flow, Metabolism and Function and the XIth International Conference on Quantification of Brain Function with PET [event]

Following the tradition of previous meetings, “Brain 2013” will cover numerous aspects within the area of neuroscience research, particularly those related to brain function and metabolism, cerebral blood flow, the function of the neurovascular unit and the blood-brain barrier, brain imaging, and cerebrovascular pathology.

Transmission studies resume for avian flu [research]

Influenza scientists this week announce their intention to resume research into H5N1 avian influenza virus transmission in countries in which governments and institutions have given approval and in which appropriate biosafety and biosecurity conditions have been met. The announcement is published jointly in the journals Nature and Science.