Researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose membranous nephropathy in its early stages. The test, which is currently only offered in the research setting and is awaiting commercial development, could have significant implications in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Currently, the only way to diagnose the disease is through...

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Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved.Following a heart attack, an inflammatory process occurs in the heart due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. This process helps the heart to heal, but may also promote further...

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Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — Researchers have built a map that shows how thousands of proteins in a fruit fly cell communicate with each other. This is the largest and most detailed protein interaction map of a multicellular organism, demonstrating how approximately 5,000, or one third, of the proteins cooperate to keep life going."My group has been working for decades, trying to unravel the precise connections among the proteins and gain insight into how the cell functions as a whole," says...

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