Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with a progressive accumulation of senile plaques (containing β-amyloid (Aβ)) and neurofibrillary tangles, but the underlying pathology is still, to a large extent, a mystery. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), molecules produced by neurons and glial cells, may play an important, but complex, role. In an… Read more »
According to research recently published in Genome Medicine, a complex of transcription factors which includes p53, NF-kappa-B and STAT3 is responsible for regulation of miRNA-21 expression. This microRNA is significantly upregulated in stressed heart muscle and has previously been suggested as a therapeutic target in a mouse model of heart failure. Roger Foo and… Read more »
Have you ever asked yourself exactly what a biomarker is, and what this term really means? It can be confusing, since biomarkers themselves are discussed in a number of different contexts including: aiding diagnosis, predicting response and monitoring response to therapy, or helping to identify candidates that will benefit from therapy. In a new review… Read more »
With more than 30 million people living with HIV and over 50% of the population in some regions of the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Middle East, HIV/AIDS is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), who recently published a report highlighting the progress made over the last two years in… Read more »
Professor Michael Kidd, Editor-in-Chief of BioMed Central’s Journal of Medical Case Reports was recently appointed the next president-elect of the World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca). The announcement was made at last month’s World Conference of Family Doctors in Cancun, Mexico. Professor Kidd, Executive Dean of the Flinders University Faculty of Health Sciences and past… Read more »