Press releases

Oestrogen plays an important role in determining how sensitive a person is to pain, and the oestrogen receptor known as ER-beta is particularly significant in this context. These are the conclusions of a study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the American scientific journal PNAS.

Incontinence is common among men. A new study shows that a forth of men between the ages of 40 – 80 suffers from different symptoms of incontinence. Despite the symptoms and worse quality of life, and the fact that there are help to find, few men seek help for incontinence.

All biomedical research is limited by technology-­many hypotheses are simply cannot be tested with the methods available owing to poor performance or prohibitive costs. Now Uppsala University researchers have developed a new and very promising method, and a first test indicates that it works on natural biological material. The findings are being presented in the latest issue of the journal Nature Methods.

A new target-seeking affibody molecule can be used to visualize cancer tumors and to treat them. This has been shown in a dissertation by Ann-Charlott Steffen to be publicly defended at Uppsala University on April 22.

The blood-thinning drug Warfarin tops the list of drug side-effects in Sweden. Patient sensitivity to Warfarin varies, which can lead to over-dosage and in certain cases to death. A study led by Mia Wadelius at Uppsala University in Sweden indicates that two genes may be the explanation. The findings are being published in the latest issue of The Pharmacogenomics Journal.

Using only computers, a research team at Uppsala University in Sweden has managed to reveal both the structure and the function of a newly discovered enzyme from the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. All that was needed was the amino acid sequence of the enzyme. The findings may represent a breakthrough for future pharmaceutical research.

A new model for the interaction among the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex may be a step on the way to improving treatment for schizophrenia and ADHD. The model, which describes the function of three types of inhibitory nerve cells in the frontal lobe, is being presented in the scientific journal PNAS by researchers from Linköping University and elsewhere.