Researchers have developed a small-molecule inhibitor of a protein that plays key roles in the control of cell division, and they show that the inhibitor can halt the growth of tumors in mice and cancer-derived cells growing in culture. The findings are reported in companion papers reported by two collaborating groups—one (Lenart et al.) led by Jan-Michael Peters of the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna, and the other (Steegmaier et al.) led by Norbert Kraut of Boehringer Ingelheim Austria GmbH. The papers will appear in Current Biology online on February 8th.

By imaging patterns of activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex as subjects concentrated on their choice of two future actions, researchers have been able to distinguish cortical activity patterns that correspond to the subjects' different plans. The findings, reported by a collaborative group led by John-Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, appear in Current Biology online on February 8th.

People with mesothelioma — a form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure — have a higher survival rate when treated with a combination of two cancer drugs, a large multicenter study finds.

A robotic therapy device may help people regain strength and normal use of affected hands long after a stroke, according to a University of California, Irvine study.