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Leptin's fat-burning role in humans

For nearly a decade, scientists have known that leptin plays an important fat-burning role in humans. But the map of leptin's path through the body – the key to understanding how and why the hormone works – is still incomplete.

27 Jul 2004

Possible inherited component for lung cancer

Researchers have discovered a possible inherited component for lung cancer, a disease normally associated with external causes, such as cigarette smoking.

27 Jul 2004

Traveling to and from work can reduce cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes

Research published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that moderate exercise can reduce cardiovascular disease deaths in people with type 2 diabetes, even if that activity comes from work or traveling to and from work.

26 Jul 2004

Organic tomatoes have higher levels of vitamin C

In her study of organic and conventionally grown tomatoes, Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at University of California at Davis, found organic tomatoes had higher levels of secondary plant metabolites and higher levels of vitamin C.

26 Jul 2004

How ulcer bugs stick to stomach

Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, the primary cause of ulcers and a contributor to stomach cancers, have uncovered new intricacies in the way the bacterium sticks to the lining of the human stomach.

26 Jul 2004

Finding helps explain how nerves connect to their targets and stop growing once there

Johns Hopkins researchers report that once a growing nerve "tastes" a certain protein, it loses its "appetite" for other proteins and follows the tasty crumbs to reach its final destination.

26 Jul 2004

Correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among diabetics

Duke University Medical Center researchers at have found a strong correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among people with type-2 diabetes.

26 Jul 2004

Gene associated with susceptibility to developing type 1 diabetes

A new gene mutation identified by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is part of the constellation of genes associated with susceptibility to developing type 1 diabetes. It could also play a role in the devastating complications of diabetes such as kidney failure.

23 Jul 2004

Drug used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders appears effective at treating Alzheimer’s disease

Doctors are reporting some success in treating one of the most troubling symptoms of dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. A drug commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders appears effective at reducing actions like screaming at or slapping caregivers – agitated behaviors that occur in as many as half of patients.

23 Jul 2004

Multimillion-dollar grant to further life sciences research

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a multimillion-dollar grant to further life sciences research at the University of Kansas and throughout Kansas. It is the largest grant ever awarded to a Kansas university.

23 Jul 2004

Cancers of the gut amongst the most preventable through changes in diet

Cancers of the gut are one of the major causes of death from cancer, but a review published this week shows that they are also amongst the most preventable through changes in diet.

23 Jul 2004

Epilepsy, new therapeutic possibilities

To date epilepsy research has mainly concentrated on the transmission of the nerve cell signals to what are known as the synapses.

23 Jul 2004

Autism antibodies are not genetically determined, as parents do not exhibit them

Autism produces a widespread range of antibodies that act against brain tissue and one protein in particular seems to be the major target of these antibodies claim a group of scientists in the July issue of the Journal of Neuroimmunology.

23 Jul 2004

Groundbreaking tinnitus treatment

Curtin University of Technology, Australia has officially launch a groundbreaking tinnitus treatment based on over five years of research.

23 Jul 2004

Left atrium neasurements may predict future for heart attack patients

Ultrasound measurements of the volume of the left atrium taken soon after a heart attack can help physicians predict a patient’s five-year mortality rate, according to a new study in the July 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

22 Jul 2004

Outdoor activities are exposing us to higher levels of harmful ultraviolet rays than previously thought

The present estimate of UV exposure, the UV index, is based on measuring how much radiation hits a horizontal surface. But this often underestimates how much UV hits a vertical surface when the sun is low in the sky, says Peter Hoeppe, a biometeorologist at Geo Risk Research in Munich, Germany.

22 Jul 2004

Difficulties in performing day to day tasks could indicate the presence of mild cognitive impairment

Mild Cognitive Impairment, forgetfulness without dementia being present, is a term described as a subtle decline in thinking abilities. A person with MCI, for example, may experience memory problems greater than normally expected with aging, but that person does not show other symptoms of dementia, such as impaired judgment or reasoning, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

21 Jul 2004

Researchers discover a mechanism that blocks replication of a retrovirus

A team of scientists led by University of Georgia researchers has discovered a naturally occurring mechanism that blocks a critical step late in retrovirus replication.

21 Jul 2004

Australian collaboration to produce cancer immunotherapy vaccines

A Brisbane based biomedical company, Tissue Therapies Limited (TIS) and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have agreed on the terms of a new collaboration aimed at developing Tissue Therapies' VitroGro® cell growth technology as a platform to produce cancer immunotherapy vaccines.

21 Jul 2004

Stress found to be associated with hyperprolactinemia

A group of Italian investigators headed by Nicoletta Sonino (University of Padova) has performed the first controlled investigation on the relationship between stressful life events and an endocrine disease characterized by increased prolactin levels (hyperprolactinemia).

21 Jul 2004