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$10.3 million biodefense contract to tackle salmonella, typhoid fever and monkey pox virus

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has received a $10.3 million biodefense contract from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Agents (NIAID) to identify the proteins that regulate the bacteria that cause salmonella poisoning and typhoid fever, and the monkey pox virus.

12 Sep 2004

Consuming lots of red meat and alcohol may triple relapse rate in ulcerative colitis

A diet high in red meat and alcohol may triple the risk of relapse in patients with the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, suggests research in Gut.

12 Sep 2004

Moderate alcohol consumption cuts rate of further narrowing after heart surgery

New German research from Heidelberg University suggests that moderate drinking cuts the rate of further narrowing after surgery to open blocked arteries. The findings are published in the current issue of Heart.

12 Sep 2004

Higher blood levels of homocysteine may be associated with changes in deep brain tissue in middle-aged men

According to the article, high HCY levels have been associated with an increased risk for vascular diseases, and some studies have suggested that HCY may also increase the risk for brain atrophy and Alzheimer disease. Other studies have shown an inverse relationship between elevated HCY levels and cognitive functioning, the article states.

12 Sep 2004

Thickness of the cornea an important factor in considering treatment options for patients with glaucoma

Thickness of the cornea, the thin, transparent layer covering the eye, may be an important factor in considering treatment options for patients with glaucoma, according to an article appearing in the September issue of The Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Sep 2004

Treatment with vitamin A and an omega-3 fatty acid slows down the progression of retinitis pigmentosa

Patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye disease that can cause vision loss, who were treated with vitamin A and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a kind of omega-3 fatty acid, did not experience slowing of the progression of their disease

12 Sep 2004

New genetic test can predict cleft lip or palate

Researchers have developed a new genetic test that can help predict whether parents who have one child with the "isolated" form of cleft lip or palate are likely to have a second child with the same birth defect. Isolated clefts account for 70 percent of all cleft lip and palate cases.

10 Sep 2004

Spouses' emotions can effect psychological recovery after a heart attack or angioplasty

Psychological recovery after a heart attack or angioplasty may be delayed if patients’ spouses feel even more anxious or depressed than their ill partners, researchers say.

10 Sep 2004

Talk test can help monitor exercise exertion

People who are able to comfortably converse during exercise are likely working out at an acceptable intensity. This guideline, known as the “Talk Test,” has been shown to correctly gauge intensity and correspond to an effective range for exercise prescription.

10 Sep 2004

PSA test is now all but useless for predicting prostate cancer risk

The PSA test, commonly used as a screening tool for detecting prostate cancer, is now all but useless for predicting prostate cancer risk, according to Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

10 Sep 2004

Suprising new information on the HOX genes

Researchers at the University of Bergen are now able to present new information on the HOX genes – the “software” to design animals. The findings are published in today’s issue of Nature.

10 Sep 2004

Cancer drug may reduce kidney disease in lupus

A drug that is already being tested as an anticancer agent, especially in lymphoma, may also reduce the kidney disease that is a result of systemic lupus, according to a researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

10 Sep 2004

Grant to study genetics and drug interaction

A University of Minnesota researcher received a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how genetic differences affect whether people will experience dangerous drug interactions and how to adjust medications to avoid those interactions.

10 Sep 2004

New view of chromatin and gene activity

A genome - the DNA instructions for an organism - does not act alone. DNA is packaged with proteins into 'chromatin', which may be more or less tightly condensed. A popular proposal is that active genes are in 'open' chromatin (to allow access to them) and inactive genes are in tightly packed 'compact' chromatin.

10 Sep 2004

Discovery of way to regulate brain blood could lead to new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s

There may be new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders, thanks to the discovery of a mechanism for regulating brain blood flow made by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

10 Sep 2004

Disruption of protein folding causes neurodegeneration, mental retardation

Excess accumulation in brain cells of a fat molecule called GM1-ganglioside (GM1) disrupts the folding of newly assembled proteins into their proper shapes, triggering nerve degeneration and mental retardation in children.

10 Sep 2004

Transthyretin discovery may halt progression of Alzheimer's

In a finding that may cause a dramatic shift in the way scientists and researchers search for a therapy for Alzheimer's disease, a team of researchers led by Jeff Johnson, an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, has discovered that increased expression of a protein called transthyretin in the brain appears to halt the progression of the disease.

10 Sep 2004