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Stem cells could provide sperm for infertile males

Researchers have been successful in creating sperm-producing germ cells from stem cells in a lab and transferred them into infertile mice, which after the treatment were able to produce healthy offspring. This new development could help thousands of infertile men become fathers if the method proves similarly effective in humans.

5 Aug 2011

Study stresses importance of broad-spectrum sunscreen to help prevent skin cancer

With so many sunscreen options on the market, it can be confusing to know which ones offer the best protection. A new study further emphasizes the importance of selecting a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect the skin against skin cancer and early aging.

5 Aug 2011

Hand hygiene knowledge reduces risk of infection in elementary schools, HCW

Increased hand hygiene knowledge positively correlates with a decreased risk of transmitting infection among both healthcare workers (HCW) and elementary school children, according to two studies published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

5 Aug 2011

Scientists convert human skin cells into forebrain neurons

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have for the first time directly converted human skin cells into functional forebrain neurons, without the need for stem cells of any kind.

5 Aug 2011

Roadmap to overcome obstacles for using induced pluripotent stem cells

The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.

5 Aug 2011

Tips to minimize risk of bug bites and related illnesses

While the image of a bug crawling on your arm or a creepy crawler snuggling up in your bed is enough to make you flinch, most bug bites are harmless and disappear on their own in a matter of days. Other insects, however, can spread disease and cause severe reactions that require medical attention.

4 Aug 2011

Dermatologists present latest advances in treating aging hand at AAD 2011 meeting

When it comes to revealing a person's age, hands down, the back of the hand is more telling than the face and neck. Fortunately, dermatologists are applying new technologies to add volume to the hand as well as remove dark brown "age spots" to reverse these telltale signs of aging.

4 Aug 2011

Stress management can improve chronic skin conditions

As anyone with a chronic, inflammatory skin condition, such as psoriasis, rosacea or acne, knows, dealing with unpredictable flares can cause considerable stress and have a negative impact on a person's overall well-being.

4 Aug 2011

Hopkins stem cell research to examine how gene variants cause blood clotting disorders

4 Aug 2011

Vampire bats can smell blood-rich prey: Study

In the labs of University of California, San Francisco and from the wilds of Venezuela scientists have discovered how vampire bats have evolved over the years with a unique weapon that enables them to zero in for a ravenous feed on the warmest blood vessels of their prey.

4 Aug 2011

New method of delivering growth factors could lead to revolutionary heart treatment

Ever since the Nobel Prize for nerve growth factor was awarded more than 30 years ago, researchers have been searching for ways to use growth factor clinically.

3 Aug 2011

New insights into genesis and development of Sézary syndrome

Scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, the Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik Berlin, and four other German institutes succeeded in proving a specific gene loss in a certain human lymphoma, the genesis of which is largely unexplained to date.

3 Aug 2011

British scientists find seven new gene variants linked to prostate cancer

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have taken a further step to identifying men at a greater risk of prostate cancer with the discovery of seven new variants in the human genome that increase the chances of developing the disease. The research is published in Nature Genetics.

3 Aug 2011

Needle-free nanopatch vaccine delivery system

The needle-free nanopatch vaccine delivery system is coming soon after a consortium of investors put up $15 million for its development. The money will enable University of Queensland's Professor Mark Kendall to continue his work on the technology. It is described as the biggest breakthrough in vaccine delivery since the invention of the syringe more than 150 years ago.

3 Aug 2011

Scientists look to create blood platelets from stem cells to study genetics of blood clotting disorders

Johns Hopkins scientists have launched a pioneering research program to create, for the first time, human platelet cells from stem cells in order to study inherited blood clotting abnormalities ranging from clots that cause heart attacks and stroke to bleeding disorders. The study is funded by a $9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of a nationwide initiative to examine how genetic variations cause heart, lung and blood diseases.

2 Aug 2011

BARDA awards contracts for development of drugs for radiation injury to the GI tract

The first two contracts for advanced development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome were awarded today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2 Aug 2011