Syndrome News and Research

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Defect in the mechanics of motors that build tiny cellular hairs is the basis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome

A defect in the mechanics of motors that build tiny cellular hairs is the basis of a serious genetic disorder, according to researchers at UC Davis and Simon Fraser University, Canada.

1 Aug 2005

Knee pain more often part of a package of aches and pains

A new study suggests that knee pain experienced by older people is usually not an isolated problem, but is more often part of a constellation of chronic aches.

29 Jul 2005

Pig disease in China now claims 24 lives and renders 117 sick

The death toll from an outbreak, of what is now thought to be a pig-borne disease, in the southwest Chinese province of Sichuan, has risen to 24, with another 117 thought be sick.

27 Jul 2005

Opiates themselves are superior to sedatives for treating infants born to women who used heroin or methadone while pregnant

Opiates appear to better "ameliorate the withdrawal, facilitate feeding and potentially reduce the likelihood of seizures," according to two new systematic reviews done by David Osborn, a neonatologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia, and colleagues.

26 Jul 2005

Scientists have identified the first genetic mutations that cause the aorta to widen, tear and rupture

Finding biological markers that flag aneurysm, a bulging of the aorta that leads to dissection, a lengthwise separation of tissues in the artery wall, is critically important for early diagnosis.

25 Jul 2005

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome difficult to diagnose

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome can be difficult to diagnose and should have guidelines for diagnostic testing, according to a study in the July 26 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A second study found chemotherapy aggravated symptoms in one woman's case.

25 Jul 2005

Appeal court in UK overturns "shaken baby" convictions

London's Court of Appeal has cleared two people who were jailed over so-called "shaken baby" cases.

25 Jul 2005

Seventeen now dead from mystery disease in southwest China

The state media in China says that a mysterious disease has now killed 17 farm workers and left 41 others sick, in southwest China, after they handled sick or dead livestock.

25 Jul 2005

Help at last for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

British researchers have found abnormalities in the white blood cells of sufferers Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and if early results are confirmed by further research, and indications suggest they will be, it could lead not only to a blood test for the condition but possibly a drug to treat it.

21 Jul 2005

Heart attack patients: shedding pounds reduces risks

Heart attack patients with diabetes or a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors known as metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of another heart attack, stroke or death, but patients who lost weight after their heart attacks were less likely to become diabetic, according to a new study in the July 19, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

21 Jul 2005

Protein found in fat cells is a newly discovered cause of insulin resistance

A study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has shown that a protein found in fat cells is a newly discovered cause of insulin resistance, establishing a previously unidentified molecular link between obesity and type 2 diabetes and offering a potential new target for the development of drugs to treat diabetes.

20 Jul 2005

Major stem cell discovery

Research published in Nature tomorrow (21 July) will outline for the first time the stem cell origin of the structure of the neck and shoulders in vertebrates.

20 Jul 2005

Intestinal hormone secretin should not be used to treat autism

The intestinal hormone secretin, considered by some to be a promising drug in the treatment of autism, does not improve the symptoms and should not be used to treat the disorder, according to a new review of studies.

19 Jul 2005

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) occurs far more frequently than generally believed

Although estimates vary widely, when combined with the milder afflictions of Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and several others, the Centers for Disease Control puts the frequency of FAS/ARBD as high as one in 100.

19 Jul 2005

Spontaneous contractions suppressed in late-term rat pregnancy

A long-time aim of obstetrical research has been to find agents that could delay or diminish pre-term labor because even today pre-term birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity.

19 Jul 2005

Variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity

Scientists in France and the United States report that a variant of a common protein plays a primary role in Type 2 diabetes and obesity, key features of the "insulin resistance syndrome" that affects more than 50 million people in this country and a similar number in Europe.

19 Jul 2005

Diagnosing diabetes early saves lives

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that while 520,000 Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes, there are probably as many again who remain undiagnosed, exposing them to serious complications caused by the disease, including kidney disease, heart attacks and eye problems.

19 Jul 2005

Gene defect linked to heart disease

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, have found by studying DNA from 11 members of one family, who suffered from aortic heart disease, a genetic mutation that causes a common birth defect and contributes to heart disease in adults.

19 Jul 2005

Studies explore genetic interactions between two well-known tumor suppressor proteins, PTEN and TSC2

Two papers in the August 1 issue of Genes & Development explore the genetic interactions between two well-known tumor suppressor proteins, PTEN and TSC2.

19 Jul 2005