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Researchers develop new diagnostic methods to better detect future monkeypox or smallpox outbreaks

The research also sheds new light on the 2003 monkeypox outbreak in the Midwest - monkeypox is closely related to smallpox. This new information suggests that the 2003 outbreak was larger than the 72 cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

9 Aug 2005

DDT resistance in flies carries no cost

For those concerned with the troublesome effects of genetic resistance to drugs and pesticides, the conventional wisdom of evolution offers a reassuring word: In the absence of the original chemical threat, most resistance mutations would cause a disadvantage to their hosts and might be expected to quickly leave the genetic landscape once the use of a drug or insecticide is suspended or withdrawn.

9 Aug 2005

Mothers looking for employment face disadvantages

...including being less likely to be hired, being offered lower salaries and facing a perception that they would be less committed to a job than fathers or women without children, according to an experiment conducted by researchers at Cornell University.

9 Aug 2005

Study results reaffirm cyclin D1 as a candidate target for molecular therapeutic control of breast tumor development

For about a decade, scientists have recognized that many cases of hereditary breast cancer result from a mutation of a specific gene called BRCA1, which, in its normal state, helps keep tumor formation in check. About five to 10 percent of breast cancer cases arise from these genetic miscues, about half of which are linked to the abnormal functioning of BRCA1.

9 Aug 2005

Dolly the sheep, and now Snuppy the puppy - what's next?

Since the first animal, Dolly the sheep, was cloned in 1996, scientists been able to clone pigs, cattle, mice, rabbits, horses and cats.

8 Aug 2005

Supplements of multivitamins and minerals don't prevent infections in the elderly

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, say giving daily supplements of multivitamins and minerals do not prevent respiratory, stomach, skin and other types of infections in the elderly.

8 Aug 2005

Factors inhibiting the brain's natural self-healing process identified

Factors that inhibit the brain's natural self-healing process and that may offer new insights into how to prevent brain damage in premature babies have been identified by a team of researchers supported in part by the March of Dimes.

7 Aug 2005

Protein p53 is the "guardian" of our genome

When DNA damage is present, p53 stops cell division and gives the cell enough time to repair it. If the damage is irreparable, the protein sets off programmed cell death and protects the cells from degeneration.

7 Aug 2005

Breastfeeding lowers mothers stress

Moms, want to lower stress? Try breastfeeding. New research from the McGill-affiliated Douglas Hospital Research Centre in Montreal shows mothers who breastfeed respond less to stressful situations than those who bottle-feed their children. These findings suggest these mothers may be better able to care for their children.

7 Aug 2005

Nighttime dying linked to sleep apnea from brain cell loss

Aim to grow old and die peacefully in your sleep? Be careful what you wish for. A new UCLA study suggests that some people die in their sleep because they stop breathing due to a cumulative loss of cells in the brain's breathing command-post. The online edition of Nature Neuroscience reports the findings.

7 Aug 2005

One jab could in future protect against all flu strains

Scientists are apparently working on producing a vaccine that could give lifelong protection against all types of flu in one single injection.

7 Aug 2005

New study says HRT risks far lower

Women battling to deal with the miserable effects of the menopause, will be even more confused by the release of a new Australian study, which says that a woman's risk of developing breast cancer after taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might be lower than previously thought.

7 Aug 2005

Doubt cast over study that says milk linked to ovarian cancer

Swedish researchers say that drinking just one glass of milk a day may increase the risk of women developing ovarian cancer.

7 Aug 2005

U.S. company wants to commercialise breast milk

It has long been acknowledged that breast milk, with its minerals, digestive enzymes and antibodies, keeps babies healthy and boosts their intelligence.

7 Aug 2005

Low levels of folate linked to lower birth rates

Mothers-to-be with lower levels of the vitamin folate in their body during early pregnancy are more likely to have babies with lower, or less healthy, birth weights, a study has revealed.

4 Aug 2005

Progress to develop vaginal microbicides

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced an agreement with the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to share information and expertise in an effort to develop vaginal microbicides

4 Aug 2005

Resistance to antituberculosis drugs has been rising in Botswana since 1995

Resistance to antituberculosis drugs has been rising in Botswana since 1995, concludes a Research Letter in this weeks issue of The Lancet. Enhanced interventions for TB control are urgently needed in Botswana to prevent further emergence of drug resistance, state the authors.

4 Aug 2005

Switching treatment to the drug anastrozole after two years of tamoxifen is beneficial for women with early breast cancer

Switching treatment to the drug anastrozole after two years of tamoxifen can improve eventfree survival for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer, concludes a study in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

4 Aug 2005

More people die as a result of medical errors than from other common causes of death

As part of international efforts to improve patient safety, a new website has been created (www.saferhealthcare.org.uk), run by a partnership of the National Patient Safety Agency, the BMJ Publishing Group, and the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

4 Aug 2005

Multivitamins don't prevent infections in older people

Multivitamin and mineral supplements don't appear to prevent infections in older people living at home, finds a study in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

4 Aug 2005