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Novel nanotechnology detects human DNA mutations

Researchers at Nanosphere, Inc. have reported unprecedented benefits in the company's technology for the medical analysis of human DNA.

26 Jan 2005

Theory on evolution of essential genes is overturned

A gene passed on by fathers that plays a vital role in helping fertilised eggs to develop into adults has helped scientists overturn the idea that essential genes have always been part of the genetic makeup of a species.

26 Jan 2005

Research into foot-eye coordination

By measuring how people respond when a stepping stone suddenly shifts its position mid-step, researchers at the Institute of Neurology in London have shown that a powerful visual process controls the stepping foot – a process similar to that used for manual reaching, in which the hand is rapidly and automatically driven by visual information.

26 Jan 2005

Stem cells given in minimally invasive procedure improve heart function

Patients with severe congestive heart failure who had exhausted all other treatment options showed markedly improved heart function following a procedure in which their own stem cells were deployed directly into the heart by way of four tiny incisions in the chest, according to results of a trial presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Thoracic Surgery.

26 Jan 2005

Increasing trend in society to be more open about the use of sperm donors

Two studies to be published tomorrow (Thursday 27 January) in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction provide a generally optimistic picture about attitudes towards the increasing trend in society to be more open about the use of sperm donors.

26 Jan 2005

Local environment directly influences adult stem cell reservoirs

Using the common fruit fly, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that an intricate set of signals released by stem cells' surroundings governs their maintenance.

26 Jan 2005

Researchers have uncovered evidence of sexual reproduction in a single-celled organism long thought to reproduce asexually

The finding by John M. Logsdon, Jr., assistant professor in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Biological Sciences and the Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, and colleagues from the UI and Roanoke College (Virginia), provides the first clear evidence that meiosis arose very early in eukaryotic evolution, bringing science one step closer to understanding the mystery of sexual evolution.

26 Jan 2005

Exposure to infant siblings decreases multiple sclerosis risk

Adults who report having had higher exposure to infant siblings during their first 6 years of life have a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in the January 26 issue of JAMA.

26 Jan 2005

Minorities who experience pain don’t receive the same care as Caucasians

The first issue of Pain Medicine in 2005 will focus on the inequalities and differences in how pain is assessed and treated amongst various racial and ethnic minority groups. Data from the articles in this themed edition provide evidence that African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians and other racial and ethnic minorities do not receive optimal care in treatment for pain.

26 Jan 2005

Research may provide the basis for development of a new, extensive immunotherapy for human tumors

Scientists have made significant progress towards understanding how the immune system can be more specifically and efficiently targeted against cancer cells. The research, published in the January issue of Immunity, may provide the basis for development of a new, extensive immunotherapy for human tumors.

26 Jan 2005

Brain regions decide where we look

Scientists have found the brain regions that decide where we look, and where to direct our eyes when we’re faced with a difficult choice, such as looking someone straight in the eye or looking away.

25 Jan 2005

New highly active agents against leishmaniasis

Parasitic diseases, especially leishmaniases and trypanosomiases, kill hundreds of thousands of people every year in the world, mainly in the countries of the South. The most severe form of leishmaniosis (kala-azar, the visceral form), induced by Leishmania donovani and L. infantum, affects about 500 000 people per year and proves fatal if no treatment is given.

25 Jan 2005

New method of delivery of gene therapy may lead to safer treatment for cancer

The Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) announced that in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) they have performed preclinical proof-of- principle studies showing how nanotechnology can be used to enhance gene therapy for cancer.

25 Jan 2005

High cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and smoking may increase risk of dementia

High cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and smoking have long been considered -- and aggressively treated -- as risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

25 Jan 2005

Schering and Novartis agree on joint commercialization of novel cancer drug

Schering AG, Germany announced today that, following regulatory approvals, it will co-promote the novel oral angiogenesis inhibitor PTK787/ZK 222584 (PTK/ZK) for all oncology indications together with Novartis Pharma AG in Europe, North America and Japan. This agreement will enable both Schering and Novartis to maximize the compound's full potential.

25 Jan 2005

Basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts

Surprising new findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that the basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts, a finding that may explain the mixed success of surgery to repair valve dysfunction in these patients.

25 Jan 2005

Plant protein mimics hormone that mitigates diabetes and obesity

A common protein that protects plants from fungal infection mimics the activity of a hormone in mammals that is linked to weight loss and is believed to play a role in mitigating heart disease, obesity and diabetes, according to a team of researchers at Purdue University and several collaborating institutions.

25 Jan 2005

New technique can greatly facilitate the development of vaccines against infectious diseases such as smallpox, malaria and tuberculosis

Because the new technique can synthesize a large number of proteins very quickly, it has potential to accelerate vaccine development, particularly crucial in the fight against bioterrorism.

25 Jan 2005

By age six, children of overweight mothers are fifteen times more likely to be obese

By age six, children of overweight mothers are fifteen times more likely to be obese than children of lean mothers. The research, at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, showed the strength of genetic influences, and suggests that efforts to prevent obesity should focus on such children at risk, preferably by four years of age.

25 Jan 2005

Lack of the enzyme acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 turns fat cells into fat burners

Lack of the enzyme, acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 or ACC2, appears to turn the adipose or fat cells of mice into fat burners, explaining in part why the animals can eat more and weigh less than their normal counterparts, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers.

25 Jan 2005