OCT News and Research

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Gene find sheds light on motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Scientists have identified a gene in mice that plays a central role in the proper development of one of the nerve cells that goes bad in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and some other diseases that affect our motor neurons.

22 Oct 2008

Artificial brain-muscle connections used to restore movement to paralyzed limbs

Researchers in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated for the first time that a direct artificial connection from the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose arms have been temporarily anesthetized. The results may have promising implications for the quarter of a million Americans affected by spinal cord injuries and thousands of others with paralyzing neurological diseases, although clinical applications are years away.

15 Oct 2008

Discovery of two novel gene locations that raise risk of type 1 diabetes

Genetics researchers have identified two novel gene locations that raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. As they continue to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle for this disease, the researchers expect to improve predictive tests and devise preventive strategies.

14 Oct 2008

More effective treatment found for convergence insufficiency, a childhood vision disorder

Scientists have found a more effective treatment for a common childhood eye muscle coordination problem called convergence insufficiency (CI). For words on a page to appear in focus a child's eyes must turn inward, or converge. In CI, the eyes do not converge easily, and as a result, additional muscular effort must be used to make the eyes turn in.

14 Oct 2008

Global Health Group to assist Namibia in developing strategic malaria control plan

A five-member team from the University of California-San Francisco's Global Health Group will help Namibia develop a strategic plan aimed at eradicating malaria in the country, the New Era reports. The team, which arrived in Namibia on Oct. 5, has conducted site visits in the country's malaria-endemic northern region and met with Prime Minister Nahas Angula on Wednesday to discuss malaria control efforts.

13 Oct 2008

Vulnerable plaque may be easier to detect through optical coherence tomography

Research results indicate that optical coherence tomography (OCT), a newly evolving imaging method, may be the best tool available to detect vulnerable plaque in coronary arteries. The findings will be presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).

12 Oct 2008

Male baldness gene in Caucasians discovered

Researchers at McGill University, King's College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. have identified two genetic variants in caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness. Their results will be published Oct. 12 in the journal Nature Genetics.

12 Oct 2008

New rapid test for rare leukemia

A new twist on a well-known cell sorting technique may allow physicians to diagnose rare leukemias in hours instead of weeks, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco.

6 Oct 2008

International implementation of breast health guidelines for developing countries published by Cancer

A special supplement of the Oct. 15 journal Cancer for the first time details guidelines for low- and middle-income countries to implement breast cancer programs to detect and treat the most common disease among women worldwide.

6 Oct 2008

Newsweek examines global malaria action plan

Newsweek in its Oct. 6 issue examines malaria eradication efforts and the Global Malaria Action Plan, which aims to eradicate malaria worldwide and was released last week during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (Carmichael/Cunningham, Newsweek, 10/6).

5 Oct 2008

Senate Finance Committee leaders raise concerns about problems in Medicare appeals office

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in a letter recently sent to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt raised concerns about alleged problems in the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, CQ HealthBeat reports.

5 Oct 2008

Will patients stick to physical therapy? Questionnaire can help doctors predict

Patients' responses to a simple questionnaire can reliably predict whether they will adhere to physical therapy after spine surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest in a new study. The findings could help physicians identify patients who might benefit from additional preoperative preparation to ensure they attend therapy sessions and follow through with prescribed exercise, a factor that can greatly affect their long-term recovery.

2 Oct 2008

Research shows how cornea uses stem cells to repair itself

A group of researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland has published a study appearing in the Oct 1 advance online edition of the Journal Nature that shows how the cornea uses stem cells to repair itself.

2 Oct 2008

Research continues to support arguments against alcoholic energy drinks

A Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher's study about the effects of alcoholic energy drinks (AED) is cited by the attorneys general from 25 states who have called on a leading manufacturer not to introduce a new beverage into the marketplace.

24 Sep 2008

U.S. conference on AIDS to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention among minorities

The 2008 U.S. Conference on AIDS, sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council, began on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and through Sunday will focus on ways to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in minority communities, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Lewis et al., South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 9/18).

22 Sep 2008

Indian High Court forms committee to address HIV/AIDS in prisons

The high court in Mumbai, India, on Thursday formed a committee to create guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of HIV in prisons in response to the increasing spread of the virus among inmates, the Daily News & Analysis reports.

16 Sep 2008

Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Biden discusses health care proposal of GOP Presidential Nominee McCain

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.) on Tuesday during a campaign event in Mehlville, Mo., said that Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as president would place employer-sponsored health insurance at risk, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

11 Sep 2008

Massachusetts' proposed rule could lead to Federal lawsuit, Partners HealthCare warns

Massachusetts' largest private employer Partners HealthCare on Friday warned that the state could face a federal lawsuit if it implements a proposed rule to increase some companies' contributions to their workers' health coverage, the Boston Globe reports.

10 Sep 2008

Suicide rate among young male veterans reaches record high in 2006

The suicide rate among young male veterans who served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reached a record high in 2006, the latest year for which records are available, according to data released on Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs, USA Today reports.