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Role of HPRT genes detected in Lesch Nyan X-linked inherited disorders

A study from the Center for Molecular Genetics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine shows that a gene called HPRT plays an important role in setting the program by which primitive or precursor cells decide to become normal nerve cells in the human brain. This unconventional view of metabolic genes known as "housekeeping" genes is now online at the journal Molecular Therapy.

21 Aug 2009

Study reveals that brain damage in amateur boxers can be detected by a blood test

A blood test can now be used to detect brain damage in amateur boxers. Deterioration of nerve cells seems to occur even after a two-month break from boxing. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

21 Aug 2009

New discovery on cellular fusion

Success in soccer sometimes comes with "bending it like Beckham." Success in cellular fusion - as occurs at the moment of conception and when nerve cells exchange neurotransmitters - requires that a membrane be bent before the merging process can begin, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have shown.

20 Aug 2009

Saskatchewan government makes insulin detemir more accessible to residents

The Canadian Diabetes Association applauds the Government of Saskatchewan for increasing access to insulin detemir for residents of Saskatchewan living with diabetes. Insulin detemir, also known as Levemir, has been added to the Saskatchewan Drug Formulary, under Exception Drug Status (EDS) effective July 1, 2009. As well, the updated formulary now includes NovoRapid-NOO, Apidra-AVT and Humalog-LIL within its Revised Exception Drug Status Criteria.

20 Aug 2009

Thyroid cancer patients treated successfully using a new robot-assisted endoscopic technique

Using a novel robot-assisted endoscopic technique, a team of surgeons at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, has successfully treated 200 consecutive patients with thyroid cancer. The minimally invasive operation, which has several technical and cosmetic benefits that the traditional open operation does not offer, is described in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

20 Aug 2009

New tool for scientists - light used to manipulate cell movement

One of the biggest challenges in scientists' quest to develop new and better treatments for cancer is gaining a better understanding of how and why cancer spreads. Recent breakthroughs have uncovered how different cellular proteins are turned 'on' or 'off' at the molecular level, but much remains to be understood about how protein signaling influences cell behavior.

19 Aug 2009

Researchers find connection between eye disease and arginase

Elevated levels of the enzyme arginase contribute to vascular eye damage and Medical College of Georgia researchers say therapies to normalize its levels could halt progression of potentially blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

19 Aug 2009

Brain's motor and perception regions disconnected in tone-deaf people

Nerve fibers that link perception and motor regions of the brain are disconnected in tone-deaf people, according to new research in the August 19 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population may be tone deaf - unable to sing in tune. The new finding identifies a particular brain circuit that appears to be absent in these individuals.

19 Aug 2009

Nonsurgical, quick and accurate test for diagnosing endometriosis discovered

A quick and accurate test for endometriosis that does not require surgery has been developed by researchers from Australia, Jordan and Belgium, according to new research published online today (Wednesday 19 August) in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction.

19 Aug 2009

American Asthma Foundation awards $750,000 to Dr.Charles Zuker

Dr. Charles Zuker, a renowned expert on the nerves that determine taste and smell, has been awarded $750,000 by the American Asthma Foundation (AAF). Dr. Zuker will apply his expertise to asthma by defining the nerves that contract the airways during an asthma attack in order to reduce the severity of these episodes.

19 Aug 2009

Discovery of the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian

Researchers in China have discovered the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian - a 60 amino acid neurotoxin found in the skin of a Chinese tree frog. This finding may help shed more light into both the evolution of amphibians and the evolution of poison.

17 Aug 2009

FDA approves Extavia for multiple sclerosis

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Extavia(R) (interferon beta-1b), the first in a new planned portfolio of multiple sclerosis (MS) medicines from Novartis to help patients manage this devastating disease.

17 Aug 2009

Smell and taste disorders can be treated

When flowers aren’t fragrant and spicy foods don’t zing, the senses may be impaired. But don’t assume that diminished senses of taste and smell are due to aging, says the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.

13 Aug 2009

Endocannabinoids found to spread and prolong pain

Imagine that you're working on your back porch, hammering in a nail. Suddenly you slip and hit your thumb instead - hard. The pain is incredibly intense, but it only lasts a moment. After a few seconds (and a few unprintable words) you're ready to start hammering again.

13 Aug 2009

Possible neurological complications of heart surgery detailed in new report

In the most comprehensive and up-to-date review of its kind, researchers list possible nervous system complications of bypass surgeries, aortic surgery, cardiac catheterizations, valve replacements, heart transplants and surgeries for congenital heart disease and heart tumors.

13 Aug 2009

Neurological complications of heart surgery detailed in research

Possible neurological complications of heart surgery, ranging from headaches to strokes, are detailed in a new report in the online journal MedLink Neurology.

13 Aug 2009

Giant pituitary adenoma can be safely removed through nasal route

It’s even worse than being told you have a brain tumor: having a tumor so large, it’s in a category all its own. Giant pituitary adenoma is a so-called “benign” tumor that can cause visual loss and impair many of the body’s most basic functions. But fortunately, even the largest of these giant tumors—which can grow to the size of an egg and invade nearby structures--can be treated effectively using a multimodality approach starting with minimally invasive surgery through the nose, according to a new study at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center.

12 Aug 2009

New understanding on basic cellular mechanisms responsible speech processing

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded for the first time in devising a model that describes and identifies a basic cellular mechanism that enables networks of neurons to efficiently decode speech in changing conditions.

12 Aug 2009

Research shows how long-lasting memories form in the brain

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine may reveal how long-lasting memories form in the brain.

12 Aug 2009

Oxygen treatment may speed memory loss associated with Alzheimer's

A 65-year-old women goes into the hospital for routine hip surgery. Six months later, she develops memory loss and is later diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Just a coincidence? Researchers at the University of South Florida and Vanderbilt University don't think so. They suspect that the culprit precipitating Alzheimer's disease in the elderly women may be a routine administration of high concentrations of oxygen for several hours during, or following, surgery - a hypothesis borne out in a recent animal model study.

12 Aug 2009