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New understanding of exaggerated mucous production and secretion in cystic fibrosis

A London, Canada scientist studying cystic fibrosis (CF) has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice.

29 Jul 2008

Estrogen treatments may sharpen mental performance in some women

Estrogen treatments may sharpen mental performance in women with certain medical conditions, but University of Florida researchers suggest that recharging a naturally occurring estrogen receptor in the brain may also clear cognitive cobwebs.

29 Jul 2008

Sleep gene - search is on!

While scientists and physicians know what happens if you don't get six to eight hours of shut-eye a night, investigators have long been puzzled about what controls the actual need for sleep.

29 Jul 2008

Obesity predisposition linked to brain's reward system

The tendency toward obesity is directly related to the brain system that is involved in food reward and addictive behaviors, according to a new study. Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and colleagues have demonstrated a link between a predisposition to obesity and defective dopamine signaling in the mesolimbic system in rats.

29 Jul 2008

Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped drug delivery particles

Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped particles - called nanobialys because they resemble tiny versions of the flat, onion-topped rolls popular in New York City - could soon be carrying medicinal compounds through patients' bloodstreams to tumors or atherosclerotic plaques.

29 Jul 2008

Markers in blood and spinal fluid, and a new imaging agent, show promise for early detection of Alzheimer's

With the continued aging of the population and the growing epidemic of Alzheimer's, early detection of the disease is crucial for risk assessment, testing new therapies, and eventual early intervention with better drugs, once they are developed. Four studies reported today at the Alzheimer's Association's 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2008) in Chicago bring us closer to that goal of early detection by describing advances in biomarkers.

29 Jul 2008

Frankincense reduces the symptoms of osteoarthritis

An enriched extract of the 'Indian Frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days.

29 Jul 2008

New biomarker for early cancer detection? Research reveals that 'microRNA' may fit the bill

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have discovered that microRNAs - molecular workhorses that regulate gene expression - are released by cancer cells and circulate in the blood, which gives them the potential to become a new class of biomarkers to detect cancer at its earliest stages. Muneesh Tewari, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues describe their findings in the July 28 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

29 Jul 2008

New therapy freezes out esophagus cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.

29 Jul 2008

Olympic doping - scientists race to stay ahead of the drug-taking and genetic manipulation

The race to ensure that scientists stop drug-taking athletes from damaging sport by using performance enhancing drugs or undergoing genetic manipulation is a constant challenge, according to a major four-decade review by three of the World's leading experts on doping in sport.

29 Jul 2008

FDA poorly equipped to enforce off-label prescription drug marketing rules, GAO report finds

FDA takes an average of seven months to issue warnings to pharmaceutical companies that market medications for off-label uses, and those companies take an average of four months to address the violations, according to a draft report compiled by the Government Accountability Office, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

29 Jul 2008

HAART increases HIV-positive people's life expectancy by average of 13 years

HIV-positive people in wealthy countries using highly active antiretroviral therapy now live an additional 13 years on average, but a large disparity in life expectancy remains between HIV-positive people on HAART and the general population, according to a study published Friday in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports.

29 Jul 2008

How mixing medications can be fatal

A large-scale study of home medication consumption has highlighted the danger of mixing drugs.

29 Jul 2008

Obese and overweight women need more exercise to sustain weight loss

The latest advice to overweight and obese women is that they need to exercise 55 minutes a day for five days per week, as well as limiting their calorie intake.

29 Jul 2008

Good news for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Research presented at an international conference on Alzheimer's disease in Chicago offers hope for the treatment of the devastating disease.

29 Jul 2008

Most adults in U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030

Most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Their results are published in the July 2008 online issue of Obesity.

28 Jul 2008