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French defend drug after patients develop liver problems

Health authorities in the U.S. are recommending that doctors keep a close eye on patients taking Ketek for signs of liver problems and to stop treatment if symptoms develop.

24 Jan 2006

Norwegian doctor bigger cheat than first thought

The Norwegian doctor who has already admitted faking data for an article about oral cancer has now come clean about two other fake pieces of research.

24 Jan 2006

Impotence may provide a warning sign of coronary heart disease

Erectile dysfunction may provide a warning sign of significant coronary heart disease researchers from the University of Chicago report in the January 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 Jan 2006

$Warfarin increases risk of bone fracture$

Warfarin increases risk of bone fracture

Elderly patients taking the commonly prescribed blood thinner warfarin experience an increased risk for osteoporosis-linked bone fractures, according to a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

23 Jan 2006

Rush University Medical Center to use new stent specifically designed for use in the brain to reduce the threat of stroke

Rush University Medical Center is the first site in Illinois to use the first stent specifically designed for use in the brain. While it has been possible to attempt to open narrowed brain vessels using existing stents made of stainless steel and intended for use in the heart, the new Wingspan brain stent is designed to be gentler on the more fragile brain vessels.

23 Jan 2006

Discovery of gene that causes Meckel-Gruber syndrome

The discovery of a gene that causes a rare, inherited and always fatal disorder, Meckel-Gruber (MKS) syndrome, may provide researchers with the common thread to unravel the mysteries of other birth defects.

23 Jan 2006

Symposium on celiac disease

A scientific symposium on celiac disease, "Genetic and Immune Mechanisms in Celiac Disease," will be held at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine on Friday, February 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The symposium, hosted by UCSD’s newly established William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease, will be held at the university’s Center for Molecular Genetics conference room.

23 Jan 2006

Bidirectional behavioral plasticity of memory reconsolidation depends on amygdalar protein kinase A

When activated, a specific protein in the brain enhances long-term storage of fearful memories and strengthens previously established fearful memories, Yale School of Medicine researchers report this week in Nature Neuroscience.

23 Jan 2006

Duration of anesthesia not related to complications in plastic surgery

The length of time patients spend under anesthesia during facial plastic surgery procedures does not appear to be linked to their risk of complications or death, Yale School of Medicine researchers report this month in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

23 Jan 2006

Human body has a unique immune system response to foreign DNA

The human body has a unique immune system response to foreign DNA, suggesting that DNA viruses and RNA viruses are detected by different mechanisms, Yale School of Medicine researchers report this week in Immunity.

23 Jan 2006

Slower reaction times and poorer memory associated with greater risk of dying in young and old people

The finding in younger subjects is especially surprising, given that prior research linking higher mortality with poorer cognitive function in the elderly was attributed to degeneration of the brain due to aging.

23 Jan 2006

Experts counter study's claim - men should continue prostate exams

A man has a one in six chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Each year, more than 230,000 men are diagnosed with the disease. Doctors have traditionally recommended two tests for the early detection of prostate cancer; the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal exam (DRE) are used to detect abnormalities with the prostate gland.

23 Jan 2006

Children with autism found to have specific memory problems that may underlie aspects of disorder

If children with autism can't see the forest for the trees, that may be partly because the burden of processing all those trees at once makes it harder to lock in the scene.

23 Jan 2006

Early prediction of endocrine therapy effect in advanced breast cancer patients using nuclear medicine imaging

Innovative use of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS), a nuclear medicine imaging technique looking at how the body functions at the molecular level, may provide near immediate selection of breast cancer patients for endocrine therapy and offers a new tool in fighting the disease

23 Jan 2006

Gene therapy to turn off Parkinson's

A group of Northwestern University researchers is developing a novel gene therapy aimed at selectively turning off one of the genes involved in the development of Parkinson's disease.

23 Jan 2006

First-of-its-kind study in heart attack patients seeks to prevent heart failure with stem cells

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have announced the launch of a study that will examine whether transplanted stem cells can be safely used to treat damaged heart muscle in patients just after their first heart attack.

23 Jan 2006

Compounds isolated from licorice root may help prevent cavities

In test tube studies, the scientists showed that an extract from a plant root that is used to make licorice candy and other products contains at least two compounds that appear to be potent inhibitors of Streptococcus mutans, a major cause of dental caries.

23 Jan 2006