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Insulin - possible vaccine against type 1 diabetes

It has taken scientists at the University of Miami's Diabetes Research Institute eight long years of painstaking research, but they believe they have finally pinned down Insulin, the hormone most closely linked to diabetes, to be the cause of the inherited form of the blood sugar disease.

11 May 2005

New predictor for blood transplant success

The success of blood stem cell transplants used to treat diseases such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and aplastic anemia may soon become more predictable, thanks to a discovery made by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

11 May 2005

National stroke study sets new practice standard for Canada

A Canada-wide clinical research study of more than 1000 stroke patients has put to rest a long-standing controversy about the use of thrombolysis for stroke. The two-year study, Canadian Alteplase for Stroke Effectiveness Study (CASES), recommends the widespread use of clot-busting drugs for acute stroke.

11 May 2005

Virus that targets and kills glioblastoma

Yale School of Medicine scientists have identified a virus that targets and kills glioblastoma, a deadly type of human brain tumor resistant to current medical or surgical treatment, according to a study published as the cover article in the Journal of Virology.

11 May 2005

Common antibiotic called minocycline may slow or prevent diabetic retinopathy

The team found that minocycline, often used to treat acne, limits by about 50 percent the retinal damage caused by microglia. Microglia are cells that act as the "cleanup crew" for the Central Nervous System (CNS).

11 May 2005

Discovery may pave way for immunotherapies for prostate cancer

Using a common chemotherapy agent, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine found a way to move an important biomarker expressed in prostate cancer, shaking it loose from one location in a cell – where it could not be accessed by blood – to another, easier to target area.

11 May 2005

Coping with pain quite a struggle for half of the U.S.A.

At least 50 precent of the U.S. population are struggling to cope either with the aggravation of intermittent pain or with the misery of chronic pain which is difficult to treat. This results in less work, crankier moods and fewer activities, combined with a wide-ranging search for pain relief.

11 May 2005

Healthy dose of fat is needed for a healthy metabolism

Just when we had all been convinced by information from just about every quarter, that fat was the bad guy of the diet kingdom, new research has found that a healthy dose of fat is needed for a healthy metabolism.

11 May 2005

Magnetic stimulation treatment for depression

Barbara Baas ran away from home and tried to kill herself as a teenager. As an adult, she has tried more than 15 varieties of antidepressants. But, thanks to a new weapon, she has finally reached a truce in a 45-year battle.

10 May 2005

Canada may ban bulk exports of drugs to the United States

In a move to forestall a potential drug shortage in Canada, Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, is contemplating imposing a ban on bulk exports of drugs to the United States.

10 May 2005

Adolescents who don't get enough sleep might be jeopardizing their athletic performance,

"Young people live in nearly a constant state of chronic insufficient sleep," says Carskadon, "and adolescents who don't get enough sleep on a regular basis are extremely impaired in the morning."

10 May 2005

Earlier treatment of perinatal HIV associated with decreased HIV progression

In a study in the May 11 JAMA, earlier treatment of children with HIV infection with ART is associated with less HIV progression and improved survival rates.

10 May 2005

Broken bones may reduce risk of ovarian cancer

The pain and suffering of a broken bone may yield an unexpected benefit – a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.

10 May 2005

Asymptomatic HIV-infected newborns may benefit from early drug treatment

Identifying and treating HIV-infected newborns is a race against the clock, according to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

10 May 2005

It's OK again to drink milk!

In yet more advice on what and what not to eat, now it seems that milk after all is OK for us as long as it's low-fat.

10 May 2005

Laboratory model of immune system overcomes ethical constraints on studies of hematopoietic stem cells in humans

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have joined with colleagues at several other institutions to develop a laboratory model of the human immune system. This model will allow scientists to study ways for improving the results of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation without putting patients at risk.

10 May 2005

Combining behavior modification therapy with medication is the most effective way to improve the behavior of many ADHD children

In fact, when the two are combined, the study showed, the amount of medication required to achieve the same results as use of medication alone can be reduced by two-thirds.

10 May 2005

Fragile US vaccine system needs improvement

A comprehensive system of vaccine development in the U.S. resulted in a reduction of 87 to more than 99 percent in illness from ten vaccine-preventable diseases during the twentieth century. These dramatic successes should not be taken for granted, however, as the vaccine system now faces numerous challenges in manufacturing and development, according to a review article in the May/June issue of Health Affairs.

10 May 2005

Americans willing to pay more for greater vaccine coverage

How much is it worth to you and your family to have a health insurance plan that covers the latest innovations in adult and childhood vaccines for certain types of cancer or even influenza and pneumonia?

10 May 2005

Researchers test vaccine to prevent dangerous Staphylococcal infections

Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious diseases researchers are launching a trial for a new vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus. The vaccine, if proven effective, could help curb the growing threat of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an emerging organism rapidly spreading through close personal contact.

10 May 2005