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FDA has accepts new drug application for Exubera (inhaled human insulin powder)

Dr. John Patton, co-founder and chief scientific officer for Nektar reported that Pfizer and The Sanofi-Aventis Group have announced that the FDA has accepted for filing a new drug application for Exubera (inhaled human insulin powder).

3 Mar 2005

Freezing tumors is an effective way to treat a cancer patient's pain

The study, which appears in the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, found that cryoablation relieved the pain of four patients who had very advanced disease.

3 Mar 2005

Visual cortex contains neurons that are sensitive to viewing angle

Mistakes made by human subjects in identifying the facing direction of faces, cars or meaningless objects have yielded evidence that the brain contains nerve cells, or neurons, whose job is to encode the viewing angle of objects. It is well known that certain neurons respond to color, motion, edges and other aspects of our environment.

3 Mar 2005

Abnormal brain structure tied to spatial, numerical thinking problems when children lack part of chromosome

Certain genetic diseases affect children's educational abilities in a distinctive pattern: impairing their numerical abilities more than their verbal skills. New research sheds light on this split in abilities by investigating how differences in brain structures may influence how the mind works.

3 Mar 2005

Important player in the development of colon cancer

Cancer growth is a long, complex, multi-stage process involving a variety of different "players." This complexity is part of the difficulty facing cancer researchers. Meanwhile, each discovery or identification of a new "player," or previously unknown stage in the process, offers new opportunities for blocking the disease.

3 Mar 2005

Possible treatment for Fragile X syndrome

The first evidence for a possible treatment for Fragile X syndrome, one of the leading inherited causes of mental retardation, has emerged from experiments with a mutant fruit fly that exhibits characteristics of the disorder.

2 Mar 2005

How and why people become addicted to alcohol

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified several genetic changes in the brains of mice caused by ethanol, which may help researchers better understand how and why people become addicted to alcohol.

2 Mar 2005

CPAP therapy helps control glucose levels among patients with Type II diabetes and sleep apnea

Patients with Type II diabetes who also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea can lower their glucose levels by receiving the most common sleep apnea therapy, a new study has found.

1 Mar 2005

Research into how prions act in the brain could hold the key to defeating diseases

Scientists at the University of Southampton are continuing their pioneering research into diseases such as Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) and related conditions caused by tiny particles known as prions, thanks to a £300,000 grant from the Medical Research Council.

1 Mar 2005

Nose cells provide a window into the brain

In the first study to examine living nerve cells from patients with psychiatric disease, scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, the University of Pennsylvania, and collaborating institutions report altered nerve cell function in olfactory receptor neurons from patients with bipolar disorder.

1 Mar 2005

First study to show cost-effectiveness of pre-diabetes intervention

More than 40 million Americans face a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and it would cost a lot to give all of them intensive help with diet and exercise, or medication, to keep them from developing diabetes.

28 Feb 2005

Surgical treatment of hip or knee arthritis does not reduce obesity

A number of arthritis sufferers attribute their weight gain to inactivity due to a painful hip or knee. These patients may be disheartened when their post-operative weight either remains the same or increases.

27 Feb 2005

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears in their shoulders than their tobacco-free counterparts, according to study results presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

27 Feb 2005

Why women are more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries

New research presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons includes important findings on the causes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes, such as posture and body movement. These findings may be key in the effort to find ways to prevent these types of injuries.

27 Feb 2005

Balance between potassium and sodium is very important for proper body function

Important, interrelated factors leading to hypertension include obesity, stress, and the genetic vulnerability of American consumers, in addition to their sodium intake. The balance between potassium and sodium is very important for proper body function, and more attention should be given to ways for improving potassium intake.

27 Feb 2005

Early Alzheimer's disease may be precipitated by a neuron traffic jam

Early Alzheimer's disease may be precipitated by a “traffic jam” within neurons that causes swelling and prevents proper transport of proteins and structures in the cells, according to new studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers.

27 Feb 2005

Second-generation Antidepressants

A recent article in the prestigious British Medical Journal seems to confirm an increased risk for suicidal behavior among adults taking popular antidepressants. This follows evidence that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have a similar effect among children and adolescents.

27 Feb 2005

Cellular porthole has a major role in helping the brain sense odors

A cellular "porthole" known best for its role in the digestive system apparently has a major role in helping the brain sense odors, Johns Hopkins scientists report in the Feb. 17 issue of Neuron. The porthole, which lets chloride into cells, is also critical in digestion, hearing, balance, and fertility.

27 Feb 2005

Scientists have regenerated a damaged optic nerve

This achievement, which occurred in laboratory mice and is described in the March 1, 2005 issue of the Journal of Cell Science, holds great promise for victims of diseases that destroy the optic nerve, and for sufferers of central nervous system injuries.

24 Feb 2005

Exercise therapy can improve muscle strength in people with multiple sclerosis

Exercise therapy also improved the mood of MS patients in exercise therapy programs, compared to patients who did not participate in the therapy. The researchers did not find any evidence that exercise therapy affected patients’ fatigue or their sense of how ill they were.

22 Feb 2005