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Study identifies mode of death of cone photoreceptor cells in animal model of RP

Research conducted at the Angiogenesis Laboratory at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, has for the first time, identified the mode of death of cone photoreceptor cells in an animal model of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

21 Aug 2012

Muscle synergies activated in altered ways after stroke

The simple act of picking up a pencil requires the coordination of dozens of muscles: The eyes and head must turn toward the object as the hand reaches forward and the fingers grasp it. To make this job more manageable, the brain's motor cortex has implemented a system of shortcuts. Instead of controlling each muscle independently, the cortex is believed to activate muscles in groups, known as "muscle synergies." These synergies can be combined in different ways to achieve a wide range of movements.

21 Aug 2012

Daily vitamin D intake protects against respiratory infections in children

A study conducted in Mongolian schoolchildren supports the possibility that daily vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of respiratory infections in winter. In a report that will appear in the journal Pediatrics and has received early online release, an international research team found that vitamin D supplementation decreased the risk of respiratory infections among children who had low blood levels of vitamin D at the start of the study.

21 Aug 2012

'Not enough exercise' cited as top children's health concern

Adults across the U.S. rate not getting enough exercise as the top health concern for children in 2012, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

20 Aug 2012

Safety net hospitals prepare for changes from health law; Patients hesitant to challenge doctors

Safety-net hospitals – which often provide care to low-income and uninsured populations – are facing reduced federal and state support for uncompensated care under the Affordable Care Act. However, this study points out that 23 million people will remain uninsured and continue to need care from the hospitals.

18 Aug 2012

State news: Tenn. abortion clinic closes; Tex. wrestles with funding for Women's Health Program; Mich. lawmakers pass bill to cut state share of teachers' health care

A Knoxville abortion provider has closed after 38 years, citing a newly enacted Tennessee law that requires doctors to hold admitting privileges at local hospitals. The Volunteer Women's Medical Clinic in Knoxville closed Friday. In a public letter titled "End of an Era," Executive Director Deb Walsh wrote that she was unable to keep their doors open in part due to the "Life Defense Act," which requires physicians to obtain admitting privileges at area hospitals.

18 Aug 2012

HRT linked to ulcerative colitis in postmenopausal women

Taking postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy increases the risk for ulcerative colitis, but not Crohn’s disease, a study shows.

17 Aug 2012

New DNA sequencing tests improve ability to analyze genetic disorders

Scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School (UMDNJ-NJMS) have developed new DNA sequencing tests that hold significant promise for decreasing costs associated with diagnosing cancer and hereditary diseases, including cysticfibrosis.

17 Aug 2012

U-M, IGC launch new joint venture for personalized medicine

As a key step toward providing patients with treatments based on their own DNA profiles, the University of Michigan and the International Genomics Consortium (IGC) have launched a new joint venture that will help usher in an age of personalized medicine.

17 Aug 2012

Researchers use small molecule compound to generate reversible birth control in male mice

The development of a male contraceptive pill has long proven to be elusive, but findings from a new study may point scientists in the right direction to making oral birth control for men a reality.

17 Aug 2012

'Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs' likely to be cost effective for both NHS and wider society

Specialised group yoga classes could provide a cost-effective way of treating patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain, according to the UK's largest ever study of the benefits of yoga.

17 Aug 2012

Study reveals why human brain is large and more complex than that of other animals

Researchers have found what they believe is the key to understanding why the human brain is larger and more complex than that of other animals.

17 Aug 2012

Rhomboid enzymes and malaria treatment: an interview with Sinisa Urban

Rhomboid enzymes live in the cell’s membrane where their job is to cut the anchors of proteins, which releases the target proteins from the membrane.

16 Aug 2012

Study tracks effects of heavy PAE on growth and body composition throughout childhood

Although studies of alcohol's effects on fetal growth have consistently demonstrated deficits that persist through infancy, the data on long-term postnatal growth from human studies have been inconsistent. A new study of the effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on growth and body composition throughout childhood has found growth restrictions that persist through to nine years of age, as well as a delay in weight gain during infancy, both of which were exacerbated by iron deficiency.

16 Aug 2012

Passenger deletions that deactivate essential genes provide new opportunity to strike cancer

Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes, but now scientists report in the journal Nature that the collateral damage they inflict on neighboring genes exposes cancer cells to vulnerabilities and new avenues for attack.

16 Aug 2012

Special device provides evidence of how bloodstream infections begin

New research may help explain why hundreds of thousands of Americans a year get sick - and tens of thousands die - after bacteria get into their blood. It also suggests why some of those bloodstream infections resist treatment with even the most powerful antibiotics.

16 Aug 2012

RNA-delivering nanoparticles allow rapid screening of new drug targets in mice

By sequencing cancer-cell genomes, scientists have discovered vast numbers of genes that are mutated, deleted or copied in cancer cells. This treasure trove is a boon for researchers seeking new drug targets, but it is nearly impossible to test them all in a timely fashion.

16 Aug 2012

Medical School News and Research

Study identifies mode of death of cone photoreceptor cells in animal model of RP

Muscle synergies activated in altered ways after stroke

Daily vitamin D intake protects against respiratory infections in children

'Not enough exercise' cited as top children's health concern

Safety net hospitals prepare for changes from health law; Patients hesitant to challenge doctors

State news: Tenn. abortion clinic closes; Tex. wrestles with funding for Women's Health Program; Mich. lawmakers pass bill to cut state share of teachers' health care

HRT linked to ulcerative colitis in postmenopausal women

New DNA sequencing tests improve ability to analyze genetic disorders

U-M, IGC launch new joint venture for personalized medicine

Researchers use small molecule compound to generate reversible birth control in male mice

'Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs' likely to be cost effective for both NHS and wider society

Study reveals why human brain is large and more complex than that of other animals

Rhomboid enzymes and malaria treatment: an interview with Sinisa Urban

Study tracks effects of heavy PAE on growth and body composition throughout childhood

Passenger deletions that deactivate essential genes provide new opportunity to strike cancer

Special device provides evidence of how bloodstream infections begin

RNA-delivering nanoparticles allow rapid screening of new drug targets in mice

Scientists reveal how TREX proteins act as passport for transfer of cell blueprints

Reassuring findings for migraine patients

Palliative care on Scottish surgical wards needs improving

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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