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Long-term use of mechanical ventilation contributes to the deterioration of human diaphragm muscle

A new study by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine shows, for the first time in humans, that ventilators combined with diaphragm disuse contributes to muscle atrophy in the diaphragm in as little as eighteen hours.

28 Mar 2008

Environmental factors linked to development of autoimmune diseases

Scientists working at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research have shown that environmental factors can influence the development of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

28 Mar 2008

New horizons in the creation of synthetic enzymes

Mankind triumphed in a recent "competition" against nature when scientists succeeded in creating a new type of enzyme for a reaction for which no naturally occurring enzyme has evolved.

26 Mar 2008

Red wine antioxidant resveratrol kills cancer

Rochester researchers showed for the first time that a natural antioxidant found in grape skins and red wine can help destroy pancreatic cancer cells by reaching to the cell's core energy source, or mitochondria, and crippling its function.

26 Mar 2008

A biosensing nanodevice to revolutionize health screenings

One day soon a biosensing nanodevice developed by Arizona State University researcher Wayne Frasch may eliminate long lines at airport security checkpoints and revolutionize health screenings for diseases like anthrax, cancer and antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

26 Mar 2008

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease related to cardiovascular fitness

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have suboptimal levels of cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, body composition and physical fitness, according to a new study.

25 Mar 2008

How Staphylococcus aureus resists our natural defenses

Researchers at the University of Washington have uncovered how the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including the notorious MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) "superbug" strains, resists our body's natural defenses against infection.

25 Mar 2008

Experimental drug SGX393 offers new approach to help control drug resistance in leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have found that an experimental drug known as SGX393 is effective against Gleevec-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

25 Mar 2008

Birth of an enzyme

Mankind triumphed in a recent 'competition' against nature when scientists succeeded in creating a new type of enzyme for a reaction for which no naturally occurring enzyme has evolved.

25 Mar 2008

The body's fight with cervical cancer

The virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer has a serious weakness which may provide hope for new treatments for the disease.

24 Mar 2008

Stanford researchers unmask proteins in telomerase

One of the more intriguing workhorses of the cell, a protein conglomerate called telomerase, has in its short history been implicated in some critical areas of medicine including cancer, aging and keeping stem cells healthy.

24 Mar 2008

Novel approach may lead to safer delivery of genetic therapies

A novel strategy for circumventing safety problems that have plagued gene therapy has been offered by a complex multicenter group of researchers, including Professor Claudio Napoli, a Full Professor at the II University of Naples and Adjunct Professor at the Sbarro Research Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and the Center of Biotechnology at the College of Science and Technology of Temple University.

24 Mar 2008

New insight into radiation damage to DNA

A new technique for assessing the damage radiation causes to DNA indicates that the spatial arrangement of damaged sites, or lesions, is more important than the number of lesions in determining the severity of the damage.

24 Mar 2008

Toxic organophosphates appear to contribute to motor neuron disease

Motor neuron disease is a rare, devastating illness in which nerve cells that carry brain signals to muscles gradually deteriorate.

24 Mar 2008

New understanding of Norwalk virus

Using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, an international team led by University of Calgary researcher Ken Ng has determined the detailed structure of the enzyme the Norwalk virus uses to make copies of its genetic code in order to replicate itself.

20 Mar 2008