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Study finds AKT blocks cancer cell motility

PIn investigating the molecular mechanisms of cancer cell motility - the unique property that enables cancer to spread from its primary origin to other parts of the body - researchers have uncovered a surprising role for the AKT/PKB (protein kinase B) enzyme

26 Nov 2005

Cellular clues to vitamin A resistance in lung cancer

Vitamin A deficiency has been associated with the development of lung cancer in laboratory studies. However, clinical trials of natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, called retinoids, for the prevention of lung cancer have been largely unsuccessful in the general population.

26 Nov 2005

Breastfeeding mums at less risk of diabetes

New research shows that women who breastfeed longer have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

24 Nov 2005

Newly identified protein may help improve treatment for lung cancer

Researchers hope that a newly identified protein can one day help improve treatment for lung cancer. The findings are reported by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2005

Warning labels on high-risk drugs ignored by doctors

In a survey of approximately 930,000 ambulatory care patients, researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care) and colleagues found that 42 percent received prescriptions for drugs with Black Box Warnings (BBW), the Food and Drug Administration's strongest label for high-risk medication.

21 Nov 2005

Trichostatin A may fight lupus and atherosclerosis simultaneously

People with lupus are prone to premature accelerated atherosclerosis. Now scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine think they have a way to prevent or decrease this atherosclerosis and prevent heart attacks.

16 Nov 2005

Early changes in the oxygenation of the skin may help predict foot disease in diabetes patients

Foot ulcerations are one of the most serious complications of diabetes, resulting in more than 80,000 lower-leg amputations each year in the U.S. alone.

14 Nov 2005

Meditation may slow down brain aging

The regular practice of meditation appears to produce structural changes in areas of the brain associated with attention and sensory processing.

14 Nov 2005

Antibiotics overprescribed for sore throat

Physicians prescribe antibiotics for more than half of children with sore throat, exceeding the expected prevalence of strep throat, and used nonrecommended antibiotics for 27 percent of children who received an antibiotic prescription, according to a study in the November 9 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Nov 2005

Early to bed helps learning ability at school

When children stay up late, they have more academic and attention problems at school, according to a new study from Brown Medical School to be published in the December issue of the journal SLEEP.

13 Nov 2005

Urban Britain is a recipe for heart disease

Researchers at The University of Manchester’s Medical School, working with teams in India and Birmingham, have found that people moving from South Asia to the UK significantly increase their risk of contracting cardiovascular disease (CVD).

From The University of Manchester 9 Nov 2005

Aspirin and ibuprofen may significantly reduce the risk of esophageal cancer among people with Barrett's esophagus

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, may significantly reduce the risk of esophageal cancer among people with Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition associated with chronic heartburn that affects an estimated 1 million to 2 million Americans.

8 Nov 2005

Those most at risk of Alzheimer's would allow loved ones enroll them in research

According to a new survey most people at high risk of Alzheimer's disease would be willing to have their loved ones enroll them in research studies when they could no longer give consent themselves.

8 Nov 2005

Chlamydia pneumoniae may cause vision problems

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) have found that Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium linked to heart disease and capable of causing chronic inflammation, was present in the diseased eye tissue of five out of nine people with neovascular, or "wet," age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

7 Nov 2005

Should Alzheimer's sufferers take part in research?

Grandma has Alzheimer's disease - should you sign her up for a new research study, even if she doesn't really understand what it entails?

7 Nov 2005

Cholesterol lowering drugs do not appear to decrease the risk of melanoma

No clear evidence exists that some widely-prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs can decrease the risk of melanoma, a deadly and malignant skin cancer, according to a new review of recent studies.

7 Nov 2005

Exposure to movie smoking accounts for smoking initiation among over one-third of U.S. adolescents

The first national study to look at the connection between smoking in movies and smoking initiation among adolescents shows that exposure to smoking in popular films is a primary risk factor in determining whether young people will start smoking.

7 Nov 2005

Genetic profile of ovarian cancer

A newly identified gene expression profile could help predict how patients with advanced ovarian cancer will respond to chemotherapy treatment.

7 Nov 2005

New discovery helps explain complex neurocircuitry behind body weight control

A study led by a scientific team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provides another important step in our understanding of the critical role that the brain's molecular pathways play in the development of obesity and related disorders.

7 Nov 2005

First study to investigate regional low birth weight rates on a national scale

Low birth weight, an important risk factor of infant mortality and childhood developmental disorders, varies more than 3-fold in regions across the U.S., according to national research conducted at Dartmouth Medical School. The study offers promise for health care experts in an area of prenatal health where progress has been elusive.

7 Nov 2005