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Celebrex appears to prevent colon cancer

Researchers say they have found that high doses of the arthritis drug Celebrex reduced the number of pre-cancerous growths in the colon.

4 Apr 2006

Bird flu pandemic supercomputer simulation model

Using supercomputers to respond to a potential national health emergency, scientists have developed a simulation model that makes stark predictions about the possible future course of an avian influenza pandemic, given today's environment of worldwide connectivity.

4 Apr 2006

Prostate drug doxazosin blocks receptor in heart muscle, increasing risk of heart failure

Doxazosin, a drug commonly prescribed to help improve urinary flow in men with enlarged prostates, increases the likelihood of heart failure by blocking specific receptors in heart muscle cells, according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

4 Apr 2006

Fish oil significantly reduces production of various prostaglandins that accentuate inflammation and thrombosis

Omega 3 fatty acids in dietary fish oil are reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic and anti-arrhythmic effects in humans, but the biochemical basis for these beneficial health effects is not well understood.

4 Apr 2006

Scientists discover structure of malaria defense process

Scientists from two universities in Italy and Virginia Tech in the United States have determined the structure of a protein that is responsible for the production xanthurenic acid (XA) in Anopheles gambiae, the malaria carrying mosquitoes.

4 Apr 2006

New mechanism that initiates metastasis

Researchers have known for years that the enzyme MMP-9 plays a key role in the spread of colorectal cancer. Now, scientists at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have found out how the enzyme helps initiate the process, known as metastasis.

4 Apr 2006

High levels of HDL cholesterol more important than low levels of LDL in protecting against heart attack

The researchers looked at the history of heart disease, age, sex, race, weight and other heart disease risk factors in almost 7,000 patients. The patients were predominately inner city residents and included a large number of African Americans, women, smokers and overweight people.

4 Apr 2006

Cancer virus protein p13 needed for successful infection and reproduction

New research shows that a protein made by a cancer-causing virus that was thought to be unimportant for its replication is in fact critically needed by the virus to initiate an infection and to reproduce.

4 Apr 2006

Regular use of COX-2 inhibitors may reduce the risk of breast cancer

Results from a new, five-year study show that regular use of popular prescription pain relievers may reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 71 percent and may offer similar benefit in the prevention of prostate, colon and lung cancers.

4 Apr 2006

Breakthrough in search for new anti-malarial drugs

Scientists at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia have made a significant discovery in the fight against malaria. Drexel researchers, along with a research group at the University of Washington, have determined a critical molecular structure of the cellular motor that allows the malaria parasite to invade human cells.

4 Apr 2006

Majority of young people with ADHD use their medications appropriately

A major concern regarding the use of stimulant medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults has been the risk that they will be misused or diverted to those for whom they have not been prescribed.

4 Apr 2006

Skin cancer facts

Up to two-thirds of all cancers may be prevented through dietary and lifestyle changes. In the case of skin cancer, this could not be more true.

4 Apr 2006

Enzymes that harm brain immediately after stroke may be beneficial days later

Insights from the study could change the way stroke is treated, extending the window for effective treatment from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. The results may suggest new ideas for drug development.

4 Apr 2006

Targeting the inflamed synovium: The quest for specificity

In the April 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, noted rheumatology specialists with Kings College London, Dr. Toby Garrood and Dr. Costantino Pitzalis offer an overview of recent breakthroughs and a preview of future directions in this critical quest for specificity.

4 Apr 2006

Targeting of angiogenic endothelial cells at sites of inflammation by Dexamethasone Phosphate-containing RGD peptide liposomes inhibits experimental arthritis

Vascular endothelial cells (VECs) form the walls of blood vessels and play a critical role in inflammation.

4 Apr 2006

Life or death can depend on teenage cancer patients taking their treatments properly

Teenagers and young adults with cancer need to understand the implications of not taking their treatments regularly, at the right time, and for the whole course. Those who don't are seriously compromising their future health - and for some it will be the difference between life and death.

4 Apr 2006

Immune response protects against brain tumor development

In their quest to determine whether immune system surveillance guards against brain tumor development, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found that allergies and asthma that stimulate inflammation may be protective, but use of antihistamines to control the inflammation could eliminate that protection.

4 Apr 2006

Adolescents who spend a lot of time watching TV tend to be at higher risk for engaging in risky behaviors

New research out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finds that physically active adolescents are not only improving their health - they also are decreasing the chance that they will get into trouble.

4 Apr 2006

Mitochondria induce nuclear deformation

In a paper being presented in two American Physiological Society sessions at Experimental Biology 2006, a joint Estonian-French team demonstrated "for the first time that mitochondria are able to induce nuclear deformation, suggesting that mitochondria may mechanically regulate nuclear function."

4 Apr 2006

Enzyme released by cardiac mast cells during heart attack contributes to arrhythmia

In times of cardiac crisis, mast cells in the heart secrete a powerful enzyme, renin, that indirectly triggers dangerous arrhythmias, according to a team of researchers at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City.

4 Apr 2006