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Lag-3 gene dampens immune responses by controlling regulatory T-cell function

The discovery that the Lag-3 gene acts as a brake to prevent immune system responses from running out of control solves a mystery that has puzzled researchers since the gene was discovered 14 years ago.

22 Oct 2004

Mild pulses of electrical energy just as effective as more powerful and painful shocks to interrupt life-threatening rapid heartbeats

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a fast heartbeat originating in the heart’s ventricle chamber and can be life-threatening. VT is often treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device that delivers an electrical shock to restore an irregular heart rhythm.

22 Oct 2004

New Yorkers' use of mental health services rose only slightly after 9//11

New Yorkers' use of mental health services rose only slightly during the year after the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks compared with the year before the attacks, a recent study suggests. But the number of mental health visits among people already receiving treatment increased after the attacks.

22 Oct 2004

206 million patient visits will have been made to physician assistants (PAs) in 2004

Approximately 206 million patient visits will have been made to physician assistants (PAs) in 2004, according to the newly released report by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

21 Oct 2004

Groundbreaking new study that may help stroke patients regain greater use of their hands or arms

The trial showed that study participants – stroke survivors suffering impaired hand or arm movement – who underwent physical rehabilitation accompanied by motor cortex stimulation showed greater improvement than participants who received physical rehabilitation alone.

21 Oct 2004

Research findings will likely aid efforts to develop a vaccine for Leishmania major

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania have found an immune system cell can "remember" a parasite's attack and help the body mount a more effective defense against subsequent invasions by the same parasite.

21 Oct 2004

Discovery of the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome, a condition present before birth that affects an area of the brain controlling balance and coordination in about 1 in 10,000 individuals.

21 Oct 2004

Researchers trim count of human genes to 20,000-25,000

Scientific description of the finished human genome sequence, reducing the estimated number of human protein-coding genes from 35,000 to only 20,000-25,000, a surprisingly low number for our species.

21 Oct 2004

Gene variations explain why people with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk for coronary artery disease

New studies by an international team of scientists led by Joslin Diabetes Center have found variations in a gene that help explain why people with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk for coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death for this group.

21 Oct 2004

Sinusitis and bronchitis account for more than 30 million missed workdays each year

Sinusitis and bronchitis take a significant toll on a person's ability to participate in everyday life and have a sizable economic impact, accounting for more than 30 million missed workdays each year

21 Oct 2004

New medication to prevent colon cancer

A Stony Brook University researcher is testing a new form of aspirin--one that is much more potent than its commercially available counterpart, but with almost none of the side effects--to determine whether it can be used to prevent colon cancer in patients who are prone to the disease.

21 Oct 2004

The attitude towards MRSA in the United Kingdom is a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted

Nicholas Akerman's experience of working in Australia was that people are unable to work with patients without being screened and cleared. Yet, having worked in England in medicine for over 12 years, he has never once been screened. "Surely we should at least be adopting this policy to help combat the problem?" he asks.

21 Oct 2004

Black Sea coastal area of Turkey is prone to bouts of an unusual type of food poisoning from "mad" honey

The researchers detail 19 patients who all required emergency care in 2002 after eating local Turkish honey. The patients, whose ages ranged from 22 to 61, all had symptoms of nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, slowed heart rate and fainting. Four of them had also sustained head injuries after falling.

21 Oct 2004

New antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus in premature babies

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers are studying the effectiveness of introducing a new antibody in premature infants to manage the most common form of lower respiratory tract infections in children worldwide.

21 Oct 2004

Leading endocrinologist supports RMIT menopause research

Leading endocrinologist Dr Helena Teede has joined the research team of an RMIT University study that might shed light on the treatment of menopausal symptoms using herbal medicines.

21 Oct 2004

Recommendations made for new research to settle questions on in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Twenty-five years after the birth of the first baby conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), there remain many unanswered questions about the health and well-being of babies born following IVF.

20 Oct 2004

Genetic predictions may bring “quantum leap” in breast cancer treatment success

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center received a prestigious award and a $600,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading organizations devoted exclusively to funding cancer research.

20 Oct 2004

Medicine News and Research

Lag-3 gene dampens immune responses by controlling regulatory T-cell function

Mild pulses of electrical energy just as effective as more powerful and painful shocks to interrupt life-threatening rapid heartbeats

New Yorkers' use of mental health services rose only slightly after 9//11

206 million patient visits will have been made to physician assistants (PAs) in 2004

Groundbreaking new study that may help stroke patients regain greater use of their hands or arms

Research findings will likely aid efforts to develop a vaccine for Leishmania major

Discovery of the gene for a form of Joubert Syndrome

Researchers trim count of human genes to 20,000-25,000

Gene variations explain why people with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk for coronary artery disease

Sinusitis and bronchitis account for more than 30 million missed workdays each year

New medication to prevent colon cancer

The attitude towards MRSA in the United Kingdom is a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted

Black Sea coastal area of Turkey is prone to bouts of an unusual type of food poisoning from "mad" honey

New antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus in premature babies

Leading endocrinologist supports RMIT menopause research

Recommendations made for new research to settle questions on in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Genetic predictions may bring “quantum leap” in breast cancer treatment success

Researchers are one step closer to understanding how high carbohydrate diets lead to obesity and diabetes

Women with late effects of polio experience menopause differently than their non-disabled peers

Brain protein called MC4R that plays a role in the urge to eat has now been found to influence appetite in a second way

Hasret Altan-Martin

Speeding Up Sample Preparation to Accelerate Analytical Chemistry

Ask the Expert: 7 Questions about Colorectal Cancer & Non-invasive Fecal DNA Testing

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