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SMPX gene mutation causes hereditary hearing impairment

Excessive noise is not the only thing that causes damage to hearing. In many cases, genetic factors are responsible for the loss of hearing at a young age. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin together with colleagues from Nijmegen have discovered a previously unknown genetic cause of progressive hearing impairment: the disease is caused by mutations of the SMPX gene, which is located on the X chromosome.

1 Jun 2011

Facelift incision with no-neck-scar approach safe and effective for thyroid patients

A facelift incision and robotics can help surgeons safely remove a portion of a diseased thyroid from some patients without the characteristic neck scar.

1 Jun 2011

Sleep loss reduces healthy young man's testosterone levels

Cutting back on sleep drastically reduces a healthy young man's testosterone levels, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1 Jun 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome and mouse virus – no association

An earlier study published in 2009 had claimed that a mouse virus was the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. New evidence suggests that this assumption is wrong. According to latest evidence the earlier study findings were likely based on contaminated lab samples, US researchers said Tuesday.

1 Jun 2011

Scientists study key malaria protein structure to demonstrate how cells grow and move

Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have overturned conventional wisdom on how cell movement across all species is controlled, solving the structure of a protein that cuts power to the cell 'motor'. The protein could be a potential drug target for future malaria and anti-cancer treatments.

31 May 2011

Cancer drug helps prevent hypertensive heart disease

A promising cancer treatment drug can restore function of a heart en route to failure from high blood pressure, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

31 May 2011

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis can avoid mother to child transmission of mtDNA disorders

Dutch researchers have developed a test which predicts which mothers at risk of passing on mitochondrial genetic disease to their children are likely to have a healthy baby.

30 May 2011

Short warm-ups improve athlete's power output and help lessen muscle fatigue

University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology researcher Elias Tomaras says the idea came to him while watching track and field sprinters warm-up for a race. "If you watch sprinters, short distance speed skaters or cyclists before their race, they will often warm-up for one to two hours, including several brief bouts of high intensity exercise. From an exercise physiology point of view, it seemed like it might be pretty tiring."

30 May 2011

Oceana Therapeutics receives FDA approval for Solesta injectable gel to treat fecal incontinence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a sterile, injectable gel to treat fecal incontinence in patients for whom other therapies such as diet change, fiber therapy or anti-motility medications failed.

30 May 2011

Lactate shuttle also exists in human tumors

Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have shed new light on the longstanding conundrum about what makes a tumor grow-and how to make it stop. Interestingly, cancer cells accelerate the aging of nearby connective tissue cells to cause inflammation, which ultimately provides "fuel" for the tumor to grow and even metastasize.

27 May 2011

Leukemia, psoriasis drugs may treat vascular diseases

A drug that has been on the market for decades to treat leukemia and skin disorders such as acne and psoriasis may be a possible therapy for vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and hypertension, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

27 May 2011

ATA recognizes 4th Annual World Thyroid Day

The American Thyroid Association, in cooperation with sister international thyroid societies, the European Thyroid Association, the Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association, and the Latin American Thyroid Society, recognizes the 4th Annual World Thyroid Day, May 25, 2011.

26 May 2011

Scientists discover protein involved in nerve cell motor-cargo mechanism

With every bodily movement-from the blink of an eye to running a marathon-nerve cells transmit signals to muscle cells. To do that, nerve cells rely on tiny molecular motors to transport chemical messengers that excite muscles cells into action. It's a complex process, which scientists are still trying to understand. A new study by Syracuse University researchers has uncovered an important piece of the puzzle.

26 May 2011

Study: Protein drinks after aerobic activity help older people build more formidable muscles

A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal shows that what someone drinks after exercise plays a critical role in maximizing the effects of exercise.

26 May 2011

Lx Therapies, BioCis partner to form Laurantis Pharma

BioCis Pharma Oy and Oy Lx Therapies Ltd. announced today that the companies have combined to create Laurantis Pharma Oy, a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical development company.

26 May 2011

MKK4 enzyme may prevent arrhythmias linked with cardiac hypertrophy

Scientists have discovered an important enzyme molecule that may prevent fatal cardiac disorders associated with cardiac hypertrophy - the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

25 May 2011

Researchers discover protein switch that can trigger heart failure

Researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre discovered a protein switch which can trigger a cascade of events leading to heart failure, pointing to a new direction for drug development.

24 May 2011

Caffeine reduces muscle activity in Fallopian tubes

Caffeine reduces muscle activity in the Fallopian tubes that carry eggs from a woman's ovaries to her womb. "Our experiments were conducted in mice, but this finding goes a long way towards explaining why drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant," says Professor Sean Ward from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, USA. Ward's study is published today in the British Journal of Pharmacology

24 May 2011

Mount Sinai researchers identify protein signaling hyperactivity in human sarcoma cells

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a protein signaling pathway that becomes hyperactivated in human sarcoma cells, suggesting that medications to inhibit this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human sarcomas. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Cell.

24 May 2011

Stimulating electrode array assists paralyzed man to regain voluntary movements of limbs

A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the University of Louisville have used a stimulating electrode array to assist a paralyzed man to stand, step on a treadmill with assistance, and, over time, to regain voluntary movements of his limbs.

21 May 2011