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Small molecules might block mutant protein production in Huntington's disease

Molecules that selectively interfere with protein production can stop human cells from making the abnormal molecules that cause Huntington's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

5 May 2009

Small molecules might block mutant protein production in Huntington's disease

3 May 2009

Excessive increase in heart rate before exercise doubles risk of sudden cardiac death in later life

French researchers have discovered a simple and cheap method of predicting who is at greater risk of dying suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack.

30 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases

A research team has connected more of the intricate pieces of the autism puzzle, with two studies that identify genes with important contributions to the disorder.

30 Apr 2009

Pregabalin shows potential for restless legs syndrome - improves sleep

A drug widely used to treat seizures and anxiety appears to be an effective treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) and helps people with the disorder get a better night's sleep, according to a study that will be presented as part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle.

29 Apr 2009

Glutamate identified as predictor of disease progression in multiple sclerosis

UCSF researchers have identified a correlation between higher levels of glutamate, which occurs naturally in the brain as a byproduct of metabolism, and greater disease burden in multiple sclerosis patients.

29 Apr 2009

New animal model for the painful nerve condition sciatica

A newly developed animal model for the painful nerve condition known as sciatica should help researchers diagnose and treat it, according to Duke University bioengineers and surgeons.

29 Apr 2009

Researchers show how morphine can be given more effectively

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found a way to maintain the pain-killing qualities of morphine over an extended period of time, thus providing a solution for the problem of having to administer increasing dosages of the drug in order to retain its effectiveness.

27 Apr 2009

Scientists learn to induce gamma oscillations in the brain

Scientists have studied high-frequency brain waves, known as gamma oscillations, for more than 50 years, believing them crucial to consciousness, attention, learning and memory.

26 Apr 2009

Stem cells from adipose tissue offer hope for treatment of multiple sclerosis

A preliminary study on the use of stem cells obtained from a patient's own adipose tissue in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown promising results.

23 Apr 2009

Preoperative MR may assist surgeons in nerve sparing during robotic prostatectomy

Preoperative MR can help surgeons limit nerve damage while performing a robotic assisted laparascopic prostatectomy (RALP) - saving some men from becoming impotent, according to a study performed at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA.

23 Apr 2009

Researchers study why people who are obese become hypertensive

When Francois Abboud began his work at the University of Iowa in 1960, little was known about the constant physiological chatter between the brain and the blood vessels.

22 Apr 2009

A nanoscale motor in the ear

Utah and Texas researchers have learned how quiet sounds are magnified by bundles of tiny, hair-like tubes atop "hair cells" in the ear: when the tubes dance back and forth, they act as "flexoelectric motors" that amplify sound mechanically.

22 Apr 2009

Food giant Unilever on a worthy mission to reduce salt in all products

The Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever has announced plans to reduce the amount of salt in almost all its 22,000 food products - Unilever says its efforts to establish comprehensive salt reduction targets will help improve public health and are a first worldwide.

22 Apr 2009

Stem cell therapy used to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

A team of Utahns is collaborating on a stem cell therapy to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

21 Apr 2009

New insights into protein p75's role Alzheimer's disease

New research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies casts the role of a neuronal growth factor receptor - long suspected to facilitate the toxic effects of beta amyloid in Alzheimer's disease - in a new light, suggesting the molecule actually protects the neuron in the periphery from beta amyloid-induced damage.

21 Apr 2009

New hope for Huntington disease sufferers

Researchers from the University of Southern California have taken an important first step toward protecting against Huntington disease using gene therapy.

20 Apr 2009

Study looks at exposure to vibration in workplace

Speaking on April 19 at the Experimental Biology 2009 meeting in New Orleans, Dr. Kristine Krajnak, a team leader in the Engineering and Control Technologies Branch of the Health Effects Laboratory Division of NIOSH in Morgantown, West Virginia, describes results from the first study to directly link the different physical responses of tissue that occur with exposure to different vibration frequencies with biological mechanisms underlying the development of vascular dysfunction.

20 Apr 2009

Scientists use RNA to reprogram 1 cell type into another

For the past decade, researchers have tried to tweak cells at the gene and nucleus level to reprogram their identity.

16 Apr 2009

Neurodegeneration study reveals targets of destruction

Scientists are reporting the strongest evidence to date that neurodegenerative diseases target and progress along distinct neural networks that normally support healthy brain function.

15 Apr 2009