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On-board brain chips could help stroke and cerebral palsy victims

Cyberkinetics Inc has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to begin a clinical trial in which four-square-millimetre chips will be placed beneath the skulls of paralyzed patients.

18 Apr 2004

Back-pain sufferers cost US more than $100 billion annually

Back-pain sufferers in America cost this country more than $100 billion annually in medical bills, disability and lost productivity at work. And 80 percent of Americans will battle back pain at some point in their lives, making it the number two reason for doctor visits, after coughs and other respiratory infections, Newsweek reports.

18 Apr 2004

Using mass spectrometry to diagnose cancers and non-cancerous diseases

Using mass spectrometry, Emory University scientists have identified specific protein fingerprints in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of humans that enable them to differentiate between cancers, both primary and metastatic, and non-cancerous diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).

18 Apr 2004

Researchers find drug that may suppress genetic mutation using a novel screening approach

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a way of identifying promising new drugs that may get around a major challenge in drug discovery.

18 Apr 2004

Gene discovery could improve anemia treatment in patients

Patients with inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, chronic infections and some types of cancer, often become anemic – a condition called anemia of chronic disease (ACD). While ACD rarely kills patients, it can make their lives miserable.

18 Apr 2004

New method that will revolutionize the search for genes

Medical researchers know that most common human diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, have a large genetic component. Many genes, interacting with the environment, contribute to these diseases. For researchers, a major challenge is finding all the genes involved with a particular disease.

18 Apr 2004

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common in women

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common in women, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is expected to be diagnosed in 38,000 men and 15,000 women in the United States in 2003. Treatment is most successful when the disease is caught early.

18 Apr 2004

Newborn lambs’ central heating system could aid fat busting in humans

The way newborn lambs regulate their temperature in the first few weeks of life using a special deposit of brown fat could give clues for tackling obesity in humans, according to Imperial College London scientists.

18 Apr 2004

Lung cancer varies between men and women

Tobacco use in American women rose dramatically during the 20th century, resulting in a 600 percent increase by the year 2003 in the number of women who died of lung cancer. In the same period, the number of lung cancer deaths in men declined.

18 Apr 2004

Female hormone replacement therapy back on the agenda

Kronos Longevity Research Institute (KLRI) has announced plans for the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), a five-year study of female hormone replacement therapy aimed at providing prospective data on the risks and benefits of early menopausal hormonal intervention, particularly as it relates to the progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a medical condition in which fatty material is deposited along the walls of arteries.

17 Apr 2004

Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood improve brain function

Citing new evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood improve brain function in middle aged people and actually lower the risk of mental impairment as people age, the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) today reminded the public that canned tuna is not only good for your heart but is a tasty and affordable "brain food" for people of all ages.

17 Apr 2004

Second-hand smoke scars and affects healing

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have found that breathing “second-hand” smoke reduces the speed at which wounds heal, leading to greater levels of scarring.

17 Apr 2004

First IVF embryo research licenses issued in Australia

Australia’s first licences allowing research using excess human embryos were issued today by the Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council, (The NHMRC Licensing Committee).

17 Apr 2004

Genetic connection between humans, mice and dogs

The discovery that humans are genetically close to mice and dogs might make people develop greater respect for life, J. Craig Venter, a major contributor to the historic mapping of the human genome, said.

16 Apr 2004

New information on genetic shuffling before egg or sperm formation rewrites genetic theory

Key decisions in the genetic shuffling that occurs before eggs or sperm are formed are made earlier than thought, rewriting textbook genetics, according to recent papers from researchers at UC Davis, Harvard University and UC San Diego.

16 Apr 2004

Mayo Clinic debunks myths cancer myths

Believing cancer myths can be dangerous to your health, because they could prevent you from having the tests and treatments needed to detect and treat cancer.

16 Apr 2004

Alzheimer Association responds to April 16 Wall Street Journal article

Dear Editor: Scientists World-Wide Battle a Narrow View of Alzheimer’s Cause, incorrectly implies Alzheimer science is headed down a blind alley. The real issue is inadequate funding.

16 Apr 2004

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin pledges health care push

Any discussion of health care runs the risk of deteriorating into generalities. So let me be specific: We must reduce wait times. Canadians need to know, Wherever they live, how long it takes to get an MRI, how long it takes to see a doctor, to get needed hip surgery, and how quickly their child will be seen in the emergency ward.

16 Apr 2004

£60 million boost for pregnant mums to reduce child poverty

Public Health Minister, Yvette Cooper, will today announce a £60 million boost to tackle child poverty in low income areas even before children are born. The money will extend Sure Start programmes to cover pregnant women and their partners for the first time alongside families with children under four-years-old.

16 Apr 2004

Tibetan yoga helps cancer and insomnia

The first study to look at the use of Tibetan yoga by cancer patients found the combination of movement and meditation led to a significant sleep benefit, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Apr 2004