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Maternal immune response to fetal brain during pregnancy a key factor in some autism

New studies in pregnant mice using antibodies against fetal brains made by the mothers of autistic children show that immune cells can cross the placenta and trigger neurobehavioral changes similar to autism in the mouse pups.

20 Apr 2009

Researchers investigate link between gastroesophageal reflux diseases and coronary heart diseases

It is well known that non-cardiac chest pain is closely related to gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD).

20 Apr 2009

Fish oil protects against neurodegenerative diseases

Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Boyd Professor, and Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degenerative Diseases Research at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, will present new research findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.

20 Apr 2009

Laughter improves health

The connection between the body, mind and spirit has been the subject of conventional scientific inquiry for some 20 years.

20 Apr 2009

Lab study shows THC exposure as adolescents linked to negative effects of THC as adults

In earlier studies, researchers at Louisiana State University had found that estrogen - or more precisely, having ovaries - made adult rats exposed for the first time to THC, the primary ingredient in marijuana and hashish, less sensitive to THC's negative effects on tests of learning and memory.

20 Apr 2009

Keeping fit good for the environment

Maintaining a healthy body weight is good news for the environment, according to a study which appears today in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

20 Apr 2009

Key genetic mechanism a potential key to new class of antibiotics

Researchers have determined the structure of a key genetic mechanism at work in bacteria, including some that are deadly to humans, in an important step toward the design of a new class of antibiotics, according to an accelerated publication that appeared online today as a "paper of the week" in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

20 Apr 2009

Early isolation linked to enhanced response to cocaine

Drug addiction affects millions of people around the world, causing numerous problems ranging from emotional and psychological difficulties to physical and health issues.

20 Apr 2009

Treatment with biphosphonates may prevent radiation-induced leukemia

Treatment with biphosphonates could prevent radiation-induced leukemia, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009.

20 Apr 2009

Could senna improve the quality of colonoscopy preparation with magnesium citrate?

Inadequate cleansing of the colon has an adverse effect on procedure time, safety, completion rate and diagnostic accuracy.

20 Apr 2009

Coffee, caffeine and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease that damages key neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

20 Apr 2009

Brain metastases hijack neuron-supporting cells to resist chemotherapy

Cancer that spreads to other organs finds a particularly inviting hideout in the brain, where these metastases are usually far harder to treat than they are in other locations.

20 Apr 2009

Computational model examines the pathways of Alzheimer's that strikes at the young

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a tragic disease that robs an individual of their memory and mental capacity.

20 Apr 2009

Thymoquinone inhibits the development of pancreatic cancer

An herb recently found to kill pancreatic cancer cells also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.

20 Apr 2009

Addition of dasatinib to standard chemo cocktail may enhance effect in certain ovarian cancers

The addition of a chemotherapeutic drug for leukemia to a standard regimen of two other chemotherapy drugs appears to enhance the response of certain ovarian cancers to treatment, according to a pre-clinical study led by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

20 Apr 2009