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Does the heart contain stem cells that are self-renewing?

If you've ever used a loofah in the shower, you've stirred up some stem cells. As the outer layer of skin sloughs off, stem cells in the dermis rush to repair and replace those buffed away.

21 Jul 2005

Help at last for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

British researchers have found abnormalities in the white blood cells of sufferers Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and if early results are confirmed by further research, and indications suggest they will be, it could lead not only to a blood test for the condition but possibly a drug to treat it.

21 Jul 2005

New research finds molecular link between obesity and diabetes

Researchers say they have discovered a molecular link between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and the link could be a potential target for new drugs to treat the disease.

21 Jul 2005

Hearing protein TRPA1 also involved with pain perception

The same protein that “translates” sound into nerve signals to the brain and enables individuals to hear is also required for pain perception, researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found.

21 Jul 2005

Biological breakthrough that could offer new hope in the fight against liver cancer

Professor John Mayer and Dr Simon Dawson, in collaboration with colleagues at Japan's Kyoto University, have discovered the function of a new liver oncoprotein - or cancer causing protein - which could be the first step to finding effective new treatments for the deadly illness.

21 Jul 2005

Project to help millions of people avoid starvation

Scientists at the University of Bath will be taking part in an international £4.2 million ($7.5 million) research project that could help millions of people avoid starvation.

21 Jul 2005

Brain computer map could prevent strokes

A grant from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand will allow researchers at the University of Canterbury New Zealand, to fine-tune a computer model of cerebral bloodflow that could become a tool in predicting, treating and preventing strokes.

21 Jul 2005

Irish teenagers 'waisting' away

Irish teenage girls are going on crash diets (binge dieting behaviour) to find love and happiness, according to University of Ulster research.

21 Jul 2005

Cocaine induces abnormal enhancement of neuronal connections

Researchers working with rats have zeroed in on the brain circuitry mechanism whose disruption contributes to the impulsive behavior seen in users of cocaine as well as other psychostimulant drugs. The same circuitry has been implicated in such disorders as schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, wrote the researchers.

21 Jul 2005

Definitive proof that Ab42 is the culprit molecule that underlies the pathology of Alzheimer's disease

One puzzle in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research is why mice engineered to have the abnormal protein underlying the disease in humans show little pathology of the disease. Specifically, such mice are genetically altered to overproduce mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP).

21 Jul 2005

New research suggests that accumulation of amyloid-beta peptides in cerebral blood vessels causes vascular damage in Alzheimer's disease

New research suggests that accumulation of amyloid-â peptides in cerebral blood vessels, as opposed to the brain itself, may be a more important pathological mediator of Alzheimer's disease. Two independent yet related articles describe such findings in the August issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

21 Jul 2005

Biologic treatments to treat the physical symptoms of psoriasis

More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis and 21 percent of those have moderate to severe psoriasis. This chronic condition, characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, not only makes the activities of daily life difficult, but also can affect a person's emotional well being.

21 Jul 2005

New design for HIV vaccine trials in animals

Emory University researchers have proposed a new design for HIV vaccine trials in animals that would more closely mimic how humans are exposed to the virus - potentially giving AIDS researchers a more effective tool in developing successful treatments to prevent HIV infection.

20 Jul 2005

Wife determines husband's marijuana use

While it's the husband among newlywed couples who has more influence on whether the couple engages in heavy drinking, it's the wife who appears to be in the driver's seat when it comes to determining her husband's marijuana use, according to researchers at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

20 Jul 2005

Australian stem cell discovery hailed as a major medical and scientific development

Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) senior scientist Dr Caroline Gargett's discovery of adult stem cells in the uterus that can be grown into bone, muscle, fat and cartilage, has been hailed as a major medical and scientific development by international reproduction experts.

20 Jul 2005

Major stem cell discovery

Research published in Nature tomorrow (21 July) will outline for the first time the stem cell origin of the structure of the neck and shoulders in vertebrates.

20 Jul 2005

University of Florida researcher finds way to explore role of microRNAs in specific tissue

University of Florida researchers have learned how to selectively shut down a flyweight-sized genetic molecule that packs a heavyweight punch, a discovery that may help doctors better understand cancer, birth defects and other health problems.

20 Jul 2005

Research examines the effect of visual impairment on Alzheimer's disease patients in nursing homes

One in three nursing home residents who have Alzheimer’s disease are not getting their vision corrected so they can see clearly, according to new Saint Louis University research in the July issue of the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

20 Jul 2005

SIRT1 gene suppresses longevity

Researchers have determined that a gene present in mouse cells limits the number of times that a cell can divide. The gene is involved in a process, called senescence, which is thought to ensure that aging cells do not pass on harmful mutations.

20 Jul 2005

National network for diabetes research launched by two leading British universities

Research into future treatments for people with diabetes has been given a major boost with the launch of a new national network for diabetes research, launched today.

20 Jul 2005