Medical News

RSS

Researchers identify five genes with possible protective capabilities against a Parkinson's disease trait

University of Alabama researchers have identified five genes within animal models displaying protective capabilities against a hallmark trait of Parkinson's disease.

25 Jan 2008

Evolutionary 'battle scars' identify enhanced antiviral activity

Rapid evolution of a protein produced by an immunity gene is associated with increased antiviral activity in humans, a finding that suggests evolutionary biology and virology together can accelerate the discovery of viral-defense mechanisms, according to researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

25 Jan 2008

Elusive pancreatic stem cells found in adult mice

Just as many scientists had given up the search, researchers have discovered that the pancreas does indeed harbor stem cells with the capacity to generate new insulin-producing beta cells.

25 Jan 2008

Could the pursuit of happiness go too far?

Could the pursuit of happiness go too far? Most self-help books on the subject offer tips on how to maximize one's bliss, but a new study suggests that moderate happiness may be preferable to full-fledged elation.

25 Jan 2008

Deficient regulators in the immune system responsible for type 1 diabetes

The main regulators of the immune system, called CD4+Treg cells, are thought to be highly involved in a large range of immune diseases.

25 Jan 2008

Deficient regulators in the immune system responsible for type 1 diabetes

The main regulators of the immune system, called CD4+Treg cells, are thought to be highly involved in a large range of immune diseases.

25 Jan 2008

Deafness and seizures result when glutamate protein deleted in mice

Scientists have discovered that mice genetically engineered to lack a particular protein in the brain have profound deafness and seizures.

25 Jan 2008

Computer vision may not be as good as thought

For years, scientists have been trying to teach computers how to see like humans, and recent research has seemed to show computers making progress in recognizing visual objects.

25 Jan 2008

Climate change will have a huge impact on human health

Climate change will have a huge impact on human health and bold environmental policy decisions are needed now to protect the world's population, according to the author of an article published in the BMJ today.

25 Jan 2008

Do condoms prevent STD infections other than HIV?

Consistent condom use can reduce the spread of HIV, but are they the answer to rising rates of other sexually transmitted infections?

25 Jan 2008

Building stronger bones, one stem cell at a time

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are bone marrow-derived cells that are capable of giving rise to various cell types through a process known as differentiation.

25 Jan 2008

Arthritic knees remain painful after arthroscopic surgery

Trimming damaged tissue through arthroscopic surgery does not relieve pain and swelling in arthritic knees any better than simply flushing loose debris from the joint, according to a new review of evidence.

25 Jan 2008

Adult stem cell application effective in treatment of peripheric vascular disease

Multipotent adult progenitor stem cells extracted from bone marrow, and known as MAPCs, have proved to be effective in the regeneration of blood vessel tissue and also in muscle tissue when treating peripheric vascular disease.

25 Jan 2008

Study paves way for mass co-delivery of three antiparasitic drugs

Findings from a new study in Zanzibar, published January 23 in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, pave the way for the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend the mass co-delivery of three anti-parasitic drugs for the first time.

24 Jan 2008

New approach to gene therapy

RNA interference (RNAi) represents an innovative new strategy for using small RNA molecules to silence specific genes associated with disease processes, and a series of review articles describing the state-of-the-art and potential therapeutic applications of RNAi and microRNAs will begin with two review papers in the January 2008 issue (Volume 19, Number 1) of Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

24 Jan 2008

Synthesis of natural molecule could lead to better anti-cancer drugs

In early 2007, Northwestern University chemist Karl Scheidt's interest was piqued when marine chemist Amy Wright reported in the Journal of Natural Products that a new natural compound derived from an uncommon deep-sea sponge was extremely effective at inhibiting cancer cell growth.

24 Jan 2008