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Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension, may lead to new therapies

A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension - a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

16 Feb 2009

Caregivers not receiving the help they need, study shows

Caregivers of children with special health care needs often do not get the respite care they need, according to the findings of a recent study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

16 Feb 2009

Breast cancer rates fall as women abandon HRT

Breast cancer rates among women in their 50s are falling at the same time as the number of women under 60 receiving prescriptions for hormone replacement (HRT) has halved according to Cancer Research UK.

16 Feb 2009

Avosentan shows prmoise for diabetic kidney disease

A new drug called avosentan significantly lowers urinary protein excretion-an important marker of kidney disease progression-in patients with diabetic kidney disease, according to an international clinical trial appearing in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

16 Feb 2009

Artificial cells, simple model for complex structure

A simple, chemical materials model may lead to a better understanding of the structure and organization of the cell according to a Penn State researcher.

16 Feb 2009

Air pollution dangerously high around some U.S. schools

Air pollution is dangerously high around schools near some U.S. industrial plants, according to a recent study involving researchers from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University.

16 Feb 2009

Novel gene silencing platform

A team of researchers led by Rutgers' Samuel Gunderson has developed a novel gene silencing platform with very significant improvements over existing RNAi approaches.

16 Feb 2009

New approaches to prevent transplant rejection

To prevent the rejection of newly transplanted organs and cells, patients must take medicines that weaken their entire immune systems.

15 Feb 2009

True or false? How our brain processes negative statements

Every day we are confronted with positive and negative statements.

15 Feb 2009

Discovery of new prostate cancer marker

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have identified a new biological marker present in the urine of patients with prostate cancer that indicates whether the cancer is progressing and spreading.

15 Feb 2009

New treatment approach needed for management of depression with bipolar disorder

In a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, a team of researchers led by Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Mark Frye, M.D., attempted to identify what factors make some people with bipolar depression more likely to experience treatment-emergent mania (TEM).

15 Feb 2009

Study shows males are more tolerant of same-sex peers

Women have traditionally been viewed as being more social and cooperative than men. However, there is recent evidence that this may not be the case.

15 Feb 2009

Study reveals high level of adverse drug reactions in hospitals

In a study of more than 3,000 patients, researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that one in seven admitted to hospital experience adverse drug reactions to medical treatment.

15 Feb 2009

Statistical analysis could yield new drug target for multiple sclerosis

An elaborate statistical analysis of genes from more than 7,000 individuals has identified an amino acid that appears to be a major risk factor for multiple sclerosis, a devastating autoimmune disorder that afflicts 2.5 million people worldwide.

15 Feb 2009

Smokers put loved ones at risk of heart attacks

Researchers at University College London and St George's, University of London measured recent exposure to tobacco smoke in non-smoking middle-aged men taking part in the British Regional Heart Study by measuring the levels of cotinine - a compound carried in the blood - at two time points 20 years apart.

15 Feb 2009

Discovery of metabolite linked to aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a panel of small molecules, or metabolites, that appear to indicate aggressive prostate cancer.

15 Feb 2009

Platinum-based anti-tumor compounds

Researchers in the Department of Chemistry at Wake Forest University in collaboration with colleagues at the Wake Forest University Health Sciences Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new class of platinum-based anti-tumor drugs that animal studies have shown to be 10 times more effective than current treatments in destroying certain types of lung cancer cells.

15 Feb 2009