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New chemical keeps stem cells young

Scientists at the Universities of Bath and Leeds have discovered a chemical that stops stem cells from turning into other cell types, allowing researchers to use these cells to develop new medical treatments more easily.

3 Feb 2009

Zinc supplements during pregnancy may counteract damage from early alcohol exposure

Animal research has shown that binge drinking - even just once - during early pregnancy can cause numerous problems for the fetus, including early postnatal death.

2 Feb 2009

Heart drug improve learning and memory in middle-aged rats

A team of Arizona psychologists, geneticists and neuroscientists has reported that a safe and effective drug used to treat vascular problems in the brain has improved spatial learning and working memory in middle-aged rats.

2 Feb 2009

Scientists use non-invasive approach to watch chemo drug working inside the living body in real time

For many cancer patients, chemotherapy can be worse than cancer itself.

2 Feb 2009

Mental illness by itself does not predict future violent behavior

People with mental illness alone are no more likely than anyone else to commit acts of violence, a new study by UNC researchers concludes.

2 Feb 2009

Study finds vitamin use is highest in children who don't need them

A study by UC Davis researchers published in the February 2009 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine has found that most of the healthy children and teenagers in the United States who are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements probably don't need them.

2 Feb 2009

Fasudil could reduce risk of Alzheimer's

A drug used to improve blood flow to the brain also could help improve learning and memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study released today by investigators at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Arizona State University.

2 Feb 2009

Teens who frequently go out with friends more likely to use marijuana

Marijuana use appears to have decreased among most European and North American adolescents between 2002 and 2006, and those who went out with friends on fewer evenings of the week were less likely to report using the drug, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

2 Feb 2009

Lots of TV during teens linked to depression in young adulthood

Exposure to more television and other electronic media during the teenage years appears to be associated with developing depression symptoms in young adulthood, especially among men, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Feb 2009

Peptide loaded gold nanospheres find, penetrate, then fuel burning of melanoma

Hollow gold nanospheres equipped with a targeting peptide find melanoma cells, penetrate them deeply, and then cook the tumor when bathed with near-infrared light, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

2 Feb 2009

Study looks at mental illness and violent behavior

Violence appears to be more common among those with mental illness only when they also report substance abuse or dependence, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Feb 2009

Economic burden of migraine in the U.S.

A new study published in Value in Health reviews the economic burden of migraine in the U.S. and recent clinical findings of the health risks of this neurological condition.

2 Feb 2009

Stat3 signaling tips the balance of immunity in favor of cancer

New research reveals how a cancer-associated protein enables tumor cells to evade the immune system by both suppressing antitumor influences and promoting tumor-enhancing conditions, in essence turning the immune system to the dark side of the force.

2 Feb 2009

SSRIs may reduce the risk of suicide in depressed adults

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may reduce the risk of suicide in depressed adults, according to a study by researchers from the World Health Organization and the University of Verona, Italy published in CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg291.pdf.

2 Feb 2009

Quantum dot hazards

Quantum dots have the potential to bring many good things into the world: efficient solar power, targeted gene and drug delivery, solid-state lighting and advances in biomedical imaging among them.

2 Feb 2009

New technology rapidly detects tumor response to chemotherapy

New technology developed by Duke University bioengineers can help clinicians more precisely detect whether specific cancer drugs are working, and should give basic researchers a powerful new tool to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer development.

2 Feb 2009

Rhythm abnormality of unknown origin strongly predicts sudden death risk in heart disease patients

Researchers conducting a large, ongoing study to improve detection and prevention of sudden cardiac death were surprised to discover that a specific heart rhythm abnormality – idiopathic QT interval prolongation – increased risk five-fold among patients with coronary artery disease.

2 Feb 2009