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Yale researchers block transforming growth factor to clear up amyloid plaques in mice

Blocking a common immune system response cleared up plaques associated with Alzheimer's Disease and enabled treated mice to recover some lost memory, Yale University researchers report Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

1 Jun 2008

Researchers pinpoint gene mutations responsible for 10 percent of non-familial cases of schizophrenia

Scans of the genome of patients with schizophrenia have revealed rare spontaneous copy number mutations that account for at least 10 percent of the non-familial cases of the disease.

1 Jun 2008

Tumor suppressor genes speed up and slow down aging in engineered mouse

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an animal model that can test the function of two prominent tumor suppressor genes, p16 and p19, in the aging process. Scientists knew that both these genes were expressed at increased levels as humans and mice age, but their role in the aging process was not clear. Findings by the Mayo team show that p16 provides gas to accelerate cellular aging, while p19 stops that process.

1 Jun 2008

Soil bacteria may offer potential treatments for MRSA and cancer

Big pharma gave up on soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics too soon, according to research published in the June issue of Microbiology. Scientists have been mining microbial genomes for new natural products that may have applications in the treatment of MRSA and cancer and have made some exciting discoveries.

1 Jun 2008

Smoking during pregnancy and SIDS

A new study provides the most direct evidence that there exists a causal link between smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

1 Jun 2008

Prenatal biochemical screening only detects half of chromosomal abnormalities

Prenatal biochemical screening tests are widely used to look for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus which can lead to serious handicap, or even death during gestation or in the first few days after birth. But these tests are only able to detect fewer than half of the total chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus, a scientist will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics tomorrow (Monday 2 June) Dr. Francesca R. Grati, of the TOMA Laboratory, Busto Arsizio, Italy, says that these findings mean that women should be better informed on the limitations of such diagnostic tests.

1 Jun 2008

Men, bikinis' and their effects on bank accounts and waistlines

Images of sexy women tend to whet men's sexual appetite. But stimulating new research in the Journal of Consumer Research says there's more than meets the eye.

1 Jun 2008

Combination biotherapies safe, promising for melanoma patients

The combination of two different biotherapies may be beneficial for patients with inoperable melanoma, according to a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) study presented at the 44th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

1 Jun 2008

New research into superbug Clostridium difficile

New research into the toxins, virulence, spread and prevention of the superbug Clostridium difficile is reported in the June special issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology. These findings will play a crucial role in providing us with ammunition in the fight against a sometimes deadly pathogen.

1 Jun 2008

Golf for a long life!

Golf can be a good investment for the health, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. The death rate for golfers is 40 per cent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status, which correspond to a 5 year increase in life expectancy. Golfers with a low handicap are the safest.

1 Jun 2008

New insight into the genetics of Lou Gehrig's disease

An upcoming paper from Drs. Hidenori Ichijo and Hideki Nishitoh (The University of Tokyo) and colleagues lends new and valuable insight into the genetics of ALS.

1 Jun 2008

Almost 1 in 6 cases of depression among working Victorians are caused by job stress

Almost one in six cases of depression among working Victorians are caused by job stress. This means more than 21,000 cases of preventable depression are caused by job stress each year, a new University of Melbourne study shows.

1 Jun 2008

Mothers play an important role in determining how much fathers get involved in taking care of their infants

A study of 97 couples found that fathers were more involved in the day-to-day care of their infants when they received active encouragement from their wife or partner.

1 Jun 2008

How advanced prostate cancer becomes resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy

For the past 70 years the treatment of choice for advanced, metastatic prostate cancer has been androgen-deprivation therapy. That is, the suppression of circulating testosterone - the hormone that fuels prostate-cancer growth - via surgical castration (orchiectomy) or medical castration with testosterone-blocking drugs. While such therapy buys time for patients, it is not a cure, as inevitably the cancer becomes resistant to the androgen deprivation and continues to grow.

1 Jun 2008

New studies provide insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing health

Three new studies published in the June 2008 edition of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery focus on what role gender plays in the prognosis of oral tongue cancer, chronic ear infections in children, and the success rates of hearing aid implants in the elderly.

1 Jun 2008

Study investigates mental and physical effects of collective traumas

Contrary to popular notions about what is normal or healthy, new research has found that it is okay not to express one's thoughts and feelings after experiencing a collective trauma, such as a school shooting or terrorist attack.

1 Jun 2008

Connecticut Attorney General files lawsuit against McKesson over alleged inflation of prescription drug prices

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Boston over allegations that prescription drug distributor McKesson conspired to inflate the average wholesale prices of hundreds of brand-name medications in violation of federal racketeering and state consumer protection laws, the AP/Hartford Courant reports.

30 May 2008

Appeals courts overturn two verdicts, judgment on award payment in Vioxx lawsuits

State appeals courts in New Jersey and Texas on Thursday reversed two jury verdicts and a judgment on payment of legal fees in lawsuits related to the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx that would have required Merck to pay about $37 million, Bloomberg/Washington Post reports (Van Voris/Voreacos, Bloomberg/Washington Post, 5/30).

30 May 2008

Minnesota Health Care Group to launch pilot 'pay-for-performance' initiative to reduce treatment costs for depression

The Buyers Health Care Action Group, a health care purchasing coalition in Minnesota for large employers, on Wednesday announced a pay-for-performance pilot program that will reward physicians who effectively treat depressed patients, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) on Wednesday announced a health care proposal that would aim to provide health coverage for all U.S. residents using a combination of public and private plans, the Portland Press Herald reports. Allen is running against sitting Sen. Susan Collins (R).

30 May 2008

Medical News

Yale researchers block transforming growth factor to clear up amyloid plaques in mice

Researchers pinpoint gene mutations responsible for 10 percent of non-familial cases of schizophrenia

Tumor suppressor genes speed up and slow down aging in engineered mouse

Soil bacteria may offer potential treatments for MRSA and cancer

Smoking during pregnancy and SIDS

Prenatal biochemical screening only detects half of chromosomal abnormalities

Men, bikinis' and their effects on bank accounts and waistlines

Combination biotherapies safe, promising for melanoma patients

New research into superbug Clostridium difficile

Golf for a long life!

New insight into the genetics of Lou Gehrig's disease

Almost 1 in 6 cases of depression among working Victorians are caused by job stress

Mothers play an important role in determining how much fathers get involved in taking care of their infants

How advanced prostate cancer becomes resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy

New studies provide insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing health

Study investigates mental and physical effects of collective traumas

Connecticut Attorney General files lawsuit against McKesson over alleged inflation of prescription drug prices

Appeals courts overturn two verdicts, judgment on award payment in Vioxx lawsuits

Minnesota Health Care Group to launch pilot 'pay-for-performance' initiative to reduce treatment costs for depression

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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