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Protein that controls hair growth also keeps stem cells slumbering

Like fine china and crystal, which tend to be used sparingly, stem cells divide infrequently.

25 Jan 2008

Celebrex may disrupt heart rhythm

Celebrex, a popular arthritis drug that blocks pain by inhibiting an enzyme known as COX-2, has been shown in laboratory studies to induce arrhythmia, or irregular beating of the heart, via a novel pathway unrelated to its COX-2 inhibition.

25 Jan 2008

New MIT tool probes brain circuits

Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report in the Jan. 24 online edition of Science that they have created a way to see, for the first time, the effect of blocking and unblocking a single neural circuit in a living animal.

25 Jan 2008

New approach to detect autism earlier

A new way of understanding autistic disorders, incorporating both psychological and biological factors, could lead to the conditions being picked up earlier, research from UNSW has found.

25 Jan 2008

Mental and physical stimulation delays dementia in Huntington's disease

Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have discovered that mental and physical stimulation delays the onset of dementia in the fatal genetic disease, Huntington's disease.

25 Jan 2008

Quitting marijuana as hard as quitting cigarettes

Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use suggests that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes.

25 Jan 2008

M. D. Anderson, AstraZeneca form alliance to advance understanding of cancer-related pain

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) today announced that they will collaborate to help advance understanding of neuropathic pain caused by cancer chemotherapy, a side effect that often limits optimal therapeutic dosing in cancer treatments.

25 Jan 2008

Improved diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis thanks to new techniques

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a non-lethal disease but can have grave consequences for the patient.

25 Jan 2008

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