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Small molecule interactions were central to the origin of life

In an important new paper forthcoming in the June issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology, Robert Shapiro (New York University) argues against the widely held theory that the origin of life began with the spontaneous appearance of a large, replicating molecule such as RNA.

17 May 2006

Sulforaphane shown to inhibit the occurrence of hereditary colon cancer

Need another reason to eat vegetables? A new study at Rutgers shows that certain vegetables - broccoli and cauliflower, in particular - have natural ingredients that may reduce the risk of developing hereditary cancers.

17 May 2006

New hope for women trying to conceive

Louis Pasteur said that "chance favors the prepared mind." For Prof. Nava Dekel of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Regulation Department, some completely unexpected results of biopsies performed on women with fertility problems have led to a new path of scientific discovery that may hold hope for women trying to conceive.

17 May 2006

Valganciclovir may be the drug for chronic fatigue syndrome

A drug used to treat herpes has produced dramatic results in people with chronic fatigue syndrome, reported the Daily Mail (16 May 2006).

17 May 2006

FDA statement on Bausch & Lomb inspection

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Bausch & Lomb a report detailing its observations at the conclusion of the inspection of the Greenville, SC plant and a related facility as part of an investigation into a recent increase in Fusarium keratitis infections associated with contact lens wearers using the ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens cleaning solution.

17 May 2006

Signaling pathways required for expansion of insulin-producing beta cells

IDDM, which used to be referred to as Type 1 diabetes, results from selective destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic islet beta cells by the body's immune system.

17 May 2006

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2 may play role in infection and dry eye

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 2 (PAI-2), a protein found in various cell types including the skin, has been discovered in the tissue covering the eye and may have future clinical implications in various pathologies of the ocular surface such as eye infection or dry eye.

17 May 2006

Study shows many people willing to make major sacrifices to avoid being obese

Nearly half of the people responding to an online survey about obesity said they would give up a year of their life rather than be fat, according to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

17 May 2006

Culture plays a significant role in how women perceive obesity

Culture plays a significant role in how women perceive obesity in terms of both appearance and health, according to a study by Yale School of Nursing researchers in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

17 May 2006

Association between Pak1 expression and subcellular localization and tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer patients

A protein that activates estrogen receptors in breast cancer may play a role in resistance to therapeutic effects of anti-estrogen tamoxifen treatment, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

17 May 2006

Effectiveness of radiation therapy for older women with early breast cancer

Elderly women with early-stage breast cancer had a lower risk of recurrence when they were treated with radiation therapy, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

17 May 2006

Study calls for more consistent use of anti-clotting medications in women

High-risk women with acute coronary syndrome benefit as much as men from a trip to the cardiac cath lab shortly after being hospitalized, according to a study reported recently at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 29th Annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

17 May 2006