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Virus experts step closer to treatment for hepatitis C

Nine hundred of the world's hepatitis C experts are meeting in Glasgow this week to discuss the latest research into the disease at the 14th International Symposium on Hepatitis C Virus and Related Viruses.

13 Sep 2007

Hungry people crave more variety

You're whale watching in Alaska, longing for a margarita and a spot on a beach. You think to yourself, "How did I get here? I hate the cold. Never finished Moby Dick. And I get seasick!" A fascinating new study from the Journal of Consumer Research finds that when we long for something intensely - like a much-needed vacation - a wider array of options will sound appealing, potentially leading to some out-of-character choices.

13 Sep 2007

New understanding of immune infertility

Most of us have never heard of immune infertility, yet it prevents many prospective parents from conceiving. Immune infertility is one of 80 autoimmune disorders, a group that includes better-known diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes.

13 Sep 2007

Unique role for blood formation gene MLL identified

All blood cell production in adults depends on the steady work of a vital gene that if lost results in early bone marrow failure, Dartmouth Medical School cancer geneticists have found.

13 Sep 2007

Peanut butter program could help tackle child malnutrition

An enriched peanut-butter mixture given at home is successfully promoting recovery in large numbers of starving children in Malawi, according to a group of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

13 Sep 2007

Delivery of anti-cancer drug paclitaxel on a tiny ball of gold

Rice University chemists have discovered a way to load dozens of molecules of the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel onto tiny gold spheres. The result is a tiny ball, many times smaller than a living cell that literally bristles with the drug.

13 Sep 2007

Gallbladder removed through vagina

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center have performed the first clinical trial surgery in the Southwest to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of performing abdominal procedures through the body's natural openings, virtually eliminating scarring.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 13 Sep 2007

Potential vaccine target for chlamydia

Scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a potential target for the development of a vaccine against Chlamydia trachomatis, the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world.

13 Sep 2007

Shrinkage of prostate led to overestimation of cancer risk in finasteride trial

Reanalysis of data from the first long-term randomized trial of a chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer shows that the excess prevalence of high-grade prostate cancer in the drug-treated group may be attributable to shrinkage of the prostate at the time of biopsy.

13 Sep 2007

Shape encoding may start in the retina

New evidence from the University of Southern California suggests that there may be dedicated cells in the retina that help compile small bits of information in order to recognize objects.

13 Sep 2007

Scientists isolate stem cells in womb tissue

Scientists in Australia have found a way of identifying probable stem cells in the lining of women's wombs. The finding opens up the possibility of using the stem cells for tissue engineering applications such as building up natural tissue to repair prolapsed pelvic floors.

13 Sep 2007

Study finds young Australian staff sacked in sick circumstances

Some employers are exploiting the vulnerability of young unsupported workers, sacking them in unfair circumstances, a new study by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has found.

13 Sep 2007

New Rensselaer tools speed stem cell research

Engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed tools to help solve two of the main problems slowing the progress of stem cell research - how to quickly test stem cell response to different drugs or genes, and how to create a large supply of healthy, viable stem cells to study from only a few available cells.

13 Sep 2007

Study finds HIV patients lead chaotic lives - a barrier to regular medical care

Unstable and unpredictable lifestyles are significant factors in determining access to health care among low-income HIV-positive people, a new UCLA study has found.

13 Sep 2007

Vibrating catheters break through clogged arteries

A new vibrating catheter breaks through clogged arteries like a jackhammer, obliterating total blockages in patients with dangerous chronic total occlusions (CTOs).

13 Sep 2007

New technique detects how proteins undergo changes inside a cell

In the September issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics , scientists describe a new technique that can detect how proteins undergo changes inside a cell.

13 Sep 2007

New understanding of how proteins function in the cell - breakthrough for early cancer diagnosis

Early detection of disease is often critical to how successful treatment can be. Therefore, the development of new methods of diagnosis is a hot research field, where every small step is of great importance.

13 Sep 2007

No link between short term cell phone use and brain cancer

Cell phones have not been found to be associated with any biological or adverse health effects, according to the UK's largest investigation into the possible health risks from cell telephone technology.

13 Sep 2007

RecA family recombinases repair DNA damages

A biochemistry research team led by Dr. Andrew H.-J. Wang and Dr. Ting-Fang Wang at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica(IBCAS), has discovered that the RecA family recombinases function as a new type of rotary motor proteins to repair DNA damages.

13 Sep 2007

NASA and NIH to use International Space Station to answer questions about health and diseases

A Sept. 12 signing of a memorandum of understanding marked a key milestone for NASA and the National Institutes of Health in their long partnership to advance scientific discovery.

13 Sep 2007