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Genetic testing for severe type of migraine may help identify new treatment options

People with a severe type of migraine in which one side of the body becomes weak should consider genetic testing, according to research that has found familial genes for this type of migraine in people who did not have family members experiencing the problem.

4 Dec 2007

Genes discovered that protect against heart damage from chemotherapy

A series of genes that protect cells from the powerful, common chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin has been identified by researchers working to understand how the drug also can destroy the heart.

4 Dec 2007

New genetic markers found that increase a person's risk for schizophrenia

Scientists at the Zucker Hillside Hospital campus of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have identified nine genetic markers that can increase a person's risk for schizophrenia.

4 Dec 2007

Approval of Diovan (valsartan) in U.S. for hypertension in children and adolescents

Diovan (valsartan), an angiotensin receptor blocker or ARB, has been approved following a priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents ages six to 16.

4 Dec 2007

Theory applied to fate

Why does it take so long for soul mates to find each other? How does disease spread through a person's body? When will the next computer virus attack your hard-drive?

4 Dec 2007

Perchlorate contamination of drinking water may pose a greater health risk than previously thought

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have shown that perchlorate - an industrial pollutant linked to thyroid ailments - is actively concentrated in breast milk.

4 Dec 2007

Body dysmorphic disorder due to visual brain glitch

Although they look normal, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) perceive themselves as ugly and disfigured.

4 Dec 2007

Molecular technology used to identify unexpected bacteria in cystic fibrosis patients

Molecular technology developed by a University of Colorado at Boulder professor to probe extreme life forms in undersea hydrothermal vents has been used to identify unexpected bacteria strains in the lung fluid of Denver children suffering from cystic fibrosis, findings that may lead to more effective therapies.

4 Dec 2007

Switzerland creates new centre for vaccine research

The Institute will develop an immunology, microbiology and vaccine research laboratory platform to encourage cooperation between scientists working in the field of HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, influenza and cancer vaccine development in Switzerland, from fundamental to clinical researchers.

4 Dec 2007

Hydrogen sulfide provides clues to a longer life

Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, the chemical that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous stench - and the same compound that researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center successfully have used to put mice into a state of reversible metabolic hibernation - has now been shown to significantly increase life span and heat tolerance in the nematode worm, or C. elegans.

4 Dec 2007

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features innovative methods for embryology research

Two methods that permit scientists to examine critical stages in early embryogenesis are featured in this month's release of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.

4 Dec 2007

New psychiatric medication treatment guidelines for preschoolers

The number of preschool-age children being treated with stimulants, antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs is on the rise, despite limited research and a lack of clinical practice guidelines.

4 Dec 2007

Brain abnormalities discovered in people who have trouble reading fast

Some people who have problems reading quickly appear to have abnormalities in the white matter of their brains, according to research published in the December 4, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Dec 2007

Benzethonium chloride products identified as best for killing MRSA

One type of over-the-counter product for topical wound care is more effective than others in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, which is potentially deadly and in recent years has moved from its historic hospital setting to a much broader public concern.

4 Dec 2007

Inhaled immune system stimulant launches immune response in lungs to wipe out lethal infections

An inhaled immune system stimulant protects mice against lethal pneumococcal pneumonia and other deadly bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the lungs, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at a major scientific meeting.

4 Dec 2007

Stop smoking services are reducing the UK's health gap

Poorer people in the UK are quitting smoking in larger numbers than their better off neighbours, according to a new study.

3 Dec 2007

Cancer patients to be treated by qualified professionals

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is calling on European politicians to voice their support for a decisive step to help ensure cancer patients receive the best possible treatment.

3 Dec 2007

FDA launches e-mail alert system

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a new e-mail service that alerts subscribers whenever information is updated on certain FDA Web pages.

3 Dec 2007

Do medical schools affect the way future doctors interact with drug companies?

Although more and more drug advertisements are appearing on television, the bulk of the approximately $21 billion dollars that pharmaceutical companies spend annually to market their products is targeted to physicians, doctors in training (residents) and medical students.

3 Dec 2007

Tainted spinach reveals treatment possibilities

A discovery by University at Buffalo biologists that may explain the evolution of a lethal toxin is providing new information that could lead to more effective treatments for humans who fall victim to it.

3 Dec 2007