Medical News

RSS

A plasminogen-activating protease specifically controls the development of primary pneumonic plague

The deadly attack of the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague is significantly slowed when it can't make use of a key protein, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Science.

28 Jan 2007

Cellular mechanism linked to inflammation and cancer

A team led by biochemists at the University of California, San Diego has found what could be a long-elusive mechanism through which inflammation can promote cancer. The findings may provide a new approach for developing cancer therapies.

28 Jan 2007

Molecular mechanism behind aggregation of amyloid beta peptide due to anesthetics

Inhaled anesthetics commonly used in surgery are more likely to cause the aggregation of Alzheimer's disease-related plaques in the brain than intravenous anesthetics say University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in a journal article published in Biochemistry.

28 Jan 2007

New tool to detect depression in cancer patients

A tool to detect depression in cancer patients launched by the University of Liverpool will vastly improve patients' ability to come to terms with their disease.

28 Jan 2007

RNA used to turn on genes to alleviate disease

A new technique that employs RNA, a tiny chemical cousin of DNA, to turn on genes could lead to therapeutics for conditions in which nudging a gene awake would help alleviate disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center say.

28 Jan 2007

Alternative to artery-clogging trans fats

Alejandro's research group found a way to mix oil, water, monoglycerides and fatty acids to form a gel substance that provides the same structural and functional benefits as trans and saturated fats.

28 Jan 2007

Yaws disease re-emerging

Yaws, a disease which eats away at the skin, cartilage and bones of its victims (mostly children), is re- emerging in poor, rural and marginalized populations of Africa, Asia and South America.

28 Jan 2007

Favorable decision for Ranbaxy on Atorvastatin patent in Canada

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited announced that the Federal Court of Canada has handed down a favorable decision in the company's case against Pfizer by finding invalid Pfizer's Canadian atorvastatin patent CA 2,021,546.

28 Jan 2007

Over 1.5 million internally displaced persons in Iraq

Over 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, most with urgent needs in the most basic services, continue to present numerous challenges for the Iraqi national authorities and the international community.

28 Jan 2007

Linemen more than twice as likely as other players to have metabolic syndrome

After retirement, National Football League (NFL) linemen - generally the heaviest players - are more than twice as likely as other players to have a syndrome that puts them at risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases

28 Jan 2007

Small molecule targets weak mRNA

A new strategy for fighting cancer aims to make its genes get lost in translation, according to a report in the January 26, 2007, issue of the journal Cell.

28 Jan 2007

Link between MRI contrast agent and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis

New research has shown a possible association between a popular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent and the incidence of a rare disease called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with kidney disease, according to an editorial appearing in the March issue of Radiology.

28 Jan 2007

Micro molecules can distinguish pancreatic cancer from normal and benign pancreatic tissue

The study examined human pancreatic tumor tissue and compared it to nearby normal tissue and control tissue for levels of microRNA (miRNA).

28 Jan 2007

Minor mistake in protein production at the cellular level may lead to serious neurological diseases

But exactly how the cell avoids such mistakes has remained unclear until now. Researchers at Ohio State University found the mechanism that prevents such errors, and explain their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

28 Jan 2007

Homeless youth can be easy to engage and easy to treat

One of the few studies examining methods to help homeless youth found that a comprehensive intervention program can indeed dramatically improve their life situation.

28 Jan 2007

Study sheds light on complex design of tears

It's no secret why we shed tears. But exactly what our tears are made of has remained a mystery to scientists.

28 Jan 2007

Brown seaweed may provide protective ingredient against skin cancers

Substances extracted from a marine seaweed may protect against skin cancer caused by too much sun, new research suggests.

28 Jan 2007

Healthy 4 year-olds who eat lots of fat weigh less

Four-year-olds eat too few vegetables and too much sugar. They also bolt down lots of junk food, but children who eat more fat than others nevertheless weigh less. This is shown in a new dissertation from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University in Sweden.

28 Jan 2007

Living near a freeway effects lung development in children

Local exposure to traffic on a freeway (motorway) has serious adverse effects on children's lung development, which could result in unhealthy lung function in later life, according to an Online/Article published by The Lancet.

28 Jan 2007

Magnetic resonance imaging better than computed tomography for the detection of acute stroke

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is better than the more commonly used computed tomography (CT) for the detection of acute stroke, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

28 Jan 2007