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Specific gene found that protects some people with diabetes from severe kidney failure

A research team at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the University of Heidelberg has proven that a gene protects some people with diabetes from developing severe kidney failure or "end-stage renal disease."

9 Jan 2007

Effects of lactation on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis

Mothers who breastfeed should be sure to have enough Calcium in their diet, or may risk bone loss around their teeth and gums, according to a new study that appears in the January issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP).

9 Jan 2007

Milk wipes out heart benefits offered by tea

Research published online in the European Heart Journal has found that the protective effect that tea has on the cardiovascular system is totally wiped out by adding milk.

9 Jan 2007

WHO tackles rabies, snake bites and scorpion stings

Although more than 12 million people each year are bitten by dogs or snakes, or stung by scorpions, the world's capacity to treat them is inadequate.

9 Jan 2007

Modified skin cells that may help protect cultured skin substitutes from infection

Cincinnati burn researchers have created genetically modified skin cells that, when added to cultured skin substitutes, may help fight off potentially lethal infections in patients with severe burns.

9 Jan 2007

Allergic reactions to insulin have declined and Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion could reduce them further

A review of published research from the University of Liege, Belgium, reveals a decline in the number of people experiencing allergic reactions to insulin. This is largely due to better purification of animal insulin and the introduction of human recombinant insulin.

8 Jan 2007

Olive-pomace oil slows down spread of HIV

Olive oil has become part of the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - the cause of AIDS - thanks to research carried out by the Bionat team, from the University of Granada, headed by Prof. Andres Garcia-Granados, senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry.

8 Jan 2007

Cell therapy for Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease is one of the commonest afflictions caused by damage to the nerve cells of the brain. Patients suffer from muscular tremors and rigidity, and their movements are severely impaired.

8 Jan 2007

Does industry sponsorship undermine nutrition research?

Researchers from the Children's Hospital, Boston, USA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D. C., USA, have found that there is a high potential for research findings into non-alcoholic drinks to be affected by bias from companies providing funding.

8 Jan 2007

VeriChip awarded U.S. patent for RFID asset tracking system

Applied Digital Solutions, though its subsidiary VeriChip Corporation has announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted VeriChip Corp. a patent for its portable RFID asset location system.

8 Jan 2007

Stem cells from amniotic fluid no substitute for embryonic cells

The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) applauds the discovery of apparently versatile stem cells in amniotic fluid as a positive development, but cautions that the research does not eliminate the need for embryonic stem cell research.

8 Jan 2007

Red tide toxins may trigger respiratory symptoms

The ecological phenomenon, known as Florida red tide, can be harmful for people with asthma. Florida red tides, an annual event in areas along the Gulf of Mexico, are blooms of the ocean organism, Karenia brevis (K brevis), that are concentrated along shorelines and produce highly potent aerosolized toxins.

8 Jan 2007

New alarm system protects nerves during surgery

An alarm tone warns the surgeon that the position of his scalpel is dangerously close to the nerve leading to the patient's vocal cords - the beep tone signals excessive pressure on the nerve.

8 Jan 2007

New carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic puncture needle

Sometimes it begins with a slight pulling sensation in the back, while at other times it can put a person completely out of action from one minute to the next: These are the symptoms of a slipped disk. An operation is not always necessary, as there are effective alternatives to surgery.

8 Jan 2007

BioMed Central launches BMC Systems Biology

BioMed Central has announced the launch of BMC Systems Biology, the first open access journal focussed solely on the entire emerging subject of systems biology.

8 Jan 2007

Young single men are more likely to bank sperm before testicular cancer treatment

A quarter of men with testicular cancer banked their sperm before treatment, but only six per cent of those actually used the sperm to father a child, according to a study published in the January issue of the UK-based urology journal BJU International.

8 Jan 2007

Scientists discover how body fights to control spread of cancer

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found how two molecules fight in the blood to control the spread of cancer cells.

8 Jan 2007

Abnormal hair development and apparent follicular transformation to mammary gland in the absence of Hedgehog signaling

One single molecule determines how stem cells in the hair follicle develop. A study at the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University in Sweden has shown that cells that should give rise to hair can instead give rise to mammary gland cells in mice who lack this molecule.

8 Jan 2007

Trust your gut feelings!

A UCL (University College London) study has found that you are more likely to perform well if you do not think too hard and instead trust your instincts.

8 Jan 2007

FDA approves MedImmune's new refrigerated formulation of FluMist influenza virus vaccine

MedImmune has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's new refrigerated formulation of FluMist (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) for use in helping to prevent influenza in healthy children and adults from 5 years to 49 years of age.

8 Jan 2007