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Silicone breast implants given the OK by the FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has lifted a ban on the use of silicone breast implants.

20 Nov 2006

Nanotechnology continues to advance anticancer gene therapy

Given that cancer is a disease in which genetic errors play a major role, it should come as no surprise that many experts envision a time when gene therapy will play an equally important role in the treatment of cancer.

20 Nov 2006

Low-field magnetic separation of monodisperse Fe3O4 nanocrystals

Whether the goal is to separate different types of cells or molecules, methods that rely on the age-old principle of magnetism are a staple among researchers.

20 Nov 2006

Watching a tumor cell migrate

Using a microfluidics device designed to reproduce the physical microenvironment of small blood vessels and the spaces between cells, researchers at the National University of Singapore have imaged single tumor cells deforming as they migrate through the device.

20 Nov 2006

Templated self-assembly of quantum dots from aqueous solution using protein scaffolds

Quantum dots are rapidly becoming biomedical researchers' tool of choice for adding a fluorescent label to a wide variety of biomolecules.

20 Nov 2006

Africa is developing solutions for fighting disease and improving health

The signs are everywhere, across the continent: Africa is finding African approaches to solving its health problems.

20 Nov 2006

Cancer Research Technology and University of Manchester announce collaboration in oncology with AstraZeneca

Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT), the oncology-focused development and commercialisation company, and The University of Manchester have entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to establish a clinical pharmacology biomarker research and discovery collaboration.

20 Nov 2006

Tooth whiteners found to have no negative health effects

Common tooth whitening products, which have been used by millions of people, are found to be safe and do not increase the risk of oral cancer when used as directed.

20 Nov 2006

Scientists discover function for antisense RNA

Researchers have found that a class of RNA molecules, previously thought to have no function, may in fact protect sex cells from self-destructing. These findings will be published in the November 17 issue of the journal Cell.

20 Nov 2006

Combination of depression, anxiety, hostility and anger increases risk for heart disease

Frequent bouts of depression, anxiety, hostility and anger are known to increase a person's risk for developing coronary heart disease, but a combination of these "negative" personality traits may put people at especially serious risk, according to a study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

20 Nov 2006

HRT shows promise in helping visual memory of postmenopausal women

Many women experience declines in their memory during and after menopause, a change thought to be due, in part, to the rapid hormonal changes they weather during that time.

20 Nov 2006

Adolescent girls who live near parks more physically active

Adolescent girls who live within half a mile of a public park are significantly more physically active than other girls, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have found.

20 Nov 2006

Heightening adolescent vigilance towards alcohol advertising to forestall alcohol use

A new research report from Penn State's Smeal College of Business finds that modest in-school lessons revealing the goals and effects of alcohol advertising can reduce the likelihood that adolescents will drink.

20 Nov 2006

Brookhaven target compounds to fight SARS

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have set the stage for the rapid identification of compounds to fight against severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS), the atypical pneumonia responsible for about 800 deaths worldwide since first recognized in late 2002.

20 Nov 2006

Women are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder more than men

Males experience more traumatic events on average than do females, yet females are more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to a review of 25 years of research reported in the November issue of Psychological Bulletin, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

20 Nov 2006

Risk to childhood cancer survivors for late-occurring strokes

Children who are successfully treated for brain tumors or leukemia are more likely to have strokes later in life, according to new research from UT Southwestern Medical Center.

20 Nov 2006

Yeast model system may provide a means for treating the earliest stage of Alzheimer's

A century ago this month, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer formally described characteristics of the neurodegenerative disease which ultimately came to bear his name. While international efforts to learn about Alzheimer's disease and develop treatments have progressed significantly in recent years, a cure remains an elusive goal.

19 Nov 2006

Cause of exercise intolerance in heart failure patients

A new study shows that blood flow to the legs is relatively normal in people with diastolic heart failure, suggesting other potential causes of their inability to do everyday activities, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

19 Nov 2006

Experimental drug provides powerful therapy against acute myeloid leukemia

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found, in laboratory studies, that the experimental drug ABT-737 which has shown promise in some cancers, can destroy acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast, progenitor and even stem cells that are often resistant to standard chemotherapy treatment.

19 Nov 2006

Cigarette smoking and high HPV concentrations associated with greater risk of cervical cancer

Cigarette smoking and concurrent infection with high levels of the virus associated with cervical cancer can increase cancer risk by as much as 27 times, according to a study published in the November 2006 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

19 Nov 2006