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Researchers find stem cells in colorectal tumors

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified the cancer stem cells that propagate tumors in colon and rectal cancer, a discovery that could lead to improved treatment of this deadly cancer.

5 Jun 2007

Researchers track how spores break out of dormant state

Tapping into the unknown world of awakening dormant bacterial spores, researchers have revealed through atomic force microscopy (AFM) the alterations of spore coat and germ cell wall that accompany the transformation from a spore to a vegetative cell.

5 Jun 2007

Army should tailor some National Guard units for disaster work

The U.S. Army should change the way it plans for domestic emergencies -- both natural disasters and terrorist attacks -- to better support state and local first responders, according to a RAND Corporation report issued.

5 Jun 2007

What the brain does while idle

Indiana University neuroscientists Olaf Sporns and Christopher Honey find the 98 percent of brain activity that other researchers consider just background noise to be fascinating and important.

5 Jun 2007

Low doses of Ecstasy associated with decreased verbal memory function

Even low doses of Ecstasy may be associated with a decline in language-related memory, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Jun 2007

Divorce can be a predictor of methylphenidate use by children of broken families

Methylphenidate is a drug commonly prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The rapid increase in use of the drug over the past few decades has been noted in numerous countries, including Canada.

5 Jun 2007

Hypothyroidism linked to mood swings

Hypothyroidism is often associated with mood changes like depression lethargy.

5 Jun 2007

Hot flashes may be a good sign for women with early stage breast cancer

Women on tamoxifen therapy who reported having hot flashes were less likely to develop recurrent breast cancer than those who did not report hot flashes, according to a study from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

5 Jun 2007

Moderate strengthening exercises may slow progression of Lou Gehrig's disease

Moderate strengthening exercises may help people with early stage ALS maintain function and quality of life longer, according to a study published in the June 5, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 Jun 2007

Genetic variations may help explain why some men with depression develop suicidal thoughts

Although most patients with depression respond favorably to antidepressant medications, a very small subgroup may experience worse symptoms after beginning treatment, according to background information in the article.

5 Jun 2007

Researchers track human stem cells transplanted into rat brain

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have illuminated the path taken by human neural stem cells that were transplanted into the brains of rats and mice, and found that the cells successfully navigate toward areas damaged by stroke.

5 Jun 2007

Do pay-for-performance incentives improve quality of care?

Pay-for-performance incentives have been proposed as a method to improve the quality of care received by patients.

5 Jun 2007

Blocking stress protein decreases Alzheimer's peptide

Scientists revealed in November 2006 that stress increases production in mice of a brain peptide critical to Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jun 2007

After epilepsy surgery, quality of life related more to seizures than memory

Epilepsy surgery can eliminate seizures for 60 to 85 percent of people with temporal lobe epilepsy who do not respond well to medications.

5 Jun 2007

African-American men understimate risk of prostate cancer

Many African-American men radically underestimate the likelihood that having a needle biopsy for suspected prostate cancer will result in a cancer diagnosis, according to a study from the University of Chicago Medical Center.

5 Jun 2007

breakthrough in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis

Researchers at Queen Mary University London and the University of Leicester and have announced a potential breakthrough in the treatment of a rare but devastating medical condition that can affect children and young people.

5 Jun 2007

More women exercise, the more they need to eat to stay healthy

Women who follow strict exercise and diet regimens may harm their body?s ability to form new bone, which can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

5 Jun 2007

Time-of-flight positron emission tomography provides benefits for cancer patients

Moving from computer simulation to patient images, researchers are now demonstrating the benefits that time-of-flight (TOF)/PET (positron emission tomography) imaging can provide for cancer patients.

5 Jun 2007

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers tied the accumulation of the toxic brain protein beta-amyloid to Alzheimer's disease, according to a study reported at the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest society for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine professionals.

5 Jun 2007