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Lead exposure can hinder recovery from a brain injury

Lead exposure at a young age can hurt the brain's development and cause learning and behavioral problems. It may also interfere with recovery from a brain injury.

25 Oct 2004

Transplanted human retinal stem cells can successfully regenerate

"We transplanted the cells early in the animals' development when all the nutrients and signals they needed for differentiation were still there," says lead author Brenda Coles, a U of T laboratory technician working under the supervision of Professor Derek van der Kooy in the Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology. "When their eyes fully developed, the human cells survived, migrated into the sensory part of the eye and formed the correct cells."

25 Oct 2004

Evidence links cellular iron deficiency to restless legs syndrome

Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms causing the irresistible urges to move and creepy-crawly sensations that characterize restless legs syndrome (RLS), a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers investigate new treatment options, including ways to boost immune responses to better control HIV

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of individuals infected by HIV-1 is limited by high costs, drug resistance, and drug-related toxicities. This has led researchers to investigate new treatment options, including ways to boost immune responses to better control HIV.

25 Oct 2004

Many patients with sleep apnea or insomnia also have attention deficit disorder

People who have difficulty sleeping at night or staying awake during the day may suffer from more than just a sleep disorder.

25 Oct 2004

Obese patients have higher health care costs

Compared to nonobese persons, obese patients had higher average health care costs over a one-year period, according to an article in the October 25 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 Oct 2004

Studies examine risk factors and potential consequences associated with prehypertension

A substantial proportion of Americans have prehypertension (blood pressure above optimal levels, but not clinical hypertension) which is associated with an increased prevalence of other risk factors for heart disease and stroke and is also associated with potential increased risk for hospitalization and death

25 Oct 2004

Scientists are testing the effectiveness of a new type of flu vaccine

The experimental vaccine instead relies on a cell line drawn from insects known as silk moths, which are better known for their role as pests attacking crops such as corn, cotton, barley and alfalfa.

25 Oct 2004

Fish oil reverses age-related ailments

University of Bradford student Samantha Little has been awarded a Young Investigators Award at an international congress for her work on the effect of fish oil on the ageing brain.

25 Oct 2004

Agreement reached on new community pharmacy contract

Patients in the UK will gain a better service from their local pharmacist as Government plans for a more flexible, modernised service moved a step further towards implementation, Health Minister Rosie Winterton announced today.

25 Oct 2004

Women still not checking for breast cancer

One woman in five never checks her breasts for signs of breast cancer and women in London are the most complacent according to new research from Macmillan Cancer Relief as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue. The protein, known as "transthyretin," protects brain cells from gradual deterioration by blocking another toxic protein that contributes to the disease process.

25 Oct 2004

Study could lead to new, more effective treatments for urinary tract infections

Anyone who thinks scientists lead a glamorous, exciting life should talk to Jennifer Snyder, a graduate student at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine.

25 Oct 2004

Injured motor vehicle occupants cumulatively lost 60.8 million days of work

More than 6.3 million adults were involved in police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2001, resulting in more than 3 million injuries and health-care visits.

25 Oct 2004

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK. The vaccine, devised by a team led by Dr Helen McShane in Oxford’s Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine (CCVTM), is designed to be used in tandem with the tried and tested BCG inoculation – first introduced in 1921 – and not to replace it.

25 Oct 2004

Philip Morris exploited institutional fears of losing research funding

As part of its strategy to avert tobacco stock divestment by the country's top medical schools, Philip Morris exploited institutional fears of losing research funding, according to a new report by UCSF School of Nursing researchers.

25 Oct 2004

New oral vaccine treatment is effective in reducing Alzheimer's disease pathology

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive loss of cognitive function due to amyloid-beta (Aß) deposits in the central nervous system. If these deposits could be stopped or slowed, Alzheimer's disease might become more manageable.

25 Oct 2004

Potential new treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells

A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified a potential treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells that has never been tried before.

25 Oct 2004

Drinking regular cuppas could help improve your memory

Results of laboratory tests by a team from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain enzymes in the brain which are associated with memory.

25 Oct 2004

Lighting up the human brain at night

Most people are aware that light affects human behaviour and can be used to treat disorders such as Seasonal Affective Disorder, but now researchers from the University of Surrey and the University of Liege have found new evidence that light administered during the night immediately reduces sleepiness and boosts human brain function.

25 Oct 2004