Research News and Research

RSS

Abnormal glutamine repeats interfere with key transcription factor, leading to neurodegeneration

Although repeating sequences of three nucleotides encoding some of the bodies' 20 amino acids are a normal part of protein composition, abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats is the known cause of multiple inherited neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington disease.

14 Nov 2007

New method for early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension

Researchers at the University of Granada ( UGR ) from the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit and the Cardiology Service of the Hospital Clínico San Cecilio in Granada have developed an innovative system which will help doctors make the earliest diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension possible, which is the main cause of death for patients suffering from scleroderma, a rare disease which affects approximately 1,200 out of every million people.

14 Nov 2007

Diet low in carbohydrates may stunt prostate tumor growth

A diet low in carbohydrates may help stunt the growth of prostate tumors, according to a new study led by Duke Prostate Center researchers. The study, in mice, suggests that a reduction in insulin production possibly caused by fewer carbohydrates may stall tumor growth.

14 Nov 2007

Occasional binge drinking during pregnancy does not harm fetus review says

Scientists in the UK say though the relationship between sustained heavy drinking in pregnancy and health problems for mother and child is well-established, there is little evidence that occasional binge drinking during pregnancy harms the unborn child.

14 Nov 2007

More than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong-sized shoes

More than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong-sized shoes, exposing themselves to serious foot problems that could lead to amputation, according to research in the November issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

14 Nov 2007

Volunteers in AIDS vaccine trial may be at greater risk of infection

Following the aborting of two international trials of an experimental AIDS vaccine, thousands of volunteers have been told the vaccine may have actually raised their risk of infection.

14 Nov 2007

Babies born a few weeks too soon six times more likely to die

Researchers in the United States say babies born just a few weeks too soon are six times more likely to die in their first week of life than full-term babies and are also three times more likely to die before their first birthday.

14 Nov 2007

Two proteins may be survival markers in some breast cancers

New research suggests that the presence or absence of two proteins may be important markers for long-term survival in some breast-cancer patients.

13 Nov 2007

Long term use of Ritalin ineffective and may stunt childrens growth

The latest research from the U.S. says the long-term use of drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta for the treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not effective.

13 Nov 2007

ADHD a result of delayed brain development

Scientists in the United States have discovered that youngsters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a delay in the development of some parts of their brains.

13 Nov 2007

Zinc transporters regulate pancreatic cancer

Zinc, an important trace element for healthy growth and development, can be related to pancreatic cancer. Too much ZIP4, a molecule that enables the transport of zinc into cells, promotes the growth and spread of pancreatic tumors cells, said a group of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Florida in Gainesville, in a report which appears online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

13 Nov 2007

Placenta uses a cloaking device similar to that used by parasites

The placenta uses a cloaking device similar to that used by parasites to avoid detection by the mother's immune system. MRC funded scientists looking to develop a diagnostic test for pre-eclampsia, a major and potentially fatal cause of fetal and maternal illness, made the amazing discovery which could have far reaching implications.

13 Nov 2007

The key to unlocking the secret of highly specific DNAzyme catalysis

Using an extremely sensitive measurement technique, researchers at the University of Illinois have found clear evidence that a lead-specific DNAzyme uses the "lock and key" reaction mechanism.

13 Nov 2007

Synthetic compound promotes death of lung-cancer cells, tumors

Human lung-cancer tumors grown in mice have been shown to regress or disappear when treated with a synthetic compound that mimics the action of a naturally occurring "death-promoting" protein found in cells, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.

13 Nov 2007

Study reveals differences in cancer stage presentation between rural and urban patients

New research published in the November issue of The Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that urban colorectal and lung cancer patients present at later stages of disease than rural patients do.

13 Nov 2007

Study quantifies cost-benefit of hospital-based program to keep youth out of prison

With violence plaguing inner-city youth at epidemic rates, the report of a new study in the November issue of The Journal of the American College of Surgeons illustrated a research-based approach to confronting this national problem.

13 Nov 2007

Smoking cessation during pregnancy is focus of study

Despite warnings from experts and media campaigns marketing healthy living techniques, approximately one-third of women of childbearing age smoke cigarettes and 25-50 percent of women smoke during pregnancy.

13 Nov 2007

Researchers image a biomarker of neurogenesis

Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, M.D., Ph.D, and co-investigators from Stony Brook University Medical Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered a way to image a biomarker of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) in the living human brain.

13 Nov 2007

Risk of disability rises in states with income inequality

A massive survey conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto reveals Americans living in states with high rates of income inequality are significantly more likely to have a disability that limits the completion of daily tasks such as dressing, bathing and mobility at home.

13 Nov 2007

Micro Petri dish allows unprecedented miniaturisation of the growth of micro-organisms

Scientists of Top Institute Food & Nutrition, Wageningen University and Research Centre, NIZO food research and the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology in the Netherlands have developed a new technology that allows unprecedented miniaturisation of the growth of micro-organisms.

13 Nov 2007