Research News and Research

RSS

Focus on motor neurone disease

Motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative disease of unknown cause which causes patients to lose basic motor functions and has a devastating effect on them and their families.

17 Jun 2007

Synaptic dysfunction in Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a hereditary disorder that primarily affects the brain, leading to death within just over a decade.

17 Jun 2007

Researchers use 'genomic pathway' to predict Parkinson's

A new Mayo Clinic study provides strong evidence that the joint effects of common DNA variations in several genes that encode proteins within a well-defined biological pathway largely explain why some persons get Parkinson's disease while others don't, and even predict with great accuracy at what age people might develop their first symptoms.

17 Jun 2007

Researchers identify potential role for retinoic acid in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

An important finding, which could eventually lead to a new therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, psoriasis and others, was announced by researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI).

17 Jun 2007

Many people fail to plan ahead when making dynamic decisions about their lives

More than half of the participants in experiments conducted at the University of York fail to plan ahead when making dynamic decisions about their lives, according to the findings of research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council that will have implications for policies on financial planning and pensions.

17 Jun 2007

Imagery rehearsal therapy helps insomniacs

In a study that insomniacs may find welcoming, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) has been shown to subjectively improve their ability to get a good night's sleep, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

17 Jun 2007

Aspirin resistance

Aspirin is used by millions of patients for the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease, the single leading cause of death in the world.

17 Jun 2007

Prescription and OTC pills may increase unhealthy behavior

The first FDA-approved over-the-counter weight loss pill, has hit shelves nationwide.

17 Jun 2007

Herpes virus hijacks DNA repair process

Scientists probing the details of viral infection have discovered an intriguing surprise: in mice, herpes viruses hijack their host cells' tools for fixing DNA damage and use those tools to enhance their own reproduction.

17 Jun 2007

Hormone therapy can extend life in ovarian cancer patients

The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, has proved for the first time that the targeted use of an anti-oestrogen drug could prolong the life of some patients by up to three years, and delay the use of chemotherapy in others.

17 Jun 2007

Hazardous drinking causes nearly half of deaths in working-age Russian men

Hazardous alcohol drinking causes 43% of deaths in Russian men aged 25-54, conclude authors of a study published in The Lancet.

17 Jun 2007

New area of stroke drug discovery for the 22nd century

A new therapy to re-activate silenced genes in patients who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases or stroke is being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Cornell University.

17 Jun 2007

Contact lens solution linked to Acanthamoeba keratitis

The use of a particular contact lens solution has a strong association with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare severe eye infection, report researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago in a study published online this week by the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

17 Jun 2007

Study shows improvement of rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy

Disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is significantly reduced during pregnancy, according to new data presented today at EULAR 2007, the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain.

17 Jun 2007

Extra sleep improves athletic performance

Athletes who get an extra amount of sleep are more likely to improve their performance in a game, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

17 Jun 2007

Educating OSA patients about continuous positive airway pressure critical to successful treatment

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition in which enhancement of patient self-efficacy is critical for long-term management.

17 Jun 2007

Does Alli work?

The first and only over-the-counter product for weight loss approved by the Food and Drug Administration will be available Friday, June 15.

17 Jun 2007

Sexual dreams

In a detailed study that served to investigate the actual nature and content of sexual dreams across a large sample of dream reports from men and women, approximately eight percent of everyday dream reports from both genders contain some form of sexual-related activity.

17 Jun 2007

Gaps in diabetes care identified

A symposium, sponsored by the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Joslin Diabetes Center and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing identified barriers to, and strategies for, more effective diabetes self management and reaffirmed the nurse's critical role to facilitate better patient self care.

17 Jun 2007

Starving Listeria bug of oxygen makes it turn nasty

If the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria behind food poisoning are starved of oxygen, they are liable to turn really nasty according to research published in the online journal BMC Microbiology.

17 Jun 2007