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Role of peptidoglycan protein in immune response may aid HIV research

A family of proteins that serve as the body's first line of defense against bacterial infections may provide a lifeline for individuals with compromised immune systems.

6 Aug 2006

Chemical in household products may cause reductions in lung function

New research shows that a chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be harmful to the lungs.

6 Aug 2006

For the first time, scientists watch neurons change in response to experience

Thanks to a new imaging system, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have gotten an unprecedented look into how genes shape the brain in response to the environment.

6 Aug 2006

Actual meal time activates genes in specific brain area

Giving up your regular late-night snack may be hard, and not just because it's a routine.

6 Aug 2006

New way of delivering corrective genes holds promise for hereditary diseases of the heart

A new way of delivering corrective genes with a single injection into a vein holds promise for long-lasting treatments of hereditary diseases of the heart, University of Florida researchers report.

6 Aug 2006

Normal pattern of brain growth is disrupted in babies that are born prematurely

Measurement of the way that the brain grows after birth in preterm infants, particularly the relation between brain surface area and cortical volume, may help to predict neurodevelopmental impairment.

6 Aug 2006

Minimally invasive robotic surgery used to inject stem cells into damaged hearts

Researchers at the University of Minnesota were successful in using robotic surgery to deliver stem cell treatment to damaged heart tissue in pigs.

6 Aug 2006

New research may solve problem of vessels re-closing after angioplasty

Through studying pigeons with genetic heart disease, researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered a clue about why some patients' heart vessels are prone to close back up after angioplasty.

6 Aug 2006

Aggressive melanoma cells secrete Nodal - protein critical to embryo formation

A Northwestern University research group has discovered that aggressive melanoma cells secrete Nodal, a protein that is critical to proper embryo formation.

6 Aug 2006

Why reassurance fails in patients with unexplained symptoms

When patients are unconvinced by reassurance from their doctor that they have nothing to worry about, it may be because their emotional state makes it hard for them to remember all the information the doctor has given them, according to new research in PLoS Medicine.

6 Aug 2006

Spray-on skin helps children suffering burns cope with the trauma of scarring

Spray-on skin is helping child burns victims cope with the trauma of scarring, according to a study by University of Queensland researchers at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

6 Aug 2006

New, shorter therapies to treat tuberculosis more effective

New, shorter therapies to treat tuberculosis (TB), which kills millions worldwide each year, may make TB control efforts substantially more effective by simplifying treatment, improving patient outcomes and reducing transmission of new infections.

6 Aug 2006

Gene family expansion can begin even before a gene is duplicated

Theoretical biologist Stephen Proulx studies gene families to explore how genomes become diverse and evolve.

6 Aug 2006

DNA of human embryonic stem cells is chemically modified in a characteristic, predictable pattern

Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that are undergoing a period of intense cellular activity, including the chemical addition of methyl groups to specific DNA sequences in a process known as DNA methylation.

6 Aug 2006

Impact of adolescent overweight on adult mortality

Researchers found that being overweight at age 18 is associated with an increased risk of premature death in younger and middle-aged women.

6 Aug 2006

Txr1 gene that affects human cancer cells' sensitivity to chemotherapy

Gene that affects human cancer cells' sensitivity to chemotherapy - an important finding in the effort to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

6 Aug 2006

Tocotrienol - a potent neuroprotective agent

Two recent studies offer new evidence suggesting an alternative form of natural vitamin E can be taken by mouth and will reach the blood in humans at levels determined to protect against stroke and other diseases.

6 Aug 2006

Interleukin 21 may enhance the effectiveness of Herceptin

Preliminary research suggests that a drug that targets a particular type of breast cancer might be more effective if patients are also given a substance made by the body that stimulates certain immune cells.

6 Aug 2006

Driver distraction causes one in five crashes

Results published in the new issue of international journal, Injury Prevention, show that driver distraction causes one in five crashes reported by drivers.

6 Aug 2006

Almost half of kids with ADHD are not being treated

In contrast to claims that children are being overmedicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that a high percentage of kids with ADHD are not receiving treatment.

4 Aug 2006