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New type of silicone gel breast implant

A new type of silicone breast implant, currently available to women who agree to be part of a clinical study, offers breast augmentation and reconstruction patients more natural looking breasts with a low complication rate, according to a recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

17 Oct 2005

New findings on brain tumors called ependymomas

Brain tumors called ependymomas that occur in different parts of the central nervous system appear to arise from subpopulations of stem cells called radial glia cells (RGCs), according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The discovery explains why some identical-looking ependymomas are actually distinctly different diseases, the researchers said.

17 Oct 2005

1G8 antibody signals prostate cancer cells to stop growing and die

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have uncovered the mechanism by which an antibody blocks the growth of prostate cancer in animal models, a discovery that could pave the way for development of a new molecularly targeted therapy.

17 Oct 2005

Antibiotic moxifloxacin as a new treatment for tuberculosis

Moxifloxacin is currently approved in more than 100 countries, including the United States, as a treatment for bacterial respiratory infections, such as bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia.

17 Oct 2005

$4.4 million, 4-year grant aims to bridge gap between Western and African medicine

Described as a hotspot of botanical diversity, there are more than 20,000 indigenous plant species in South Africa. Several thousand of them are used by traditional healers every day in that country for treating a range of problems from the common cold to serious diseases such as AIDS.

17 Oct 2005

Big babies run the risk of obesity later in life

There was a time, not so long ago, when mothers were proud of their bonnie babies, who appeared to gain weight easily, and it was almost thought to be a sign of a healthy, thriving babe and the result of good maternal care and attention

17 Oct 2005

Cannabis boosts brain power in rats

Scientists now say that Cannabis, the third most popular recreational drug after alcohol and tobacco, could boost brain power.

17 Oct 2005

Your worse nightmare - harmful fungi live in your pillow!

It's your worse nightmare, when you lay that weary head down to rest, that pillow is literally festering!

From The University of Manchester 17 Oct 2005

Women be warned, men can be bad for you!

According to a UK obesity expert when women move in with their man they very often put on weight as a result.

17 Oct 2005

BMA says smoking ban protecting bar workers in Ireland

Today's British Medical Journal paper showing that smoke-free laws in the Republic of Ireland ARE protecting bar workers from the effects of secondhand smoke, gives the Government in England no excuse to fall short of introducing a complete ban on smoking in all enclosed public places.

16 Oct 2005

Breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is a good option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have breast implants

The new findings challenge past studies that showed delivering radiation to a breast with an implant in place causes significant problems in the implant, resulting in poor cosmetic results.

16 Oct 2005

Treatment recommendations for breast cancer should not be based on a woman's marital status

Research has shown that being single, married or divorced can influence cancer survival, but a new study shows marital status appears to have no impact on the outcome for women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation.

16 Oct 2005

Antibody-dependent enhancement

Some viruses' ability to exploit the human body's own defenses to increase their replication may be both a blessing and curse, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

16 Oct 2005

Gastric bypass surgery may not be the most effective surgery in producing weight loss

"Overall, we found that patients who elect to have duodenal switch end up slimmer than those who choose gastric bypass," says Dr. Gladys W. Strain, director of research for bariatric surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and associate research professor of nutrition in surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

16 Oct 2005

dnaJP1 - novel drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have announced successful completion of Phase II clinical trials of a novel drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one that works without suppressing the patient's immune system.

16 Oct 2005

Research reveals concerns over use of health information

New Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research has discovered that eight per cent of people are asked to pay a higher premium because of health 'ratings' - twice as many as previously thought.

16 Oct 2005

Ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk factors

Heredity plays a major role in determining the blood lipid profile and heart rate variability of blacks and whites, two major risk factors for coronary artery disease, researchers say.

16 Oct 2005

Computer-assisted instruction offers the potential to overcome knowledge barriers and improve screening rates

Even patients with minimal education and no computer skills can be successfully educated about health topics using computers, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

16 Oct 2005

Curry spice appears to shut down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer

Curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric and the compound that gives curry its mustard-yellow color, inhibits metastasis to the lungs of mice with breast cancer, report researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

16 Oct 2005

Possible explanation for the higher incidence of lung cancer in African Americans

Faulty cell cycle "checkpoints" that fail to respond to DNA damage effectively may contribute to the high incidence of lung cancer in African-Americans, say researchers at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

16 Oct 2005