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Brain plays an important role in the maintenance of proper bone density

The results of this research, involving a study of the activity of the protein interleukin 1 in the brain, comprise not only a breakthrough in understanding the regulation of bone density by the brain but also hold promise for the development of future treatment for osteoporosis, say the researchers.

24 Aug 2005

New insight into how sunlight affects DNA

Chemists at Ohio State University have gained new insight into how sunlight affects DNA. And what they found overturns ideas about genetic mutation that originated decades ago.

24 Aug 2005

Healthy or wealthy, dementia affects us all the same

According to a UK study, dementia is no respector of wealth or health, and does not appear to be governed by social background or health status.

24 Aug 2005

New drug that selectively blocks immune responses protects kidneys after transplant

In an international clinical trial, a new drug that selectively blocks immune responses has proved as effective in preventing acute kidney transplant rejection as cyclosporine, the standard anti-rejection treatment.

24 Aug 2005

Out-of-body experiences to be investigated

Psychologists at The University of Manchester are investigating the idea that out-of-body experiences, commonly thought of as paranormal phenomena, may in fact have their roots in how people perceive and experience their own bodies.

From The University of Manchester 24 Aug 2005

Pennsylvania law allows motorcyclists to drive helmet free - who pays the medical bills?

Pennsylvania passed a law to allow motorcyclists to drive without wearing a helmet. But who pays the medical bills when a motorcyclist suffers a catastrophic brain injury, and how does this law affect our overall medical policy?

24 Aug 2005

Review on fetal pain creates controversy

A review of medical evidence, which has apparently found that fetuses don't feel pain until the final months of pregnancy, has created controversy and has presented a powerful challenge to abortion opponents.

24 Aug 2005

First human gene mutation that causes extreme farsightedness

Working with an Amish-Mennonite family tree, Johns Hopkins researchers at the Wilmer Eye Institute have discovered what appears to be the first human gene mutation that causes extreme farsightedness.

24 Aug 2005

Hundreds of identified genes involved in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease

In a paper published in PLoS Medicine researchers from the German Genome Research Network have analysed the expression of thousands of genes from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease) using a genome wide approach to produce a comprehensive picture of which genes are activated in these conditions.

24 Aug 2005

Scientists convert human embryonic stem cells into lung cells

According to research to be published in the journal Tissue Engineering, the team from Imperial College London, took human embryonic stem cells and 'directed' them to convert into the type of cells needed for gas exchange in the lung, known as mature small airway epithelium.

24 Aug 2005

Female college students do better overall

America's female college students study more, are more likely to read their textbooks thoroughly and to earn "A"s in their courses, and expect to graduate in less time than their male counterparts.

24 Aug 2005

Brain can be tricked into thinking the pain has gone

A new U.S. study has found that it is possible that by just thinking that a medicine will relieve pain is enough to prompt the brain to release its own natural painkillers, and soothe painful sensations.

24 Aug 2005

No intervention is necessary for most children with fluid in their ears

A Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh study finds that prompt insertion of tympanostomy tubes (small ear tubes) does not improve developmental outcomes of children at 6 years of age as once thought.

24 Aug 2005

Mouse model of Rett Syndrome displays reduced cortical activity

Sacha Nelson of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA and Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA and their colleagues report online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition that spontaneous neuronal activity is reduced in the cortex of a knockout mouse model for the childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, Rett Syndrome.

23 Aug 2005

First direct evidence that endorphins play a role in the phenomenon known as the placebo effect

Just thinking that a medicine will relieve pain is enough to prompt the brain to release its own natural painkillers, and soothe painful sensations, a new University of Michigan study finds.

23 Aug 2005

No major difference in the incidence of dementia between men and women

A new study on the incidence of dementia in England and Wales, published in the forthcoming issue of the open access journal PLoS Medicine, challenges three commonly held assumptions about dementia.

23 Aug 2005

European Rare Diseases Therapeutic Initiative could provide an important new mechanism for developing new drugs

Because of the very high costs in developing drugs for rare genetic diseases, and the low return on investment, the pharmaceutical industry has rarely developed specific treatments for many of these diseases.

23 Aug 2005

New drug CX717 can temporarily improve performance and reverse the effects of sleep deprivation

Research in monkeys suggests that a new drug can temporarily improve performance and reverse the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain, which would be a breakthrough in helping shift workers, health professionals, military personnel and others who must function at top performance in spite of sleep deficits.

23 Aug 2005

First study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity

The investigators published their findings in the August issue of Immunity. "We think this study will open a new area of research in understanding how our immune systems protect us," says Weissman.

23 Aug 2005

Benefits of MAO-B inhibitors are small but may be worthwhile in some patients with early Parkinson's disease

A class of drugs known as MAO-B inhibitors may be effective in improving motor symptoms in people with early Parkinson's disease and may delay the need for treatment with other drugs, according to a new systematic review of current evidence.

23 Aug 2005