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H5 and N1 avian influenza found in two samples from wild mute swans in Michigan

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior has announced that routine surveillance has indicated the presence of H5 and N1 avian influenza subtypes in samples from two wild mute swans in Michigan.

17 Aug 2006

The endocannabinoid system controls key epileptogenic circuits in the hippocampus

The same brain machinery that responds to the active substance in marijuana provides a central "on-demand" protection against seizures, researchers have found. They said their discoveries suggest that the "endocannabinoid" system might constitute a prime target for drugs against seizures of epilepsy and other neurodegenerative diseases.

16 Aug 2006

Natural HIV immunity

An international, multi-institutional research consortium is seeking to discover how a few HIV-infected individuals are naturally able to suppress replication of the virus.

16 Aug 2006

First treatment for Hunter disease

An article reporting results from a pivotal clinical trial that helped gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the first treatment for Hunter disease has been published online by the journal Genetics in Medicine.

16 Aug 2006

Genotoxic bacteria in the digestive tract

Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium, which lives peacefully in our digestive tract. However, certain strains are pathogenic and are frequently incriminated in a broad spectrum of infections, affecting both farmed animals and humans (diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, food poisoning, septicaemia, neonatal meningitis, etc.).

16 Aug 2006

Findings shed new light on BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast-cancer gene mutations in older and African-American women

Clearest picture yet of the prevalence and predictors of mutations in the breast-cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 among women in the general population.

15 Aug 2006

Elite suppressors of HIV to change how scientists monitor spread of disease

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have found that 1 percent to 2 percent of those infected with HIV in Baltimore apparently suppress the virus to nearly undetectable levels on their own, confounding public health efforts to accurately monitor the pandemic's spread, now in its 20th year.

15 Aug 2006

Major new research grant to develop new technology for delivering cell-by-cell medical treatments

Scientists from the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews have won a major new research grant to develop a completely new technology for delivering cell-by-cell medical treatments.

15 Aug 2006

Gene test for cancers could mean more effective, tailored-made treatment

Scientists in the United States have developed a test which is able to predict which lung cancer tumours are most likely to recur.

14 Aug 2006

Warrior gene theory sparks debate and highlights domestic violence in New Zealand

A New Zealand researcher whose claim that Maori people carry a "warrior" gene that makes them more prone to violent and aggressive behaviour has provoked strong reactions from some quarters.

9 Aug 2006

Oxy-Q may help prevent colon cancer

A pilot clinical trial demonstrates that Oxy-Q, a proprietary pill by Farr Laboratories, LLC that combines the active components of turmeric and onions, reduces both the size and number of precancerous colon polyps.

8 Aug 2006

Evidence of a genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease

A Mayo Clinic-led international research collaboration - one of the largest studies of its kind - provides strong evidence that a genetic risk factor may account for 3 percent of the cause of Parkinson's disease.

8 Aug 2006

Researchers discover how genes and diet interact to cause birth defects

Expectant mothers may someday get a personalized menu of foods to eat during pregnancy to complement their genetic makeup as a result of new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

8 Aug 2006

Rett syndrome can also strike males

The common thinking in the past had been that Rett syndrome only affects girls.

8 Aug 2006

Prospective Huntington At Risk Observational Study

Doctors have completed the first step of a unique medical research study, evaluating 1,001 individuals at risk of developing Huntington's disease who do not know - nor do they want to know - whether they carry the genetic defect that causes the condition.

8 Aug 2006

Chronic cigarette smoking is associated with diminished folate status

Every year, nearly 300,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with oral cancer.

8 Aug 2006

Discovery of mechanism that may explain post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

A serious form of cancer that occurs in some transplant patients may arise because cells that normally serve as scouts for the immune system become weakened, a new study suggests.

8 Aug 2006

Atp7a determines a hierarchy of copper metabolism essential for notochord development

A new study reveals the timing of developmental events that critically depend on copper. While copper deficiency is rare in humans, the findings suggest that suboptimal copper metabolism might contribute to birth defects, according to the researchers.

8 Aug 2006

DNA overwinds when stretched

Most of us are familiar with the winding staircase image of DNA, the repository of a biological cell's genetic information. But few of us realize just how tightly that famous double helix is wound.

8 Aug 2006