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Scientists discover c-Abl protein role in Parkinson's disease progression

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that the over-activation of a single protein may shut down the brain-protecting effects of a molecule and facilitate the most common form of Parkinson's disease.

4 Oct 2010

NIH announces T-R01 project award to examine human microbiome

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that Martin J. Blaser, MD, the Frederick H. King Professor of Internal Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center has been awarded one of only twenty NIH Director's Transformative Research Projects (T-R01) award for research entitled "Disappearing Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Epidemic Obesity.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers create new cell lines from mesenchymal stem cells

Biomedical researchers at the University at Buffalo have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

4 Oct 2010

Advances in treatment and management of neurological disorders

The latest advances in treating neurologic disorders such as stroke, headache, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and sleep disorders are detailed in a special issue of the journal Neurologic Clinics.

4 Oct 2010

Chronic infection with S. maltophilia bacterium may impact cystic fibrosis progression: Study

Exacerbations in cystic fibrosis (CF) may be linked to chronic infection with a bacterium called Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which was previously thought to simply colonize the CF lung. The finding that chronic infection with S. maltophilia is independently linked with an increased risk of exacerbations gives clinicians and researchers a new potential measure of the health status of CF patients, as well as a new potential target in fighting their disease.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers find gene variations in PDE11A enzyme can increase risk for prostate cancer

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that variations in a gene for an enzyme involved in cell energy metabolism appear to increase the risk for prostate cancer.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers examine new genes to control mosquito-borne diseases

An Iowa State University researcher searched for new genes that are turned on during infection in a type of mosquito that is not only a pest, but transmits disease-causing pathogens.

4 Oct 2010

Walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress: Study

A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress, according to a team of Penn State researchers who looked at how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence blood pressure at rest and under stress.

4 Oct 2010

Cell aging is associated with reduced histone level

Like cats, human cells have a finite number of lives-once they divide a certain number of times they change shape, slow their pace, and eventually stop dividing, a phenomenon called cellular senescence.

4 Oct 2010

Study on immune system activation may help develop new drugs for infections

A new research report in the October 2010 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology sheds important light on how our immune systems detect invading organisms to be destroyed and removed from our bodies. The information from this research should ultimately help lead to the development of new drugs and treatments that allow health care providers to prevent runaway immune reactions that can have devastating consequences for people.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers find STIM1 protein inhibits voltage-operated calcium channels

A calcium sensing protein, STIM1, known to activate store-operated calcium channels has been found to also inhibit voltage-operated calcium channels, according to researchers at Temple University.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers find link between arterial stiffness and diastolic function

Physicians have identified a risk factor for heart disease in adulthood that can be present in children as young as 10. They're also calling for screening for this risk factor to help motivate children to exercise and lose weight.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers discover new mechanism of DNA repair process

Tucked within its double-helix structure, DNA contains the chemical blueprint that guides all the processes that take place within the cell and are essential for life. Therefore, repairing damage and maintaining the integrity of its DNA is one of the cell's highest priorities.

4 Oct 2010

Scientists identify a new way to cure food allergies

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered a way to turn off the immune system's allergic reaction to certain food proteins in mice, a discovery that could have implications for the millions of people who suffer severe reactions to foods, such as peanuts and milk.

4 Oct 2010

PDGFR gene rearrangements lead to aggressive form of glioblastoma: Study

A multi-institutional team led by investigators from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has published a study that provides new insight into genetic changes that make some forms of glioblastoma, the most common type of primary brain cancer, more aggressive than others and explains why they may not respond to certain therapies.

4 Oct 2010

Scientists find several common findings on diabetes management

Diabetes is on the rise. The seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. today, it affects 24 million people, nearly 3 times the number in 1980. Another 57 million have a condition that puts them at heightened risk of the illness.

3 Oct 2010

Scientist discovers novel pathogen from Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Kathleen Alexander, associate professor of wildlife in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment, has discovered a novel tuberculosis (TB) species in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, a group of pathogens that have adapted by using mammals as hosts. It has been nearly two decades since a new organism was identified in this group; the majority were discovered in the early and mid 20th century.

3 Oct 2010

Scientists find new replicating mechanism of Salmonella bacteria

New findings by National Institutes of Health scientists could explain how Salmonella bacteria, a common cause of food poisoning, efficiently spread in people. In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe finding a reservoir of rapidly replicating Salmonella inside epithelial cells. These bacteria are primed to infect other cells and are pushed from the epithelial layer by a new mechanism that frees the Salmonella to infect other cells or be shed into the intestine.

3 Oct 2010

Stem cell research breakthrough

Australian researchers have grown new human stem cells outside the body and this may provide new hope to cancer patients and those with genetic disorders. The team found a way to manipulate the environment of blood-forming stem cells to make them multiply.

3 Oct 2010

Shoulder pain costs American health system $7 billion

25 out of 1,000 visits to the family doctor are related to shoulder pain. This is currently the cause of 13% of sick leaves, and it costs the American health system 7 billion dollars.

1 Oct 2010