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Researchers discover new mechanism of beta cell destruction not previously known

The death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is a core defect in diabetes. Scientists in Italy and Texas now have discovered a new way that these cells die - by toxic imbalance of a molecule secreted by other pancreatic cells.

28 Feb 2011

First study to show link between AVPR1A gene variants with listening to music

Music is listened in all known cultures. Similarities between human and animal song have been detected: both contain a message, an intention that reflects innate emotional state that is interpreted correctly even among different species.

28 Feb 2011

New study: Free radicals play a key role in heart physiology

Fear of free radicals may be exaggerated, according to scientists from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows that free radicals act as signal substances that cause the heart to beat with the correct force.

28 Feb 2011

New research may shed light on how HIV virus reactivates from latency

New research enhances the current knowledge of how human immunodeficiency virus type-1, which causes AIDS, controls the cell cycle of cells that it infects. The new findings may shed light on how the virus reactivates after entering a dormant state, called latency.

28 Feb 2011

New study: Little historical evidence justifies economic downturns linked with large cuts in health aid

The World Bank and World Health Organization have voiced fears that policymakers will break their commitments to support desperately needed global health services in low- and middle-income countries because of the ongoing global economic downturn. Yet, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, there is surprisingly little historical evidence to justify reversing these commitments.

28 Feb 2011

Study: Fish oil may prevent muscle and weight loss in cancer patients during chemotherapy

A new analysis has found that supplementing the diet with fish oil may prevent muscle and weight loss that commonly occurs in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that fish oil may help combat cancer-related malnutrition.

28 Feb 2011

Life Technologies introduces new Asia distribution hub in Singapore

US-based Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, announced today that it has launched a regional distribution hub in Singapore to address strong customer demand in the Asia Pacific regions of India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

28 Feb 2011

New study: Black elders seem to have protective effect against hearing loss

Nearly two-thirds of Americans age 70 and older have hearing loss, but those who are of black race seem to have a protective effect against this loss, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging researchers.

28 Feb 2011

Study: Storytelling program improves communication skills, positive affect in persons with dementia

Nearly 16 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Symptoms include mood and behavior changes, disorientation, memory loss and difficulty walking and speaking.

28 Feb 2011

Researchers identify gene behind self-healing skin cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered the gene behind a rare skin cancer which grows rapidly for a few weeks before healing spontaneously, according to research published in Nature Genetics.

28 Feb 2011

Scientists discover killer protein that protects against development of cancer

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made an important discovery concerning how fledgling cancer cells self-destruct, which has the potential of impacting on future cancer therapies.

27 Feb 2011

Study may help explain link between education and lower risk of heart disease

Freshmen on the eve of finals and graduate students staring down a thesis committee may not feel this way, but the privilege of obtaining an advanced education correlates with decades of lower blood pressure, according to a study led by a public health researcher at Brown University. The benefit appears to be greater for women than for men.

27 Feb 2011

New findings disclose mechanisms that control Rb2/p130 gene expression in lung cancer cells

Despite innumerable studies on lung cancer, many aspects of the disease have yet to be understood, including the role played by the retinoblastoma-related protein Rb2/p130 in the evolution of the disease.

27 Feb 2011

Study: HT may affect symptom load and quality of life unrelated to hypothyroidism

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an inflammatory disorder of the thyroid, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, but a study has suggested that even when thyroid function is normal, HT may increase symptoms and decrease quality of life, as described in an article in Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

27 Feb 2011

New study: Immune molecules can regulate synaptic connections in brain

The number of connections between nerve cells in the brain can be regulated by an immune system molecule, according to a new study from UC Davis. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, reveals a potential link between immunity, infectious disease and conditions such as schizophrenia or autism.

27 Feb 2011

Lyme’s disease and chronic fatigue syndrome biomarkers found

A new study shows that spinal fluid can be used to detect proteins that help distinguish patients with Lyme disease from those with chronic fatigue syndrome.

27 Feb 2011

NIH-funded study finds way to reduce transmission of malaria to humans

Spraying malaria-transmitting mosquitoes with a genetically modified fungus can kill the malaria parasite without harming the mosquito, potentially reducing malaria transmission to humans, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, the study was led by Raymond J. St. Leger, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, College Park.

25 Feb 2011

ICTS concludes enrollment months ahead of schedule for rheumatology study

ICTS, the patient recruitment and clinical trial services company, has successfully completed the fifth in a series of rheumatology study recruitment efforts for the same sponsor. Using an integrated approach that centered around a study website, social media, geographically initiated keyword search advertising, and also included site enrollment toolkits, the program exceeded the enrollment timelines established by the sponsor.

25 Feb 2011

Targets against MRSA in microgravity

NASA astronauts onboard Space Shuttle Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will carry out the eleventh scientific payload for Astrogenetix, a commercial biotech company based out of Austin, Texas. The research on STS-133 will focus on changes that occur to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in microgravity, which can be targeted to create new vaccines and therapeutics.

25 Feb 2011

Study investigates risk of dysphagia after radiotherapy treatment for head & neck cancer

At the 3rd International Conference on innovative approaches in Head and Neck Oncology (ICHNO), Dr Hanna Rahbek Mortensen and colleagues at hospitals and institutes in Denmark presented results from a large prospective trial, the DAHANCA 6 & 7 study. The study, conducted across the country, investigated risk factors for developing dysphagia (swallowing dysfunction), after undergoing radiotherapy treatment for a head & neck cancer.

25 Feb 2011