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Microglial inflammation promotes MAPT pathologies

Cells that help to protect the central nervous system may also contribute to pathological changes in the brain. New research, published by Cell Press in the October 7th issue of the journal Neuron, provides mechanistic insight into a link between the immune system and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease that are associated with abnormal accumulation of tau protein.

7 Oct 2010

American Cancer Society awards 94 national research, training grants to 70 institutions nationwide

The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 94 national research and training grants totaling $46,633,000 to 70 institutions nationwide in the first of two grants cycles for 2011.

7 Oct 2010

Scientists develop first screening method to identify river blindness disease

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have developed the first screening method that rapidly identifies individuals with active river blindness, a parasitic disease that afflicts an estimated 37 million people. The test could change the current strategy of mass treatment in areas where river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is suspected.

7 Oct 2010

Waist size can predict diabetes risk

A higher rate of diabetes seen among adult Americans when compared to peers in England is explained primarily by a larger waist size rather than conventional risk factors such as obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the RAND Corporation, University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London.

7 Oct 2010

Faith-based interventions effective in changing behavior among older African-American women: Study

In a randomized controlled study based in Los Angeles, California, encouraging African-American women aged 60 or over to exercise, in conjunction with scripture reading and group prayer, led to a 78% increase in steps per week, equivalent to about three extra miles. This increase was four times greater than in the control group who were also encouraged to exercise but with no faith based interventions.

7 Oct 2010

Patients with muscular dystrophy mount immune response to dystophin protein prior to gene therapy: Study

A clinical trial designed to replace the genetic defect causing the most common form of muscular dystrophy has uncovered an unexpected aspect of the disease. The trial, based on therapy designed by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, showed that some patients mount an immune response to the dystrophin protein even before they have received the gene therapy.

7 Oct 2010

Vitamin D supplementation in healthy kids pointless: Study

According to a Cochrane Systematic Review released on October 6th, yesterday vitamin D supplements when given to healthy children with normal vitamin D levels does not improve bone density at the hip, lumbar spine, forearm or in the body as a whole.

6 Oct 2010

Teen sex on the rise and so are STIs: Survey

A survey of 8,800 Australian year 10 and year 12 students in 300 schools around Australia was taken in three snapshots between 1997 and 2008. It was found that with the rise of risky alcohol consumption among Australia's teenagers there is also a surge of sex “under the influence” and number of sexual partners and unsafe and unprotected intercourse. However, the awareness of HIV/AIDS remained high.

6 Oct 2010

Speed cameras reduce road accidents significantly: Study

Although many drivers dislike the idea of speed cameras, a study of international research showed on Wednesday that this kind of monitoring of roads does cut the number of traffic injuries and deaths.

6 Oct 2010

Laptop health risks

Doctors warn that balancing the laptop on the knees can cause severe damage to the skin that includes skin discoloration or even cancer.

6 Oct 2010

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announces awards totaling $10.1M

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announced awards totaling approximately $10.1 million for five new clinical studies and 14 pre-clinical therapeutic development projects. The funding includes $2.5 million to drive four new clinical trials under the Clinical Intervention Awards, one of the Foundation's Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research.

6 Oct 2010

CoreLab Partners completes first ever regulatory mandated Thorough QT study in the Asia Pacific Rim

CoreLab Partners, Inc, the global entity resulting from the merger between RadPharm and Medifacts International in February of this year, has recently completed the first ever regulatory mandated Thorough QT (TQT) study conducted in the Asia Pacific Rim and the first TQT study for a Japanese new drug application (NDA).

6 Oct 2010

Researchers discover mechanism of body fat accumulation

Using ice cream, candy bars and energy drinks to help volunteers gain weight, Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the mechanisms of how body fat grows. Increased abdominal fat seems to heighten risk for metabolic disease, while fat expansion in the lower body as in the thighs seems to lower the risk. The findings, appearing in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), help explain why.

6 Oct 2010

Hypertonic fluids do not improve outcomes or survival for severe traumatic brain injury: Study

Patients with a severe traumatic brain injury (and not in shock because of blood loss) who received out-of-hospital administration of hypertonic fluids (a solution with increased concentration of certain electrolytes and thought to help reduce intracranial pressure) as initial resuscitation did not experience better 6-month neurologic outcomes or survival compared to patients who received a normal saline solution, according to a study in the October 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Oct 2010

New hope for patients with brain injury

New neuroscience research by life scientists from UCLA and Australia may potentially help people who have lost their ability to remember due to brain injury or disease.

6 Oct 2010

Study on potential advantages and disadvantages of medical tourism

Medical tourism is to go under the microscope in a major new study, led by an academic from the University of York, which aims to assess its potential advantages and disadvantages.

6 Oct 2010

Study may lend insight about hallucination mechanism in schizophrenia

Scripps Research Institute scientists have shown for the first time that the neurotransmitter serotonin uses a specialized signaling pathway to mediate biological functions that are distinct from the signaling pathways used by hallucinogenic substances. The new findings could have a profound effect on the development of new therapies for a number of disorders, including schizophrenia and depression.

6 Oct 2010