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New compound shows potential as tuberculosis drug

Rajesh Gokhale has created a compound in his lab in India that stops tuberculosis in its tracks.

2 Feb 2009

Government services for young people at risk of drugs and alcohol misuse may be doing more harm than good

Current government programmes aimed at reducing drug and alcohol use among young people may be ineffective and may even be doing more harm than good, according to a paper published today in Public Policy Research, the quarterly journal published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research.

2 Feb 2009

Discovery could lead to a new animal model for hepatitis C

During its career, the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus has banked its success on a rather unusual strategy: its limitations.

2 Feb 2009

Bipolar disorders linked to increased risk of early death from medical illness

Bipolar disorders appear to increase the risk of early death from a medical illness, according to a literature review study published as the lead article this week in the journal Psychiatric Services.

2 Feb 2009

You are what your parents ate!

According to Australian scientists we are what our parents ate - scientists at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute say that very specific molecular events occur after the consumption of food high in glucose, causing chemical changes to our genetic controls.

2 Feb 2009

Muscle control the best option for back pain

Australian researchers have found that people suffering with lower back pain can significantly reduce their pain and disability by learning to control their trunk muscles.

2 Feb 2009

Stress disrupts human thinking, but the brain can bounce back

A new neuroimaging study on stressed-out students suggests that male humans, like male rats, don't do their most agile thinking under stress.

29 Jan 2009

Research finds more than 100 gene variations linked with response to leukemia treatment

Scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Children's Oncology Group (COG) have discovered in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) scores of inherited genetic variations that clinicians might be able to use as guideposts for designing more effective chemotherapy for this cancer.

29 Jan 2009

Sociability traced to region of brain called amygdala

People with a genetic condition called Williams syndrome are famously gregarious. Scientists, looking carefully at brain function in individuals with Williams syndrome, think they may know why this is so.

29 Jan 2009

Sequential and alternating chemotherapy and radiation equally effective in larynx cancer therapy

Larynx cancer patients treated with alternating cycles of chemotherapy and radiation have similar outcomes to patients treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation, according to data from a randomized controlled trial in the January 27 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

29 Jan 2009

Researchers discover link between brain iron levels and serotonin

Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have found a surprising link between brain iron levels and serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in neuropsychiatric conditions ranging from autism to major depression.

29 Jan 2009

Researchers identify a cell type that limits brain damage after a stroke

A research team including Serge Rivest of University Laval's Faculty of Medicine has demonstrated the existence of a type of cells that limits brain damage after a stroke.

29 Jan 2009

Short intense exercise best way to lower risk of diabetes

A regular high-intensity, three-minute workout has a significant effect on the body's ability to process sugars.

29 Jan 2009

Study looks at acupuncture for pain

The pain relieving effects of acupuncture compared with placebo are small and seem to lack clinical relevance, according to a study published on bmj.com.

29 Jan 2009

New form of intravenous iron treats anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis

Ferumoxytol, a novel intravenous form of iron that permits rapid administration of large doses, has been shown to be effective for treating iron deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on dialysis, according to a clinical trial appearing in the February 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( CJASN ).

29 Jan 2009

Orexin - natural brain substance - blocks weight gain in mice

Mice with increased levels of a natural brain chemical don't gain weight when fed a high-fat diet, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

29 Jan 2009

Imaging study shows how memories become permanent

A new brain imaging study illustrates what happens to memories as time goes by.

29 Jan 2009

Research provides insight into brain mechanisms involved in empathy

Is it possible to share a pain that you observe in another but have never actually experienced yourself?

29 Jan 2009

HPV18 DNA levels are not prognostic for precancerous cervical lesions

Perhaps surprisingly, the number of copies of the carcinogenic human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV18) relative to cellular DNA is not associated with the likelihood of progression to advanced precancerous lesions of the cervix, according to a study in the January 27 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

29 Jan 2009