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Research provides new insights into how cells accessorize their proteins

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have gained new insight into how the cell's vast array of proteins would instantly be reduced to a confusion of lethally malfunctioning molecules without a system for proteins to "accessorize" in order to regulate their function.

21 Sep 2008

Researchers to look at relationship between tinnitus and defects in the inner ear

Researchers at the University of Essex have received a three-year studentship from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) to investigate the relationship between tinnitus and defects in the inner ear.

18 Sep 2008

No such thing as a 'safe' suntan

Three review papers from leading researchers in the fields of cell biology, dermatology and epidemiology have looked closely at the effects on skin of UV radiation, including that from indoor tanning beds.

18 Sep 2008

Experts say guidelines for ATV's are not safe

A study by researchers at the University of Kentucky in the United States has found that the national size guidelines for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are inadequate to ensure the safety of young riders.

18 Sep 2008

Discovery of promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia

Cancer researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. Their discovery hinges on a novel "double agent" role for a molecular signal that regulates cell growth.

17 Sep 2008

Muscle stem cell identity confirmed

A single cell can repopulate damaged skeletal muscle in mice, say scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who devised a way to track the cell's fate in living animals. The research is the first to confirm that so-called satellite cells encircling muscle fibers harbor an elusive muscle stem cell.

17 Sep 2008

New tool for early diagnosis of breast cancer

Scientists from Finland, Germany and the ESRF have developed a new X-ray technique for the early detection of breast cancer. This allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer. This technique could be used in the next years in hospitals. It may help doctors to detect tumours with greater precision than is possible using current X-ray mammography.

17 Sep 2008

Triple cocktail of medicines to tackle stroke risk

Scientists at The University of Nottingham are to investigate whether giving recovering stroke patients a triple cocktail of medicines could reduce their chances of a further attack.

17 Sep 2008

A blood marker may indicate Alzheimer's risk

A simple blood test capable of predicting if a person might develop Alzheimer's disease is within sight, and could eventually be used to help scientists reverse onset of the disease in those most at risk.

17 Sep 2008

Cardiologists find old-fashioned physical exams just as good for assessing heart failure as new technology

Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

17 Sep 2008

Genetic screening effective for initial HIV treatment

A major study from a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College and Massachusetts General Hospital has found that a recent change to HIV-treatment guidelines recommending genetic screening is cost-effective under certain conditions. The new recommendation suggests conducting a genetic screening test prior to prescribing the drug abacavir, one of the preferred first-line drugs for the treatment for HIV-infected adults.

17 Sep 2008

New research puts FDA under pressure over BPA

The results of a new study which has linked a chemical commonly used to make plastic containers, to human diseases, is adding to an already heated debate about he safety of such products.

17 Sep 2008

Flies reveal immune cell response to tumour and tissue damage

Research with fruit flies has revealed more in common between simple cuts and scratches and the growth of tumours than might have been expected.

17 Sep 2008

Who you fancy depends on your testosterone level

Researchers in Scotland have found that the hormone testosterone affects who women and men are attracted to.

17 Sep 2008

Australian researchers have new model to predict long-term survival of critically ill patients

Researchers in Western Australia have come up with a new way of estimating the long-term survival of critically ill patients.

17 Sep 2008

Prostate cancer genes behave like those in embryo

Gene activity in prostate cancer is reminiscent of that in the developing fetal prostate, providing further evidence that all cancers are not equal, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The finding could help scientists investigate how to manipulate the genetic program to fight a disease whose biology remains poorly understood despite more than half a century of investigation.

16 Sep 2008

Breast cancer vaccine could protect against aggressive HER2-positive breast tumours

Women with a certain type of breast cancer have been given hope in the form of a vaccine which promises to eliminate the cancer tumours.

16 Sep 2008

Study identifies immune response that enables TB bacteria to multiply, provides new target for TB drugs

Researchers have identified an immune system response to tuberculosis that enables TB bacteria to spread through the lungs, providing a new target for TB drug development, according to a study published Sunday in Nature Immunology, AFP/Washington Times reports.

16 Sep 2008

Variations in cyclin D1 gene increase susceptibility to malignant melanoma

People who carry a particular genetic variant are at significantly increased risk of developing malignant melanoma, new research shows.

15 Sep 2008

Parents of dying newborns need clearer explanation of options

Parent-doctor discussions about whether to maintain or withdraw life support from terminally ill or severely premature newborns are so plagued by miscommunication and misunderstanding that they might as well be in different languages, according to a small but potentially instructive new study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center reported in the September issue of Pediatrics.

15 Sep 2008