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Sniffing out skin cancer by smell

According to researchers in the U.S. the smell skin gives off could indicate the presence of skin cancers. They say cancers such as basal cell carcinomas can be identified by the odour on the skin.

25 Aug 2008

Gene responsible for rare and inherited, deadly childhood cancer discovered

The discovery of a gene which causes a rare, inherited and deadly form of childhood cancer, could lead to new treatments for the disease.

25 Aug 2008

Researchers discover key allergy gene

Together with colleagues from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy and the Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM) of the Technische Universitat Munchen, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen have pinpointed a major gene for allergic diseases. The gene was localized using cutting edge technologies for examining the whole human genome at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen.

24 Aug 2008

Brain study could lead to new understanding of depression

Brain scientists have moved a step closer to understanding why some people may be more prone to depression than others.

From The University of Manchester 24 Aug 2008

Researchers discover key details of how rheumatoid arthritis destroys bone

Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) destroys bone, according to a study published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The findings are already guiding attempts to design new drugs to reverse RA-related bone loss and may also address more common forms of osteoporosis with a few adjustments.

24 Aug 2008

Obesity in elderly creating a ticking time bomb for health services in developed countries

Research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England has discovered that obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people but that it is a major contributor to increased disability in later life - creating a ticking time bomb for health services in developed countries.

21 Aug 2008

Australian scientist finds the key to overeating as we age

A Monash University scientist has discovered key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger and potentially weight-gain as we grow older.

21 Aug 2008

Bath researchers study how cancer cells come unstuck

Scientists in the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Bath have started a three year study into the junctions that hold cells together, giving insight into how cancer cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body.

21 Aug 2008

A fitness test for DNA

Unusually high levels of physical exertion do cause oxidative stress, but this does not result in any long-term damage to DNA. This is just one of the many outcomes revealed by an extraordinary research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF that are now published. As part of this project, 42 male athletes took part both in a triathlon and an extensive biomedical study, which examined numerous physiological values parameters during the period from two days before to 19 days after the triathlon.

21 Aug 2008

ICMT enzyme shows potential as target in treating blood cancer

A discovery by a research team with the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden may lead to new treatments for blood cancer and other diseases. By stopping the production of a specific enzyme, ICMT, researchers were able to alleviate disease symptoms in mice with blood cancer.

21 Aug 2008

New sleep lab to benefit shift-workers

Two specialist laboratories opening night at the University of Sydney will shed light on the impact of sleep and circadian disruption in medical disorders and shift-workers, and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance abuse and depression.

21 Aug 2008

Scientists uncover molecule that keeps pathogens like salmonella in check

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found a potential new way to stop the bacteria that cause gastroenteritis, tularemia and severe diarrhea from making people sick.

21 Aug 2008

Brown fat points to new ways to fight obesity

A surprise discovery -- that calorie-burning brown fat can be produced experimentally from muscle precursor cells in mice -- raises the prospect of new ways to fight obesity and overweight, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

20 Aug 2008

Skin odors used to detect basal cell carcinoma

According to new research from the Monell Center, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The findings, presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society, may open doors to development of new methods to detect basal cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer.

20 Aug 2008

Bone marrow stem cells used to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.

20 Aug 2008

New research suggests inherited diabetes may play a role in rising rates

A new study in the September issue of the Journal of Lipid Research suggests an unusual form of inheritance may have a role in the rising rate of diabetes, especially in children and young adults, in the United States.

20 Aug 2008

New therapeutic approaches to protect neurons from inflammation and toxicity-induced neurodegeneration

New research led by Chu Chen, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, provides evidence that one of the only naturally occurring fatty acids in the brain that has the ability to interact with the receptors originally identified as the targets of THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) can help to protect brain cells from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

20 Aug 2008

New discovery on how rheumatoid arthritis destroys bone

20 Aug 2008

Scientists engineer first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus

Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus - regarded by many as nearly impenetrable - and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research noted in a presentation scheduled for the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

20 Aug 2008

Lycopene molecules in tomatoes could help fight cancer

Turning up the heat on the red tomato during processing has the potential to give the popular garden staple added disease-fighting power, Ohio State University research suggests.

20 Aug 2008