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Genetic test improves artificial fertilization

Polar body diagnosis can make artificial fertilization more successful, according to Katrin and Hans van der Ven and Markus Montag of Bonn University Clinic, writing in the current edition of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105[11]: 190-6).

31 Mar 2008

Expansion of monocyte subset could serve as a biomarker for HIV progressions

An increase in the CD163+/CD16+ monocyte subset could be a biomarker for the progression of HIV disease, according to researchers at Temple University.

31 Mar 2008

Discovery of role of rare gene mutations in schizophrenia

Using an important new method that can be applied in the study of other psychiatric illnesses, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Washington (UW) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), have identified multiple, individually rare gene mutations in people with schizophrenia that may help explain how that devastating illness is caused.

31 Mar 2008

Teenage brains are different

Many parents are convinced that the brains of their teenage offspring are different than those of children and adults.

31 Mar 2008

Americans living longer, enjoying greater health and prosperity, but important disparities remain

Average life expectancy continues to increase, and today's older Americans enjoy better health and financial security than any previous generation.

31 Mar 2008

Stem cells from hair follicles may help 'grow' new blood vessels

For a rich source of stem cells to be engineered into new blood vessels or skin tissue, clinicians may one day look no further than the hair on their patients' heads, according to new research published earlier this month by University at Buffalo engineers.

31 Mar 2008

Discovery of new type of retinal cell

Harvard University researchers have discovered a new type of retinal cell that plays an exclusive and unusual role in mice: detecting upward motion.

31 Mar 2008

New method for cancer screening

Ongoing research at Missouri University of Science and Technology has uncovered a new method for the early detection of cancer with the potential to save millions of lives.

31 Mar 2008

Potential new target for multiple sclerosis therapy

Researchers demonstrate both genetic and pharmaceutical evidence for the role of a protein called collagenase-2 in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), providing a potential new way to combat this debilitating disease.

31 Mar 2008

Type 2 diabetes genes linked with prostate cancer

Scientists have identified six new genes which play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and among the group is the second gene known to also play a role in prostate cancer.

31 Mar 2008

Neurons hard wired to tell left from right

It's well known that the left and right sides of the brain differ in many animal species and this is thought to influence cognitive performance and social behaviour.

31 Mar 2008

Top neurosurgeon warns of brain cancer risk with mobile phones

One of Australia's leading neurosurgeons has warned about the heavy reliance on mobile phones in today's society.

31 Mar 2008

It takes a nose to know danger!

New research from the U.S. says the nose is a quick learner and can sniff out danger.

31 Mar 2008

University of Kentucky physician revolutionizes gene research

A dramatic new study published in the most recent issue of Nature questions some of the mechanisms underlying a new class of drugs based on Nobel Prize-winning work designed to fight diseases ranging from macular degeneration to diabetes.

28 Mar 2008

Researchers urge ethics guidelines for human-genome research

A global team of legal, scientific and ethics experts have put forward eight key recommendations to establish much needed guidelines for conducting human-genome sequencing research.

28 Mar 2008

New brain cells implicated in machinery of cannabinoid signaling

The researchers said their findings could aid in development of treatments for cannabinoid drug abuse. Also, because so-called "endocannabinoids" produced by brain cells are involved in the neural machinery of pain perception and learning and memory, the findings could help in understanding those processes, said the researchers.

28 Mar 2008

Key factor in brain development revealed, offers insight into lissencephaly

In the earliest days of brain development, the brain's first cells - neuroepithelial stem cells - divide continuously, producing a population of cells that eventually evolves into the various cells of the fully formed brain.

28 Mar 2008

Insulin-like growth factor found to have new role in development of brain's smell center

A human hormone known to stimulate the growth of cells throughout the body has a new role - helping to set up the proper nerve connections in the odor center of the brain, according to University of California, Berkeley, scientists.

28 Mar 2008

Environmental factors linked to development of autoimmune diseases

Scientists working at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research have shown that environmental factors can influence the development of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

28 Mar 2008

The brain can sense the calories in food, independent of taste

Their finding that the brain's reward system is switched on by this “sixth sense” machinery could have implications for understanding the causes of obesity. For example, the findings suggest why high-fructose corn syrup, widely used as a sweetener in foods, might contribute to obesity.

28 Mar 2008