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The antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin protects the urinary tract against invasive bacterial infection

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have succeeded in explaining how the body protects itself against urinary tract infections; with the help of an endogenous antibiotic.

9 Jun 2006

Resolution of uncertainty in prefrontal cortex

Whether finding your way through an unfamiliar neighborhood to a friend's house or deciding on a political candidate, your brain is adept at adapting.

9 Jun 2006

Protein called Elk-1appears to play role in neurodegeneration and schizophrenia

Pprotein called Elk-1 interacts with mitochondria, the energy storehouse of a cell, suggesting that this protein - typically active in the nucleus - could play a role in cell death and mitochondria-related diseases such as neurodegeneration and schizophrenia.

9 Jun 2006

COX enzymes work together in ways that suggest new biological roles

COX enzymes - well-known for their contrasting role in cardiovascular biology - interact physically to form a previously unrecognized biochemical partnership and function in the development of blood vessels in a mouse model.

9 Jun 2006

University of Florida finding could lead to approaches to treat macular degeneration

University of Florida scientists conducting experiments with mice have found evidence that the body naturally replenishes small amounts of cells in the eye essential for healthy vision.

9 Jun 2006

Discovery of new defect in artery growth

From the beginning, arteries and veins are different in the way they branch into vascular networks, say Dartmouth heart researchers.

9 Jun 2006

Discovery of SLIRP gene could lead to cancer breakthroughs

Western Australian researchers have discovered a new gene that could lead to breakthroughs in breast and prostate cancer, as well as diabetes.

9 Jun 2006

"Mechanistic basis for understanding why we treat symptoms"

In the 1990s, the notion of "six degrees of separation" emphasized human linkages that connected people around the world.

9 Jun 2006

Substantial burden of PTSD among people who experience a disaster

In the year after a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack or other natural or man-made disaster, 30 to 40 percent of adults who were directly affected may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Michigan researcher.

8 Jun 2006

Potentially ground-breaking treatment for nerve damage caused by diabetes

The University of Manchester team has discovered that injection of a novel therapeutic that works by stimulating a person's genes may prevent nerve damage - primarily to the hands and feet - caused by the disease.

From The University of Manchester 8 Jun 2006

Simple arm exercises could help beat peripheral vascular disease

Scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have discovered that simple arm exercises could help beat a crippling leg condition that affects one in twenty people over 55 in the UK.

From Sheffield Hallam University 8 Jun 2006

Bush's Draconian plan to ban stem cell research flounders as Harvard goes it alone

Scientists at Harvard University in the United States, in direct defiance of President Bush's wish to ban such research, have begun efforts to clone human embryos.

7 Jun 2006

Asbestos linked to cancer of the voice box

According to research carried out by the Institute of Medicine in the U.S. another cancer has been linked to asbestos.

7 Jun 2006

1 in 10 adults develop asthma at their workplace

According to Australian researchers as many as 1 in 10 Australians who develop asthma as an adult can blame it on their workplace.

7 Jun 2006

How cancer cells stay young and aggressive

Some of the cancer cells' closest allies have been unveiled. Fortunately, the researchers from BRIC (Biotech Research & Innovation Centre) at University of Copenhagen have also discovered how to beat them.

7 Jun 2006

Tandem-pore K+ channels mediate inhibition of orexin neurons by glucose

One of the body's basic survival mechanisms is the neural machinery that triggers the hungry brain to the alertness needed for seeking food.

From The University of Manchester 7 Jun 2006

A core system for the implementation of task sets

Scientists have used data from scans of 183 subjects to identify brain areas that consistently become active in a variety of cognitive tasks, such as reading, learning a rhythm or analyzing a picture.

7 Jun 2006

First analysis of the genes of a community of human microbes

Researchers have completed the first analysis of the genes of a community of human microbes, an accomplishment that has far-reaching implications for clinical diagnosis and treatment of many human diseases.

7 Jun 2006

Gleevec strangles drug-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer

A medication used to treat other types of cancer strangles drug-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer by cutting off its blood supply, researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the June 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

7 Jun 2006

TB drug may cure Parkinson-type symptoms of manganese intoxication

Researchers have discovered that a drug used to treat tuberculosis apparently cures patients of a Parkinson's-like illness suffered by thousands of mineworkers, welders and others exposed to high levels of the metal manganese.

7 Jun 2006