Medical Research News

RSS

Drug derived from the hydrangea root shows promise for autoimmune disorders

A drug derived from the hydrangea root, used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in treating autoimmune disorders, report researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children's Hospital Boston (PCMM/IDI), along with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

4 Jun 2009

Cigarette smoking does not affect everyone in same way

Cigarette smoking induced COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a disease that results in severe breathing difficulty. According to World Health Organization (WHO) it is the fourth leading killer worldwide. However the mechanisms responsible for some smokers developing COPD and others evading the disease have not been well understood.

4 Jun 2009

Cancer vaccine efficacy enhanced using anti-diabetic drug Metformin

After a vaccination or an infection, the human immune system remembers to keep protecting against invaders it has already encountered, with the aid of specialized B-cells and T-cells. Immunological memory has long been the subject of intense study, but the underlying cellular mechanisms regulating the generation and persistence of long-lived memory T cells remain largely undefined. Now, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have found that a common anti-diabetic drug might enhance the effectiveness of vaccines. The findings are described this week in an advanced online publication of Nature.

4 Jun 2009

Australian researchers advance bowel cancer detection

Australian researchers have developed gene expression biomarkers which can accurately discriminate pre-cancerous and cancerous colorectal growths from non-cancerous controls.

4 Jun 2009

Study gives clues to how ultra-rare adrenocortical cancer forms

At the ends of chromosome are special pieces of DNA called telomeres. Think of it as the little tip that caps off a shoelace. The telomeres send signals to the cells to let them know it's the end point, not a break that should be repaired.

4 Jun 2009

Discovery of critical marker of response to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer

A protein related to aggressive cancers can actually improve the efficacy of gemcitabine at treating pancreatic cancer, according to a Priority Report in Cancer Research, published by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.

4 Jun 2009

Discovery of two proteins may lead to more effective treatment of endocarditis and infections associated with implants

A research team at the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University in Sweden has discovered two new proteins that are of importance to the survival of bacteria and their colonization of the human body. Besides enhancing our knowledge of the ability of bacteria to spread, the findings may also lead to more effective treatment of endocarditis and infections associated with implants.

4 Jun 2009

Report says 650,000 cancer deaths avoided between 1990 and 2005

The American Cancer Society's annual cancer statistics report finds that 15 years of steady declines in overall cancer death rates translate to about 650,000 deaths from cancer avoided or delayed during that time period. The estimate comes from 'Cancer Statistics 2009,' published early online and appearing in the July/August print issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

4 Jun 2009

Stopping fatty change in heart cells

Heart failure is one of the world's most frequent causes of death - caused by conditions such as diabetes and obesity. With people who are overweight, the heart has to do more work in order to pump the blood through the circulatory system and this causes an increase in blood pressure.

4 Jun 2009

Importance of preventing vascular congestion in heart failure

Preventing vascular congestion is an important mediator in heart failure, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.

4 Jun 2009

Comprehensive review on sulfonylureas in the latest issue of Diabetic Hypoglycemia

The latest issue of the online journal Diabetic Hypoglycemia features an authoritative review on sulfonylureas by Professor Ian Campbell, a leading expert in oral hypoglycemia therapy.

4 Jun 2009

Research investigates the treatment of traumatic brain and head injury

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme is expanding the evidence base surrounding the treatment of traumatic brain and head injury (TBI) by commissioning four new research projects. If left untreated many patients with head injury will rapidly develop complications which may lead to death or permanent disability. More than 100,000 people in the UK have long-term effects caused by such injuries. Prompt medical treatment may prevent the worsening of symptoms and lead to a better outcome.

4 Jun 2009

Discovery of protein that helps determine progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Researchers say the protein - Serum surfactant protein A - is superior to other IPF predictors and could lead to better decisions about treatment and timing of lung transplantation.

4 Jun 2009

To quit smoking after college, multiple strategies are often needed

Despite the efforts of college students to quit smoking, recent research conducted by Joyce M. Wolburg at Marquette University suggests that an extended trial and error period is necessary.

3 Jun 2009

Research looks at relationship between death rates from lung cancer and how much a person smoked

It's common knowledge that smoking raises risks of lung cancer. And yet researchers haven't known whether continued smoking by lung cancer patients would increase the risk of the cancer's spread.

3 Jun 2009

Research questions standard protocol for treating traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury - not heart disease, stroke or cancer - is the number one cause of death and disability in people under 45. Each year, some 1.5 million Americans, including soldiers, athletes, the elderly and children, sustain head injuries, and nearly half of them will be hospitalized and treated in an emergency room or intensive care unit.

3 Jun 2009

Diabetic medication 'glibenclamide' may prevent nicotine-induced SIDS

According to researchers at McMaster University, exposure of the fetus to nicotine results in the inability to respond to decreases in oxygen - known as hypoxia - which may result in a higher incidence of SIDS.

3 Jun 2009

Metformin may 'revolutionize' cancer-fighting treatments

Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature.

3 Jun 2009

Small molecules mimic natural gene regulators

In the quest for new approaches to treating and preventing disease, one appealing route involves turning genes on or off at will, directly intervening in ailments such as cancer and diabetes, which result when genes fail to turn on and off as they should.

3 Jun 2009

Scientists uncover mode of action of enzyme linked with several types of cancer

Scientists at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal have discovered a key mechanism used by cells to efficiently distribute chromosomes to new cells during cell multiplication.

3 Jun 2009