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Scientists discover new class of small RNAs

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) announced today the discovery of a new class of small RNAs. At the same time, they reported that their discovery suggests the presence of a strikingly novel biochemical pathway for RNA processing in which these and possibly other small RNAs are produced.

27 Jan 2009

Waging war on tropical diseases may be key to U.S. foreign policy

Stating that neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) not only promote poverty but also destabilize communities, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Sabin Vaccine Institute President Peter Hotez call upon the public-health and foreign-policy communities to embrace medical diplomacy and NTD control as a means to combat terrorism in an article published January 27 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

27 Jan 2009

Genetic testing may not lead to demand for 'designer babies'

A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center found a high desire for additional genetic testing among consumers for life altering and threatening medical conditions including mental retardation, blindness, deafness, cancer, heart disease, dwarfism and shortened lifespan from death by 5 years of age.

27 Jan 2009

Compromised skin barrier function plays a role in the development of psoriasis

Researchers at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the Anhui Medical University, China, have identified genes that play an important role in the development of psoriasis, a common chronic skin disease.

27 Jan 2009

Anticholinergic medications linked to cognitive decline in seniors

A study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that the use of certain medications in elderly populations may be associated with cognitive decline.

27 Jan 2009

Cell phones dangerous for child pedestrians

Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in a new study that will appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.

27 Jan 2009

Imported diet pills from South America are dangerous

Americans who use illegal diet pills from South America are taking amphetamines without knowing it and seriously risking both their health and their jobs.

27 Jan 2009

Aspirin counteracts new mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver damage

Overdoses of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) account for most drug overdoses in a number of countries, including the United States. Such overdoses damage the liver, causing acute liver failure, which can be fatal.

27 Jan 2009

Researchers refine breast cancer identification

Not all breast cancers are the same, and not all will have fatal consequences.

27 Jan 2009

Although our genetics differ significantly, we all look alike...

The genetic variation within a species can be significant, but very little of that variation results in clear differences in morphology or other phenotypes.

27 Jan 2009

Scientists discover a compound that gets rid of excess cholesterol

New research by scientists in the United States carried out in mice has revealed a compound that releases excessive cholesterol accumulated inside cells.

27 Jan 2009

Musical babies - just days after they're born

Scientists have discovered that newborn babies are able to pick up a beat days after birth.

27 Jan 2009

Australian parent help program reduces child abuse in the United States

The program, the 'Positive Parenting Program or "Triple P" trains nurses, social workers and others in the community to advise struggling parents.

27 Jan 2009

Obesity may be contagious!

Professor Nikhil Dhurandhar says a common cold virus can interfere with our normal body processes and make us fat - he has reached this rather astonishing conclusion following ten years of research with both animals and humans into the virus, Adenovirus-36.

27 Jan 2009