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Discovery of new genetic links to psoriasis

In the first comprehensive study of the genetic basis of psoriasis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered seven new sites of common DNA variation that increase the risk of the troublesome skin condition.

4 Apr 2008

Researchers learn how signaling molecule orchestrates breast cancer's spread

A study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has uncovered how breast tumors use a particular type of molecule to promote metastasis -- the spread of cancer cells. Metastasis is the cause of approximately 90 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

4 Apr 2008

Removing barriers to the distribution of life-saving vaccines

Barriers to the distribution of life saving vaccines in low income countries can and should be overcome, say experts in this week's issue of the BMJ.

4 Apr 2008

Rare genetic syndrome may hold key to cure for heat stroke

A genetic disorder that can cause a fatal rise in body temperature in some patients undergoing general anesthesia may hold the key to a cure for heat stroke, according to research published in the April 4 edition of the journal Cell.

4 Apr 2008

Prenatal syphilis screening rates: Are they being accurately reported?

Prenatal syphilis screening, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, medical professional organizations, and public health authorities, is critical to preventing still births and serious birth defects in babies of affected mothers.

4 Apr 2008

Pregnant mothers' diet linked to baby's obesity

Pregnant and lactating rats fed on a diet of hydrogenated fat during pregnancy and lactation had babies who were fatter than rats fed a normal diet, according to research published in Lipids in Health and Disease.

4 Apr 2008

Patients prefer to challenge nurses rather than doctors about safety issues related to their care

The results showed that patients were far more likely to ask factual questions of all healthcare professionals, such as the length of their hospital stay, than they were to pose questions that might be perceived as challenging clinical abilities, such as whether that healthcare professional had washed his/her hands.

4 Apr 2008

PAHEF discusses neglected diseases and disaster preparedness with innovative leaders

PAHEF is pleased to join Harvard University's Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation as a partner in the bi-annual conference Frontiers of Innovation: 20 Years of Innovation in Government held in Cambridge March 31st through today.

4 Apr 2008

New web portal, the PSI Structural Genomics Knowledgebase to advance protein studies

The Protein Structure Initiative (PSI), an effort supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched an online resource that will enable scientists from across biomedical disciplines to easily access a wealth of information about proteins and to speed discovery about these molecules.

4 Apr 2008

New test could cut unnecessary treatment for blood disorder in pregnancy

A new test for identifying a mismatch between the blood of a pregnant woman and her baby is accurate, feasible, and could substantially reduce unnecessary treatment, finds a study published on bmj.com.

4 Apr 2008

Mitosis gets harder thanks to new gene discovery

A biological process taught to every pupil studying science at high school has just become a little more complicated thanks to a new discovery published today.

4 Apr 2008

Men get autoimmune diseases, too!

What do former President George H.W. Bush, Fox Business News anchor Neil Cavuto, comedian and actor Bernie Mac, Poison lead singer and reality television star Bret Michaels and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram have in common?

4 Apr 2008

Marketing of unproven genetic tests a threat to public health

No mechanism currently exists to ensure that genetic tests are supported by adequate evidence before they go to market, or that marketing claims are truthful and not misleading, according to a policy analysis to be published April 4 in Science.

4 Apr 2008

Human breast tumors' 'microenvironment' primes them for metastasis

The environment within primary breast tumors can "empower" cells that break free and enter the bloodstream to successfully invade other organs, researchers report in the April 4th Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

4 Apr 2008

Hospital follow-up services not necessary for all child cancer survivors

Many child cancer patients will benefit from ongoing follow-up, but others should be allowed to move on and put the experience of cancer behind them, say experts in this week's issue of the BMJ.

4 Apr 2008

Healthcare providers who discuss intimate piercings earn patients' trust

On April 2, 2008, UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest celebrated the opening of an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) designed for the 24-hour specialized care of premature infants and newborns with complications.

4 Apr 2008

Genetics, environment differently influence the 'pathway of risk' leading to alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence (AD) is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, and its development involves "transitioning" through multiple stages of drinking behaviors.

4 Apr 2008

Female vets run twice the risk of miscarriage

Female vets run twice the risk of miscarriage as a result of exposure to anaesthetic gases and pesticides, suggests a study published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine .

4 Apr 2008

FDA approves Rotarix

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of Rotarix, the second oral U.S. licensed vaccine for the prevention of rotavirus, an infection that causes gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) in infants and children.

4 Apr 2008

Enzyme complex could be key to new cancer treatments

Penn State scientists are the first to observe in living cells a key step in the creation of adenine and guanine, two of the four building blocks that comprise DNA.

4 Apr 2008