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Researchers gain new understanding of the causes of dyslexia

Dyslexia marked by poor reading fluency - slow and choppy reading - may be caused by disorganized, meandering tracts of nerve fibers in the brain, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

4 Dec 2007

Simple two-in-one test signals high risk after a heart attack

Everyone loves a two-fer, but a two-in-one heart test that has the potential to save lives is the real deal.

4 Dec 2007

Researchers present unique program aimed at HIV prevention in runaway youth

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are the first in the U.S. to develop an HIV prevention and intervention program for adolescent runaways that focuses on their strengths.

4 Dec 2007

New marker to identify cancer stem cells

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found a marker that can be used to identify stem cells in breast tumors, suggesting a potential simple test that could help determine the best treatment for breast cancer.

4 Dec 2007

Genetic markers for mental illness

Researchers have discovered natural genetic differences that might help predict the most effective antipsychotic drugs for particular patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's and drug addiction.

4 Dec 2007

Replacing dopamine cells in Parkinson's - new source of cells found

Parkinson disease (PD) is caused by the progressive degeneration of brain cells known as dopamine (DA) cells.

4 Dec 2007

Immediate relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease face increased risk of depression/anxiety disorders

Immediate relatives (brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter) of people who have Parkinson's disease are at increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic.

4 Dec 2007

Almost half of New Orleans residents have anxiety or mood disorders

Almost half of pre-hurricane residents of New Orleans and one-fourth of those living in other affected areas had evidence of an anxiety or mood disorder five to seven months following Hurricane Katrina, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Dec 2007

Quality-improvement initiatives lead to progress in diabetes care

Two major initiatives designed to improve primary care treatment of type 2 diabetes have yielded significant benefits in largely minority, disadvantaged populations, according to a pair of studies in the December issue of Medical Care.

4 Dec 2007

Purified bacterial extract sprayed into lungs ramps up innate immune system

A purified extract prepared from a common microbe and delivered to the lungs of laboratory mice in a spray set off a healthy immune response and provided powerful protection against all four major classes of pathogens including those responsible for anthrax and bubonic plague, according to a presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual Meeting.

4 Dec 2007

Research may lead to more effective sunscreens

Chronic exposure to the sun increases the risk of an individual developing skin cancer because UV light from the sun can cause genetic mutations that enable cells in the skin to grow in an uncontrolled manner.

4 Dec 2007

Vaccinating children younger than age 2 with the pneumococcal vaccine linked to less hospitalizations

Vaccinating children younger than age 2 with the pneumococcal vaccine appears to be associated with decreased hospitalizations from pneumonia and reduced health care expenses, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

4 Dec 2007

New upper limit defined for normal ALT in adolescent males

A new cohort study of adolescent offenders in Australia has identified an upper limit for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) that is more sensitive for the diagnosis of liver disease.

4 Dec 2007

New smart pen and paper technology helps blind students

Subjects like physics, calculus and biology are challenging for most students, but imagine tackling these topics without being able to see the graphs and figures used to teach them.

4 Dec 2007

Mini transplant patients' outcomes similar using related and unrelated donor cells

People who undergo nonmyeloablative stem-cell transplants, or "mini transplants," for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers have comparable outcomes regardless of whether they receive tissue-matched stem cells from a related or unrelated donor, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

4 Dec 2007

Modified form of imatinib becomes more specific

Imatinib (marketed as Gleevec in the US and Glivec in Europe and Australia) is used to treat various cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

4 Dec 2007

Males with a twin sister appear more likely to develop the eating disorder anorexia nervosa

Males who have a twin sister appear more likely to develop the eating disorder anorexia nervosa than other males, including those with a twin brother, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Dec 2007

Lymphatic vessel and lymph node function are restored with growth factor treatment

The frequent spread of certain cancers to lymph nodes often necessitates surgery or radiation therapy that damages the lymphatic system and can cause lymphedema, a condition of localized fluid retention that often increases susceptibility to infections.

4 Dec 2007

Diet low in carbohydrates reduces inflammation and blood saturated fat in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition afflicting one quarter to one third of adult men and women and is an established pre-cursor to diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other serious illnesses.

4 Dec 2007

Scientists develop optical device that allows them to peer through the eyes of a mouse and monitor cells passing in bloodstream

A team of researchers from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) have developed an optical device that allows them to peer through the eyes of a mouse and monitor the cells passing through its bloodstream.

4 Dec 2007