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Top brain experts say alcohol does not destroy brain cells

At an international neural stem cell conference in Australia, ninety of the world's top scientists in neural stem cell and brain development research, from 11 different countries were brought together last month by the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI).

11 Jul 2007

Antibiotics for children with urinary tract infections create even more problems

New research has questioned the use of antibiotics for children with urinary tract infections.

11 Jul 2007

Western diet increases breast cancer risk in Asian women

A study on the dietary habits of Chinese women has found that those who ate a Western diet increased their risk for breast cancer.

11 Jul 2007

Selenium supplements may do more harm than good

In a British trial examining the benefit of selenium supplements it has been found that in some cases the supplement can do more harm than good.

11 Jul 2007

Bird flu suspected in turkey flock in the U.S.

The discovery of what is suspected to be avian flu antibodies in a flock of turkeys on a farm in the United States has experts alarmed.

11 Jul 2007

Bangers and burgers could cause cancer

Food safety experts in Europe have warned that an additive used in some sausages and burgers could cause cancer.

11 Jul 2007

Age-related macular degeneration associated with increased mortality risk

Individuals age 49 and older with cataract and those age 49 to 74 years with age-related macular degeneration appear to have higher mortality rates over an 11-year period than those without such visual impairments, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Jul 2007

3-D microscopic views of tiny mouse brains available online

A multi-institutional consortium including Duke University has created startlingly crisp 3-D microscopic views of tiny mouse brains - unveiled layer by layer - by extending the capabilities of conventional magnetic resonance imaging.

10 Jul 2007

Uncooked fish linked with liver cancer in Asia

An age old preference for eating uncooked fish dishes like koi-pla puts people in SE Asia at risk of ingesting trematodes that can cause a type of liver cancer called cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile ducts), say researchers in this week's PLoS Medicine.

10 Jul 2007

Magnetic nano tweezers show how cancer drug works

The annoying bulges of an over-wound telephone cord that shorten its reach and limit a caller's motion help to explain why drugs called camptothecins are so effective in killing cancer cells, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Delft University of Technology.

10 Jul 2007

No compelling evidence that meditation has therapeutic value

While it's not likely to do you any harm, there is also no compelling evidence that meditation has therapeutic value, says a new report from the University of Alberta.

10 Jul 2007

Percentage of inappropriate PSA screenings increases significantly with the age of male health care providers

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to screen for prostate cancer are frequently performed among patients for whom the PSA test is not shown to be beneficial, and clinicians with certain characteristics are more likely to order such inappropriate screening tests, according to a report in the July 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Jul 2007

Some clinicians likely to order inappropriate prostate screenings

10 Jul 2007

Brain lesions may be sign of more widespread disease in the brain

Lesions commonly seen on MRI in the brains of older patients may be a sign of potentially more extensive injury to the brain tissue, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, NC.

10 Jul 2007

Selenium supplements appear to increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes

A new analysis of data from a large national study found that people who took a 200 microgram selenium supplement each day for almost eight years had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who took a placebo or dummy pill.

10 Jul 2007

Cigarette smoking associated with reduced risk for developing Parkinson's disease

A pooled analysis of data from previous studies suggests that cigarette smoking appears to be associated with a reduced risk for developing Parkinson's disease, with long-term and current smokers at the lowest risk, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.

10 Jul 2007