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Interferon-alpha levels may predict who might be at risk to develop lupus

Certain families produce higher levels of a specific molecule, called interferon-alpha, that primes the body's immune system to turn on, and in some cases initiate an autoimmune attack on itself, according to new research from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

1 Aug 2007

Folic acid protects againts exposure to bisphenol A in the womb

Experiments in animals have provided additional and tantalizing evidence that what a pregnant mother eats can make her offspring more susceptible to disease later in life.

1 Aug 2007

New point of attack for future liver cancer treatments

The linking of two signalling pathways in the cells of liver tumours has a clear influence on their malignancy.

1 Aug 2007

Active management of risk in pregnancy lowers Cesarean rates

At a time when national rates of cesarean delivery have climbed above 30%, a four-year study of patients receiving an alternative method of obstetric care experienced a significantly lower rate of cesarean births, according to a study published in the current issue of the Annals of Family Medicine .

1 Aug 2007

Interactive 3-D technology guides neurological surgeons through the brain during procedure

Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience is one of first medical centers in the U.S. to develop and begin using translational, interactive 3-D technology to map the human brain and help guide neurological surgeons during epilepsy surgery and procedures to remove malignant brain tumors.

1 Aug 2007

Insulin produced in genetically modified lettuce relieves diabetes in mice

Capsules of insulin produced in genetically modified lettuce could hold the key to restoring the body's ability to produce insulin and help millions of Americans who suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes, according to University of Central Florida biomedical researchers.

1 Aug 2007

Recent research into HPV and cervical cancer

The development of the first vaccine for the prevention of cancer came 30 years after Harald zur Hausen first hypothesized that human papilloma virus (HPV) might be associated with cervical cancer.

1 Aug 2007

First mouse model of schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins researchers have genetically engineered the first mouse that models both the anatomical and behavioral defects of schizophrenia, a complex and debilitating brain disorder that affects over 2 million Americans.

1 Aug 2007

Genomics study provides insight into the evolution of unique human traits

Researchers from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, along with colleagues from Stanford University, report the results of a large-scale, genome-wide study to investigate gene copy number differences among ten primate species, including humans.

1 Aug 2007

Zebrafish provide clues to cure for Lou Gehrig's disease

A small tropical fish, the curiosity of a Geisinger research scientist and some college students have created the perfect storm of sorts in an attempt to find a cure for one of the world's most devastating neurological diseases.

1 Aug 2007

Functional food research

As consumers around the globe increasingly keep attuned to the effects diet can have on their health, researchers are now eyeing innovations in functional foods that could address disease prevention as well as maintain a fit lifestyle.

1 Aug 2007

Dispose of canned Castleberry products says FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and numerous state agencies, has visited thousands of retail establishments this week to ensure that canned food and pet food products manufactured and distributed by Castleberry's Food Company that could contain botulism are removed from store shelves and ensure proper disposal of the product.

1 Aug 2007

Shutting off a critical cancer gene causes cancers in mice to self-destruct

Killing cancerous tumors isn't easy, as anyone who has suffered through chemotherapy can attest.

1 Aug 2007

New report on HIV/AIDS globally

Thirty-nine million people have been infected by the HIV virus, and seventeen million have died as a result, mostly in the developing world.

1 Aug 2007

Limiting and labeling trans fats in food is not enough

...according to Walter Willett, an epidemiologist and nutrition professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who argues to food manufacturers that they should be banned altogether.

1 Aug 2007

Farmers score badly on all measures of health and quality of life

Self employment is good for productivity, except for farmers, who score badly on every measure of health and quality of life, reveals a study published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

1 Aug 2007

donepezil improves symptoms of severe Alzheimer's

A drug initially used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease improved the memory and global function of people with severe Alzheimer's disease and was safe and effective, according to a study published in the July 31, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Aug 2007

New treatment to combat bowel infection among the elderly

Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), based in University College Cork (UCC) and Teagasc’s Moorepark Food Research Centre, are researching a new treatment to combat the increasing incidences of hospital acquired diarrhoea which has become a major problem in hospitals, nursing homes and facilities for the elderly.

1 Aug 2007

Disparities in infant mortality more to do with racism than with race

The cause of low birth weights among African-American women has more to do with racism than with race, according to a report by an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

1 Aug 2007