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Proof that chiropractic treatment helps migraine sufferers

Seventy-two per cent of migraine sufferers in a clinical trial experienced either 'substantial' or 'noticeable' improvement after a period of chiropractic treatment, defying historical skepticism of chiropractics by some medical practitioners.

22 May 2005

Sunshine makes you feel good and may also help fight cancers

Although Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, gets little media attention, it is, surprisingly, a good tool in the fight against cancer.

22 May 2005

Exercise programme is as beneficial as spinal surgery in treating lower back pain

The largest ever clinical trial of surgery versus exercise treatments for chronic low back pain has found that patients may obtain as much benefit from an intense physical exercise programme as from spinal surgery.

22 May 2005

Novel way of administering an anti-cancer drug to bone-marrow transplant patients using continuous infusion

The new method achieves more predictable, stable drug levels in patients than the current method and could eventually allow doctors to more accurately adjust doses to accommodate individual differences in metabolism, thus increasing treatment effectiveness while avoiding side effects, said University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.

20 May 2005

Crucial to develop set of protections for women who donate eggs to stem cell research

Now that stem cell researchers have devised an efficient way of creating new human embryonic stem cell lines, biomedical ethicists at the Stanford University School of Medicine say it's crucial to develop a unique set of protections for the women who donate their eggs to make the research possible.

20 May 2005

Gene keeps neural cells on correct developmental path

Embryonic stem cells with identical genomes grow into distinctive tissues, such as heart, bone, and brain. At one time, scientists believed the differences among cell types arose from various sets of genes switched on inside developing cells. Then, studies showed that adult neurons uniquely lack a protein that permanently turns off neuronal genes in the rest of the body's cells.

20 May 2005

Dextromethorphan temporarily reduces the intensity of fibromyalgia

Dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter medication that silences coughs, may help fibromyalgia patients quiet over-reacting nerves that amplify ordinary touches into agony.

20 May 2005

Revalidation must have public confidence, says BMA

Whatever system of revalidation is chosen for doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) believes it must have the confidence of the public, best achieved through a transparent professionally-led process. To succeed, says the BMA, revalidation must be seen to promote high standards, detect poor practice and have strategies for improving a doctor's performance where this is needed.

20 May 2005

Researchers generate patient-specific stem cells

Researchers have isolated the first human embryonic stem cell lines specifically tailored to match the nuclear DNA of patients, both males and females of various ages, suffering from disease or spinal cord injury.

20 May 2005

FDA recommends approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended the approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir (11-3). Tipranavir is a non-peptidic protease inhibitor that requires boosting with low-dose ritonavir and must be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents.

20 May 2005

Study holds implications for gene therapy and stem cell biology

The study, conducted by scientists from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Hannover Medical School and Hamburg University in Germany, reveals important evidence that tells us more about how blood forming stem cells regenerate. On the other hand, scientists offer caution in regards to the side effects associated with genetic engineering of stem cells.

20 May 2005

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence in about 80 per cent of cases, according to the first national study undertaken in clinical practice by researchers at the University of South Australia.

20 May 2005

Judges perceive child witnesses as being more honest than adults when testifying in court

The multi-disciplinary research, the first of its kind to examine judges' perceptions of child witnesses, was led by Queen's Child and Family Law scholar Nick Bala. It addresses how judges assess the honesty and reliability of children's court testimony, and how accurate their observations are.

20 May 2005

Nurture as important as nature in developing ability for flexible self-control

Your ability to follow the rules of the road when driving on unfamiliar streets exists thanks to the way your pre-teen life experiences influenced the development of your brain. Individuals deprived of normal life experiences may lack this ability to control their behavior in novel situations, a new computer model suggests, providing insight into how nature and nurture may interact in the development of self-control.

20 May 2005

Merck cervical cancer virus vaccine performs well

Drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc. on Thursday said its investigational vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer triggered a stronger immune response in young adolescents than in young women in a late-stage trial.

20 May 2005

WHO warns of threat of bird flu pandemic

A Vietnamese study which has shown that there are signs of greater human to human transmission of bird flu, has prompted the UN health agency to call on countries around the world to continue with their preparations for a threatened flu pandemic.

20 May 2005

Black Americans are more at risk from strokes

According to two studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans in the U.S. continue to be disproportionately affected by stroke.

20 May 2005

So you thought that smell was cheese!

Researchers in the UK have found that visual words can influence the perception of smells, with pleasant words influencing olfactory brain regions to perceive an odour as pleasant, an interesting idea that might hold particular relevance for restaurateurs and advertisers.

20 May 2005

Disability Rights Groups condemn British health secretary over right to life case

British health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, has been condemned by disability rights campaigners for suggesting terminally ill people should not be able to insist on life-prolonging treatment.

20 May 2005

Researchers find first gene for inherited testicular cancer in mice

In this week's journal Nature, researchers report finding the first gene responsible for inherited susceptibility of testicular cancer in mice. The Ter mutation occurs in a gene called dead end, which is involved in normal testicular development and which may play a role in inherited forms of a testicular cancer occurring in infants.

20 May 2005