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Abnormal cell division explained

Why do some cancer cells divide not into two, as cells are supposed to do in mitosis, but into three-four new cells that look thoroughly abnormal? This question was raised as early as the 1890s by the German tumor researcher David Hansemann, who could observe the strange mitosis even using the microscopes of his day. Now another David, Lund University researcher David Gisselsson, has found an answer.

28 Apr 2005

Highly refined soybean oil does not cause reactions in people who are allergic to soybeans

Recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln research on soybean oil is helping shape food allergen labeling laws here and abroad.

28 Apr 2005

$No evidence that calcium and vitamin D prevent fractures$

No evidence that calcium and vitamin D prevent fractures

A study in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ) finds no evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of fractures in older women living in the community.

28 Apr 2005

New report clears the air on the smoking debate

The British Medical Association publishes a report today that will clear the air on the smoking debate. The report, 'Behind the smokescreen', backs up the BMA's call for a UK-wide ban on smoking in all enclosed public places.

28 Apr 2005

$Taking extra vitamin D and calcium will not prevent fractures in seniors$

Taking extra vitamin D and calcium will not prevent fractures in seniors

Surprising new research has found that taking vitamin D or calcium does not help prevent repeat fractures in elderly people. In two studies by teams at Aberdeen and York universities, researchers looked at people who had already had a fracture due to osteoporosis, a condition which increases a person's risk of bone fractures.

28 Apr 2005

Potential for brain stem cells to be used to cure diabetes

Promising new research by US scientists has shown the potential for brain stem cells to be used to cure diabetes. The work by Stanford University researchers, though not yet ready to be tested on human patients, has shown promising results in animals.

28 Apr 2005

School nurses are having to treat pupils of 14 who are HIV positive

Nurses at the Royal College of Nursing conference in the UK, say that school nurses are having to deal with children as young as 14 who are HIV positive, involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs.

27 Apr 2005

20 million working Americans are without health insurance

A survey in the U.S. has found that more than 20 million working Americans have no health insurance and as many as one in four employed people are without health care in some states. The report also found that 41 percent of these uninsured report having trouble seeing a doctor when they need to compared to 9 percent of insured adults.

27 Apr 2005

RCN nurses demand prostitution be decriminalised

A dynamic slogan designed to grab attention "Be bold. Be daring. Be caring and support decriminalisation," has been used in an attempt by the Royal College of Nursing in the UK, to call on the government to decriminalise prostitution in order to protect the health of vulnerable women and men who feel unable to access NHS and social services.

27 Apr 2005

Ginkgo beneficial for multiple sclerosis symptoms

When it comes to her health, Janice Winfield of Portland, Ore., does her research. That's why the stay-at-home mom, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in July 2000, was willing to turn to popular, over-the-counter herbal supplements like ginkgo biloba to deal with memory problems, fatigue and occasional muscle pain.

27 Apr 2005

Just in case you thought it was safe to fly!

Just in case you were not already too scared to fly, a study by a team at Belfast University and Hospital now tells us that most air passengers are risking their health flying by being starved of oxygen.

27 Apr 2005

Children treated for soft tissue sarcomas at greater risk of second cancers

A new study has found that although children treated for soft tissue sarcomas are surviving longer than they did in the past, they have an increased risk for second cancers, especially when initial treatment combined radiation and chemotherapy. This is according to analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute.

27 Apr 2005

Australian clinical trial of potent new anticancer drug (CYT997)

Up to 30 patients with advanced incurable solid-tumours are to be involved in clinical trials of a potent new anticancer drug (CYT997), developed by Australian biotechnology company, Cytopia Limited.

27 Apr 2005

Supreme Court affirms right to sue for pesticide harm

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court today upheld the rights of citizens to sue for damages caused by pesticides, after Dow Chemical Company and the Bush Administration argued that the chemical industry should be shielded from such litigation.

27 Apr 2005

Clues about the causes of dementia in Huntington's disease

Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have uncovered a clue about the causes of dementia in Huntington's disease, one of the disease's symptoms, by showing that mice susceptible to Huntington's disease have problems with learning and memory before the diseases' typical movement problems appear.

27 Apr 2005

Respiratory syncytial virus affects the elderly and high-risk adults as much as influenza

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), primarily seen as a cause of illness in infants and children, often affects the elderly and high-risk adults as much as influenza, a study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers demonstrates.

27 Apr 2005

Asians and Pacific Islanders have the highest levels of iron in their blood

UAB and international scientists studying iron-overload disorders have made the unexpected discovery that Asians and Pacific Islanders have the highest levels of iron in their blood of all racial/ethnic groups who were screened.

27 Apr 2005

Costs of medical institutional review boards' greater than previously estimated

Institutional review boards (IRBs), the committees that oversee protections for human research participants, often come with a higher than expected price tag, according to results of a study published in the April 28 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

27 Apr 2005

Brits fed up with eating advice

In a study of 988 adults, by consumer analyst Mintel, it was found that almost half of Britons are tired of healthy eating campaigners telling them how to change their diet

27 Apr 2005

Sleeping too little or too much may increase risk of diabetes

A new report says that people who sleep for less than six hours or for more than nine hours each night may have an increased risk of diabetes and impaired blood sugar (glucose) tolerance.

27 Apr 2005