Pavlov's Neurons: Brain Cells That Are A Key To Learning Discovered (December 9, 2008) -- More than a century after Ivan Pavlov's dog was conditioned to salivate when it heard the sound of a tone prior to receiving food, scientists have found neurons that are critical to how people and animals learn from experience. ... > full story
Epilepsy Drug Taken When Pregnant May Increase Risk Of Autism In Children (December 9, 2008) -- A new study shows that women who take the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase their child's risk of developing autism. ... > full story
No ESKAPE! New Drugs Against MRSA, Other Superbugs Still Lacking (December 9, 2008) -- Infectious disease experts warn that new drugs are urgently needed to treat six drug-resistant bacteria that cause most hospital infections and increasingly escape the effects of antibiotics. ... > full story
Understanding Donor-recipient Genetics Could Decrease Early Kidney Transplant Complications (December 9, 2008) -- Researchers have found an association between the genetics of donor-recipient matches in kidney transplants and complications during the first week after transplantation. The team has shown that small differences in the building blocks of cell-surface proteins used to match donors and recipients for deceased-donor kidney transplantation was associated with an increased risk for delayed allograft function. ... > full story
High Levels Of Prenatal Smoking Exposure Affect Sleep Patterns In Preterm Neonates (December 9, 2008) -- A new study is the first to show that high levels of prenatal smoking exposure strongly modify sleep patterns in preterm neonates, which places infants at a higher risk for developmental difficulties that could persist throughout early and middle childhood. ... > full story
How Ovarian Tumors Evade Immune System (December 9, 2008) -- Scientists have determined how the characteristic shedding of fatty substances, or lipids, by ovarian tumors allows the cancer to evade the body's immune system, leaving the disease to spread unchecked. The potential exists for drugs to halt shedding of fatty molecules, stop tumor growth and kill cancer. ... > full story
Growth Hormone Not Beneficial For ALS, Study Finds (December 9, 2008) -- A growth hormone that had shown some promise for treating people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showed no benefit in a new study. ... > full story
Harnessing MiRNA Natural Gene Repressors For Anticancer Therapy (December 9, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a new approach to harness natural repressors of gene expression known as miRNAs to modulate the expression of genes for therapeutic purposes and used this approach to mediate effective anticancer therapy in mice. ... > full story
Revised Hours And Workloads For Medical Residents Needed To Reduce Fatigue-Related Mistakes (December 9, 2008) -- A new report proposes revisions to medical residents' duty hours and workloads to decrease the chances of fatigue-related medical errors and to enhance the learning environment for these doctors in training. ... > full story
'Intelligent' Materials To Revolutionize Surgical Implants (December 8, 2008) -- A brand new process that could revolutionize the reliability and durability of surgical implants, such as hip and knee replacements, has received recognition for its medical and commercial potential. ... > full story
Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation (December 8, 2008) -- With up to half of a person's body mass consisting of skeletal muscle, chronic inflammation of those muscles -- which include those found in the limbs -- can result in significant physical impairment. Researchers have found that vitamin E shows promise in easing inflammation. ... > full story
Prion Infectivity Found In White And Brown Fat Tissues Of Mice (December 8, 2008) -- Researchers have found novel prion infectivity in white and brown fat tissues of mice. Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are infectious progressive fatal neurodegenerative diseases which affect humans as well as wild and domestic animals. ... > full story
Antibiotics: Single Largest Class Of Drugs Causing Liver Injury (December 8, 2008) -- Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury, reports a new study in Gastroenterology. DILI is the most common cause of death from acute liver failure and accounts for approximately 13 percent of cases of acute liver failure in the US. It is caused by a wide variety of prescription and nonprescription medications, nutritional supplements and herbals. ... > full story
Genes For Nine Health Indicators: Population Study Finds Genetics Clues (December 8, 2008) -- A new genome-wide study examines genetic variants associated with nine metabolic traits and is the first to draw out novel variants from a population unselected for current disease. The traits are indicators for common disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation and lipid levels. ... > full story
Novel Bioreactor Enhances Interleukin-12 Production In Genetically-modified Tobacco Plants (December 8, 2008) -- Scientists have found a way to produce significant quantities of murine interleukin-12, a naturally occurring protein essential for the proper functioning of the human immune system, from the hairy roots of genetically-modified tobacco plants by growing them in a novel mist bioreactor system. ... > full story
New Enzyme In Cancer Growth Discovered (December 8, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a new enzyme that not only affects the blood, but seems to play a primary role in how cancer tumors expand and spread throughout the body. ... > full story
Men Are Red, Women Are Green, Brown Researcher Finds (December 8, 2008) -- A professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences at Brown University, has discovered a difference in skin tone associated with gender. Men are red. Women are green. ... > full story
Body Clock Linked To Diabetes And High Blood Sugar In New Genome-wide Study (December 8, 2008) -- Diabetes and high levels of blood sugar may be linked to abnormalities in a person's body clock and sleep patterns, according to a genome-wide association study published in the journal Nature Genetics. ... > full story
Shared Features Of Human Gut Microbial Communities: Variations Linked To Obesity (December 8, 2008) -- Researchers have catalogued the microbial species in the guts of lean and obese female twins and their mothers, finding that each individual carries a unique collection of bacteria, although the communities are more similar among family members. However, when the scientists looked closer, they found the various collections of bacterial species carried a common set of genes that performed key functions to complement those performed by our human genes. ... > full story
Interferon Needed For Cells To 'Remember' How To Defeat A Virus (December 8, 2008) -- Scientists have determined that the immune-system protein interferon plays a key role in "teaching" the immune system how to fight off repeated infections of the same virus. ... > full story
Advanced CT Scans Valuable To Check For Clogged Arteries (December 8, 2008) -- In a development that researchers say is likely to quell concerns about the value of costly computed tomography scans to diagnose coronary artery blockages, researchers report solid evidence that the newer, more powerful 64-CT scans can easily and correctly identify people with major blood vessel disease and is nearly as accurate as invasive coronary angiography. ... > full story
How Shift Workers Can Improve Job Performance And Implement Realistic Sleep Schedule (December 8, 2008) -- The use of light exposure therapy, dark sunglasses and a strict sleep schedule can help night-shift workers create a "compromise circadian phase position," which may result in increased performance and alertness during night shifts while still allowing adequate nighttime sleep on days off. ... > full story
Six Genetic Variants Associated With 'Bad' Cholesterol (December 8, 2008) -- A new study presages a real aim of genetics: to look at whole populations in order to determine the significance of individual genetic variants for individual health. The researchers found six novel genetic variants that are associated with lipid levels, a common indicator of heart or artery disease. This study is the first to find lipid--gene links by looking at the general population, rather than patients. ... > full story
Exposure To Second-Hand Smoke Reduced In New Estimate (December 8, 2008) -- As the connection between second-hand smoke and coronary heart disease (CHD) became clearer and legislation was passed to reduce such passive smoking, exposures have been reduced. Researchers have recalibrated the CHD Policy Model to better predict future trends in CHD. ... > full story
Unlocking The Mysteries Of Memory (December 8, 2008) -- Stop and think for a moment. What do you remember about your breakfast this morning? One part of your brain will recall the smell of coffee brewing, while another will remember your partner's smile while walking out the door. How does the brain weave together these fragments, and how does it bring them back to conscious life? ... > full story
What Makes The Heart 'Tick-tock' (December 8, 2008) -- Researchers have new evidence to show that the heart beats to its own drummer, according to a report in the journal Cell Metabolism. They've uncovered some of the molecular circuitry within the cardiovascular system itself that controls the daily rise and fall of blood pressure and heart rate. The findings might also explain why commonly used diabetes drugs come with cardiovascular benefits, according to the researchers. ... > full story
Interferon As Long-term Treatment For Hepatitis C Not Effective (December 8, 2008) -- Use of the drug interferon as a long-term maintenance strategy to slow the progression of liver disease associated with the hepatitis C virus is ineffective, according to new research. ... > full story
Iressa Proves Just As Effective As Chemotherapy For Lung Cancer (December 8, 2008) -- Gefitinib, also known as Iressa, the once-promising targeted therapy for the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer, has proven as effective as chemotherapy as a second-line therapy for the disease with far fewer side effects, according to an international Phase III clinical trial. ... > full story
Do Stereotypes About Social Groups Bias Personnel Decisions? (December 8, 2008) -- Research that is said to demonstrate that stereotypes about social groups bias personnel decisions may be based on faulty methods of studying the question. ... > full story
Intervention In Infants With Cystic Fibrosis Key To Slowing Progression (December 8, 2008) -- Early detection of lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF), combined with aggressive treatment in infants, may be the key to controlling the progression of the disease, according to a recent study. New research shows that contrary to previous scientific opinion, progressive lung damage in CF patients can begin as early as infancy even though lung function shortly after diagnosis is normal. ... > full story
Discovery Of A Debilitating Genetic Syndrome (December 8, 2008) -- Canadian researchers announce the discovery of MEDNIK Syndrome, a debilitating genetic syndrome. Scientists have demonstrated that this syndrome is caused by a newly found mutation in the AP1S1 gene. ... > full story
Large-scale Gene Silencing Mystery Solved (December 8, 2008) -- Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding the phenomenon of nucleolar dominance, the silencing of an entire parental set of ribosomal RNA genes in a hybrid plant or animal. Since the machinery involved in nucleolar dominance is some of the same machinery that can go haywire in diseases such as cancer, this new study may have important implications for applied medical research. ... > full story
Body Shape and Heart Disease Risk: Apple Or Pear Shape Is Not Main Culprit To Heart Woes -- It's Liver Fat (December 8, 2008) -- Pear-shaped people who carry weight in the thighs and backside have been told for years they are at lower risk for high blood pressure and heart disease than apple-shaped people who carry fat in the abdomen. But in two studies, School of Medicine researchers report that body shape isn't the only marker of risk. Excess liver fat appears to be the key to insulin resistance, cholesterol abnormalities and other problems that contribute to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. ... > full story
Bone Marrow-derived Stem Cells May Offer Novel Therapeutic Option For Skin Disorder (December 8, 2008) -- Stem cells derived from bone marrow may serve as a novel therapeutic option to treat a disease called epidermolysis bullosa, a disorder characterized by extraordinarily fragile skin, according to a study in Blood. ... > full story
Best Treatments For Long-term Survival In Brain Tumor Patients Identified (December 8, 2008) -- A new study found that patients with low-grade gliomas survived longest when they underwent aggressive surgeries to successfully remove the entire tumor. If safely removing the entire tumor was not possible, patients survived significantly longer when surgery was followed by radiation therapy. ... > full story
New Bone Implant Technology Using Techniques Used To Make Catalytic Converters (December 8, 2008) -- A method of producing synthetic bone, using techniques normally used to make catalytic converters for cars, is being developed by researchers. ... > full story
New Target Discovered To Treat Epileptic Seizures Following Brain Trauma Or Stroke (December 8, 2008) -- New therapies for some forms of epilepsy may soon be possible, thanks to a new discovery by neuroscience researchers. The researchers found that hemichannels -- the same channels the researchers previously found to that cause cell death following a stroke -- may also cause epileptic seizures that occur following head trauma or a stroke. ... > full story
Long-term Antibiotics Reduce COPD Exacerbations, Raise Questions (December 8, 2008) -- Long-term use of a macrolide antibiotic may reduce the frequency of exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by as much as 35 percent, according to a London-based study. ... > full story
American Values Blamed For U.S Health-care Crisis (December 8, 2008) -- To heal our ailing health-care system, we need to stop thinking like Americans. That's the consensus of two new articles published in the journal Neurology by a neurologist and leading expert on national health-care reform. ... > full story
Cold Sore Virus Linked To Alzheimer's Disease: New Treatment, Or Even Vaccine Possible (December 7, 2008) -- The virus behind cold sores is a major cause of the insoluble protein plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease sufferers, researchers have revealed. They believe the herpes simplex virus is a significant factor in developing the debilitating disease and could be treated by antiviral agents such as acyclovir, which is already used to treat cold sores and other diseases caused by the herpes virus. Another future possibility is vaccination against the virus to prevent the development of the disease in the first place. ... > full story
Winter Brings Flu, Summer Brings Bacterial Infections (December 7, 2008) -- In the same way that winter is commonly known to be the "flu season," a new study suggests that the dog days of summer may well be the "bacterial infection" season. ... > full story
Type Of Breast Reconstruction Impacts Radiation Therapy Outcomes, Study Finds (December 7, 2008) -- For breast cancer patients who underwent a mastectomy and who undergo radiation therapy after immediate breast reconstruction, autologous tissue reconstruction provides fewer long-term complications and better cosmetic results than tissue expander and implant reconstruction, according to a new study. ... > full story
Presence Of Gum Disease May Help Dentists And Physicians Identify Risk For Cardiovascular Disease (December 7, 2008) -- Individuals reporting a history of periodontal disease were more likely to have increased levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease, compared to those who reported no history of periodontal disease, according to new research. The findings suggest persons with increased levels of inflammatory markers associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease might be identified by asking about oral health history. ... > full story
Clue To Safer Obesity Drugs: Mechanism Links Serotonin With Regulation Of Food Intake (December 7, 2008) -- Once hailed as a miracle weight-loss drug, Fen-phen was removed from the market more than a decade ago for inducing life-threatening side effects, including heart valve lesions. Scientists are trying to understand how Fen-phen behaves in the brain in order to develop safer anti-obesity drugs with fewer side effects. ... > full story
New Drug For Skin Cancer Approaching Commercialization (December 7, 2008) -- A drug that is activated by light can be a quick, simple, and cheap treatment for tens of thousands of patients with skin cancer in Sweden alone. ... > full story
Reprogrammable Cell Type Depends On Single Gene To Keep Its Identity (December 7, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered that a certain differentiated cell type is so ready to change its identity that it requires the constant expression of a gene called Prox1 to dissuade it. ... > full story
Collaboration Of Soloists Makes The Best Science (December 7, 2008) -- For the success of a major research university, which is better: large, well-funded laboratory empires with many investigators working toward the same end, or the individual scientist toiling alone in his own laboratory or at his own desk? ... > full story
More Evidence The Aging Brain Is Easily Distracted (December 7, 2008) -- Researchers have found more evidence that older adults aren't able to filter out distracting information as well as younger adults. In an interesting twist, this latest discovery was made because of -- rather than in spite of -- the noisy environment that research participants must tolerate when having their brains scanned inside a donut-shaped magnet known as a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. ... > full story
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