Pioneering research on leukaemia cells can have identified their vulnerable spot. This new knowledge can now be used to produce more effective medicines.
A group of scientists at the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital made a surprising discovery when they stimulated leukaemia cells with the growth hormone GM-CSF. The reaction of the cells surprised everyone and would seem to indicate that scientists in Bergen have uncovered a new biological principle and conseque
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made a breakthrough by using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a reaction medium for the preparation of molecules of interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
Many industries throughout the world have begun using the non-toxic, environmentally friendly scCO2 as a solvent, replacing harsher volatile organic solvents, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons. Until no
A new non-invasive test for kidney disease, developed by clinicians at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and Imperial College London, is providing a simple, safe, cheap and reliable method of detecting kidney disease. The new test, reported today in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, can detect disease before symptoms become apparent, and offers a quicker way of finding out if patients are responding to treatment – which could mean that some patients might not need costly dialysis.
SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) has named Dr Gordon E. Moore, Chairman Emeritus of Intel Corporation, as winner of the 2004 Perkin Medal. Moore will receive the award at the 98th annual Perkin Medal Award Dinner on September 14 in Philadelphia, USA.
Moore predicted the industry’s ability to exponentially increase the amount of transistors that could be placed on a silicon chip and open the doors for semiconductor chips to become the lowest cost and most efficient method for deliv
A large number of diseases − including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and mad cow disease − are the result of proteins that erroneously assume the wrong shape, causing them to stick to each other. This phenomenon is perceptible, but up to now it has been difficult to predict. Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), in collaboration with a German research group, have developed TANGO − a
Probiotics are not always the right approach.
Millions of women around the world have probably used yoghurt as a folk remedy to prevent thrush while taking antibiotics. A Melbourne GP and PhD student has proven that Lactobacillus acidophilus, a key bacterium in yoghurt, was not effective in the prevention of thrush (‘vulvovaginitis’) after antibiotics. Her findings were published recently in the eminent British Medical Journal (BMJ). “It’s a reminder that all medicines, even natura
A new process for drying wood could revolutionise the timber industry and lead to cheaper timber for customers.
The process combines a new microwave technology with more traditional drying techniques, such as solar drying. At present it can take a year or more to convert some Australian timber into top quality furniture or flooring. Much of this time is needed to dry the wood after it has been sawn.
The microwave technology, developed by a team in the Australian Cooperative
There may be new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders, thanks to the discovery of a mechanism for regulating brain blood flow made by researchers at the University of British Columbia.
Scientists found that astrocytes — cells that surround nerve cells and all blood vessels in the brain — have a primary role in regulating blood flow within the brain, and hold promise as a target for new therapies. The findings of the two-year study funded by the Ca
For many years scientists have believed they understood how closely related species that occupy the same regions of the ocean were kept from interbreeding. It turns out they were only seeing part of the picture.
New research from the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories shows that common assumptions about sea urchin reproduction don’t hold true for all species of the invertebrate creature. The work could lead to better understanding of fertilization among mammals,
Test may allow patients to avoid costly and time-consuming CT scans
A new study shows that the CA125 blood test, which measures the level of protein produced by ovarian cancer cells in the blood, may be superior to standard imaging techniques like CT scans in predicting survival in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. The study, to be published online September 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is the first to compare the two procedures with respect to survival.
“T
Current methods of delivering health care to kids are woefully unable to cope with a pediatric disease pendulum that has swung from acute to chronic illnesses, says a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. In addition, some of the most effective clinical advances for children may increase the disparity between children teetering on the bottom rung of the social and economic ladder and their more fortunate peers.
“There&#
People who survive cancer are less likely to receive necessary care for a wide range of other non-cancer-related medical problems according to a new study published September 13, 2004 in the online edition of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study suggests that a history of cancer may cause health care providers to ignore other chronic medical ailments, such as heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, and lung disease. The abstract of this article will be freely acc
A new study finds most women now follow the recommendation to receive their first screening mammogram at age 40, but there is widespread failure to return promptly for subsequent exams and several sub-populations of women still are not being screened by the recommended age. The authors say their findings, published September 13, 2004 in the online edition of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, suggest there is little to be gained from population-wide efforts to encourage
Why do some older people experience a rapid decline in their physical and functional health while some of their peers remain healthy and active? While your genes and overall physical health play a role, new research shows how psychosocial factors can also play an important role. Two studies report on this in the September issue of Psychology and Aging, a journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
In the first study, researchers at the University of Texas Medi
As sport fishes go, the blue marlin is a king of sorts – highly prized for its beautiful shape and its ferocious fighting ability when hooked.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that many blue marlin caught in the Gulf of Mexico contain 20 to 30 times the acceptable levels of mercury.
Texas A&M University at Galveston researchers Jay Rooker and Gary Gill are trying to learn why the mercury levels are so high in blue marlin compared to similar fishes and why so many of
Researchers have developed a new genetic test that can help predict whether parents who have one child with the “isolated” form of cleft lip or palate are likely to have a second child with the same birth defect. Isolated clefts account for 70 percent of all cleft lip and palate cases.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences provided funding for the st
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