Neurologist Mike Harrington of Pasadena, California’s Huntington Medical Research Institutes argues that soon we may be able to detect brain disease before symptoms even begin. The secret is in the cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that cushions our brain and spinal cord.
As guest editor for the January 2006 issue of the respected medical journal Disease Markers (Volume 22, Issues 1-2), published by IOS Press, which was themed to the study of neural markers, Harrington
Goal to reduce disease in blood vessels
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center today announced that they have launched a study to determine whether an experimental drug, rimonabant, can slow atherosclerosis, the fatty build-up in arteries that creates heart attack risk. In recent studies, rimonabant has been shown to decrease body weight, improve abnormal levels of blood sugars and fats (cholesterol) and to help willing patients quit smoking. Now researchers hop
Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University believe they have helped dispel the myth that late-night eating causes weight gain. The research is published in the current edition of the journal Obesity Research.
“We’ve all been told at one point in our lives that we should avoid eating meals late at night as it will lead to weight gain. However, our research in rhesus monkeys, which are considered an excellent model for stu
Doctors in Italy are studying whether a new type of mouthwash will help alleviate pain for patients suffering from head and neck cancer who were treated with radiation therapy, according to a study published in the February 1, 2006, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Fifty patients, suffering from various forms of head and neck cancer and who received radiation
A limitation of current cancer care is the difficulty of quickly assessing how well a therapy is working. However, expanding the use of existing positron emission tomography (PET) technology can provide early and accurate assessment of a tumor’s response to a particular therapy allowing physicians to better tailor a patient’s treatment, according to Malik Juweid, M.D., associate professor of radiology at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
As many as 8-10 million Americans have Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), by age 70, roughly 20 percent of the population has it, and people with PAD face a six-to-seven times higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
PAD, commonly seen in patients with a history of smoking, diabetes, and/or coronary artery disease, is the build up of fatty deposits in the inner linings of the artery walls of the heart and brain. These blockages restrict blood circulation, mainly in arteries leading t
By profiling specific proteins in amniotic fluid for inflammation, researchers at Yale School of Medicine can quickly and accurately detect potentially dangerous infections in pregnant women, and also predict the possibility of premature birth.
The work will be presented at the 26th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) meeting on February 2 by Catalin S. Buhimschi, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences. Bu
Extrahepatic sites may account for some viral replication
When a diseased liver is removed from a patient with Hepatitis C (HCV), serum viral levels plummet. However, after receiving a healthy liver transplant, virus levels rebound and can surpass pre-transplant levels within a few days, according to a new study published in the February 2006 issue of Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Internationa
New published data show that bicalutamide (Casodex) 150mg plus radiotherapy significantly extends survival in men with locally advanced prostate cancer compared to radiotherapy alone
New data published in the February 2006 edition of the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI) confirm that bicalutamide 150mg improves the chance of survival by 35 per cent (hazard ratio = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.95, p = 0.03)1 in men with locally advanced prostate cancer (when the disea
Systematic postoperative surveillance of patients with rectal and colorectal cancer has demonstrated to produce an improvement in the survival of these patients. Nevertheless, it is currently discussed whether a more intensive surveillance strategy would provide significant advantage compared to a less aggressive strategy. The methodology currently used for testing and the frequency tests are applied are highly heterogeneous. So, in order to compare the efficiency of two surveillance strategi
Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections. Recent research at the University of Southampton shows that the Influenza A virus is virtually eradicated within six hours on copper surfaces. Influenza A viruses cause seasonal infections resulting in around 12,000 deaths a year in the UK1. The influenza A family of viruses includes the avian flu strain.
Professor Bill Keevil and Dr Jonathan Noyce, microbiology researchers at the University’s School of Biological Sciences,
A “starry sky” map linking the myriad interactions between the influenza virus and its human host will help guide researchers in creating new anti-viral drugs, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The on-line map, part of a project called Reactome, is intended to teach scientists about parts of the influenza lifecycle they might not be familiar with, and to help researchers look at specific reactions and figure out ways to block them.
“Understanding how influenza re
A blood safety program in South Africa that included closing donor clinics in areas of high HIV prevalence is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of HIV in donated blood, according to study in the February 1 issue of JAMA.
South Africa is in the midst of an escalating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–AIDS pandemic, with an estimated 5.3 million people and 11.4 percent of the overall population infected, according to background information in the article. The South Afr
Traditional polygraph tests to determine whether someone is lying may take a back seat to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), according to a study appearing in the February issue of Radiology. Researchers from Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia used fMRI to show how specific areas of the brain light up when a person tells a lie.
“We have detected areas of the brain activated by deception and truth-telling by using a method that is verifiable against the current gold s
A simple diagnostic imaging procedure can help identify patients with lower back pain who would benefit from spinal injections and spare those who would not, according to a study appearing in the February issue of Radiology.
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) shows abnormal activity of cells in the spine, which can help doctors identify problems that may be causing a patient’s symptoms.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders an
A new survey of subway injuries provides a rare glimpse into what happens to people who are hit by oncoming trains. In New York City, where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reports that 7 million passengers ride the transit system daily, there is no publicly available record of such tragedies. NYU School of Medicine trauma specialists, who conducted the survey at Bellevue Hospital Center, explored who is most at risk for severe subway injuries, why accidents occur, and which preventati
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