Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania have found an immune system cell can “remember” a parasite’s attack and help the body mount a more effective defense against subsequent invasions by the same parasite.
The finding, published in the October issue of Nature Medicine, will likely aid efforts to develop a vaccine for Leishmania major, a parasite that infects approximately 12 million people worldwide, causing si
Strong-flavored onions can be harsh on your social life, but they’re potentially great for fighting cancer. Researchers at Cornell University have found, in preliminary lab studies, that members of the onion family with the strongest flavor — particularly New York Bold, Western Yellow and shallots — are the best varieties for inhibiting the growth of liver and colon cancer cells.
“No one knows yet how many daily servings of onions you’d have to eat to maximize protection against c
A Stony Brook University researcher is testing a new form of aspirin–one that is much more potent than its commercially available counterpart, but with almost none of the side effects–to determine whether it can be used to prevent colon cancer in patients who are prone to the disease.
The study of the new medication–called nitric oxide-donating aspirin, or nitroaspirin–is supported by a $3.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. Basil Rigas, M.D., Professor of Medic
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be as accurate as computed tomography (CT) in detecting acute bleeding in the brain in patients showing signs of stroke, and more accurate than CT in revealing chronic bleeding in the brain, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA.
Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) has been the standard brain imaging technique used for the initial evaluation of patients with acute stroke symptoms, greatly due to its capacity to rule out the p
Toremifene study finds significant reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer for men with high grade PIN
Toremifene, a drug currently used to treat breast cancer in women, was found to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer for men at high risk for the disease. In a study presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research Third Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, scientists found that patients at all dose levels for toremi
A leading stroke researcher says the aging of the American population means that more people are at risk for stroke, and unless new approaches are developed to reduce stroke incidence, it will surpass heart attacks and cancer as the major cause of long-term disability and premature death.
“…The heart will no longer be the cause of most sudden deaths, leaving behind an ever-growing population of the elderly disabled by stroke and vascular dementia …,” writes James F. Toole, M.D., a
New research shows that the plant estrogens in soy don’t impair fertility in monkeys. The study was designed to test a theory that high-soy diets can compromise fertility in women.
The results, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Emory University School of Medicine, were reported today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa. “Our results suggest that a high-soy diet probably won’t compromise fertil
The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (a type of bacteria associated with gastrointestinal disorders) is high among patients about to undergo weight loss surgery, and treatment to eradicate the bacterial infection before surgery may be beneficial, according to an article in the October issue of The Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The number of obese and morbidly obese Americans is steadily increasing, according to background information in the article.
Two of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treating HIV (antiretroviral drugs)–nevirapine and efavirenz–can both raise levels of the “good type” of cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), but nevirapine raises it higher than efavirenz, according to a new study by van Leth and colleagues published in the launch issue of PLoS Medicine. “These data suggest that nevirapine may be preferable to efavirenz in HIV-infected adults who have increased cardiovascular risk,” says Andrew Carr, an HIV specialist a
Patients with stable vitiligo, a skin disorder characterized by patches of lighter colored, or depigmented skin, may achieve good repigmentation of these areas with skin transplants using skin taken from normally-pigmented areas of their own bodies, according to two articles in the October issue of The Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to the articles, vitiligo is one of the most common pigment cell disorders, distinguished by depigmented patc
While the struggle continues to encourage Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables, science has now suggested its value in preventing yet another form of cancer. According to a study presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research Third Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, vegetables, fruits and antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a form of cancer of the lymphoid tissue.
The results
Postmenopausal women who take combination estrogen-plus-progestin hormone-replacement therapy for one year experience a twofold increase in breast density – a known risk factor for breast cancer – and a quadrupled risk of having an abnormal mammogram, according to new findings from a sub-study of the Women’s Health Initiative, or WHI.
Lead investigator Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, presented these findings today at the third annual I
In the largest known study of its kind, scientists have confirmed that men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN, characterized by abnormal cells in the lining of prostate ducts, are at high risk for invasive prostate cancer. The study, presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research Third Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, showed that about one in three men with high grade PIN are at high risk for prostate cancer wit
Brisk walking allied to the use of an abdominal muscle stimulation machine can improve fitness and body appearance, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Ulster.
The researchers from the University’s School of Health Sciences tested a 32-strong group of normally sedentary women, drawn from within the University, over an eight week period.
One group engaged solely in taking 30-minute walks five times a week; another group carried out the
A minimally invasive approach to curing the most common heart rhythm abnormality, atrial fibrillation, takes half the time of the traditional surgical procedure but is equally effective, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Results from the first reported clinical trial testing the procedure appear in the October issue of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. “Our findings show that this technique is much easier to perform but
Pre-school youngsters with type I diabetes can be treated as successfully with insulin pumps as with daily injections, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine report.
A clinical trial at the Riley Hospital for Children studied 20 patients 5 years old or younger receiving treatment with continuous insulin infusion by pump and 17 who were receiving injection therapy. Physicians compared control of blood sugar levels, parents’ satisfaction and safety in both g
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