One of the isomers of conjugated linoleic acid, a group of fatty acids found in milk, is a natural regulator of the COX-2 protein, which plays a significant role in inflammatory disease such as arthritis and cancer, according to a study published by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

“It’s clear from previous research that conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, prevents inflammatory damage resulting from immune response,” says Mark Cook, a professor of animal science in U

An international team of researchers has partially untangled the genetic details of a mysterious disorder that formerly caused seizures and death in infant boys within a month of birth.

The researchers discovered a rare change in the DNA of two eastern Missouri families with a history of a condition called X-linked recessive idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (XLHPT): a portion of the X chromosome, a human sex chromosome, has been removed and replaced by a copy of a much larger sectio

Researchers scrambling to combat a virulent form of bird flu that could mutate into a form easily spread among humans should consider developing vaccines based on DNA, according to British biochemical engineers. DNA vaccines, they say, can be produced more rapidly than conventional vaccines and could possibly save thousands of lives if a global influenza outbreak occurs.

A DNA-based vaccine could be a potent weapon against this emerging threat, particularly if enough conventio

Interactive health websites can help people live with their chronic illness, according to a UCL (University College London) review of studies on internet health.

Contrary to the UCL group’s original findings, the review – published by the Cochrane Library and revised after being found to contain errors – shows that people who use interactive health programs and websites generally have a better health outcome than non-users.

The UCL paper reviewed studies on how computer

A new group which will help women who are seriously overweight to lose weight and keep it off run by the University of Hertfordshire will start in Stevenage in January.

The group, which has been formed by Professor Julia Buckroyd, the University’s Professor of Counselling, and will run for 12 months, and invites women who have serious weight problems, are over 18 and are not involved in any other treatment for weight loss to attend.

Professor Buckroyd, who has proved i

Revolutionary new self-diagnostic devices to provide early warning of deadly and debilitating illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease are the aim of a €22.5m Science Foundation Ireland research facility to be established at Dublin City University.

The Biomedical Diagnostics Institute will carry out cutting-edge research to develop this range of next-generation biomedical devices that will directly affect the quality of people’s lives worldwide over the next decades.

A combination of airway-opening drugs and inhaled inflammation-reducing steroids works better at preventing severe asthma attacks than a normal dose of steroids alone, according to a new review of recent studies.

However, higher doses of steroids seem to be just as effective as the combination therapy in preventing these attacks, a second review concludes.

The studies focus on the effects of long acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) drugs. Unlike “rescue” inhalers, which can i

Treating a rare form of eye cancer with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The research involved 57 patients with malignant melanoma of the uvea which is the pigmented layer of the eye. The results were reported today at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Denver.

“These are very encouraging results,” said Kathryn Greven,

Harvard Center for Risk Analysis explores this issue

Fish has been a staple of human nutrition in many cultures, but there has been some controversy recently about the benefits and risks of fish consumption. For example, fish supplies polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), substances that might protect against coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. On the other hand, fish supplies methyl mercury (MeHg), a compound implicated in impairment of cognitive development and IQ. How can the

Shaped-beam radiation therapy is a promising treatment for life-threatening metastatic liver tumors, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center who report an 88 percent success rate for controlling the lesions. This is the first evidence that doctors can treat these tumors with radiation, and the results doubled the average length of survival.

“Radiation therapy has not been a recommended treatment for liver metastases because of the poor results w

Researchers at the MUHC have discovered a new gene for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) – a group of inherited diseases that result in degeneration of the eye’s retina. Patients suffer gradual vision loss – often described as like seeing the world through a rolled up newspaper – which results in complete blindness in as little as 6 months. The new discovery published in the journal Human Genetics this month was achieved thanks to the involvement of a family in Quebec, where genetic diseases are often

A sensitive new genetic test can now detect a crippling disease called QPX occurring in clam beds from Cape Cod south to Virginia and north to Canada. Although it does not affect humans and it is not as well known as red tide, the disease can have a significant impact on a local economy by killing clams and devastating shellfish harvests and commercial aquaculture operations.

QPX – for quahog parasite unknown – is a single-celled organism related to slime mold. It was first de

Led by Professor Jukka Lekkala, the Wireless research project is developing miniscule subcutaneous sensors, which can be used to monitor, for example, the function of the heart or prosthetic joints even over long periods of time. The Academy of Finland is funding the project, whose goal is to provide the more accurate prediction of changes in patient condition and, in turn, even save lives. ”For example, a subcutaneous EKG monitor will be able to detect cardiac arrhythmia, and the data for t

Researchers say they have identified a biomarker that indicates a more agressive form of prostate cancer. Fox Chase Cancer Center’s chairman of radiation oncology, Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D., presented the findings today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Denver, Colo.

“Staging factors for prostate cancer such as PSA and the Gleason score are extremely useful in predicting prostate cancer outcome,” explained Pollack. “H

Four of the most widespread environmental toxins–lead, trihalomethanes (found in drinking water), ionizing radiation from indoor radon gas, and tobacco smoke–can cause serious damage to health even at very low levels, say researchers in the international medical journal PLoS Medicine.

What this means, say the researchers Donald Wigle of the University of Ottawa and Bruce Lanphear of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, is that there are simply no safe levels of exposur

Scientists have developed a new tool that may prove to be invaluable for investigating the long-term mutagenic effects of chemotherapy and radiation, therapies that are widely used for the treatment of cancer. The research study, published in the October issue of Cancer Cell, provides evidence that a genetically engineered mouse model faithfully recapitulates treatment-associated cancers that occur in humans and may be useful for investigating the mechanisms involved in the development of ther