The biggest research project ever sponsored by the EU in the seafood sector will help to meet the consumer demand for more healthy products.

With the support of 14.4 million euros of EU funding under the ’food quality and safety’ priority of the current Framework Funding programme (FP6), SEAFOODplus aims to satisfy the growing consumer demands for healthy, safe products that are produced using sustainable, environmentally friendly methods and processed using state of the

Stevioside, the main sweet component in the leaves of the Stevia plant, tastes about 300 times sweeter than table sugar, which means only a small amount is needed for sweetening purposes. As the incidence of type-2 diabetes and obesity is sharply increasing, stevioside is an excellent substitute for sugar. The annual cost of treating these diseases is estimated at 5 billion euros in Belgium, 30 billion euros in Germany and 300 billion US dollars in the USA. However, the European Commission in 20

Researchers knew that prions, the misfolded proteins that cause mad cow disease and other brain disorders, were killing off a class of important brain cells in a transgenic mouse model. But when they found a way to rescue those cells, they were astonished to discover the mice still became sick.

Now they believe previous efforts to find the beginnings of the mouse disorder may have been focused on the wrong part of the brain cell and are plotting new directions for research.

First-degree relatives of lung cancer patients have a 2 to 3.5 times greater risk of developing lung cancer than the general population, and tobacco smoke plays a major role, even among those with a genetic predisposition, according to a study in the December 22/29 issue of JAMA.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer among men and women in many Western countries, according to background information in the article. Death due to lung cancer in the United States

Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new technique that enables them to examine the genetic material of cells in greater detail than ever before, a finding that could lead to better ways to study and diagnose diseases.
The U of T research is published in the Dec. 22 issue of Molecular Cell. The new technique developed by the investigators uses a modified type of “gene chip” and a computer program to accurately monitor alternative splicing, a cellular process thro

St. Jude finding gives insights into how pneumonia bacteria ‘hijack’ a molecular shuttle that carries antibodies from the bloodstream and use this shuttle to invade the body

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered that the shape of a protein on the surface of pneumonia bacteria helps these germs invade the human bloodstream. This finding, published Dec. 16 online by the EMBO Journal, could help scientists develop a vaccine that is significantly more

Evolution is something of a gamble: in order to stay a step ahead of a shifting environment, organisms must change or risk extinction. Yet the instrument of this change, mutation, carries a serious threat: mutations are hundreds of times more likely to be harmful to the organism than advantageous. Now, in a paper published online Nov. 28 in Nature Genetics, a team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science has shown one way that evolving organisms may be hedging their bets.

At the Norwegian Radium Hospital in Oslo, scientists are approaching methods that will improve the patients’ chances of survival and reduce unnecessary treatment.

The cancer treatment of today involves a lot of trial and error. Cancer cells that have started to grow uncontrollably, must be stopped. We use different kinds of medicinal drugs to stop cell growth and induce apoptosis, i.e. make the cells commit suicide. However, nobody knows whether or not the chosen form of medica

Essential oils usually used in aromatherapy have been found to kill the deadly MRSA bacteria according to research carried out at The University of Manchester.

Tests revealed that three essential oils killed MRSA and E. coli as well as many other bacteria and fungi within just two minutes of contact. The oils can easily be blended and made into soaps and shampoos which could be used by hospital staff, doctors and patients in a bid to eradicate the spread of these deadly ‘super bu

New research suggests that a promising herpes vaccine may be ready for testing in humans say researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard Medical School. Their findings appear in the January 2005 issue of the Journal of Virology.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), or genital herpes, is a virus that infects approximately 22% of adult Americans. Bearing physical, psychological, and social effects on those who acquire it, it can pose an even more severe risk for

Most people think of Christmas as a time of indulgence in more ’naughty’ foods, and a time to worry about our waistlines. However, a University of Glasgow researcher can reveal that Christmas dishes can, in fact, have hidden health benefits. Alan Crozier, a Professor of Plant Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, from the University of Glasgow, has studied the health giving properties of several foods often eaten at Christmas.

Also, Dr Jason Gill, from the department of Dep

Residents of Taiwan who consumed drinking water with high levels of arsenic have a higher risk of lung cancer, with cigarette smokers from this group having an even greater risk, according to a study in the December 22/29 issue of JAMA.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in soil, and can contaminate drinking water, according to background information in the article. Residents of the southwestern and northeastern coasts of Taiwan had been drinking well water contaminated

A new study suggests that age–related changes in how the brain responds to the female sex hormone estrogen may be involved in a woman’s transition through menopause. The study provides new clues about hormonal influences on hot flashes and night sweats experienced by some women in the menopause transition.

The findings are reported in the December 22/29, 2004, Journal of the American Medical Association* and are based on data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the N

MGH surgeon tells 40-year tale of investigation and innovation into the challenge of hip implant failure

A remarkable story of how a new disease was inadvertently caused by successful medical treatment, ultimately understood, and eventually defeated by scientific innovation is being told a major player in the process. In the December issue of Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, William Harris, MD, DSc, of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), describes how the development of

With the dynamic evolution of wireless technology, Mayo Clinic researchers have been concerned about the potential effects of electromagnetic interference on heart pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. In the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers report they did not detect interference from personal digital assistants (PDAs).

The findings are important because wireless communication has grown and advanced quickly. Hospitals and clinics have insta

The discovery of a new compound by Michigan State University researchers could lead to improved chemotherapy treatments for different types of cancers – potentially with fewer side effects.

The discovery of the compound – known as SP-4-84 – was made by an MSU team led by Jetze Tepe, an assistant professor of chemistry, and is detailed in the December issue of the journal Chemistry & Biology. The researchers believe that the compound, when used in conjunction with chemotherapy