A restrictive diet in mice reduces the build-up of a substance linked to memory loss. But can the findngs be applied to humans?

Restricting the diets of mice reduces the build-up of plaques in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a USC study. With obese people generally considered to be at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s, the research raises questions about whether the findings are potentially applicable to humans. “This is the first i

A mutant gene that starves the brain of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical messenger, has been discovered and found to be 10 times more prevalent in depressed patients than in control subjects, report researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Patients with the mutation failed to respond well to the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant medications, which work via ser

Unexpected findings about the genetic makeup of a marine microbe have given scientists a new perspective on how bacteria make a living in the ocean – a view that may prove useful in wider studies of marine ecology.

By deciphering and analyzing the DNA sequence of Silicibacter pomeroyi, a member of an important group of marine bacteria, scientists found that the metabolic strategies of marine bacterioplankton are more diverse and less conventional than previously thought.

Immune cells can trigger severe pneumonia

A new study has found that malfunctioning immune cells can be the cause of severe pneumonia. This discovery was made by scientists working at the German Research Centre for Biotechnology (GBF) in Braunschweig. In the latest issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM), GBF researchers describe how mice in their experiments developed a tendency toward chronic inflammation of the lung’s mucous membra

People screened for genetic disorders must have appropriate follow-up and monitoring to avoid stress and anxiety, according to new research sponsored by the ESRC.

Those with a condition may also find it difficult to have their disease diagnosed and treated satisfactorily, and there can be surprisingly little or no access to genetic counselling. These are among the key issues identified in a unique three-year project led by Professor Paul Atkinson of Cardiff University, examining

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)and Imedex, Inc. announced today their collaboration in the promotion of The World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer®, a clinically-focused Congress that has attracted thousands of oncologists and gastroenterologists since its inception in 1999. In a joint statement Paris Kosmidis, MD and President of ESMO, Stefan Terwindt, President of the Congress organizer, Imedex, Inc., Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD, and Mario Dicato, MD, Congress co-chairmen, emphas

Ranitidine, a widely used substance used as an antihistaminic drug against gastric ulcers, may become a new treatment for cerebral ischemia caused by craneoencephalic infarcts or traumatisms, the third leading cause of deaths in industrialised countries. In experiments with an model of cerebral ischemia using rats, a team from the Institute of Neurosciences of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) has observed how the presence of ranitidine reduces neuronal death by a quarter. The substan

A revolutionary Personal Health Status Monitor for early detection of life threatening cardiac rhythms is just one of the exciting new medical devices set to revolutionise health care on show at the Personalised Health Workshop in Belfast.

In recognition of their expertise in the areas of e-health and sensor technology, researchers at the University of Ulster have been asked by the Information Society Directorate-General for eHealth at the European Commission to organise the 2nd

Individuals with the metabolic syndrome are at risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Although risk factors for this syndrome are known to include obesity, physical inactivity, and genetic factors, the mechanistic role of obesity is not completely understood. In the December 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Iichiro Shimomura and researchers from Osaka University, Japan, show that fat cells of obese mice produce increased levels of toxic o

Researchers have known that mutations in a key gene called parkin are a major cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Now they have discovered a new mechanism by which the parkin gene can be compromised, a finding that they say could lead to new drugs for the disorder.

Andrea Lozano, Senior Scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute, of University Health Network and Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and colleagues found that the protein produced by a gene calle

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) should be one of the preferred routes for treatment of individuals experiencing mild to moderate depression, according to a new report published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Depression has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the largest causes of “disease burden” in the world. It is a deeply distressing condition for sufferers and their family and friends. With depression also having a stro

Scientists have discovered a new biological pathway that may be useful in regulating angiogenesis, the process the body uses to build new blood vessels. The findings, published in the December issue of the journal Immunity, may offer clinicians a new way to intervene in a broad range of diseases and disorders, including cancer, heart and lung disease, wound healing and transplantation.

Angiogenesis is a normal function in the body, but it’s not always helpful. For example, while

Scientists have uncovered a link between a family of genes and abnormalities of the immune system that are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a devastating disease that affects over 1 million Americans. The research, published in the December issue of Immunity, significantly advances the understanding of the pathology of lupus-like autoimmunity in mice and may facilitate the design of future therapies for lupus in humans.

A normal immune system protects the body

A new study provides evidence that a herpes vaccine developed by a Harvard Medical School researcher is a strong candidate for testing in humans. The study, published online Dec. 14 in the Journal of Virology, compared three different experimental vaccines for herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), the virus that causes most cases of genital herpes.

HSV-2 infects one in five Americans, and its prevalence has reached 50 percent in some developing countries, where it also seems to be helping to fue

Subra Suresh has spent the last two decades studying the mechanical properties of engineered materials from the atomic to the structural scale. So, until recently, the head of MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering never thought he’d be a player in the hunt for cures to malaria and pancreatic cancer.

It turns out, however, that Suresh’s expertise in nanotechnology is quite applicable to biology and medicine. With colleagues in engineering, science and

Mount Sinai School of Medicine study validates use of embryonic stem cell as model for study of blood and blood vessel cell development

Common sense leads to the conclusion that if you have blood cells you must have blood vessels and that if you have blood vessels they must have blood to carry. Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have presented the first clear evidence that nature ensures both develop together by using a common progenitor cell.

Scientists have