Drug discovery researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new class of compounds that have the potential to reduce the inflammation of brain cells and the neuron loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The new class of compounds are aminopyridazines. The original compound, called MW01-070C, is used in an injectable form. More recently developed compounds, such as MW01-2-151WH and MW01-5-188WH, can be taken by mouth.

The compounds were designed and sy

UC Riverside Researchers Find that Fish Living in High-Predator Environments Challenge Classic Evolutionary Theories

Classic evolutionary theories of senescence, or the evolution of the rate at which organisms deteriorate as they age, have been challenged by the findings of researchers at the University of California, Riverside.

In the 1950s, Peter Medawar, winner of a Nobel Prize for medicine, and George Williams, a renowned evolutionary biologist, developed theories fo

Scientists from three countries study innovative DNA transport element

Treating genetic diseases by introducing functional genes into the human organism: researchers from three European countries are aiming for a breakthrough in this process, known as gene therapy, using a new methodology. The network of scientists, including the German Research Centre for Biotechnology in Braunschweig (GBF), is working to further develop a certain type of DNA element, called an episome, for this

Around 80 per cent of modern thoroughbred racehorses have in their pedigree the 18th century horse Eclipse, which went its entire racing career unbeaten. 200 years later the question of what makes a fast racehorse still perplexes trainers and racing fans but researchers at The Royal Veterinary College may have found the answer to this and other questions on animal locomotion.

The research, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has combined d

Patients who suffer a loss of cognitive and motor function as a result of stem cell transplantation for severe blood disorders are likely to see those functions return to previous levels after one year, according to a new study in the November 15, 2004, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington School of Medicine studied 142 patients who had blood disorders, such as

Fibrin gel matrix-based vessel ready for test transplantation after only two weeks in culture

The search for a stable, renewable source of blood vessels, especially for potential use in heart bypass surgery, has reached a milestone at the State University of New York at Buffalo. A multi-disciplinary team at SUNY Buffalo designed tissue engineered blood vessels (TEVs) using a matrix of vascular smooth muscle embedded in fibrin gels. After only two weeks in culture, the TEVs show

Many heart disease patients who are already receiving state-of-the-art therapy do not benefit from additional treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, according to results of a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study provides the most definitive evidence to date of the effect of the drug in stable heart disease patients whose heart function was shown to be at normal or near-normal levels

The first medical research paper submitted from the International Space Station (ISS) was published online today by the journal Radiology. The report documents the first ultrasound examination of the shoulder performed under the microgravity conditions of space flight.

Members of Expedition 9 crew aboard the ISS completed the study as part of the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) experiment. “It is with great pleasure that we offer to the journal Radiology the

Protease inhibitors used to treat HIV-1 infection may also be effective for treatment or prevention of malaria, according to a study published in the December 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. The study found protease inhibitors inhibited the growth of P. falciparum, the malaria parasite that causes most disease. These findings may also expose a previously unexplored vulnerability in the parasite that could lead to a new class of anti-malarial drug. While the eff

Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI allows physicians to differentiate between cerebral abscesses—inflamed areas in the brain caused by infection—and malignant brain tumors without surgery, says a new preliminary study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.

For the study, the researchers analyzed eight patients who underwent DSC MRI—four with cerebral abscesses and four with malignant brain tumors. DSC MRI is used to measure blood volume in brain

Doctors must choose and manage ICD patients carefully

Implanted devices that can shock a failing heart back into regular rhythm do an excellent job of keeping patients alive, two new University of Michigan studies find. The research also suggests that doctors may be able to categorize their patients according to their individual risk factors, to determine who might get the largest benefit from the expensive devices, called implanted cardiac defibrillators, or ICDs. The studie

Although particulate air pollution has been blamed for a wide variety of negative health effects, a three-year study of asthmatic children in Denver, published in the November Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicates that it does not lead to significant worsening of asthma during the pollution-heavy winter months. Upper respiratory infections, however, were associated with a significant decline in lung function, asthma symptoms and asthma exacerbations.

“In our study

Monthly ingestion appears to boost peanut tolerance

Children who outgrow peanut allergy have a slight chance of recurrence, but researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center report that the risk is much lower in children who frequently eat peanuts or peanut products.

In a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Hopkins team recommends that children who outgrow peanut allergy eat concentrated forms of peanut

Delays in emergency angioplasty linked to higher death risk

In a heart attack, the saying goes, “Time is muscle.” The faster a person gets treated, the better his or her chances of survival and recovery. But a new study finds that women who have heart attacks wait longer than men to receive an emergency procedure that can re-open clogged blood vessels and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. The study also finds that the longer any patient waits for this treatment, the higher h

The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), a device that measures pressures and flows in the heart, is frequently used to diagnose, monitor, and guide treatment of congestive heart failure and other conditions. However, use of the PAC has been controversial with varying opinions as to its risk and benefits. New findings from a multi-center study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health show that the PAC did not significantly increase or

New research presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions reveals that plant sterols from soy added to a cocoa-based snack bar can significantly reduce cholesterol levels. This study demonstrates how certain plant nutrients can promote heart health when included in snack foods. Based on this research and decades of research on cocoa, Mars Incorporated has developed a new cocoa-based, sterol-containing snack bar, CocoaVia(tm).

This clinical research demon