The discovery of what is believed to be the oldest evidence yet found of a human hereditary genetic disorder has been announced by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The researchers are Dr. Uri Zilberman and Patricia Smith, the Joel Wilbush Professor of Medical Anthropology, both of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the Hebrew University and Dr. Silvana Condemi a senior researcher at the French Research Institute in Jerusalem. They are among the authors of an article in the

Wins Kaye Prize for Hebrew University PH.D. Student

A method for applying drugs directly to mucousal surfaces in the intestinal system has won a coveted prize for a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The method has potential for providing better treatment for such diseases as ulcerative colitis and colon cancer.

The student is Tareq Jubeh, 30, of Jerusalem, who is working on his Ph.D. in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the Hebrew University School o

120 million people worldwide suffer from depression. An EU-funded research project launched recently will help to uncover the genetic factors linked to depression to develop new drug treatments. The Integrated Project, named NEWMOOD, has received €7.2 million in funding from the EU’s Sixth Research Framework Programme (FP6) and aims to identify genes involved in triggering depression. This will help researchers to develop new drugs over the next five years to treat it and improve understanding of

Alzheimer’s isn’t always the cause of a progressive loss of memory and other mental skills.

According to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, one cause is vascular dementia, a common form of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease. Vascular dementia, which accounts for 10 percent to 20 percent of all dementias, occurs when small blood vessels in the brain become narrowed or blocked, causing brain damage.

You may be at risk of vascular dementia if you have certain

Genetically engineered mice, created at the University of Michigan Medical School, are living every dieter’s dream. They eat unlimited amounts of high-fat mouse chow, but have about 50 percent less body fat than normal mice on a low-fat diet. And they show no signs of diabetes or other metabolic disorders, which are common in animals with too little fat.

But don’t stock up on potato chips and ice cream just yet. The genetically altered mice are leaner than normal mice, but they also have so

If you have heart failure — a common and life-threatening condition for survivors of heart attacks – a newer hormone-blocking therapy could help you live longer and better, according to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Heart failure occurs when the heart’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body is damaged or weakened. It’s usually the end result of other cardiovascular conditions.

Heart failure is influenced by the many hormones that are produced as a result of

Individuals who took a dietary supplement containing extracts of Opuntia ficus indica, a type of prickly pear cactus, before consuming alcohol, had reduced symptoms of alcohol hangover compared to individuals who drank but took placebo, according to an article in the June 28 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Alcohol hangovers cause substantial economic and health consequences, the article states. The severity of alcohol hangovers may be related to

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) celebrated its 40th anniversary this weekend. Leading scientists from all over Europe, amongst them 5 Nobel Laureates and Senior Vice President of Discovery Research at GlaxoSmithKline, flew in to take part in the celebrations; all of them honoured EMBO members. Many more sent messages of congratulations.

Set high on the hill above Heidelberg, its home since 1973, EMBO has come a long way since its foundation in 1964. EMBO, the leading lif

A single genetic test that is capable of detecting all mutations involved in the development of cystic fibrosis could be just a few years away, the 20th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Monday 28 June).

Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have discovered that recently developed microarray (or “gene chip”) technology* can be used successfully to detect one of the commonest cystic fibrosis (CF) g

Physicians may be able to make early decisions on the best treatment for breast cancer, thanks to research published in Breast Cancer Research today. A gene involved in the adhesion of cells is less active in breast tumors with a poor prognosis than those that are less aggressive, researchers found.Measuring the activity of the ALCAM gene in primary breast tumors could give physicians advanced warning about the likely clinical outcome of the disease. This should help them decide whether to prescribe

Type 2 diabetics who take two drugs in combination with insulin can effectively regulate their blood-sugar levels without the common side effect of weight gain, according to a new study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Their findings appear in the July issue of Diabetes Care. It’s the first study to analyze the safety and effectiveness of triple therapy using insulin, metformin and a drug in the thiazolidinedione family.

“We’ve shown spectacular control of bloo

While walking is one of the healthiest and most popular exercises, it also results in more trips to the emergency room for women than any other non-equipment exercise, a University of Arkansas study revealed.

The study, conducted by associate health science professors Ches Jones and Lori Turner, has been accepted for publication in the summer 2005 issue of the “Journal of Women and Aging.” Jones presented the results at the 7th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion held

A chemical that occurs naturally in the leaves of an African plant could boost men’s fertility, researchers told the 20th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 28 June.

Khat (Catha edulis) is a plant that has been cultivated for centuries in East Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Chewing the leaves of the plant releases cathinone, a stimulant that produces feelings of euphoria. Cathinone is not very stable and is broken down into cat

Nature magazine has published an article by Xabier Irigoien, a researcher at AZTI, the Basque Fisheries and Marine Technological Research Centre. The article provides data on the diversity of marine life at the bottom of the sea – particularly amongst algae.

Species diversity

Most research carried out on the diversity of species has been with land animals. According to these investigations, diversity is greater in life-forms with medium productivity – defined as th

The oily stains accompanying the yellowish rings on the leaves and pods of bean plants are some of the symptoms of the disease known as “Halo blight” – highly important in temperate zones like Spain. The seeds are one of the most important sources of transmission of the pathogen, which means the detection of this bacterium in seeds is one of the most efficient control methods. Nevertheless, agricultural engineer Arantza Rico Martínez has shown, in her PhD thesis, that this blight pathogen cannot be

Footballers could benefit from a new hi-tech shirt that alerts managers to players’ heart rate and hydration levels.

The shirt, which has in-built pulse and sweat monitors was designed by Northumbria University student David Evans.It uses ECG sensors to record the electrical activity of the heart and send signals to a computer on the team bench, alerting managers, coaches and physios to the player’s heart rate and highlighting any abnormal rhythms.

Silicon gel based strips a