An enzyme that protects the body from reactive chemicals called free radicals is crucial in preventing the inflammation that causes chronic lung disease in premature infants, according to three new studies.

The findings could lead to improved treatments to alleviate such inflammation, preserving the lungs of premature infants, said Richard Auten, M.D., a neonatalogist and associate professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center. Auten and colleagues from the Medical College of W

By using a 16-slice scanner as opposed to a 4-slice scanner, considerable reductions in effective radiation dose can be achieved on body CT without sacrificing established clinical image quality levels, a new study by researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands, says.

Specifically, the authors state that by using carefully optimized volumetric imaging protocols with 16-MDCT (multidetector computed tomography), a dose reduction of 20–30% can be achieved in sta

Using simultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics (SMASH) T2-weighted imaging for knee MRI results in a significant decrease in imaging time, as compared to conventional fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging, without any negative effects on MRI interpretation or patient clinical outcome, says a new study by researchers from the Neuroskeletal Imaging Institute in Melbourne, FL.

According to the study, SMASH imaging, which acquires many pictures at the same time as opposed to traditional imaging

MR spectroscopy may be a useful adjunct to conventional imaging to distinguish recurrent tumor from treatment-related change in the brain such as inflammation or dead cells, says a new study by researchers from the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, MI.

In the study, MR spectroscopy was performed on 27 patients who were previously treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for brain tumor. Results of the study revealed that Choline, Creatine and N-acetylasparta

Computed tomography (CT)-guided injections offer a safe delivery method for gene therapy in patients with metastatic kidney cancer, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

Gene therapy involves introducing genetic material directly into cells to fight disease. “The new gene therapies offer promise for controlling certain types of cancer, but delivering the agents directly into tumors poses its own set of challenges,” said the study’s lead author, Robert D. Suh,

A newly developed, magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible incubator allows radiologists to safely and efficiently obtain quality diagnostic images of sick infants, according to a study appearing in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

“MR imaging is the most desirable imaging test for many newborns because there is no exposure to radiation,” said the study’s lead author, Stefan Blüml, Ph.D., associate professor at The Saban Research Institute at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and the d

Malaria is a pernicious public health problem in many areas of the world. Sub-Saharan Africa, where cases recorded represent over 90% of the world total, is particularly badly hit. Modelling by IRD scientists has revealed a core feature in the life-cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the disease. Its gametocytes, the pre-gamete sexual forms, aggregate in clusters in human blood capillaries and, once ingested, keep this form until they reach the ideal breeding ground the mosqu

The World Health Organization (WHO) is hosting a three-day consultation to identify the factors that allow diseases to jump from animals to humans (zoonoses), as well as to improve surveillance systems for their monitoring and control. The consultation, held jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), in collaboration with the Dutch Health Council, will take place at WHO’s Geneva Headquarters, from 3-5 May.

The transmission

By watching mice “dance” and comparing the DNA of the dancers to their flat-footed siblings, scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice, a finding that is already being used to search for a similar genetic defect in humans.

A team led by Rulang Jiang of the Center for Oral Biology at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a gene known as Tbx10 is responsible for causing cleft lip and palate in mice. The group, which reported its results April 2

A quick new technique able to identify genes that evolve rapidly as well as those that change slowly already has pinpointed new targets for researchers developing drugs against tuberculosis and malaria, and it could do the same for other infectious diseases, according to a paper in this week’s Nature.

The technique, reported in the April 29 issue of the journal, was developed by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard and Princeton universities, and the Nationa

Scientists have unraveled the behavior of one key component of bacteria, a finding that may lead to better, more effective antibiotics.

The researchers studied a mechanism of action they call the “magic spot” – an important regulator of gene expression. They describe their results in the current issue of the journal Cell.

Researchers know that the magic spot – a molecule known as guanosine-tetraphosphate or ppGpp – is involved in how bacteria respond to amino acid starvation.

Compound could be used to prevent biofilm formation

A Center for Behavioral Neuroscience research team led by Georgia State University biologist Charles Derby has identified the genetic sequence of an anti-microbial protein called Escapin found in the ink of the common Aplysia sea slug or hare. The finding could have implications for the development of new anti-bacterial industrial compounds to prevent the formation of damaging biofilms on marine materials such as ship hulls, fishing

South African research published in this week’s issue of THE LANCET highlights how women with physically violent and controlling male partners are at an increased risk of HIV-1 infection.

HIV/AIDS is more widespread among women in sub-Saharan Africa than any other population. Although violence from a male partner and relationship inequalities are thought to be associated with increased HIV risk among women, no study has yet assessed gender-based violence as a risk factor for HIV after adju

Findings of a preliminary study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that transplanted adult bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brains of human stem-cell recipients. These early findings, if confirmed in future research, have implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Ethical concerns over the use of embryonic stem cells has focused attention on the potential of adult bone-marrow cells to stimulate new cell growth in t

The extreme diversity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains is a major obstacle to anti-AIDS vaccine elaboration or the development of new treatments against the disease. IRD scientists, working jointly with other institutes (1), used statistical methods to determine the adaptive molecular mechanisms the virus deploys to avoid neutralization by the host immune defences. This adaptive molecular evolutionary strategy, based on genetic variability, proved to be a feature common to the different

Hope for people with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases may ultimately come from their own bodies. Research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004, shows that cells taken from adult human bone marrow can be converted into brain stem cells that meet the criteria for transplantation into the brain.

“It’s exciting to think that some day a p