A newly discovered mechanism by which an infectious fungus evades the immune system could lead to novel methods to fight the fungus and other disease-causing microbes, according to Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators at Duke University Medical Center.

Disruption of a key enzyme in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans — a common cause of infection of the central nervous system in patients such as organ transplant recipients who lack a functioning immune system — led to a significan

High levels of a protein called cytokine in the brains of infants could hold a clue to the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to a study in the November 11 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers studied the brains of 27 infants. Nineteen died from SIDS, and eight died from other conditions. The team compared the level of various cytokines (a class of proteins involved in regulating the immune system) in the brains of

What would happen if you pitted Bart Simpson against his father Homer in a simple fitness test? You guessed it, Bart would come out of the test still standing, while Homer would be struggling for breath with his heart rate going through the roof. Young Scientist magazine, published by Institute of Physics Educational Publishing, is running a national investigation into school children’s activity levels. If Bart took part in this, he would have no problems. He obviously hasn’t been taking notes from h

While experts disagree on whether work tasks alone can be the exact cause of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a new study by researchers at Temple University proves that a highly repetitive work task, a risk factor for WMSD, does in fact cause bone damage.

“Because multiple factors play a role in the development of WMSD, including work tasks, home activities, and medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, we studied work tasks alone to

Tumor size can predict the survival of a patient with the most common type of lung cancer, according to physician-scientists at NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center. The study, which is the lead paper in this month’s Chest, emphasizes the need for further substaging in lung cancer and suggests the importance of early detection by CT scans.

The study evaluates the relationship between tumor size and five-year survival in patients with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Research

Immune memory after smallpox vaccination persists for at least 50 years in immunized individuals, according to research conducted by scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center and Emory University School of Medicine. This is good news, since the findings, published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology, suggest that individuals vaccinated against smallpox prior to the end of the smallpox vaccination program in 1972 may still retain at least some protection against smallpox.

Rafi Ahm

A small, portable device greatly increases the chance of surviving sudden cardiac death by restoring blood pressure better than conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to a Stanford University School of Medicine animal study. Following restoration of heart function, most of the animals in the Stanford study also showed no neurological damage, which commonly results from even a momentary blood flow interruption to the brain.

To model what happens during abrupt loss of heart fun

Researchers at Ohio State University have found new clues to how free radicals can contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study found that oxidation – a type of damage to cells caused by free radicals – can damage certain kinds of messenger RNA in the brain. That damage may be related to Alzheimer’s.

Messenger RNA (or mRNA) is important because it turns DNA’s genetic code into the proteins needed for healthy brain function. But in an Alzheime

American Heart Association meeting report

A bone marrow stem cell transplant restored circulation to injured blood vessels in animals with pulmonary hypertension, according to a study presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2003.

“This is a novel and exciting approach,” said Duncan Stewart, M.D., professor and director of cardiology at the University of Toronto and head of cardiology at St. Michael’s Hospital. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (P

The first clinical study ever with a new type of nerve prosthesis has been launched at Northern Sweden University Hospital. It is being carried out by a research team from Umeå University under the leadership of Professors Jan-Olof Kellerth and Mikael Wiberg.

The team, at the Department of Integrative Medical Biology and the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Sciences, were recently granted SEK 1 million from the Kempe Foundations to purchase advanced neuro-anatomical microscopes and im

Dutch research has demonstrated that lipids from the parasite schistosoma can inhibit human immune responses. This property makes the lipids interesting for a possible new treatment of diseases such as asthma and diabetes where the immune system responds inappropriately.

During her doctoral research, Desiree van der Kleij discovered that lipids from the parasite schistosoma steer the development of the immune system in a certain direction. Cells from the innate immune system, so-called dend

Alistair Lees spends much of his research time hoping to see the light.

Using tools that improve by several orders of magnitude on the accuracy of microscopes and stopwatches, Lees is working at the molecular level to explore the effect of light on chemical systems. The field is called photochemistry and Lees’ efforts could help to find less-expensive ways to produce gasoline, make the environment cleaner and safer, and enhance the quality of microcircuitry and the equipment that re

Pesticides attack same cellular targets as rotenone – already implicated in Parkinson’s disease

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found in laboratory experiments that several commonly used pesticides are just as toxic or even more toxic to the mitochondria of cells than the pesticide rotenone, which already has been implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The Emory neurologists, led by Tim Greenamyre, MD, PhD and Todd B. Sherer, PhD, will p

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine were able to enhance significantly the re-growth of damaged peripheral nerves in mice by treating them with enzymes that counteracted a growth-blocking mechanism. The research offers the potential for improving functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries. The Emory scientists were led by Arthur English, PhD, professor of cell biology, with faculty colleagues Robert McKeon, PhD and Erica Werner, PhD and former Emory student M.L. Groves. Results

Scientists are closing in on genetic contributors to high blood pressure and other causes of heart and cardiovascular disease. At the American Society for Human Genetics annual meeting in Los Angeles, Hopkins research associate Yen-Pei Christy Chang, Ph.D., will present evidence that a region of chromosome 1 is involved in appropriately regulating blood pressure. Her talk is scheduled for 10:15 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 8.

The scientists conducted a genome-wide analysis of 1,875 people in 585 fa

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, have documented what they are calling possibly the most extreme case of animal structure elongation documented to date.

In a paper published in the November 6 issue of the journal Nature, Suzanne Dufour and Horst Felbeck show that a clam from a certain species can extend its foot (clams have only one foot) up to 30 times the length of its shell to reach chemicals in marine sediment necessary for th