Research helps physicians understand rare form of ataxia that causes patients to appear ’drunk’ at times
Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University are the first to produce an animal model for episodic ataxia. The condition causes patients to suffer bouts of extreme clumsiness where they have balance, speech and motor difficulties. The research helps scientists better understand this rare and intriguing disorder. It may also help provide valuable information for improved, t

The benefit of some cancer vaccines may be boosted by treating patients with an antibody that blocks a key protein on immune system T cells, according to a small, preliminary study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The study, to be published online on April 1 in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (www.pnas.org), tested the effect of a single injection of the antibody MDX-CTLA4 in nine patients who

The way antibiotic resistance spreads and possible problems from genes transferring have been identified by researchers from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, in new evidence about the way genes pass from one bacterium to another. The research is presented today, Monday 7 April 2003, by Dr Karen Scott at the Society for General Microbiology’s Annual Meeting in Edinburgh.

“We all have a huge number of different bacteria in our guts,” says Dr Scott of the Rowett Research Institute, “a

A joint study between St Mary’s Hospital, the Paterson Institute, Christie Hospital, The University of Manchester, Guys Hospital in London, and Cambridge University researching breast cancer has found that women with defects in certain genes have a higher chance of developing breast cancer when they are young than previous estimates. The report calls for more family history information to be taken from young women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer affects one woman in 10 to 12 in the UK, a

In a new study published in the April 1, 2003 issue of Genes and Development, scientists at University Health Network’s Advanced Medical Discovery Institute (AMDI)/Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI) have shown that a molecule called caspase-8 plays a key role in the immune system response, by controlling how T-cells are activated to respond to infections.

T-cells are white blood cells that recognize and fight off viruses and bacteria. When T-cells encounter these foreign invaders they build up

EMBL researchers discover a mechanism by which cells monitor estrogen

The hormone estrogen is recognized by most people because of its important role in women’s reproductive cycles. It also has other functions in the body: it drives some types of cells to replicate themselves, and it has been linked to the development of tumors. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg have now described a new model of how cells constantly monitor their exposur

The first clinical trials of a new type of cancer treatment that releases the “brakes” on immune cells indicate that this approach enhances attacks on tumors while sparing the body’s own tissue.

The results of the phase I clinical trials of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 blockade therapy were published online on April 1, 2003, in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers involved in the study included James Allison, a Howard Hughe

Vitamin C helped convert mouse embryonic stem cells growing in the laboratory to heart muscle cells, researchers report today’s rapid track publication of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Rapid track articles are released online early because they have major clinical impact or represent important basic science discoveries. This basic-research discovery could lead to future research on ways to treat people suffering from damaged heart muscle.

“Alth

A protein responsible for the assembly of cell cilia – the hair-like projections from cells – may cause polycystic kidney disease, the most common genetic cause of kidney failure, according to a new study at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

The study, which will be published online this week and will appear in a future edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to directly test the role of cilia in polycystic kidney disease. Previous studies have h

Researchers from Chicago have identified focal neurological deficits as a major group of presenting symptoms among patients with West Nile Virus infection, which became epidemic in the United States in 2002. Focal neurological deficits included visual loss, muscle weakness, paralysis of one half of the body, abnormally slow movement, tremor with rigidity, numbness or tingling and unstable gait. Findings of their study are being presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Honolul

Researchers have found disturbing new evidence suggesting that environmental exposure to a ubiquitous substance may cause chromosomally abnormal pregnancies. They have learned that low levels of a compound used in the manufacture of common plastic food and beverage containers and baby bottles interfere with cell division in the eggs of female mice. The disruption of cell division can result in an abnormal number of chromosomes in the eggs, a condition known as aneuploidy, which is the leading cause o

A new three-drug cocktail used to treat ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, may increase life span and decrease disease progression according to a study conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The study, published in today’s issue of Annals of Neurology, is the first to look at this drug combination in a mouse model of ALS. This research was made possible by a partnership led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in conjunction with the A

Until now, scientists believed that a single area in the brain generated breathing rhythm, enabling breathing to speed up or slow down to adapt to the body’s activity and position. But UCLA neurobiologists have discovered that two systems in the brain interact to generate breathing rhythm — a finding that may translate into better treatment for sleep apnea and sudden infant death syndrome. The journal Neuron reported the findings in its March 6 issue.

“We originally thought that only one bra

Unique Hand-Over-Hand Rotation Transports Molecules Through Cells

Within every neuron is a vast protein trail system traversed by a small protein engine called Myosin V. The long-standing question of how this molecule moves may have finally been resolved by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Their findings, presented in this week’s issue of Nature, show how myosin V can move ’hand-over-hand’ on tracks, composed of a protein called actin,

Research reveals how bone marrow-derived stem cells can be transformed into cells for the treatment of liver disease

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have explained how adult stem cells can heal diseased liver tissue. The research helps direct scientists in the quest for therapeutic uses of adult stem cells, which are derived from bone marrow. The research may also help define the therapeutic limits of these stem cells. The study results will be released online

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital expands treatment options

People who suffer from irregular heartbeat now have a different treatment option, thanks to a new procedure being offered at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
RWJUH is the first hospital in New Jersey and one of a few centers in the nation to offer patients the option of Microwave Ablation as a stand-alone procedure to eliminate atrial fibrillation, the most common form of irregular heartbeat.

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