Curing Death by Curing Aging - October 2007 Archives

Undergraduates tailor Genome Browser to aid malaria research (10/31/2007)

Researchers have created a genome browser for studying the malaria parasite. A team of UCSC researchers used the new browser to discover previously unknown genes that could help in the search for antimalarial drugs. ...> Full Article

Researchers one step closer to cancer vaccine (10/31/2007)

When cells become cancerous, the sugars on their surfaces undergo distinct changes that set them apart from healthy cells. For decades, scientists have tried to exploit these differences by training the immune system to attack cancerous cells before they can spread and ravage the body. ...> Full Article

Radiation Seeds Effectively Cure Prostate Cancer In Young Men (10/31/2007)

Radiation seed implants (brachytherapy) are just as effective at curing prostate cancer in younger men (aged 60 and younger) as they are in older men. ...> Full Article

Fighting cancer with light-activated antibodies (10/31/2007)

Scientists at Newcastle University have developed a cancer fighting technology which uses ultra-violet light to activate antibodies which very specifically attack tumours. ...> Full Article

Research Links Genetic Mutations to Lupus (10/30/2007)

A gene discovery has been linked to lupus and related autoimmune diseases. The finding is the latest in a series of revelations that shed new light on what goes wrong in human cells to cause the diseases. ...> Full Article

Transplant team helps ensure liver disease not a death sentence (10/30/2007)

When Galveston resident Julie Booth was told that her long-term liver disease-which began as hepatitis C "decades ago," then morphed into cirrhosis-had finally degenerated into cancer, she thought, "Oh, my God. I'm dead." ...> Full Article

Cellular 'Self-Eating' Might Be Turned Against Tumors (10/30/2007)

We all know that recycling can reduce the strain on global resources. But if we could see into the cellular world inside us, we might also notice that our cells are running a successful recycling campaign of their own. ...> Full Article

Broccoli Sprout-Derived Extract Protects against Ultraviolet Radiation (10/30/2007)

A team of scientists reports that humans can be protected against the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation - the most abundant cancer-causing agent in our environment - by topical application of an extract of broccoli sprouts. ...> Full Article

Study Shows What Works In Treating HIV-Infected African Children (10/30/2007)

Providing HIV combination antiretroviral drug therapy is key to saving the lives of African children infected with the disease. ...> Full Article

Researchers Report Possible New Therapy for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer (10/30/2007)

Mayo Clinic today reported promising interim results from a Phase II trial of a new combination therapy for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer that is resistant to platinum therapy. Thirty-three percent of study participants achieved either complete or partial tumor regression from the therapy, which combines flavopiridol and cisplatin. ...> Full Article

Healing The Wounds Of War: Novel Phytochemical Agent Enhances, Improves Process Of Wound Healing (10/29/2007)

Researchers have identified a novel phytochemical agent that enhances and improves the process of wound healing in normal and immune compromised people. ...> Full Article

Malaria Research Institute Sums Up Recent Progress (10/29/2007)

"Breaking the Cycle" chronicles five years of scientific discovery conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. ...> Full Article

Bird Flu Finds Children's Lungs Faster (10/29/2007)

New findings, reported in the journal Respiratory Research, about how the virus binds to the respiratory tract and lung suggest children may be particularly susceptible to avian influenza,. The results also mean that previous receptor distribution studies may have to be re-evaluated. ...> Full Article

Twice the risk of cervical cancer despite operation (10/29/2007)

Women who have had severe cell changes in the cervix and who have been operated on for them run twice the risk of developing cancer later in life, compared with other women. This is shown by research from the Sahlgrenska Academy that is now being published in British Medical Journal. ...> Full Article

Possible Biomarker For Colon Cancer In People 50 And Under Identified (10/29/2007)

An abnormality of chromosomes long associated with diseases of aging has, for the first time, been linked to colon cancer in people 50 years old and younger, an age group usually considered young for this disease. ...> Full Article

Safer Gene Therapy? Hope For Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and MS (10/29/2007)

Researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to sustain therapeutic gene expression in the central nervous system for up to a year, even in the presence of an anti-viral immune response mechanism that is normally present in humans. ...> Full Article

Combination Targets: Some Drugs May Work Best When They Work Together (10/28/2007)

While some targeted therapies - drugs developed to attack specific molecules in the critical chemical pathways occurring within cancer cells - work well by themselves, increasingly researchers are finding that they work better when teamed with other targeted and conventional therapies. ...> Full Article

'Knocking Out' Cell Receptor May Help Block Fat Deposits In Tissues, Prevent Weight Gain (10/28/2007)

Pathologists have identified a new molecular target that one day may help scientists develop drugs to reduce fat transport to adipocytes (fat cells) in the body and prevent obesity and related disorders, like diabetes. ...> Full Article

Researchers test novel vaccine to treat aggressive brain tumors (10/28/2007)

New vaccine for glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer, is now being offered through a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. ...> Full Article

Role Of A Key Enzyme In Reducing Heart Disease Identified (10/28/2007)

Researchers have identified the role of a key enzyme called CEH in reducing heart disease, paving the way for new target therapies to reduce plaques in the arteries and perhaps in the future, help predict a patient's susceptibility to heart disease. ...> Full Article

A previously unknown coupling between obesity and diabetes (10/28/2007)

Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes, but nobody knows the details of why this is the case. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden have now identified a protein that may play a role in increasing the risk. The discovery may in the long term lead to new methods of preventing type 2 diabetes. ...> Full Article

New review clears silicone gel breast implants of serious health risks (10/27/2007)

Women who receive silicone gel-filled breast implants do not have a higher risk of breast cancer or other cancers and do not experience lower survival rates after breast cancer diagnosis. ...> Full Article

Microbial biofilms evoke Jackal & Hyde effects (10/27/2007)

Microbes such as bacteria tend to live in complex colonies called biofilms, where there can resist antibiotics and cause more problems for the immune system. Biofilms comprising millions of bacteria are at the root of many serious chronic infectious diseases such as cystic fibrosis and periodontal disease, as well as industrial contamination, biofouling and biocorrosion. ...> Full Article

Inflammatory breast cancer more rare, more lethal (10/27/2007)

Everyone knows to be concerned about a lump as a sign of breast cancer. But there's another type of breast cancer - much more rare and much more lethal - that has as its primary sign redness, sometimes without any lump. ...> Full Article

Obesity Risks Increase After Menopause (10/27/2007)

Postmenopausal women are at an age when the incidence and exacerbation of the chronic health conditions associated with obesity become more prevalent. A new article published in Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing reviews the physiological, psychological and social issues related to obesity that are relevant to postmenopausal women. The article underlies the importance of nurses and other healthcare professionals for intervention. ...> Full Article

Severely Restricted Diet Linked To Physical Fitness Into Old Age (10/27/2007)

Severely restricting calories leads to a longer life, scientists have proved. New research now has shown for the first time that such a diet also can maintain physical fitness into advanced age, slowing the seemingly inevitable progression to physical disability and loss of independence. ...> Full Article

Research sheds new light on how diseases jump across species (10/26/2007)

Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding a virus which poses one of the greatest global disease threats to wild carnivores including lions, African wild dogs and several types of seal. ...> Full Article

Immune cells can simultaneously stimulate and inhibit killer cell activity (10/26/2007)

New research help solve paradox of the immune system ...> Full Article

Liver disease linked to increased diabetes risk (10/26/2007)

An Australian study has found that a liver disease, caused by overweight and obesity rather than alcohol, increases the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. ...> Full Article

New ways of fighting super bugs in hospitals (10/26/2007)

Researchers will be investigating the effects of humidity on hospital 'super bugs' such as E. coli using one of the largest known biological test chambers in the world. ...> Full Article

Eating Whole-Grain Breakfast Cereals May Be Associated With a Lower Risk of Heart Failure for Men (10/26/2007)

Whole grains known to have beneficial effect in reducing heart failure risk factors ...> Full Article

Researchers find obesity genes hidden in discarded data (10/25/2007)

Previously hidden obesity-related genes have been uncovered from old experiments by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The finding suggests that useful information about many medical disorders may be languishing in mountains of discarded data. ...> Full Article

Direct Route From The Brain To The Immune System Discovered (10/25/2007)

Scientists find out that the brain talks directly to the immune system, sending commands that control the body's inflammatory response to infection and autoimmune diseases. Understanding the intimate relationship is leading to a novel way to treat diseases triggered by a dangerous inflammatory response. ...> Full Article

New Theory Of How Viruses May Contribute To Cancer (10/25/2007)

A new study suggests that viruses may contribute to cancer by causing excessive death to normal cells while promoting the growth of surviving cells with cancerous traits. Viruses may act as forces of natural selection by wiping out normal cells that support the replication of viruses and leaving behind those cells that have acquired defects in their circuitry. When this process is repeated over and over, cancer can develop. ...> Full Article

Viral Infections May Be Linked To Obesity (10/25/2007)

Experts don't dispute the important role that diet and activity play in maintaining a healthy weight. But can poor eating habits and a less active lifestyle fully explain the prevalence of obesity in the United States today? That question has led some researchers to ask whether there might be other causes for this serious problem. ...> Full Article

Study reveals genetic link to diet (10/25/2007)

Our diet is largely determined by genetic factors, according to a new study. In particular, garlic lovers, coffee drinkers and those who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables are likely to have inherited their tastes from their parents. ...> Full Article

Pace of AIDS progression not dependent on viral load alone (10/25/2007)

Armed with genetic information from more than 3,500 HIV-1-infected subjects and healthy individuals, a large multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; the U.S. military; Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard; The University of California, San Francisco; Australia; Colombia; and Argentina reported this week that two genes influence AIDS progression rates by affecting not just the extent of viral replication but also the strength of the body's immune response. ...> Full Article

A Longer-living, Healthier Mouse That Could Hold Clues To Human Aging (10/24/2007)

A study by scientists in the UK show that mice lacking the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 are more resistant to aging than normal mice. The research adds to a growing body of work showing the importance of insulin signaling pathways as an aging mechanism in mammals - and potentially humans. ...> Full Article

Projected supply of pandemic influenza vaccine sharply increases (10/24/2007)

Recent scientific advances and increased vaccine manufacturing capacity have prompted experts to increase their projections of how many pandemic influenza vaccine courses can be made available in the coming years. ...> Full Article

Common Virus May Help Doctors Treat Deadly Brain Tumors (10/24/2007)

A common human virus may prove useful in attacking the deadliest form of brain tumors, according to study conducted by researchers at Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. The researchers said the finding is an important step in developing a vaccine that can attack the tumors by enlisting the help of the body's immune system. ...> Full Article

Balancing act protects vulnerable cells from cancer (10/24/2007)

When a cell loses some of its weapons to fight cancer, it can still look healthy and act normally — if not forever, at least for a while. In research published in the October 15 issue of Cancer Cell, Rockefeller University scientists show how cells lacking a key receptor in a tumor-suppressing pathway maintain a balance between cell growth and cell death, how they lose this balance and why this loss happens more frequently in some tissues than in others. ...> Full Article

New fatal genetic heart disease discovered (10/23/2007)

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown congenital disease that is caused by a genetic defect resulting in muscle cells not being able to store energy from sugar. In the worst case, the disease can lead to the heart stopping. ...> Full Article

Eating To Live, Living To Eat: Genes May Make Some People More Motivated To Eat, Perhaps Overeat (10/23/2007)

Obesity researchers find clues to individual risk factors; gene studies could lead to better, tailored treatment ...> Full Article

Shedding Light on Breast Cancer (10/23/2007)

Exposure to sunlight may decrease risk of advanced breast cancer by half, according to a new study. ...> Full Article

Researchers knock out HIV (10/22/2007)

With the latest advances in treatment, doctors have discovered that they can successfully neutralise the HIV virus. The so-called 'combination therapy' prevents the HIV virus from mutating and spreading, allowing patients to rebuild their immune system to the same levels as the rest of the population. To date, it represents the most significant treatment for patients suffering from HIV. ...> Full Article

Grant furthers efforts to develop more effective treatments for metastatic prostate cancer (10/22/2007)

The Prostate Cancer Foundation has awarded a multi-institutional team of researchers, including from Dana-Farber, a $5 million grant to study whether nanoparticles, each no larger than 1/1,000 of a hair follicle cross section, can precisely deliver chemotherapy to cancer cells, thus sparing healthy cells. ...> Full Article

Protein Transforms Sperm into Battering Rams (10/22/2007)

For sperm to penetrate an egg, they must first compress into a tight ball before springing into action. Researchers have now discovered a protein that can affect how DNA is packaged inside sperm so that they can scrunch up tightly enough to pierce the outer layer of the egg during fertilization. ...> Full Article

West Nile virus' spread through nerve cells linked to serious complication (10/21/2007)

Scientists believe they have found an explanation for a puzzling and serious complication of West Nile virus infection. ...> Full Article

Immune cells fighting chronic infections become progressively 'exhausted,' ineffective (10/21/2007)

A new study of immune cells battling a chronic viral infection shows that the cells, called T cells, become exhausted by the fight in specific ways, undergoing profound changes that make them progressively less effective over time. ...> Full Article

Cross-species transplant in rhesus macaques is step toward diabetes cure for humans (10/21/2007)

With an eye on curing diabetes, scientists have successfully transplanted embryonic pig pancreatic cells destined to produce insulin into diabetic macaque monkeys - all without the need for risky immune suppression drugs that prevent rejection. ...> Full Article

Discovery of New Antiviral Mechanism in Mammals May Improve Treatment of Hepatitis C Infections (10/20/2007)

A team of researchers have discovered a completely new mechanism that mammalian cells employ to fight infections of the Hepatitis C virus, which affects approximately 2.7 million Americans and 170 million people worldwide. ...> Full Article

The Latest About Male Infertility and Testosterone (10/20/2007)

Two reports shed new light on male infertility. A first report shows that a common cause of male infertility-varicoceles, or varicose veins in the scrotum-also results in a depletion of testosterone. In a second related finding, researchers demonstrate that once a common, simple surgery is used to treat varicoceles and thereby restore fertility, testosterone levels are also improved. ...> Full Article

Researchers battle African 'sleeping sickness' (10/20/2007)

A team of researchers will attempt to identify future hotspots of "sleeping sickness" in Kenya by developing a new model that ultimately could be used to predict the path of other diseases. ...> Full Article

Predicting melanoma spread (10/19/2007)

A new online tool will allow doctors to predict how melanoma can spread around the body. ...> Full Article

Scientists Identify New Gene Associated with Lung Cancer (10/19/2007)

The first research to show the involvement of a gene known as Dmp1 in human lung cancer will hopefully lead to an increased understanding on what goes wrong at the cellular level to cause the disease. ...> Full Article

Study identifies pathway required for normal reproductive development (10/19/2007)

Gene defects cause infertility, lack of sense of smell in humans and mice ...> Full Article

Drug-resistant staph infection appears more widespread than previously thought (10/19/2007)

Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appears to be more prevalent than previously believed, affecting certain populations disproportionately and is being found more often outside of health care settings. ...> Full Article

Researchers seek volunteers for malaria vaccine study (10/19/2007)

The experimental malaria vaccine uses a type of adenovirus that does not usually infect humans, so people receiving the vaccine should not have any immune response. ...> Full Article

Researcher Receives Grant to Develop Technologies for Exploring Epigenetic Regulation of the Human Genome (10/19/2007)

Research to develop tools for understanding glitches in epigenetic control mechanisms that have been found in every type of cancer that researchers have examined to date. ...> Full Article

Scientists map flu's chemical key (10/18/2007)

Research on type B flu strain could yield clues about bird flu ...> Full Article

Gene defects could be new cause of male infertility (10/18/2007)

Scientists have identified a gene crucial to the final step of the formation of a functional sperm cell. ...> Full Article

Slowing Down The Development Of Heart Disease (10/18/2007)

Scientists have shown that a protein called transthyretin (TTR) that is present in the blood may accelerate the development of atherosclerosis -- a potentially fatal heart disease in which the arteries are progressively narrowed and hardened over time, reducing blood flow to the heart. ...> Full Article

Genes That Both Extend Life And Protect Against Cancer Identified (10/18/2007)

A person is 100 times more likely to get cancer at age 65 than at age 35. But new research reported today in the journal "Nature Genetics" identifies naturally occurring processes that allow many genes to both slow aging and protect against cancer in the much-studied C. elegans roundworm. ...> Full Article

Matching Pathogens To Their Antibodies: Could Lead To HIV Vaccine (10/18/2007)

The search for a vaccination against HIV has been in progress since 1984, with very little success. Traditional methods used for identifying potential cellular targets can be very costly and time-consuming. ...> Full Article

Enzyme's cancer-promoting activities linked to inactivation of 'genome guardian' (10/18/2007)

The enzyme WIP1 becomes cancer-causing when there is too much of it, preventing the p53 gene from protecting the genome against dangerous DNA mutations. ...> Full Article

Studying Proteins that Underlie Cancer (10/17/2007)

A scientist who studies constructs of a protein that are associated with the cell transformation that causes cancer has received a five-year, $661,018 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand his research. ...> Full Article

Scientists reassess heart disease causes (10/17/2007)

Almost 3,000 people are to take part in a study analysing their risks of developing heart disease in the future. ...> Full Article

Researchers track genetic journey of HIV from birth to death (10/17/2007)

Scientists have discovered how HIV evolves over the course of a person's lifetime into a more deadly form that heralds the onset of full-blown AIDS. The findings could pave the way for new therapeutic agents that target the virus earlier in the disease process, before it takes a lethal turn, researchers say. ...> Full Article

Will Breast Cancer Spread? (10/17/2007)

One of the many unknowns facing women who are diagnosed with breast cancer is the likelihood that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body – metastasize. Researchers are looking to change that. Bioengineering professor is pioneering a more accurate approach for predicting the risk of breast cancer metastasis in individual patients. ...> Full Article

Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Can Replicate In Human Cells (10/15/2007)

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) - which causes mammary cancer in mice - can replicate and spread in human cells, research published this week shows. ...> Full Article

Gene Believed To Promote Long Life Linked To Cholesterol Flushing (10/15/2007)

Researchers have discovered a link between a gene believed to promote long lifespan and a pathway that flushes cholesterol from the body. ...> Full Article

Cancer patients' lives lengthened, improved (10/14/2007)

Researcher has developed a world-first test which will radically improve cancer management. ...> Full Article

Cancer researchers investigate 'smoking gun' trail (10/14/2007)

Worldwide network examining impact of free radicals in causing diseases ...> Full Article

Surveying the Genetic Landscape of Breast and Colon Cancers (10/13/2007)

An extensive study of the DNA in cancerous cells has uncovered a large number of genes likely to contribute to the development and progression of breast and colorectal cancer. The study suggests that each breast and colon tumor is unique and may arise through mutations in many different combinations of genes. ...> Full Article

'Network' approach yields discovery of a potential breast cancer susceptibility gene (10/13/2007)

Like a crossword-puzzle solver who uses the letters in some answers to figure out others, researchers have used data on genes involved in inherited forms of breast cancer to identify a novel gene potentially linked to the disease. ...> Full Article

Swiss study suggests surgery may offer best chance of long-term prostate cancer survival (10/13/2007)

A study suggests that men who have surgery for prostate cancer appear less likely to die of the disease within 10 years than men who choose other treatment options, especially if they are younger or have cancers with certain tumor cell characteristics. ...> Full Article

Could Cardiovascular Disease Be Controlled Through A Brain Pathway? (10/13/2007)

A discovery made 25 years ago about how the brain controls blood pressure regulation is only now being explored. ...> Full Article

Genetic 'Roadblock' Hoped To Inspire Future Type 2 Diabetes Research (10/13/2007)

A team of researchers has found that a 'genetic roadblock' identified in a recent study could pave the way toward novel treatments for type 2 diabetes. ...> Full Article

Scientists Find Protein May Play a Key Role in Development of Deadly Form of Pancreatic Cancer (10/12/2007)

A tumor-blocking protein previously implicated in prostate and breast cancer development may also be behind the most aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. ...> Full Article

Proteins not only potential keys to genetic diseases (10/12/2007)

Scientists may have been looking in the wrong place for key clues to what causes genetic diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. ...> Full Article

New class of drug offers hope to treatment-resistant AIDS patients (10/12/2007)

For the estimated millions of AIDS patients worldwide who are resistant or are developing resistance to currently available medicines, a discovery by a University of Georgia researcher may offer a new treatment option by targeting a previously elusive enzyme in the complex retrovirus responsible for the devastating disease. ...> Full Article

Potential early warning system for lung cancer identified (10/12/2007)

New research has pinpointed a potential early warning system for lung cancer. ...> Full Article

Research links gene to cholesterol (10/12/2007)

Research could lead to drugs for atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's ...> Full Article

Feline Virus, Antiviral Drug Studied To Understand Drug Resistance (10/11/2007)

Researchers at Ohio State will spend the next two years testing their theories about just how an AIDS-like virus in cats is able to resist the powerful medicines that are thrown against it. ...> Full Article

Low doses of a red wine ingredient fight diabetes in mice (10/11/2007)

A research group led by Prof. ZHAI Qiwei from the Institute for Nutritional Sciences under the CAS Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences has discovered that even relatively low doses of resveratrol--a chemical found in the skins of red grapes and in red wine--can improve the sensitivity of mice to the hormone insulin ...> Full Article

Scientists identify Genes that Affect Responses of Multiple Sclerosis Patients to Copaxone® (10/11/2007)

A group of scientists have recently identified genes responsible for the positive response of many multiple sclerosis patients to the drug Copaxone®. These findings may contribute to the development of personalized medicine for multiple sclerosis sufferers. ...> Full Article

Quick treatment following minor stroke reduces risk of major stroke by 80 per cent (10/11/2007)

Treating patients immediately after a minor stroke reduces the early risk of a major stroke by 80 per cent, Oxford research has found. ...> Full Article

Students use designer virus to attack bacterial drug resistance (10/11/2007)

Rice team prepares to compete at iGEM synthetic biology competition ...> Full Article

Researchers find new gene linked to breast cancer (10/11/2007)

Multicenter study suggests HMMR increases breast cancer risk ...> Full Article

David H. Koch gives $100 million to MIT for cancer research (10/10/2007)

MIT to establish an integrative research institute to develop new paradigms in cancer research ...> Full Article

Avoiding Sweets May Spell A Longer Life, Study In Worms Suggests (10/10/2007)

A new study reveals that worms live to an older age when they are unable to process the simple sugar glucose. Glucose is a primary source of energy for the body and can be found in all major dietary carbohydrates as a component of starches and other forms of sugar, including sucrose (table sugar) and lactose. ...> Full Article

Researchers Know More About How Our Cells Respond to UV Rays that Can Cause Damage (10/10/2007)

It's well-known that overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause major skin problems, ranging from skin cancer to sunburns and premature wrinkles. A tan, for example, is nature's own UV protection and an unhealthy sign that your skin is damaged. ...> Full Article

Mathematicians help unlock secrets of the immune system (10/10/2007)

A group of scientists, led by mathematicians, has taken on the challenge of building a common model of immune responses. Their work will radically improve our understanding of the human immune system by allowing all the scientific disciplines working on it to have a common reference point and language. The mathematicians, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), will investigate how the different cellular components of the immune system work together and devise a theoretical and computational model that can be used by immunologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists and engineers. ...> Full Article

Gene may hold key to future cancer hope (10/10/2007)

Scientists may have discovered a new way of killing tumours in what they hope could one day lead to alternative forms of cancer treatments. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify key step bird flu virus takes to spread readily in humans (10/10/2007)

Since it first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 avian flu virus has been slowly evolving into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans. The final form of the virus, biomedical researchers fear, will be a highly pathogenic strain of influenza that spreads easily among humans. ...> Full Article

Scientists find 'skinny' gene's value (10/9/2007)

Scientists have learned the role of a key gene in the war on weight, a tiny bundle of DNA discovered in fruit flies 50 years ago. ...> Full Article

Appendix Isn't Useless at All: It's a Safe House for Bacteria (10/9/2007)

Long denigrated as vestigial or useless, the appendix now appears to have a reason to be – as a "safe house" for the beneficial bacteria living in the human gut. ...> Full Article

Problems with insulin folding may lead to diabetes (10/9/2007)

Botched production of insulin molecule may kill pancreas cells and lead to diabetes ...> Full Article

Molecular biology brings new approach to age-old mystery of malaria (10/9/2007)

In what might be one of medicine's oldest puzzles, molecular biologist marvels at how little modern researchers know about how the pieces fit together. ...> Full Article

Study shows strong link between a mother's hip size and the risk of breast cancer in her daughters (10/9/2007)

An international study has shown a strong correlation between the size and shape of a woman's hips and her daughter's risk of breast cancer. ...> Full Article

Drug Cocktail Stops Brain Damage Caused by HIV (10/9/2007)

A combination of drugs widely used to treat infections caused by HIV appears to stop brain damage caused by the virus as well. ...> Full Article

Can Chinese herbal medicines help manage obesity? (10/8/2007)

Researchers are seeking volunteers to take part in a new weight loss study which will investigate the effectiveness of a Chinese herbal preparation. ...> Full Article

Researchers find way to fight treacherous Hepatitis B (10/8/2007)

One in four people who are chronically infected with hepatitis B will die from its impact if untreated, but a team of researchers have identified the most cost-effective way of fighting this treacherous infection. ...> Full Article

Gene that lowers cell stress could protect against Parkinson's Disease (10/8/2007)

The discovery of a relationship between two cell enzymes and their role in keeping the cell's energy generating machinery working smoothly could provide a new target for development of therapies for Parkinson's disease. ...> Full Article

Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible (10/8/2007)

Expert says new cancer treatments, technologies give women more hope of preserving fertility ...> Full Article

Researcher Defends Against E. Coli's Deadly Kidney Punch (10/7/2007)

Researcher blocking the toxins created by the E. Coli bacteria before it doesn't damage to kidney's ...> Full Article

Standard treatment for prostate cancer may encourage spread of disease (10/7/2007)

Finding may lead to changes in androgen deprivation therapy ...> Full Article

'Bad Carbs' Not the Enemy, Professor Says (10/7/2007)

The latest common wisdom on carbohydrates claims that eating so-called "bad" carbohydrates will make you fat, but University of Virginia professor Glenn Gaesser says, "that's just nonsense." Eating sandwiches with white bread, or an occasional doughnut, isn't going to kill you, or necessarily even lead to obesity, he said. ...> Full Article

'Enterprizing' vaccine for Rheumatoid Arthritis (10/7/2007)

Enterprize finalist, Dendright, will be pitching its vaccine technology for rheumatoid arthritis to venture capitalists and the public for a $100,000 prize next week. ...> Full Article

Daisies Lead Scientists Down Path to New Leukemia Drug (10/6/2007)

A new, easily ingested form of a compound that has already shown it can attack the roots of leukemia in laboratory studies is moving into human clinical trials. ...> Full Article

Pollution Killing up to 25,000 Canadians Annually (10/6/2007)

Canadians are awash in toxic chemicals - and it is costing our health care system up to $9.1 billion and 1.5 million hospital days annually. ...> Full Article

Breast cancer drug in fight against prostate cancer (10/6/2007)

A drug commonly used to treat breast cancer also gives impressive results for prostate cancer when combined with radiation therapy. ...> Full Article

Innovative dual action anthrax vaccine-antitoxin combination (10/6/2007)

Researchers develop a highly effective agent that provides protection against anthrax by combining a fast-acting anthrax toxin inhibitor with a vaccine in a single compound. ...> Full Article

Identifying 'Genetic Fingerprint' May Predict Drug Effectiveness (10/5/2007)

Scientists believe identifying a genetic "fingerprint" could help predict which specific therapies will be most effective for patients with gastric cancer. ...> Full Article

Stomach stem cell discovery could bring cancer insights (10/5/2007)

Researchers identify rare population of progenitor cells in mouse stomachs, paving way for learning origins of tumors ...> Full Article

Cancer cells enlist adult stem cells to promote metastasis (10/5/2007)

Study shows that a cancer cell's metastatic powers are not intrinsic to the cell itself, rather they may be influenced by the signals the cancer cell experiences from stromal cells in the context of the primary tumor. ...> Full Article

Ugly duckling mole rats might hold key to longevity (10/5/2007)

Methusalah of the mammalian kingdom ...> Full Article

Misuse of Tamiflu can create resistant influenza viruses (10/4/2007)

Swedish researchers have discovered that oseltamivir (Tamiflu), an antiviral drug used to prevent and mitigate influenza infections is not removed or degraded during normal sewage treatment. Consequently, in countries where Tamiflu is used at a high frequency, there is a risk that its concentration in natural waters can reach levels where influenza viruses in nature will develop resistance to it. ...> Full Article

Researchers show first results from new Epstein Barr cancer vaccine (10/4/2007)

Researchers are using a vaccination for a common virus as a way of stimulating the body's immune system to attack cancer cells. ...> Full Article

Stem cells could be a key factor in cancer (10/4/2007)

One day in the not too distant future, stem cells could help repair diseased tissue and may become a therapeutic tool of excellence to treat Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, hepatitis and Parkinson's disease. However, there is a more pressing reason to study stem cells: some types of cancer are known to originate from these cells and they may even be the root cause of all cancers. ...> Full Article

Unlocking the secrets of aging (10/4/2007)

You've heard that anti-oxidants are good for us - but do you know why? ...> Full Article

Anti-cancer compound once only found in a shrub can now be synthesized in lab (10/4/2007)

The search for anti-cancer compounds in plants often hits a brick wall when only small amounts of the substance can be extracted. Researchers have now developed a technique which can synthesize relatively large amounts of a potent compound, previously only found in a shrub. ...> Full Article

New system to lead to safer drugs for tropical disease Leishmaniasis (10/4/2007)

The fight against the deadly tropical disease Leishmaniasis, also known as black fever, has been boosted by scientists whose new screening system has raised the possibility of new, safer drugs. ...> Full Article

Depression, Aging, and Proteins Made By A Virus May All Play Role In Heart Disease (10/2/2007)

Researchers here have linked an increase in two immune system proteins essential for inflammation to a latent viral infection and proposed a chain of events that might accelerate cardiovascular disease. ...> Full Article

New Treatment for Stroke Works up to a Day After Symptoms Start (10/2/2007)

People treated with the drug minocycline within six to 24 hours after a stroke had significantly fewer disabilities, according to a study published in the October 2, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers say minocycline may be an alternative treatment for stroke because current treatments only work during the first few hours after the onset of symptoms, and many people don't get to the hospital in time to be treated. ...> Full Article

Researchers announce new methods of beating breast cancer (10/2/2007)

Researchers reveal new ways of controlling and treating breast cancer at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham. ...> Full Article

Residual fetal cells in women may provide protection against breast cancer (10/2/2007)

Fetal cells that persist in a woman's body long after pregnancy - a common occurrence known in scientific circles as fetal microchimerism - in some cases may reduce the woman's risk of breast cancer. ...> Full Article

MicroRNAs may be key to HIV's ability to hide, evade drugs (10/1/2007)

Tiny pieces of genetic material called microRNA (miRNA), better known for its roles in cancer, could be a key to unlocking the secrets of how HIV, the AIDS virus, evades detection, hiding in the immune system. Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have shown that when an individual infected with HIV receives a powerful cocktail of antiviral agents called HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), the virus calls on miRNAs to help it remain quiet and practically undetectable, temporarily shutting down its ability to replicate and infect. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover one of the mechanisms that prevents the spread of colon cancer (10/1/2007)

The first step in the development of colon cancer is the formation of benign tumours, called adenomas, in the intestine. Over time, these tumours may progress to produce colon cancer if they undergo a series of mutations and genetic alterations. ...> Full Article

Second pathway behind HIV-associated immune system dysfunction identified (10/1/2007)

Researchers may have discovered a second molecular "switch" responsible for turning off the immune system's response against HIV. Last year members of the same team identified a molecule called PD-1 that suppresses the activity of HIV-specific CD8 T cells that should destroy virus-infected cells. Now the researchers describe how a regulatory protein called CTLA-4 inhibits the action of HIV-specific CD4 T cells that control the overall response against the virus. ...> Full Article

Ozone shuts down early immune response in lungs and body (10/1/2007)

As policy makers debate what levels of ozone in the air are safe for humans to breathe, studies in mice are revealing that the inhaled pollutant impairs the body's first line of defense, making it more susceptible to subsequent foreign invaders, such as bacteria. ...> Full Article