Research news

Physician-scientist proves stem cells heal lungs of newborn animals

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Dr. Bernard Thébaud lives in two very different worlds. As a specialist in the Stollery Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, he cares for tiny babies, many of whom struggle ...

An end to sleep problems? Researchers discover enzyme behind effects of sleep deprivation

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 26, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration ...

Ginkgo biloba doesn’t prevent cardiovascular events but may have potential peripheral artery disease benefits

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ginkgo biloba didn’t prevent cardiovascular death or major events such as heart attack and stroke in people age 75 and older, but the herb may affect peripheral vascular disease, according to research reported ...

New device implanted by surgeons help paralyzed patients breathe easier

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 25, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center soon will begin implanting a new device designed to improve breathing in patients with upper spinal-cord injuries or other diseases that keep them from breathing independently.

Road rage: Fuel vapor heightens aggression

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (4) | 1

Outrageous prices may not be the only thing causing anger at the petrol pumps. A new study, published in the open access journal BMC Physiology, has shown that rats exposed to fumes from leaded and unleaded gasoline become ...

Clinical trials of spray-on skin to start in US

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Clinical trials comparing a spray-on skin product with skin grafts will start in the US in December. The trials, which are partly funded by a US army grant of $1.4 million, will last about a year and will ...

Early protein processes crucial to formation and layering of myelin membrane

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

New findings from an international team of researchers probing the nerve-insulating myelin sheath were bolstered by the work of Boston College biologists, who used x-rays to uncover how mutations affect the structure of myelin, ...

Eye floaters and flashes of light linked to retinal tear, detachment

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

Suddenly seeing floaters or flashes of light may indicate a serious eye problem that - if untreated - could lead to blindness, a new study shows.

Cell phones to provide picture of human interaction

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Cell phones to their ears, a team of research participants will report their interpersonal interactions in real time to provide a better view of human behavior thanks to a $1 million grant from the National ...

Tobacco smoke exposure before heart transplantation may increase the risk of transplant failure

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | not rated yet | 1

A study conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore provides the first direct evidence that cigarette smoke exposure prior to a heart transplant in either the donor, recipient, or both, accelerates ...

Control of blood clotting by platelets described; provides medical promise

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 24, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Cell fragments called platelets are essential to promote blood clotting. Virginia Tech faculty members and students have discovered novel molecular interactions at the surface of platelets that control blood clotting.

Gene therapy improves vision

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (4) | 0

German scientist Paul Ehrlich found what he coined the "magic bullet" in the early 20th century upon developing the world’s first effective treatment of syphilis.

New discovery about the formation of new brain cells

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

The generation of new nerve cells in the brain is regulated by a peptide known as C3a, which directly affects the stem cells' maturation into nerve cells and is also important for the migration of new nerve cells through ...

Multitasking may be Achilles heel for hepatitis C

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Hepatitis C, a formidable virus that affects 130 million people worldwide, is nursing some pretty impressive bruises. By knocking out sections and subsections of one of its proteins, scientists reveal weak ...

Systems biology approach provides insulin resistance insights

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego recently offered the sharpest-yet picture of how core biochemical pathways in skeletal muscle cells and fat cells are altered in people who suffer from ...

New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of ...

Stable plaque or heart attack plaque? Researcher builds new MEMS sensor to tell which is which

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

University of Sourthern California biomedical engineer and cardiologist Tzung "John" Hsiai hopes to develop a new tool to help clinicians distinguish cardiac emergencies requiring immediate surgery from chronic ...

Research reveals exactly how coughing is triggered by environmental irritants

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 23, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have revealed how environmental irritants such as air pollution and cigarette smoke cause people to cough, in research published today in the American Journal of Respiratory an ...