Research news

Scientists identify DNA that regulates antibody production

Medicine & Health / Research

7 hours ago | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- When foreign invaders trip the immune system’s alarm, antibodies need to be specially sculpted to attack them head on. New research now shows that gene segments called enhancers control the reshuffling of ...

Genetic analysis helps dissect molecular basis of cardiovascular disease

Medicine & Health / Research

3 hours ago | not rated yet | 0

Using highly precise measurements of plasma lipoprotein concentrations determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), researchers led by Daniel Chasman at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School ...

Researchers discover antibody receptor identity, propose renaming immune-system gene

Medicine & Health / Research

4 hours ago | not rated yet | 0

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on ...

Bone Implant Offers Hope for Skull Deformities

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 19, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A synthetic bone matrix offers hope for babies born with craniosynostosis, a condition that causes the plates in the skull to fuse too soon. Implants replacing some of the infant’s bone with the biodegradable ...

Embryonic stem cell therapy closer to human trials

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 19, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Embryonic stem cell therapy got a step closer to the clinic Thursday after US researchers said they filed a request for government approval of human trials.

A mobile phone or an MP3 player tells if you're sleeping soundly

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 19, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Finnish researcher Väinö Virtanen has developed a method for analysing snoring sounds by using a PC with a microphone connection and a wireless microphone. The objective was to create an application that could be used ...

Surgery not linked to memory problems in older patients (w/ Podcast)

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 19, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine ...

New Down syndrome treatment suggested by study in mice

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 18, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (5) | 1

At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences ...

Scientists find molecular trigger that helps prevent aging and disease

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 18, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction—and the reverse, overconsumption—produce protective effects against aging ...

Is hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 18, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure. ...

Drug for erectile dysfunction improves heart function in young heart-disease patients

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 18, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction ...

Vitamin B niacin offers no extra benefit to statin therapy in seniors already diagnosed with CAD

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 18, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing ...

Your own stem cells can treat heart disease

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | 4 / 5 (4) | 0

The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ...

Genetic link to vitamin A deficiency

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Almost half of UK women may be lacking an important source of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.

Scientists discover cells that control inflammation in chronic disease

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new type of immune cell that can be out of control in certain chronic inflammatory diseases, worsening the symptoms of conditions like psoriasis and asthma, is described for the first time ...

Researchers discover Hedgehogs could play a role in treating osteoarthritis

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have found a pharmacological approach to treating the disease. The study is published in the November 15 advance online ...

Nutrigenomics researchers replicate gene interaction with saturated fat

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Tufts University researchers have identified a gene-diet interaction that appears to influence body weight and have replicated their findings in three independent studies. Men and women carrying the CC genotype demonstrated ...

Marker of oxidative stress predicts heart disease outcomes

Medicine & Health / Research

Nov 17, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

Judging from the number of juices and teas advertised as containing antioxidants, consumers are aware of the dangers of oxidative stress. But what is the best way to measure it - and fight it?