Memory enhanced by sports-cheat drug

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A drug used to increase blood production in both medical treatments and athletic doping scandals seems also to improve memory in those using it. New research published in the open access journal BMC Biology shows that the memory enhancing effects of erythropoietin (EPO) are not related to its effects on blood production but due to direct influences on neurons in the brain. The findings may prove useful in the treatment of diseases affecting brain function, such as schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's.


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All News summaries for September 09, 2008

Crafting your image for your 1,000 friends on Facebook or MySpace

12 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Students are creating idealized versions of themselves on social networking websites — Facebook and MySpace are the most popular — and using these sites to explore their emerging identities, UCLA psychologists report. Parents ...

Dutch state steps up fight against illegal smoking in bars

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
The Dutch health ministry announced plans Tuesday to impose tougher fines and heavier punishments on restaurants and pubs that continue infringing a new smoking ban.

Methamphetamine abuse linked to underage sex, smoking and drinking

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Teens who have never done drugs, but engage in other risky behaviours such as drinking, smoking and being sexually active, are more likely to use crystal meth, medical researchers at the University of Alberta have concluded. ...

Team identifies 13 new tumor-suppressor genes in liver cancer

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Over the years, hunting for cancer-related genes and understanding how they work has been an important, although time-consuming, exercise. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), five different research groups have now combined ...

Study documents what may be first cases of certain tick-borne disease in China

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
It appears that for the first time human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), an emerging tick-borne infectious disease found in the U.S. and Europe, has been identified in China and apparently was transmitted from person to ...