Special Reports
New vaccines may help delay
cancer death (15/07)
(MSNBC) - An anti-cancer vaccine made with a patient’s own brain tumor has
helped several sufferers live much longer than expected, researchers
reported Thursday.
Brain Disease Often Misdiagnosed (15/07)
(CBS) - Ask anyone to name a brain disease that causes dementia and
eventually death, and the most likely answer you'll get is Alzheimer's
disease. Though that's one correct answer, it's not the only one...
Injections Improve Facial Wasting in HIV Patients (15/07)
(Reuters Health) - The facial wasting or atrophy that often gives a gaunt
appearance to HIV infected patients treated with anti-HIV drugs can be
successfully treated with injections of a solution containing
polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a type of bone cement...
Research Suggests Mechanism By Which Blood Vessels Are Patterned
(13/07)
(Science Daily) - Congenital heart disease is a leading cause of mortality
in children worldwide. Congenital cardiovascular defects are present in
about one percent of live births and are the most common malformations in
newborns. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
have recently identified new signaling pathways that may lead to a better
understanding of how this deadly disease forms.
Macrophages, Not Stem Cells, Correct Liver Disease By Fusion (12/07)
(Science Daily) - An Oregon Health & Science University study is defying a
long-accepted assertion among many scientists that stem cells repair
diseased tissue by transforming into other cell types in a process called
plasticity. The study found that mature macrophages derived from bone marrow
stem cells, and not bone marrow stem cells themselves, are what fuse with
diseased liver cells, ultimately curing a genetic liver disease...
Gene Mutation May Help ID Diabetes (11/07)
(Associated Press) - Scientists have discovered a gene mutation that
contributes to juvenile diabetes, a discovery that could improve screening
for the disease and help identify children at risk. The gene mutation —
called SUMO-4 — is one of several that have been identified as contributors
to type 1 diabetes.
Blood Test Predicts Kids' Food Allergies (09/07)
(HealthDayNews) - Using a blood test to measure food-specific allergy
antibodies can help pediatric allergists determine when to reintroduce
children to food they may have been allergic to, a new study says.
Severe Depression Associated With Greater Number of Nerve Cells In Thalamus
Region Of Brain (06/07)
(Science Daily) - Individuals who suffer from severe depression have more
nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls emotion, researchers at
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found.
UN Report: AIDS Epidemic Worsening (06/07)
(VOA News) A new report by the U.N. AIDS organizations finds the global AIDS
epidemic is worsening. The agency says more people in all regions around the
world are becoming infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
West, Central Africa may soon face polio epidemic, UN health experts warn
(06/07)
(Medical News Today) - West and Central Africa could be facing its worst
polio epidemic in years, with thousands of children at risk of paralysis,
following confirmation that the recent outbreak has spread to the Darfur
region of Sudan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today.
Japanese researchers locate gene that promotes cancer growth (06/07)
(Medical News Today) - A university research group has discovered a
particular gene that frequently leads to malignant tumors in the colon,
rectum or liver, possibly paving the way for the development of a new
treatment.
GM bacteria boost
cancer therapy (05/07)
(BBC News) - Researchers in Leeds added a gene to a strain of bacteria that
is harmless despite being related to the bugs that cause tuberculosis. The
extra gene makes the bacteria produce a molecule that boosts the immune
system's ability to identify and kill cancer cells.
3-D Structure Of Anthrax Toxin Complex Solved (05/07)
(Science Daily) - Scientists have determined a three-dimensional (3-D)
molecular image of how anthrax toxin enters human cells, giving scientists
more potential targets for blocking the toxin, the lethal part of anthrax
bacteria. The finding also points to a possible way to design anthrax toxin
molecules that selectively attack tumor cells...
Alzheimer's Patients Can Still Learn (02/07)
(HealthDayNews) - People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease might
have more capacity to learn new things than previously thought. The findings
may eventually make life easier for patient and caretaker alike. They are
the result of two new studies supported by the National Institute on Aging
(NIA).
Special Reports:
Nobel Laureates Back Animal Research
Winners of Nobel prizes in physiology or medicine
overwhelmingly support responsible use of animals in research, according to
Seriously Ill For Medical
Research (SIMR) of Bedfordshire, England. SIMR has carried out a survey of
Nobel prize winners in physiology or medicine to find the views of top medical
researchers worldwide on the need for animals in medical research.
The centenary of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896
seemed an ideal opportunity. "We are concerned that animal rights propaganda has
undue influence in the media, leading to confusion amongst the public and
patients about animal research. SIMR wants to help sort out science fact from
science fiction," said the late Andrew Blake of SIMR.
Questionnaires were sent to all living Nobel
laureates in medicine or physiology. They were asked to indicate their level of
agreement with five statements on the use of animals in medcal research. Their
responses show unanimous support on the need to use animals in medical research.
The complete survey results are available at the
SIMR website. To review the achievements of these great scientists, see a
Timeline
of Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine.
info@pirweb.org