Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Mar 01, 2012 11:13 AM EST

New Indicator Diseases Reveal Hidden HIV

Today, heterosexuals in Europe are at particular risk of carrying HIV for so long that they remain undiagnosed until their immune system starts to fail and they become ill. An international study under the leadership of the HIV in Europe initiative has now revealed that a number of diseases, includi...

Mar 01, 2012 10:54 AM EST

Understanding and Treating the Cognitive Dysfunction of Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live born children arising as a consequence of a chromosomal abnormality. It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-lon...

Mar 01, 2012 10:47 AM EST

New Study Reveals more People Surviving Leukaemia and Pancreatic Cancer in Northern Ireland

The first audit of leukaemia treatment and survival in Northern Ireland by the Cancer Registry (NICR) at Queen's University Belfast has shown that survival rates for the disease here are at the highest levels since data collection began in 1993.

Mar 01, 2012 10:25 AM EST

Fighting Cancer in the Developing World

On 28 February 2012, the IAEA's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) and the Order of Malta initiated a cancer control partnership focusing on making affordable radiotherapy available for all.

Mar 01, 2012 10:01 AM EST

A*STAR Scientists Make Groundbreaking Discovery on Stem Cell Regulation

A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal â€“ the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely â€“ and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC re...

Mar 01, 2012 08:59 AM EST

Osteoporosis Experts Urge Bone Density Testing More Frequently for Women at Risk

Although a recent study suggests that women with normal results on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans at ages 67 and older may wait up to 15 years for a second test, a Viewpoint article published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) cautions that such a lengthy interval...

Mar 01, 2012 08:45 AM EST

Postmenopausal Women at Greater Risk of Stroke From High Trans Fat Intake

New research shows an increased risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fatty acids, commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, and packaged products. Study findings now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of...

Mar 01, 2012 08:08 AM EST

Study: Sleep Gets Better with Age, Not Worse

Aging does not appear to be a factor in poor sleep, a new survey of more than 150,000 Americans shows. In fact, subjective sleep quality seems to improve over a lifetime, with the fewest complaints coming from people in their 80s.

Mar 01, 2012 07:11 AM EST

Reversing Alzheimer's Gene 'Blockade' Can Restore Memory, Other Cognitive Functions

MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer's patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer's symptoms.

Feb 29, 2012 03:26 PM EST

Old Drug Reveals New Tricks

A drug once taken by people with HIV/AIDS but long ago shelved after newer, modern antiretroviral therapies became available has now shed light on how the human body uses its natural immunity to fight the virusâ€”work that could help uncover new targets for drugs.

Feb 29, 2012 01:49 PM EST

LSUSHC Research Identifies New Experimental Drug for Stroke

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has found that a synthetic molecule protected the brain in a model of experimental stroke. Dr. Bazan was issued a patent on the molecule called LAU-...

Feb 29, 2012 12:49 PM EST

New Hybrid 'NOSH Aspirin' as Possible Anti-Cancer Drug

Scientists have combined two new "designer" forms of aspirin into a hybrid substance that appears more effective than either of its forebears in controlling the growth of several forms of cancer in laboratory tests. Their report on the new NOSH-aspirin, so named because it releases nitric oxide (NO)...