Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Feb 29, 2012 12:05 PM EST

Nanofiber Breakthrough Holds Promise for Medicine and Microprocessors

A new method for creating nanofibers made of proteins, developed by researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), promises to greatly improve drug delivery methods for the treatment of cancers, heart disorders and Alzheimer's disease, as well as aid in the regeneration of h...

Feb 29, 2012 10:41 AM EST

Do Women With Bulimia Have Both an Eating Disorder and a Weight Disorder?

Researchers at Drexel University have found that a majority of women with bulimia nervosa reach their highest-ever body weight after developing their eating disorder, despite the fact that the development of the illness is characterized by significant weight loss. Their new study, published online l...

Feb 29, 2012 10:12 AM EST

Schizophrenia Patients' Ability to Monitor Reality May be Helped by Computerized Training

People with schizophrenia who completed 80 hours of intensive, computerized cognitive training exercises were better able to perform complex tasks that required them to distinguish their internal thoughts from reality.

Feb 29, 2012 09:22 AM EST

Sperm counts!

It had long been assumed that the human sperm cell's mission in life ended once it had transferred its freight of parental DNA to the egg. More recently however, other components of sperm have been implicated in fertilization, and perhaps even in subsequent embryonic development.

Feb 29, 2012 08:57 AM EST

Another Mechanism Discovered by which Sulforaphane Prevents Cancer

Researchers in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University have discovered yet another reason why the "sulforaphane" compound in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is so good for you â€“ it provides not just one, but two ways to prevent cancer through the complex mechanism of ...

Feb 29, 2012 08:17 AM EST

Stopping Hormones Might Help Breast Cancer to Regress

As soon as women quit hormone therapy, their rates of new breast cancer decline, supporting the hypothesis that stopping hormones can lead to tumor regression, according to a report e-published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention.

Feb 29, 2012 06:43 AM EST

SFU Researchers Help Discover New HIV Vaccine-related Tool

A new discovery involving two Simon Fraser University scientists could lead to a little known and benign bacterium becoming a vital new tool in the development of a vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Feb 29, 2012 06:33 AM EST

SFU Researchers Test Sugary Solution to Alzheimer's

Slowing or preventing the development of Alzheimer's disease, a fatal brain condition expected to hit one in 85 people globally by 2050, may be as simple as ensuring a brain protein's sugar levels are maintained. That's the conclusion seven researchers, including David Vocadlo, a Simon Fraser Uni...

Feb 28, 2012 04:42 PM EST

Stroke-preventing Technology Demonstrated in JoVE

In the United States alone, approximately 6 million people suffer from an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), and since the incidence increases with age, it is predicted that 15.9 million Americans will be affected by 2050. The most devastating side effect of AF is stroke, but a new...

Feb 28, 2012 04:26 PM EST

Modified Bone Drug Kills Malaria Parasite in Mice

A chemically altered osteoporosis drug may be useful in fighting malaria, researchers report in a new study. Unlike similar compounds tested against other parasitic protozoa, the drug readily crosses into the red blood cells of malaria-infected mice and kills the malaria parasite. The drug works at ...

Feb 28, 2012 01:17 PM EST

Immortal Worms Defy Aging

Researchers from The University of Nottingham have demonstrated how a species of flatworm overcomes the ageing process to be potentially immortal. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is part of a project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Scien...

Feb 28, 2012 01:04 PM EST

First Study on Long-term Cognitive Effects of Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Finds Subtle Impairment Among Women Who Received CMF Regimen

Dutch investigators have reported that women who received CMF chemotherapy (a combination regimen including the drugs cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil) for breast cancer between 1976 and 1995 scored worse on cognitive tests than women who never had cancer. The differences in perfor...