Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Feb 22, 2012 02:05 PM EST

1 Step Closer to Blocking the Transmission of Malaria

MMV and partners have completed the first-ever comparative analysis of all currently available and in-development antimalarials in terms of the steps they target in the parasite's lifecycle. This information provides the missing pieces of the puzzle needed to develop future medicines able to block t...

Feb 22, 2012 01:59 PM EST

Cancer Discovery Shows Promise of New Drugs

Uncovering the network of genes regulated by a crucial molecule involved in cancer called mTOR, which controls protein production inside cells, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered how a protein "master regulator" goes awry, leading to metastasis, the fat...

Feb 22, 2012 01:49 PM EST

Sydney to Host the 2012 International Microbicides Conference

22 February 2012 (Sydney, Australia) The biennial International Microbicides Conference is the premier gathering for those working on new approaches to HIV prevention and this year's conference in Sydney, Australia will place a strong emphasis on the role of community in both research and implementa...

Feb 22, 2012 12:26 PM EST

Noninvasive Method Accurately and Efficiently Detects Risk of Down Syndrome

Using a noninvasive test on maternal blood that deploys a novel biochemical assay and a new algorithm for analysis, scientists can detect, with a high degree of accuracy, the risk that a fetus has the chromosomal abnormalities that cause Down syndrome and a genetic disorder known as Edwards syndrome...

Feb 22, 2012 11:32 AM EST

Does Depression Contribute to the Aging Process?

tress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go 'unseen', one of which is shortening of telomere length. Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes and are indicators of aging, as they naturally short...

Feb 22, 2012 10:57 AM EST

Cholesterol-lowering Medication Can Protect Against Depression

Researchers at CharitÃ© â€“ UniversitÃ¤tsmedizin Berlin and the University of California San Francisco have studied the link between medication taken for cardiovascular disease and the development of depression.

Feb 22, 2012 10:54 AM EST

Stronger Intestinal Barrier May Prevent Cancer in the Rest of the Body, New Study Suggests

A leaky gut may be the root of some cancers forming in the rest of the body, a new study published online Feb. 21 in PLoS ONE by Thomas Jefferson University researchers suggests.

Feb 22, 2012 10:29 AM EST

Newly Identified Oral Bacterium Linked to Heart Disease and Meningitis

A novel bacterium, thought to be a common inhabitant of the oral cavity, has the potential to cause serious disease if it enters the bloodstream, according to a study in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Its identification will allow scientists to work out how it...

Feb 22, 2012 10:07 AM EST

Serotonin Could Play a Large Role in Bone Loss

Scientists have long known that calcium leaches from the bones both during lactation and in certain types of cancer. The driver behind these phenomena is a molecule called parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP), which is secreted by the mammary glands. The signal that regulates the secretion of...

Feb 22, 2012 09:06 AM EST

New Discovery In Fight Against Huntington's Disease

Researchers at National University of Ireland Galway have made a significant scientific discovery in the fight against Huntington's disease. The novel findings are published 21 February in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology.

Feb 22, 2012 08:52 AM EST

Influenza Vaccination of Pregnant Women Helps Their Babies

Vaccinating pregnant women against the influenza virus appears to have a significant positive effect on birth weight in babies, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Feb 21, 2012 05:11 PM EST

Researchers Find New Compound to Fight Strep Throat Infection

Researchers have discovered a promising alternative to common antibiotics used to fight the bacteria that causes strep throat. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists discussed how their discovery could fight the infection with a reduced risk of...