Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Feb 20, 2012 01:48 PM EST

Faulty Fat Sensor Implicated in Obesity and Liver Disease

Defects in a protein that functions as a dietary fat sensor may be a cause of obesity and liver disease, according to a study published in the journal Nature, led by researchers at Imperial College London. The findings highlight a promising target for new drugs to treat obesity and metabolic disorde...

Feb 20, 2012 12:22 PM EST

Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute HUB: A Model for Collaboration

At a time when medical research increasingly requires collaboration by large numbers of busy people, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute HUB offers a model for using advanced information technology to link scientists, health providers, community partners and others for the purpo...

Feb 20, 2012 11:43 AM EST

Scripps Research Scientists Identify Protein that Sends 'Painful Touch' Signals

In two landmark papers in the journal Nature this week, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute report that they have identified a class of proteins that detect "painful touch."

Feb 20, 2012 11:03 AM EST

New Brain Connections Form in Clusters During Learning

-New connections between brain cells emerge in clusters in the brain as animals learn to perform a new task, according to a study published in Nature on February 19 (advance online publication). Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study reveals details of how brain ci...

Feb 20, 2012 08:47 AM EST

Better Models Needed to Track Atmospheric Pollution's Impact on Health, Climate

The past decade has witnessed a significant growth in Asian air pollution, causing a great concern for air quality and climate. If government policy makers hope to contain the problem, they will need increased research and better computer models of black carbon and other aerosol pollutants, also kno...

Feb 20, 2012 07:04 AM EST

Study: New Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury Shows Promise in Animals

A new drug is showing promise in shielding against the harmful effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats, according to a study that was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012.

Feb 20, 2012 06:44 AM EST

UofL Research Shows Substituting with Smokeless Tobacco Saves Lives

Substituting smokeless tobacco products can save smokers' lives, and there is a scientific foundation that proves it. That is the message Brad Rodu, D.D.S., professor of medicine at the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Medicine and the Endowed Chair in Tobacco Harm Reduction at UofL's Jame...

Feb 19, 2012 02:37 PM EST

UGA Animal Vaccine may Slow Deadly Spread of Chagas Disease

Chagas disease is the single most common cause of congestive heart failure and sudden death in the world. The devastating parasitic infection affects millions of people throughout Central and South America. But as global travel increases, it's becoming a greater threat in the United States and Europ...

Feb 18, 2012 04:40 PM EST

The Pathway Into the Cell: Dynamin Dynamics Modelling

"Imagine an inflated balloon attached to a pump, but much, much smaller. By pinching off the neck of the balloon with a noose, it is detached from the pump and is able to move about freely."

Feb 18, 2012 04:18 PM EST

Alzheimer's Drugs may have Adverse Side Effects

Alzheimer's disease drugs now being tested in clinical trials may have potentially adverse side effects, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. A study with mice suggests the drugs could act like a bad electrician, causing neurons to be miswired and interfering with their ability to send m...

Feb 18, 2012 04:09 PM EST

Switching Antiepileptic Drugs could Increase Risk of Seizures

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims generic antiepileptic drugs have the same dosage, purity and strength as their brand-name counterparts and the two are interchangeable. But doctors and people with epilepsy remain concerned, citing widespread reports of individuals suffering seizures afte...

Feb 18, 2012 03:05 PM EST

A New EEG Shows how Brain Tracts are Formed

In the past few years, researchers at the University of Helsinki have made several breakthroughs in discovering how the brain of preterm babies work, in developing treatments to protect the brain, and in developing research methods suitable for hospital use.