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Coaxing human embryonic stem cells to make dopamine

For all of the promise embryonic stem cells hold for therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, they are notoriously difficult to use.

28 Nov 2005

Darbepoietin alpha may provide cardiac protection 24 hours after heart attack

A drug has been shown to provide some protection to the heart from injury even if given as much as 24 hours after a heart attack, Jefferson Medical College researchers report.

28 Nov 2005

Potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers are encouraged by early results of a treatment vaccine for pancreatic cancer, a disease with few options and low odds for long-term survival.

28 Nov 2005

African-Americans fare better in the short term following coronary interventions

Racial disparities in cardiovascular outcomes are well-established, however new findings from University of Pittsburgh researchers indicate that African-Americans fare better in the short term following coronary interventions.

26 Nov 2005

Methylphenidate may be effective in treating autism

Methylphenidate, a medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may be effective in treating hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, researchers report in the November Archives of General Psychiatry.

26 Nov 2005

Risk of cervical and other cancers after treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Women who have had pre-cancerous cells removed remain at higher than average risk of developing cervical cancer in the 20 years following treatment, says research in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

26 Nov 2005

Zinc supplements safe for chidren with HIV

Zinc-deficient children living in communities where they do not receive adequate amounts of zinc from their diet should be given supplements, even if they are HIV-infected, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions.

26 Nov 2005

Researchers gain detailed view yet of the heart of the translocon

Researchers have gained the most detailed view yet of the heart of the translocon, a channel through which newly constructed proteins are inserted into the cell membrane. The process of transporting proteins across or into membranes is a critical function that occurs in every cell.

26 Nov 2005

Potential drug target for malaria

Researchers have identified an enzyme crucial to the malaria parasite's invasion of red blood cells, according to a study in the open-access journal, PLoS Pathogens.

26 Nov 2005

Two novel drugs kill breast cancer tumor cells

Two new drugs, when combined, killed up to 75 percent of breast cancer tumor cells in mice and suppressed the regrowth of tumors, according to researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

26 Nov 2005

New door opens for anti-aging research in humans

A counterintuitive experiment has resulted in one of the longest recorded life-span extensions in any organism and opened a new door for anti-aging research in humans.

26 Nov 2005

New and promising antibody profiling technique to test for non-small cell lung cancer cases

Biomedical scientists have revealed a new and promising antibody profiling technique that provides a high degree of early diagnostic accuracy for non-small cell lung cancer cases.

26 Nov 2005

Thrombospondin (TSP-1) can cause kidney failure when normal blood flow is disrupted

Scientists led by a University of Cincinnati (UC) kidney expert have found that a naturally occurring protein that normally fights cancer cells can also cause severe kidney failure when normal blood flow is disrupted.

26 Nov 2005

Tuberculosis research

It is estimated that two billion people--or one-third of the world's population--are chronically infected without active symptoms. Nine million new cases of active disease are diagnosed annually, resulting in two million deaths.

26 Nov 2005

Cranberry juice protects teeth against cavities

Families gathered around the Thanksgiving dinner table might consider giving thanks for the bacteria-busting ability of cranberry juice, say dental researchers who have discovered that the beverage holds important clues for preventing cavities.

26 Nov 2005

Ecotherapy: restoring health through contact with nature

Connecting with nature can improve your health and wellbeing, say researchers in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ). The theory is known as ecotherapy: restoring health through contact with nature.

26 Nov 2005

Researchers identify genes affected by Methotrexate (MTX)

A Queen's University study of fruit flies that may revolutionize the way birth defects are studied has identified the genes affected by a widely-prescribed drug known to cause birth defects.

26 Nov 2005

High blood pressure research advances efforts to tailor drugs to individual patients

Having high blood pressure and a particular genetic alteration dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke or death, and may explain why some hypertensive patients fare worse than others - even if they take the same medication, University of Florida researchers announced.

26 Nov 2005

Fear gene discovered

In the Nov. 18 issue of Cell, researchers report the discovery of a gene that controls the ability to react with appropriate fear to impending danger.

26 Nov 2005

"Get With The Guidelines" programs improve care

After one year - Get With The GuidelinesSM programs used in hospitals significantly improved care for almost 30,000 coronary artery disease patients of all ages and sexes, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005.

26 Nov 2005