Pimped up T-cells seek out and destroy HIV
Researchers have used evolution to create immune cells able to destroy HIV far more effectively than the regular cells our body produces
00:00 07 November 2008
Public Release: 9-Nov-2008
Nature
Cancer drugs my build and not tear down blood vessels
Scientists have thought that one way to foil a tumor from generating blood vessels to feed its growth -- a process called angiogenesis -- was by creating drugs aimed at stopping a key vessel growth-promoting protein. But now the opposite seems to be true.
Contact: Steve Benowitz
sbenowitz@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163
University of California - San Diego
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Archives of Internal Medicine
Getting little sleep may be associated with risk of heart disease
Sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with future risk of heart disease, according to a report in the Nov. 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, a combination of little sleep and overnight elevated blood pressure appears to be associated with an increased risk of the disease.
Contact: Kazuo Eguchi, M.D., Ph.D.
ke112@jichi.ac.jp
JAMA and Archives Journals
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Archives of Ophthalmology
Vision screening law for older Floridians associated with lower fatality rates in car crashes
A vision screening law targeting Florida drivers age 80 and older appears to be associated with lower death rates from motor vehicle collisions in this age group, despite little evidence of an association between vision and car crashes, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Bob Shepard
205-934-8934
JAMA and Archives Journals
Dirt won't stick to omniphobic material
Unlike any natural material, it forces both watery and oily liquids into tight, marble-like drops that can't cling on
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Journal of Immunology
Researchers use chemical from medicinal plants to fight HIV
Immune cells lose the ability to divide as they age because a part of their chromosomes known as a telomere becomes progressively shorter with cell division. As a result, its disease fighting ability is compromised. A new study finds that a chemical from the Astragalus root, frequently used used in Chinese herbal therapy, can prevent or slow this progressive telomere shortening, which could make it a key weapon in the fight against HIV.
Geron Corp., TA Therapeutics Ltd., National Institutes of Health, Frank Jernigan Foundation
Contact: Enrique Rivero
erivero@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2273
University of California - Los Angeles
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Science
Maastricht University researchers produce 'neural fingerprint' of speech recognition
Scientists from Maastricht University have developed a method to look into the brain of a person and read out who has spoken to him or her and what was said. With the help of neuroimaging and data mining techniques the researchers mapped the brain activity associated with the recognition of speech sounds and voices.
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Contact: Elia Formisano
e.formisano@psychology.unimaas.nl
31-433-884-040
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Caring for the caregiver: Redefining the definition of patient
One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to an Indiana University study published in the Nov. 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Contact: Cindy Fox Aisen
caisen@iupui.edu
317-274-7722
Indiana University
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Physical Review E
Forced evolution: Can we mutate viruses to death?
Can scientists create a designer drug that forces viruses to mutate themselves out of existence? A new study by Rice University bioengineers could help make it happen. The study, which will appear in Physical Review E, offers the most comprehensive mathematical analysis to date of the mechanisms that drive evolution in viruses and bacteria, and it could help scientists who are looking to add "lethal mutagenesis" to medicine's disease-fighting arsenal.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Korea Research Foundation
Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-348-6778
Rice University
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Bone cancer treatment ineffective, despite promising laboratory data
Ewing sarcoma is the second most common type of primary bone cancer seen in children and young adults. Patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma have a poor outcome with conventional therapies.
Contact: Sean Wagner
swagner@wiley.com
781-388-8550
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Archives of Neurology
Brain scans demonstrate link between education and Alzheimer's
A test that reveals brain changes believed to be at the heart of Alzheimer's disease has bolstered the theory that education can delay the onset of the dementia and cognitive decline that are characteristic of the disorder.
NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Charles and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Research Initiative
Contact: Michael C. Purdy
purdym@wustl.edu
314-286-0122
Washington University School of Medicine
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
OHSU finds association between Epstein-Barr virus, inflammatory diseases of the mouth
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's School of Dentistry have found that a significant percentage of dental patients with the inflammatory diseases irreversible pulpitis and apical periodontitis also have the Epstein-Barr virus. The Epstein-Barr virus is an important human pathogen found in more than 90 percent of the world population. It is associated with many diseases, including infectious mononucleosis, malignant lymphomas and naspharyngeal carcinoma.
Contact: Sydney Clevenger
clevenge@ohsu.edu
503-418-1792
Oregon Health & Science University
Public Release: 10-Nov-2008
Circulation
Diuretic reduces risk for a type of heart failure that is more common among women
New research by the University of Texas School of Public Health shows that a medication for high blood pressure called a diuretic or water pill is particularly effective at reducing the risk for a type of heart failure that affects women more often than men. Findings appear in the Nov. 10 online issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
PLoS Biology
Rheumatoid arthritis breakthrough
Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, inflammatory type of arthritis that occurs when the body's immune system attacks itself. A new paper, published in this week's issue of PLoS Biology, reports a breakthrough in the understanding of how autoimmune responses can be controlled, offering a promising new strategy for therapy development for rheumatoid arthritis.
Contact: Sally Hubbard
American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008
Joyful music may promote heart health
Listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function.
Contact: Bill Seiler
British Medical Journal
Doctors must look after their health too
Short term counseling followed by a modest cut in work hours may help reduce emotional exhaustion and sick leave in doctors, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Contact: Rachael Davies
Public Release: 11-Nov-2008
Without enzyme, biological reaction essential to life takes 2.3 billion years
All biological reactions within human cells depend on enzymes. Their power as catalysts enables biological reactions to occur usually in milliseconds. But how slowly would these reactions proceed spontaneously, in the absence of enzymes -- minutes, hours, days? And why even pose the question?
NIH/National Institute of General Medicine
Public Release: 11-Nov-2008
New technology could revolutionize breast cancer screening
The world's first radar breast imaging system developed at Bristol University that could revolutionize the way women are scanned for breast cancer is currently under clinical trial at North Bristol NHS Trust.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, United Bristol Hospitals, Micrima Ltd
Contact: Joanne Fryer
Public Release: 11-Nov-2008
Pitt research finds that low concentrations of pesticides can become toxic mixture
Ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe, according to University of Pittsburgh research published Nov. 11 in the online edition of Oecologia. Such "cocktails of contaminants" are frequently detected in nature, the paper notes, and the Pitt findings offer the first illustration of how a large mixture of pesticides can adversely affect the environment.
Contact: Morgan Kelly
Basics
Scientists and Philosophers Find That 'Gene' Has a Multitude of Meanings
Scientists have learned that the canonical 'genes' account for an embarrassingly tiny part of the human genome.
By NATALIE ANGIER
In a Novel Theory of Mental Disorders, Parents' Genes Are in Competition
A new theory of brain development would change the way mental disorders like autism and schizophrenia are understood.
By BENEDICT CAREY
The Promise and Power of RNA
RNA interference, discovered only about 10 years ago, is attracting huge interest for its seeming ability to knock out disease-causing genes.
Public Release: 12-Nov-2008
Gender matching aids long-term survival after heart transplants
Men who received heart transplants from a male donor and women who had female donors had lower chances of death than patients who received a transplant from the opposite sex, according to a new 10-year study. Pairing female patients with male donors had the greatest risk for death during the study. Researchers said heart size and perhaps differences in the immune system explain the correlation.
Health Resources and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health
Public Release: 12-Nov-2008
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
Hormone shows promise in reversing Alzheimer's disease and stroke
Saint Louis University researchers disarm the blood-brain barrier sentry that keeps a potential treatment for stroke and Alzheimer's disease from getting into the brain.
Contact: Nancy Solomon
Public Release: 12-Nov-2008
Human Reproduction
Placebo acupuncture is associated with a higher pregnancy rate after IVF than real acupuncture
A study comparing the effects of real and placebo acupuncture on pregnancy rates during assisted reproduction has found that, surprisingly, placebo acupuncture was associated with a significantly higher overall pregnancy rate than real acupuncture. The study is published in Human Reproduction journal on Thursday, Nov. 13.
Contact: Emma Mason
Public Release: 12-Nov-2008
New England Journal of Medicine
A large waist can almost double your risk of premature death, says huge Europe-wide study
Having a large waistline can almost double your risk of dying prematurely even if your body mass index is within the 'normal' range, according to a new study of over 350,000 people across Europe, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Contact: Laura Gallagher
Thar she blows: Snot offers clues to whale health
Large cetaceans are too bulky to take blood samples, so an enterprising team has taken to chasing whales for the bugs that they blow out
00:01 12 November 2008
Female spiders make a meal out of lazy lovers
It isn't only men that can get in trouble for not being romantic enough - male redback spiders pay the ultimate price for neglecting courtship
15:46 12 November 2008
How warfare shaped human evolution
Not only is war as old as humanity itself, it may even be the driver behind cooperative behaviour
THIS WEEK:
Humans may have prevented super ice age
The ice age-interglacial cycle might have given way to a big freeze lasting millions of years, had humans not intervened
18:00 12 November 2008
Public Release: 12-Nov-2008
Common anesthetic induces Alzheimer's-associated changes in mouse brains
For the first time researchers have shown that a commonly used anesthetic can produce changes associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brains of living mammals, confirming previous laboratory studies. In their Annals of Neurology report, which has received early online release, a team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators shows how administration of the gas isoflurane can lead to generation of the toxic amyloid-beta protein in the brains of mice.
National Institutes of Health, American Geriatrics Society, Alzheimer's Association, Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
Mineral kingdom has co-evolved with life
Evolution isn't just for living organisms. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found that the mineral kingdom co-evolved with life, and that up to two thirds of the more than 4,000 known types of minerals on Earth can be directly or indirectly linked to biological activity. The finding, published in American Mineralogist, could aid scientists in the search for life on other planets.
Contact: Robert Hazen
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
Cell
Clean results: University of Michigan researchers learn how bleach kills bacteria
Developed more than 200 years ago and found in households around the world, chlorine bleach is among the most widely used disinfectants, yet scientists never have understood exactly how the familiar product kills bacteria.
Contact: Nancy Ross-Flanigan
Artificial diamonds - now available in extra large
A team in the US has brought the world one step closer to cheap, mass-produced, perfect diamonds - with no theoretical size limit
18:11 13 November 2008
Now in Sight: Far-Off Planets
Images released on Thursday are believed to be the first pictures of planets orbiting stars other than the sun.
By DENNIS OVERBYE
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
Prehistoric pelvis offers clues to human development
Discovery of the most intact female pelvis of Homo erectus may cause scientists to reevaluate how early humans evolved to successfully birth larger-brained babies. A reconstruction of the 1.2 million-year-old pelvis discovered in 2001 in the Gona Study Area at Afar, Ethiopia, that has led researchers to speculate early man was better equipped than first thought to produce larger-brained babies. The actual fossils remain in Ethiopia.
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
Soluble fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil should be used to treat IBS
Fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are all effective therapies for irritable bowel syndrome and should become first-line treatments, according to a study on bmj.com today.
Contact: Rachael Davies
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Wasabi receptor can sense ammonia that causes pain
A Japanese research group, led by Professor Makoto Tominaga of National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan, found that the receptor for hot taste of wasabi, Japanese horseradish usually eaten with sushi, can sense alkaline pH caused by a base such as ammonia. The team reports their finding in Journal of Clinical Investigation on Nov. 13, 2008.
Public Release: 13-Nov-2008
How eating red meat can spur cancer progression
Researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine, led by Ajit Varki, M.D., have shown a new mechanism for how human consumption of red meat and milk products could contribute to the increased risk of cancerous tumors. Their findings, which suggest that inflammation resulting from a molecule introduced through consumption of these foods could promote tumor growth, are published online this week in advance of print publication PNAS.
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 14-Nov-2008
Unhappy people watch TV, happy people read/socialize, says study
A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as happy spend more time reading and socializing. The study appears in the December issue of the journal "Social Indicators Research." Additionally, data from time use surveys, suggest that TV viewing might increase significantly as the economy worsens in the next few months and years.
By MARK BITTMAN