news

Health - 14.04.2010

Prostate Cancer linked to increased risk of blood clots
Scientists at King's have found that men with Prostate Cancer are at increased risk of thromboembolism (formation of blood clots), particularly those receiving hormone therapy. The article published in The Lancet Oncology is the first to show in detail an association between prostate cancer and thromboembolic disease, and should lead to increased surveillance in men with prostate cancer.

Chemistry - Health - 14.04.2010

Experts hail kidney gene find
In this study, an international team of scientists, including researchers at the University, looked at the genes of nearly 70,000 people across Europe. They found 13 new genes that influence renal function and seven others that affect the production and secretion of creatinine - a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism and filtered through the kidneys.

Life Sciences - Health - 14.04.2010

Genetic patterns rise from huge yeast samples
Scientists devise way to link complex traits with underlying genes Princeton University scientists have developed a new way to identify the hidden genetic material responsible for complex traits, a breakthrough they believe ultimately could lead to a deeper understanding of how multiple genes interact to produce everything from blue eyes to blood pressure problems.

Health - Life Sciences - 13.04.2010

Caltech-led Team Uncovers New Functions of Mitochondrial Fusion
PASADENA, Calif.— A typical human cell contains hundreds of mitochondria—energy-producing organelles—that continually fuse and divide. Relatively little is known, however, about why mitochondria undergo this behavior. In a paper published in the April 16 issue of the journal Cell , a team of researchers—led by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)—have taken steps toward a fuller understanding of this process by revealing just what happens to the organelle, its DNA (mtDNA), and its energy-producing ability when mitochondrial fusion fails.

Health - Life Sciences - 13.04.2010

Miller School Researchers Identify Gene Related to Alzheimer s
April 14, 2010 — A gene that appears to increase a person's risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of the disease, has been identified by a team of researchers led by Margaret Pericak-Vance, director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Health - 13.04.2010

Heart to heart: Study compares standard bypass surgery to angioplasty with stents
At 56, Tim Obrenski found himself getting so exhausted that he couldn't even pull weeds from his garden. A visit to the cardiologist uncovered a major blockage in his heart's left main artery, and he was told he needed bypass surgery. Obrenski's search for alternatives to surgery brought him to UCLA interventional cardiologist Dr. Michael Lee.

Health - Administration - 13.04.2010

Stem Cell Myth Buster
Stem Cell Myth Buster Research pioneer uses ‘Stem Cell for Dummies’ book to dispel misconceptions about stem cell research Watch a video of Larry Goldstein discussing his new book, "Stem Cells for Dummies" in which he seeks to dispel myths about stem cell research. Working on stem cell research is a lot like standing on a beach looking at an undiscovered continent: you can see mountain ranges, forests and rivers in the distance; you know great resources are awaiting on the horizon.

Health - Computer Science - 13.04.2010

Drug discovery, Netflix style?
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Ranking algorithms are one of the hottest topics in computer science: they're what determines the order of Google's search results and which movies and books Netflix and Amazon recommend to their customers. Now researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have shown that ranking algorithms could find an important application in a somewhat surprising field: drug development.

Life Sciences - Health - 13.04.2010

Birds of a feather don't always respond together to infection
A Princeton University-led research team is the first to have documented that different populations of the same animal species respond differently with fever when fighting infection in the wild. The research, which used radio transmitters to record fever and sickness behaviors in song sparrows, may help scientists predict the locations where diseases carried by animals are most likely to take hold.

Health - Life Sciences - 12.04.2010

One Molecule Opens the Door to New Treatments for Depression
There has been little progress in the way we treat depression and anxiety for over thirty years, but a recent study may open the door to new strategies.

Health - 12.04.2010

Health fair referrals shown to help improve blood pressure among low-income immigrants
UCLA researchers sought to compare how two different approaches to providing follow-up care to health fair participants impacted blood-pressure control. The study looked at data on 100 middle-aged men and women from low-income immigrant communities in Los Angeles who had their blood pressure checked at a health fair.

Health - Life Sciences - 12.04.2010

Researchers make first direct recording of mirror neurons in human brain
Mirror neurons, many say, are what make us human. They are the cells in the brain that fire not only when we perform a particular action but also when we watch someone else perform that same action. Neuroscientists believe this "mirroring" is the mechanism by which we can "read" the minds of others and empathize with them.

Health - 12.04.2010

Panic disorder and depression can be treated over the Internet
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) via the internet is just as effective in treating panic disorder (recurring panic attacks) as traditional group-based CBT. It is also efficacious in the treatment of mild and moderate depression. This according to a new doctoral thesis soon to be presented at Karolinska Institutet.

Health - Life Sciences - 11.04.2010

MIT measures rate at which single cells accumulate mass
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Using a sensor that weighs cells with unprecedented precision, MIT and Harvard researchers have measured the rate at which single cells accumulate mass ? a feat that could shed light on how cells control their growth and why those controls fail in cancer cells. The research team, led by Scott Manalis, MIT associate professor of biological engineering, revealed that individual cells vary greatly in their growth rates, and also found evidence that cells grow exponentially (meaning they grow faster as they become larger).

Physics - Health - 08.04.2010

New experiment will reveal interior of atomic nuclei
Liverpool, UK - 8 April 2010: Scientists at the University of Liverpool are helping to construct a new generation gamma-ray detector that will pave the way for new applications, from diagnostic imaging to nuclear safety controls. The Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) experiment, is being inaugurated tomorrow (9 April) at the National Laboratories of Legnaro in Italy, part of the Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Italy's Institute for Nuclear Physics.

Life Sciences - Health - 08.04.2010

New genetic map to reveal songbird secrets
Researchers from the University of Sheffield have helped to sequence the entire genome of the zebra finch, unravelling the genetics underpinning some of the uniquely fascinating traits of birds such a plumage and song. Published in Nature, the study involved an international team of researchers from the Middle East, USA and Europe, including scientists from the University of Sheffield´s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (APS).

Health - Life Sciences - 08.04.2010

Simple test can detect signs of suicidal thoughts in people taking antidepressants
While antidepressant medications have proven to be beneficial in helping people overcome major depression, it has long been known that a small subset of individuals taking these drugs can actually experience a worsening of mood, and even thoughts of suicide. No clinical test currently exists to make this determination, and only time — usually weeks — can tell before a psychiatrist knows whether a patient is getting better or worse.

Health - 08.04.2010

UCL trial: treating rare cancers differently
The merits of a new treatment method for advanced gall bladder and bile duct cancer, trialled by the Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre, have been published today. Advanced gall bladder and bile duct cancer, for which patients currently can?t have operations, together affect fewer than 2,000 people per year in the UK, making trials harder to run.

Health - Psychology - 08.04.2010

Children of combat-deployed parents show increased worries, even after parent returns
The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in extended and repeated combat-related deployments of U.S. military service members. While much has been reported about the problems, both physical and psychological, many bring back with them, new research out of UCLA shows that the family back home can have issues as well.

Health - 08.04.2010

Cancer patients to benefit from team working
Cancer patients in England will soon benefit from improvements made to multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) as a result of recent research into their effectiveness by researchers from King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (KHP). Researchers from King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, both part of KHP, were involved in the initial research funded by Cancer Research UK and recently published in the British Medical Journal .