October 20, 2008
Scientists
Analyze Genome of Relapsing Malaria Parasite
Scientists have deciphered the complete genetic sequence of the
parasite Plasmodium vivax, the leading cause of relapsing
malaria. The distinctive genetic features of P. vivax may
lead to new tools for preventing and treating relapsing malaria.
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Office-Based Treatment Best for Childhood Vision
Disorder
Children with convergence insufficiency, a common eye-muscle
disorder, responded better to treatments that included weekly office visits to a trained therapist
than to strictly home-based regimens, which are more often prescribed.
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Insights
into Immune Cell Matchmaker Protein
Scientists have identified a protein that plays matchmaker between
2 key types of immune cells, T and B cells, enabling them to
establish long-lasting immunity after an infection.
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October 6, 2008
New
Genes Linked to Gout
Researchers have identified 2 new genes—and confirmed the role
of a third—that are associated with increased risk of higher
levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common,
painful form of arthritis.
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Rethinking
Metastasis
Most cancer deaths result from metastasis, the spread of cancer
from a tumor to other parts of the body. Researchers have long
thought that metastasis comes at a late stage of cancer. A new
study suggests the process may start long before that.
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Making "Safer" Stem
Cells
Scientists have developed a new technique to convert adult liver
and other cells into versatile stem cells. By using a common
cold virus, it sidesteps the cancer-causing potential of a previously
developed method using a different kind of virus.
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September 29, 2008
Pelvic
Floor Disorders Affect Almost a Quarter of U.S. Women
According to a new analysis, nearly a quarter of U.S. women are
affected by pelvic floor disorders, a cluster of health problems
that causes physical discomfort and limits activity.
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Bisphenol
A Blocks Growth of Brain Connections in Monkeys
Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used to make plastic food
containers, can prevent connections from forming between nerve
cells in the brains of monkeys, a new study suggests.
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Gut
Microbes Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
Research in mice has found that the trillions of microbes living
in the gut can blunt the immune system attack that causes type
1 diabetes. The discovery may shed light on rising rates of type
1 diabetes in developed countries.
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September 22, 2008
Gene
Variations Linked to Kidney Disease in African Americans
For the first time, researchers have identified genetic variations
that are strongly associated with kidney diseases disproportionately
affecting African Americans.
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Virtual
Colonoscopies Rival Accuracy of Standard Ones
An advanced imaging technique called virtual colonoscopy can
detect most of the large precancerous and cancerous polyps that
can be found by the more invasive standard colonoscopy.
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Activated
Protein Can Reduce Heart Damage
Researchers have identified a protein that, when activated, protects
against injury to rat hearts. The discovery may lead to treatments
for preventing heart damage during procedures such as coronary
bypass surgery.
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September 15, 2008
Insights
into Common Brain Cancer
A large-scale, comprehensive study of glioblastoma has uncovered
new genetic mutations with potential implications for the disease’s
diagnosis and treatment.
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Monitoring
the Brain’s Memory-Making Cells
The brain cells that fire when a person watches a brief film
clip are triggered again when the person later recalls that imagery,
a new study shows. The research offers insights into how the
brain summons up past experiences and may also shed light on
short-term memory disorders.
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Prions
Cross Species Barrier in the Laboratory
Researchers have gotten infectious prions from one species to
turn normal prion proteins from a different species into infectious
ones in a test tube. The technique will prove a valuable tool
for understanding how prions cross species barriers.
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