A new listening device is being used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment of kidney stones -- saving patients unnecessary repeat therapy and x-ray monitoring. The new 'Smart stethoscope' is placed on a patient's skin as they undergo shock wave tr
Scientists have discovered new evidence about the evolution of viruses, in work that will change our understanding about the control of infectious diseases such as winter flu. Researchers conducted experiments to manipulate a virus to see if it could evol
By Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Singapore scientists have identified FAIM, a molecule that typically prevents cell death, as a potential biomarker to identify an incurable form of cancer in the bone marrow. Patients with this form of cancer usually do not get cured with current standard
Infantile colic is a distressing problem, characterized by excessive crying of infants and it is the most common complaint seen by physicians in the first 16 weeks of a child's life. It is usually considered a benign disorder because the symptoms generall
Researchers have successfully induced and relieved depression-like deficiencies in both pleasure and motivation in mice by controlling just a single area of the brain known as the ventral tegmental area. It is the first time that well-defined types of neu
A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial. The experimental agent, c
Cell aging, or cellular senescence, has an important role in the natural physiological response to tumor development. Activated oncogenes are able to induce senescence, and recent findings have suggested that oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) could play a
Pharmaceutical chemists had suggested that the objective of a drug hitting multiple targets simultaneously is impossible and unlikely to succeed. A new study shows how to efficiently and effectively make designer drugs that can do that.
Brain changes in children who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion, persist for months following injury -- even after the symptoms of the injury are gone, according to a new study. The findings highlight the potential benefit of usi
When people with a family history of colorectal cancer develop the disease, their tumors often carry a molecular sign that the cancer could be life-threatening, scientists report. The finding suggests it may be possible to identify colorectal cancer patie
By University of Southern California - Health Sciences
Researchers have discovered a trigger by which the Hepatitis C virus enters liver cells -- shedding light on how this serious and potentially deadly virus can begin to damage the liver.
Long ago, when life on our planet was in its infancy, a group of small single-celled algae floating in the vast prehistoric ocean swam freely by beating whip-like tails, called flagella. The organisms are called Apicomplexa, but are better known as the pa
Researchers have found that targeted micro-bubbles can help detect heart disease before it progresses too far as well as identify patients who are at risk for strokes.
By University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
Drugs are currently being tested that show promise in treating patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an inherited disease that affects about one in 3,600 boys and results in muscle degeneration and, eventually, death.
Taxes on soft drinks and foods high in saturated fats and subsidies for fruit and vegetables could lead to beneficial dietary changes and potentially improve health, according to a study by experts from New Zealand.
Approximately one in 20 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has chromosomal aberrations targeting the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. This has considerable implications for treatment because these patients are highly responsive to A
Younger women who wait at least 15 years after their first menstrual period to give birth to their first child may reduce their risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer by up to 60 percent, according to a new study.
By INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale)
Researchers in France recently published the results of a double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the usefulness of a diuretic in the treatment of autism. Sixty children between three and 11 years old with autism or Asperger's syndrome were treated for th
