Role of the Nervous System in Regulating Stem Cells Discovered
Study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine may Provide New Hope for Cancer Patients and Others with Compromised Immune Systems
New study by Mount Sinai researchers may lead to improved stem cell therapies for patients with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease. The study is published in this week’s issue of Cell.
Caffeine curbs heart’s blood flow during exercise
Drinking two cups of caffeinated coffee decreases blood flow to the heart during exercise, researchers report, and the reduction may be most pronounced at high altitudes. While healthy people may tolerate the reduced blood flow fairly easily, it may be harmful to people with coronary artery disease.
Dr. Philipp A. Kaufmann and colleagues from University Hospital Zurich, examined the immediate effects of caffeine on blood flow to the heart at rest and after exercise in healthy young adult volunteers exercising at normal oxygen levels or simulated low-oxygen levels that occurs at high altitudes.
Phonics teaching: a child’s passport to literacy
Systematic phonics should feature in every child’s reading instruction and it should be part of every literacy teacher’s repertoire, according to a Government-funded review of research by academics at the Universities of York and Sheffield.
The review, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), found that systematic phonics - letters and sounds taught in sequence from early childhood—resulted in better progress in reading accuracy among children of all abilities. But evidence for corresponding improvements in reading comprehension and spelling was inconclusive.
Dental rinse could lead to painless gum checkups
A new analytical technique could allow dentists to detect gum disease just by having patients rinse their mouth with salt or baking soda, Canadian researchers said on Wednesday.
The analysis is done by measuring the level of white blood cells in a person’s mouth, according to an upcoming study in the Journal of Periodontal Research. The study found that people with gum problems show a higher count of white blood cells, which are produced by the body to fight disease.
St. Jude Conducts First Large-Scale Bird Flu Genome Study
Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have completed the first large-scale study of bird flu virus genomes, thereby doubling the amount of genetic information available on the genes and proteins of these viruses. The results of the project could lead to major insights into the bird flu virus known as H5N1, the researchers said. H5N1 is the bird flu virus currently infecting humans in Asia and Eastern Europe, and flu experts fear it could mutate in a way that would allow it to cause a worldwide pandemic in humans.
“These studies provide the first fundamental insight into the evolution of influenza viruses in nature-the source of all influenza viruses that affect humans, domestic animals and birds,” said Robert G. Webster, Ph.D., a member of the Infectious Diseases department and holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair at St. Jude. “This information is a true gold mine, and we are inviting all of the miners to help us unlock the secrets of influenza.” Webster is an internationally renowned expert on bird flu viruses and a co-author of the report that appears in the January 27 issue of Science.
HIV/AIDS in China a major cause for concern
Despite the announcement by China that it has dropped its estimate of the number of HIV/AIDS victims in the country by nearly 30 percent, world health experts are warning against complacency, and are saying the HIV/AIDS numbers are in fact still rising and many people are unaware of the dangers.
In China last year health experts say as many as 200 people a day became infected with HIV, and the disease was now moving from high-risk groups like sex workers and intravenous drug users into the general population.
British workers not eligible for asbestos awards
Thousands of Britons who have been exposed to asbestos at work have no right to compensation, a court ruled on Thursday in a landmark judgment that may save insurers more than 1 billion pounds ($1.79 billion).
The Court of Appeal ruled that people suffering from pleural plaques, a thickening of the lining of the lungs caused by being exposed to the cancer-causing, fireproof fibre asbestos, are not eligible for compensation.
Cancer plan progresses but problems remain -MPs
A 10-year plan to cut deaths from cancer in England has made significant progress but a clear gap between rich and poor areas of the country remains, a report by an influential committee of MPs said on Thursday.
The government’s NHS Cancer Plan, set up in 2000, aimed to provide a comprehensive strategy for tackling the disease with the creation of 34 networks to improve prevention and diagnosis, and ensure patients received the best treatment.
Japan top court rejects appeal by former smokers
Former smokers seeking damages from the government and a cigarette maker for illnesses they said were caused by their habit had their appeal rejected by Japan’s top court on Thursday.
The Supreme Court finalised decisions by lower courts rejecting claims in a suit that was originally filed in 1998 by six men, three of whom have since died, Kyodo news agency said.
Korean cloning scandal shows system works
South Korea’s cloning scandal shows that the current research system can police itself and that governments don’t need to crack down on scientific fraud, a stem cell expert said on Wednesday.
Scientist Hwang Woo-suk has been stripped of his titles at Seoul National University, and South Korean prosecutors have said Hwang’s team did not produce any human embryonic stem cells in 2004 and 2005, as it had claimed in landmark papers.
