Body

PHILADELPHIA – Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that survival among women with ovarian cancer is influenced by age of menarche and total number of lifetime ovulatory cycles.

This finding suggests that hormonal activity over the course of a woman's lifetime may influence the prognosis after an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Results of this study are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

New research, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a woman's risk of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD), such as Spina Bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies. The findings refute a well publicised study in 2004, which had indicated a link between the presence of these auto-antibodies in the circulation of mothers who had children with Spina Bifida compared to those who did not.

Scientists have recently been focused on the possible role of oral bacteria as a potential contributor to obesity.

New research, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a woman's risk of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD), such as Spina Bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies. The findings refute a well publicized study in 2004. The 2004 study had indicated a link between the presence of these auto-antibodies in the blood of mothers who had children with Spina Bifida compared to those who did not.

Reducing children’s exposure to a variety of allergens, rather than targeting a single “trigger,” might be a better way to avoid asthma, according to a new review of studies.

While some children are genetically predisposed to developing the disease, parents might still be able to prevent or delay the onset of symptoms by minimizing exposure to likely allergens.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered a molecular coupling factor that helps bones grow and remodel themselves to stay strong, a finding that could lead to better bone-building therapies and new osteoporosis drugs, the researchers said

In 2005, Jessica Ridpath noticed doctors telling patients their medical condition, and patients responding with glazed looks. She observed it happening when health care researchers asked people to consider taking part in studies.

Dr. Esther Guzmán, assistant research professor at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, has been trying to identify bioactive marine natural products that inhibit inflammation as potential novel chemo-preventatives of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most lethal cancer in the United States due to its strong metastatic potential and its delayed detection, as most patients remain asymptomatic until the cancer metastasizes. Ninety-five percent of patients diagnosed with the disease die within five years of diagnosis.

Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste.

They further report that variations in the genes that code for this receptor correspond to individual variation in sensitivity to and perceived intensity of umami taste.

“These findings bolster our understanding of human taste variation and individual differences in tastes for essential nutrients,” says senior author Paul A.S. Breslin PhD, a sensory geneticist at Monell.

A scientific team from The Forsyth Institute has discovered new links between certain oral bacteria and obesity. In a recent study, the researchers demonstrated that the salivary bacterial composition of overweight women differs from non-overweight women. This preliminary work may provide clues to interactions between oral bacteria and the pathology of obesity. This research may help investigators learn new avenues for fighting the obesity epidemic.

A team of researchers from DuPont and Lehigh University has reported a breakthrough in the quest to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are suitable for use in electronics, medicine and other applications.

In an article published in the July 9 issue of Nature, the group says it has developed a DNA-based method that sorts and separates specific types of CNTs from a mixture.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, U.S.A. — The giant monoliths of Easter Island are worn, but they have endured for centuries. New research suggests that a compound first discovered in the soil of the South Pacific island might help us stand the test of time, too.

Scientists have identified a gene that is essential for embryonic stem cells to maintain their all-purpose, pluripotent state. Exploiting the finding may lead to a greater understanding of how cells acquire their specialized states and provide a strategy to efficiently reprogram mature cells back into the pluripotent state, an elusive step in stem cell research but one crucial to a range of potential clinical treatments.

A team of researchers from DuPont and Lehigh University has reported a breakthrough in the quest to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are suitable for use in electronics, medicine and other applications.

In an article published in the July 9 issue of Nature, the group says it has developed a DNA-based method that sorts and separates specific types of CNTs from a mixture.

Transplant patients rely on drugs to prevent graft rejection, but at the cost of serious side effects. The class of immunosuppressive drugs known as calcineurin inhibitors (examples are cyclosporine and tacrolimus) can damage patients' kidneys and lead to high blood pressure, among other problems.