Trials in other animals have begun; humans would be up next
BBC Dec 1, 08 11:52 AM CST
(Newser)
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Damage to heart muscle can be stopped and maybe even reversed, but for now only in mice, the BBC reports. Blocking the activity of a specific type of genetic material that regulates gene expression, scientists found, avoided a type of cardiac scarring that leads to heart disease. "Heart function and tissue damage improved," a lead researcher told Reuters.
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Surgery allows boy to see colors, corrects vision problems
Cincinnati Enquirer Nov 22, 08 5:22 PM CST
(Newser)
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Surgeons in Cincinnati implanted a prosthetic iris this week in the eye of a 7-year-old boy, the first US child to get one. “It’s just like Mom’s,” said Nathaniel Brantley as he looked in a mirror. “Just like it’s supposed to be.” Born without irises, Nathaniel suffered a rare condition that prevented his pupils from contracting. Bright light hurt his eyes, he couldn’t focus well, and he suffered partial color blindness.
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Twin sister donated ovary in first-of-its-kind procedure
Daily Mail (UK) Nov 10, 08 1:09 PM CST
(Newser)
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A formerly infertile London woman will give birth this week, the Daily Mail reports, thanks to an ovary transplant from her twin sister. The 38-year-old was declared infertile at age 15 and underwent menopause as a teenager, but became pregnant soon after the first-of-its-kind surgery. The discovery could help hundreds of thousands of women, including cancer patients who could have an ovary removed and frozen before undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
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Human trials set next year
Reuters Nov 10, 08 4:02 AM CST
(Newser)
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A promising new treatment for AIDS may be in the works, with the discovery that genetically engineered immune cells can detect and destroy HIV even when the virus tries to hide by mutating. The so-called “assassin” cells, created from the T-cells of an HIV patient, have worked their magic in a lab dish but have yet to be tested in humans, Reuters reports.
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After marrow transplant, patient stays virus-free
Wall Street Journal Nov 7, 08 11:03 AM CST
(Newser)
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A German doctor has inspired hope for a new approach to AIDS treatment with his handling of a leukemia case, the Wall Street Journal reports. Because the patient also had AIDS, Gero Hütter looked for a bone marrow donor with a specific mutation that seems to stymie the HIV virus. Nearly 2 years later, the American patient remains AIDS-free.
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B3 pills caused big improvement in mice; human trials to begin
Guardian (UK) Nov 5, 08 2:07 PM CST
(Newser)
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A simple dose of vitamin B3 may be one of the keys to combating the brain deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s disease, California scientists say. The team found that diseased mice given high levels of the vitamin retained normal memory ability over the four months of a study, and healthy mice actually improved their ability, reports the Guardian .
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Virus, used in mice, repurposes adult cells with no risk of cancer
Boston Globe Sep 26, 08 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Scientists have discovered a safer way to turn adult cells into stem cells, the Boston Globe reports. The cells, similar to those harvested from embryos, are called induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells; Japanese researchers introduced the method 2 years ago. But the Japanese used retroviruses, which can cause cancer; the new research uses a different virus, which is safe.
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MIT scientists stumbled onto workaround for misfiring brain system
NPR Sep 24, 08 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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MIT scientists have discovered one of the mechanisms of Fragile X Syndrome, one cause of autism, and are developing drugs to treat it, NPR reports. The disorder, triggered by a genetic mutation, interferes with the normal links between brain cells, making those networks something like a car without a brakes. The new drugs limit acceleration, and have been successful in mice.
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Controversial surgeries avoid scars by using existing orifices
Washington Post Sep 21, 08 11:56 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A new surgery technique aims to send patients home without a scar —but you might have to put your gall bladder where your mouth is to do it. The Washington Post takes a look at surgeons who operate purely through existing bodily openings, largely the aforementioned gall bladder being removed orally. While some are hailing a surgical revolution, many health experts are concerned that the procedure’s popularity could soar before it’s properly studied.
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Breakthrough could leap embryonic stem-cell quagmire
Washington Post Aug 28, 08 2:20 AM CDT
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In a stunning medical advance, scientists have found a way to transform an adult cell in a living animal into an entirely different type of cell. The development is another step toward freeing the field of regenerative medicine from the controversies of stem-cell research. Harvard biologists discovered three key molecular switches that converted common pancreatic cells in mice into insulin-producing ones that diabetics need, reports the Washington Post.
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No, but study finds vitamin C injections may slow tumor growth
Reuters Aug 5, 08 8:17 AM CDT
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Injections of high doses of vitamin C may help the body fight tumors, a new study has found. While previous tests have shown that oral doses don't provide much cancer-fighting help, the high concentrations injected into lab mice resulted in only half as much tumor growth as in the control group, Reuters reports.
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Mice who consumed equivalent of 6-8 cups a day were protected
Daily Telegraph (UK) Jul 1, 08 10:44 AM CDT
(Newser)
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For preventing the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, caffeine might be just what the doctor ordered, the Daily Telegraph reports. In a study involving what must have been some very jittery mice, researchers found that the equivalent of 6-8 cups of coffee per day conferred protection from the rodent equivalent of MS. Don't rush off to Starbucks yet, though.
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First-of-its-kind trial a success in Boston
Boston Globe Jun 28, 08 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A Boston hospital has successfully performed a first-of-its-kind obesity surgery that doesn’t require a scalpel. The promising treatment involves passing a tube through the patient’s throat, which bypasses the need to cut the patient—and reduces the risk of infections, bleeding, and scarring. “This is less invasive, and patients would have a very quick recovery,” one researcher said.
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New device prevents pain without the side effects of drugs
Gizmag Jun 27, 08 10:13 AM CDT
(Newser)
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For some of the 13% of Americans who suffer from migraine headaches, help might be only a button-click away, Gizmag reports. A new hand-held device works by sending a painless magnetic pulse through the brain, effectively scrambling the signals that would otherwise lead from the "aura" phase of the condition to the nausea-tinged, throbbing headache that inevitably follows. In a trial, nearly 40% of sufferers saw their headaches drop 50% or more.
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