There are several reasons why the world is still plagued by diseases we cannot treat or vaccinate against, one of them being the vast complexity of the human immune system. Danish researchers have now developed a method, which can help expose a complicated but crucial part of the immune system’s defense mechanisms. This method can lead to entirely new vaccines and treatments.
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Physicists have designed a revolutionary laser technique which can destroy viruses and bacteria such as AIDS without damaging human cells and may also help reduce the spread of hospital infections such as MRSA.
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Abstinence from alcohol and drugs is just the starting point in defining “recovery” for people with substance abuse disorders, according to a new article in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
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Experts review the controversy surrounding the human papillomavirus vaccine debate, and its effects on ethical and public health issues. In order to move forward with cervical cancer prevention efforts, the authors suggest that attention be focused on assessing the long-term safety of the vaccine, while implementing effective patient and provider educational programs about HPV and the HPV vaccine, as this is the model that other successful vaccination programs have followed.
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An antibody might offer a safe and effective complement to anticancer therapies designed to starve malignant tumors by pruning the blood vessels that feed them, researchers report.
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Researchers have found a protein that enables cellular survival during periods of low oxygen, or hypoxia, which also is key for development of many kinds of cancer. Researchers believe tumors adapt to low oxygen levels caused by their own rapid growth by turning on molecules that help tumors build a new blood supply. Scientists have now found that SENP1 is needed for that process and that inhibiting it might be one way to turn off tumor growth.
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Obesity is common in children with congenital and acquired heart disease, a population already at increased risk of a shortened life expectancy. While the 25 percent prevalence of overweight and obesity is similar to the rate found in the general pediatric population, the researchers stress that health risks from obesity are added to the children’s separate risks from their underlying heart disease.
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In the face of terrorism and catastrophic natural disasters, modern regional trauma systems that improve survival for critically injured patients are more vital than ever. Scientists have now created a computer simulation model of trauma system response to mass casualty incidents involving dozens or hundreds of injured victims.
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A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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A PET scan that measures uptake of sugar in the brain significantly improves the accuracy of diagnosing a type of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. The scan, FDG-PET, helped six doctors from three national Alzheimer’s disease centers correctly diagnose frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s in almost 90 percent of cases.
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