Research | Page 617 of 638 | SpiritIndia.com

Osteoarthritis :: Acupuncture relieves pain and improves knee osteoarthritis

Acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care. This landmark study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), both components of the National Institutes of Health. The findings of the study – the longest and largest randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial of acupuncture ever conducted – were published in the December 21, 2004, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Oral cancer :: Success using saliva to detect oral cancer

Scientists funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, reported today taking a major step forward in using saliva to detect oral cancer. As published in the current issue of Clinical Cancer Research, the scientists found they could measure for elevated levels of four distinct cancer-associated molecules in saliva and distinguish with 91 percent accuracy between healthy people and those diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Neurology :: Test for Devic’s syndrome – neuromyelitis optica

The Mayo Clinic has developed the first test for neuromyelitis optica or NMO, a blinding, paralyzing disease often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis.

Breast cancer :: Genes can determine risk of breast cancer

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is due in part to a group of very small variations in genes which code for a cell’s estrogen receptors, according to a collaborative study by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Celera Diagnostics, SAIC-Frederick Inc., Applied Biosystems, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The study appears in the December 15, 2004, issue of Cancer Research.

Corneal ulcer :: Eye Corneal Ulcer cured with Senega

Corneal ulcer is an erosion or open sore in the outer layers of the cornea caused by infection, abrasion, foreign bodies, severe allergy, severe dryness of the eye, various types of inflammatory disorders, stress, and an impaired immune system. Symptoms include eye pain, redness, blurred vision, light sensitivity, increased tearing, or a white patch on the cornea.

Breast cancer :: Test for breast cancer recurrence and chemotherapy

A new test can predict both the risk of breast cancer recurrence and may identify women who will benefit most from chemotherapy, according to research supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and performed in collaboration with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and Genomic Health Inc. These results suggest that almost half of 43,000 U.S. women diagnosed with estrogen-dependent, lymph-node negative breast cancer every year are at low risk for recurrence and may not need to go through the discomfort and side effects of chemotherapy.

HIV :: Two Cipla AIDS medicines back on WHO prequalification list

The World Health Organization (WHO) is reinstating two antiretrovirals manufactured by Cipla Ltd., India, in its list of prequalified medicines. The two medicines (which are used in the treatment of AIDS) had been delisted by WHO in May this year due to non-compliance with international standards at the contract research organizations (CROs) hired by Cipla to conduct bioequivalence tests on the products.

Adenitis :: Tubercular Cervical Adenitis cured with Sepia

Cervical adenitis is a bacterial infection of a lymph node in the neck. Lymph nodes are part of our immune system, which helps fight infections. Sometimes nodes in the neck become infected and these infections are called cervical adenitis.

Diabetes :: Human insulin producing cells of the pancreas

Scientists at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases have induced human insulin-producing cells of the pancreas to revert to islet precursor cells. These precursor cells are capable of expansion and appear to naturally and efficiently differentiate into clusters of islet-like cells. This work may help to clarify the natural lifecycle of the beta cell and may eventually have applications for diabetes treatment. The study appears on-line today in Science Express, the rapid publication web site of the journal Science.

Heart Disease :: Link between Obesity and Atrial Fibrillation

There appears to be an association between obesity and the risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, according to a study of participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Framingham Heart Study. The study is published in the November 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.