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Ultrasound :: Ultrasound-aided therapy better than stroke drug alone

Using ultrasound in combination with the drug t-PA can improve response to an ischemic stroke, according to a study involving 126 patients. This first-of-its-kind human trial compared the safety and efficacy of ultrasound and t-PA versus use of t-PA alone. The trial was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding appears in the November 18, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Infertility :: Sperm cells are grown in lab

A team of researchers working with cells from mice has overcome a technical barrier and succeeded in growing sperm progenitor cells in laboratory culture. The researchers transplanted the cells into infertile mice, which were then able to produce sperm and father offspring that were genetically related to the donor mice.

Crohn’s Disease :: Vitamin D high in Crohn’s disease patients

Contrary to expectations, people with the inflammatory bowel condition Crohn’s disease are likely to have excessive levels of the active form of vitamin D in their blood, researchers have found. This is associated with low bone mineral density, they report.

Obesity :: Metabolic syndrome common in teens

Nearly one third of overweight or obese teenagers have the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders that raise the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, according to a new report.

Asthma :: Home environment changes may relieve asthma

Inner-city families can help relieve children’s asthma symptoms by making simple changes in their homes. Such steps include using pillow covers that are impermeable to dust mites, and air purifiers to get rid of tobacco smoke, mold and cat or dog allergens.

Cerebral palsy :: Botox helps children with drooling in cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy often suffer from uncontrolled drooling, but this can be reduced with an injection of Botox, researchers report. They also found that a scopolamine patch – sometimes used for controlling motion sickness – helps reduce drooling, too, but the Botox treatments were associated with fewer and less serious side effects.

Neuroblastoma :: Genes linked with clinical outcomes of neuroblastoma patients

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have used artificial neural networks (ANNs) and DNA microarrays to successfully predict the clinical outcome of patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma (NB). The ANNs also identified a minimal set of 19 genes whose expression levels were closely associated with this clinical outcome.

New way to control drug-resistant bacteria

Based on an improved understanding of bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria – scientists reporting in the Sept. 23 issue of the journal “Nature” believe they have discovered a potential new way to control drug-resistant bacteria, an increasingly worrisome public health problem.

Air pollution can reduce children’s lung function

Children who live in polluted communities are five times more likely to have clinically low lung function — less than 80 percent of the lung function expected for their age. New data from the Children’s Health Study suggests that pollutants from vehicle emissions and fossil fuels hinder lung development and limit breathing capacity for a lifetime.

New gene test for isolated cleft lip and palate

Researchers have developed a new genetic test that can help predict whether parents who have one child with the “isolated” form of cleft lip or palate are likely to have a second child with the same birth defect. Isolated clefts account for 70 percent of all cleft lip and palate cases.