University | Page 539 of 574

Prostate Cancer :: Detection of Early Prostate Cancer

A new study, using a unique detection method, has led scientists to identify several genes whose rearrangements in prostate cancer cells may play a role in the development and progression of the disease. Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, report that two genes, ETV1 and ERG, which previously were implicated as cancer-causing gene rearrangements in Ewing’s sarcoma (a relatively rare bone cancer), are now seen as important cancer-causing genes in prostate cancer. Closer analysis showed how rearrangement of these genes was responsible for their cancer-causing potential. The research appears in the October 28, 2005, issue of Science and was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Pneumonia :: Lung Scarring Diseases Linked to Genes and Smoking

New research shows that idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), a group of potentially fatal disorders that affects the lungs, may be caused by an interaction between a specific genetic background and cigarette smoking. In a study of 111 families that had at least two relatives with IIP, people who smoked cigarettes were three times more likely than non-smokers to develop the disease. The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), both institutes within the National Institutes of Health.

Stroke :: Pulse pressure predicts stroke recurrence

An increase in 24-hour pulse pressure in patients who have undergone a first stroke indicates an increased risk of experiencing another within a year, Greek researchers report.

Diet :: High fat diet contribute to liver trouble

A diet high in fat and sugar triggered immune system abnormalities — including reduced levels of natural killer T (NKT) cells — in the livers of mice, says a study led by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Obesity :: Weight loss lowers hormone levels in obese kids

A condition involving abnormally high levels of androgens (steroid hormones) known in medical circles as “hyperandrogenemia” starts early in obese children, a study shows, possibly placing them at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels that raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Eyes :: Treating malignant melanoma of the uvea with radiation therapy

Treating a rare form of eye cancer with radiation therapy can spare patients from significant vision loss, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Eyes :: Good news for treating children with amblyopia

New research findings led by Thomas Krahe and Ary S. Ramoa of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine offer two pieces of good news for treating children with amblyopia.

Menopause :: Testosterone improve women’s lives after menopause

The addition of testosterone to hormone therapy in women after menopause en hances their se ual function. However, it may also reduce HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) in women.

Diabetes :: LighTouch – glucose test device for diabetics

A Syracuse University chemistry professor has patented a device that aims to make painful fingerstick testing of glucose levels a thing of the past for diabetics.

Heart Disease :: 4D ecography for the diagnosis of prenatal cardiopathy

“4D ecography may well be a significant advance in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiopathy”, explained Dr. Juan Luis Alcazar, specialist at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the University Hospital (University of Navarre).