Scientists find protein to boost power of probioticsNovember 25th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists have isolated a protein that may help digestion. "Probiotics need to interact with cells lining the gut (in the gastro-intestinal tract) to have a beneficial effect and if they attach to surfaces in the gut they are more likely to stick around long enough to exert their activity," says Nathalie Juge from the Institute of Food Research (IFR).
'Poor care in hospital worsens Alzheimer's patients' condition'November 18th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's Alzheimer's Society has found that half of the patients come out of hospital in a worse condition than they were admitted in. It was also found that one third are never able to return home and are sent to a nursing home instead.
Revolutionary dressing heals woundNovember 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - People with 70 percent burns die from related and secondary infections despite the best efforts of doctors and nurses and advances in medicine. But a revolutionary dressing developed at Tel Aviv University (TAU) eradicates infection by killing bacteria and preventing deaths in burn injuries.
Dual-tasking test could differentiate between Alzheimer's and depressionNovember 9th, 2009 LONDON - Scottish researchers have developed a novel diagnostic test that can help distinguish between symptoms of depression and early Alzheimer's. People developing Alzheimer's face mild levels of impaired reasoning and memory that are easily mistaken for signs of depression, which in turn can lead to many patients with dementia being misdiagnosed and missing out on early treatment that could make a difference.
How bacteria resist attackNovember 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can 'switch on' production of molecules that kill white blood cells - preventing the bacteria being eliminated by the body's immune system, say researchers the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark. P. aeruginosa is responsible for many hospital-acquired infections and also causes chronic infections in those with pre-existing medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF).
Study links some antibiotics with birth defects; others appear safe for fetusNovember 2nd, 2009 more images
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Study ties common antibiotics with birth defects
CHICAGO — Researchers studying antibiotics in pregnancy have found a surprising link between common drugs used to treat urinary infections and birth defects. Reassuringly, the most-used antibiotics in early pregnancy — penicillins — appear to be the safest.
Nurses, docs' dirty hands cause most infectionsOctober 29th, 2009 LONDON - A new study has revealed that doctors and nurses who don't wash their hands are more likely to spread swine flu and hospital superbugs. The study's researchers suggest that dirty hands of doctors and nurses act as germ "superspreaders" and cause more infections.
Genetic mutations linked to risk of fungal infections identifiedOctober 29th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists from University College London and Radboud University have identified two genetic mutations that may put individuals at increased risk of fungal infections. According to researchers, the discoveries mark a significant step in the understanding of genetic susceptibility to fungal diseases.
Scientists detect chink in virulent stomach bug's armourOctober 3rd, 2009 LONDON - Scientists have detected a crack in the armour of the Helicobacter pylori, a common microbe that infects the stomachs of one-sixth of the world's population, causing gastritis and ulcers. They identified a group of substances that block a key chemical pathway that the bacteria need for survival.
Crack in stomach ulcer bacteria could lead to new antibioticsOctober 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists claim to have identified a crack in the armor of a common microbe that causes stomach ulcers and other diseases. They have identified a group of substances that block a key chemical pathway that the bacteria need for survival, which could lead to more effective antibiotics to fight these hard-to-treat microbes
Lead researcher Javier Sancho revealed that Helicobacter pylori (H.
Scientists uncover 'genetic switch' that can trigger leukaemiaSeptember 28th, 2009 LONDON - Experts at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute at Cambridge University have identified a broken genetic "switch" that can trigger leukaemia, and believe that this breakthrough may lead to new treatments. According to background information in a report on this discovery, Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and the immune system's white blood cells, which do not develop properly and begin to divide uncontrollably.
Basic hygiene 'more effective against swine flu than drugs'September 23rd, 2009 LONDON - A new study has found that maintaining basic hygiene like washing hands and using face masks can control the spread of swine flu more effectively than vaccines and antiviral drugs. The report has been published in the British Medical Journal.
Why pandemic swine flu causes more severe symptoms than seasonal fluSeptember 11th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists at Imperial College London have warned that pandemic swine flu can infect cells deeper in the lungs than seasonal flu can. They write in a research paper that this may help understand why people infected with the pandemic strain of swine-origin H1N1 influenza are more likely to suffer more severe symptoms than those infected with the seasonal strain of H1N1.
Largest Alzheimer's study unravels its mysteriesSeptember 7th, 2009 LONDON - The largest study so far on Alzheimer's disease has helped British and French scientists isolate three new genes associated with it. They are the first new genes found to be associated with the common form of Alzheimer's disease since 1993.
Infections may cause faster memory loss in Alzheimer'sSeptember 7th, 2009 LONDON - A cold, stomach bug or other infection may lead to an increased memory loss in patients of Alzheimer's, according to a new research. The study found that people who had respiratory, gastrointestinal or other infections or even bumps and bruises from a fall were more likely to have high blood levels of tumour necrosis factor, a protein involved in the inflammatory process.
