Archives

A Finnish researcher's work on two plants -- tobacco and Egyptian henbane -- is yielding new information about the functions of genes involved with the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. The results can be used in developing production of valuable pharmaceuticals in plant cell cultures.

The human papillomavirus allows infected cervical and head and neck cancer cells to maintain internal molecular conditions that make the cancers resistant to therapy and more likely to grow and spread, resulting in a poor prognosis for patients.

New research gives more reasons to kick smoking and smokeless tobacco products. New research shows that cigarette smoking is linked to upper airway symptoms ("smoker's nose") and the loss of smokers' ability to smell common odors. Most alarmingly second-hand smoke plays a role in the rise of cases of "environmental laryngitis."

The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary gambit to mutate their own DNA. New research published in Nature shows for the first time that a molecule devoted to DNA repair plays a broader role in this genetic reshuffling -- called recombination -- than scientists had thought.

A probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum 299, has been used to out-compete the dangerous bacteria that cause respiratory illness in ventilated patients. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care describes how applying a bacterial solution in place of normal antiseptics is effective in preventing the most common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Keratoconus is an eye disorder that causes corneal tissue to become abnormally thin and the central area to protrude in a cone shape, distorting vision. The cornea is the clear tissue that covers the front of the eye and is crucial to focusing light on the back of the eye. In the US, keratoconus occurs in 50 to200 per 100,000 people; reported rates vary with the criteria used for diagnosis. Unofficial reports indicate this disorder may be more prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, Arabia, and New Zealand.

For people of strong faith, religious beliefs and related cultural taboos can have a powerful impact on how they care for their health, including the medical treatments they choose to accept. Increasingly, ophthalmologists (Eye M.D.s) in the US and other countries, care for patients of diverse backgrounds. This is accelerating the need for reliable information on the interaction of religious beliefs and compliance with prescribed treatments.

Glaucoma is often associated with elevated pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP) which can damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss and even blindness. Medication and/or surgery allow patients to control their IOP, thus preventing the development of vision loss.

In its advanced stages, AMD destroys the detailed, central vision we need to read, drive, recognize faces, and enjoy daily life, and is a major cause of vision loss in the U.S. Ophthalmic researchers are making rapid progress in understanding how genetics, immune system factors, nutrition choices, and other variables interact to produce or prevent AMD.

Hispanics undergoing balloon procedures or stenting to open blocked arteries are less likely to require further revascularization procedures. Hispanics have a higher rate of diabetes and longer lesions in blocked arteries. More aggressive prevention and early detection of risk factors are needed for Hispanic patients before they reach the cath labs.