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The dramatic increase that has occurred in the cure rate for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be difficult to replicate in older patients without considerable additional research, according to a new article. Research aimed at understanding the success in treating pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia combined with molecular science could help clinicians treat adolescents and adults with the disease.

Based on a close look at the everyday eating habits of a large group of men and women, researchers have found that people whose diets were most similar to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were least likely to have metabolic syndrome. For the study, metabolic syndrome was defined as a condition occurring among people who have at least three of the following health risks: abdominal obesity, poor blood sugar control, high blood fats, low levels of HDL "good" cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

The virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer has a serious weakness which may provide hope for new treatments for the disease. Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus which causes several types of cancer but is particularly associated with cervical cancer, has developed clever ways of hiding in the body, but researchers have found that its ability to trick the body's first line of defense leaves it vulnerable to attack from a second defense system.

A new genetic analysis suggests that the parasitic worm Schistosoma mekongi is more widespread than previously thought. According to the study, the human population at risk of infection could be up to 10 times greater than previously estimated. Furthermore, it posits an increased possibility of the spread of the parasite across Laos and Vietnam.

A novel strategy for circumventing safety problems that have plagued gene therapy has been offered by a complex multicenter group of researchers. The study reports that adenovirus type 5, a common vector for delivering gene therapy, transfects liver cells by a different mechanism than previously thought. That mechanism offers a new target for modifying the viral vector to make it safe for clinical use.