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Individuals with a number of life-threatening genetic diseases of the immune system have been successfully treated by gene therapy -- that is, they were infused with early precursors of immune cells that had the correct form of the defective gene delivered into them by agents known as retroviral vectors. However, some patients later developed leukemia.

Chronic insomnia is costing adolescents more than sleep. It's been linked to a wide range of physical, psychological and interpersonal problems, according to public health researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, who completed the first prospective study of adolescents with persistent sleep problems.

With the number of terrestrial sources that yield novel treatments for human disease decreasing year by year, the oceans have been tapped as a promising resource for discovering new natural biomedicines. Two new studies each utilizing mass spectrometry in novel ways, have helped narrow the gap in identifying potent natural compounds from the sea that could one day treat diseases such as cancer.

Research has uncovered a gene that could hold the key to developing new treatments for Parkinson's disease. Although less than a quarter of all cases of Parkinson's are familial, researchers believe genes like GIGYF2 can provide clues to the mechanisms behind Parkinson's and could point to new treatments for the more common and sporadic forms of the disease.

The protein REST protects the pluripotentiality and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells by suppressing a specific microRNA. The basic finding has implications for regenerative medicine. The new research builds on earlier work connecting the protein to medulloblastoma -- an aggressive childhood brain cancer.

A new study in the Journal of School Health reveals that children with healthy diets perform better in school than children with unhealthy diets. Students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and less caloric intake from fat were significantly less likely to fail the literacy assessment.

Demand for stem cells from cord blood is greater than supply. Two senior doctors analyze the UK's growing cord blood banking industry and the potential impact of a new bank that provides blood for both personal and public use. One private cord blood bank will store 20% of a sample for private use and 80% for public use.