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In a study that points to a new strategy for preventing or possibly reversing fibrosis -- the scarring that can lead to organ and tissue damage -- researchers have determined that a molecule called Epac (Exchange protein activated by cAMP1), plays a key role in integrating the body's pro- and anti-fibrotic response.

Researchers have succeeded in growing large numbers of stem cells from adult human hearts into new heart muscle cells. A breakthrough in stem cell research. Until now, it was necessary to use embryonic stem cells to make this happen.

Children who are shunned or targeted by social attacks in school may experience depression and anxiety in young adulthood, a new study shows. In a study of college students, researchers discovered a link between what psychologists call relational victimization in adolescence and depression and anxiety in early adulthood. Rather than threatening a child with physical violence, these bullies target a child's social status and relationships by shunning them, excluding them from social activities or spreading rumors.

A new neuroimaging study aims to ensure the highest quality of life for patients by assessing their cognitive skills before, during, and after brain tumor surgery. This is done by mapping the important functional brain areas surrounding the tumor in order to decrease the risks during surgery.

High food prices are creating the biggest challenge that the World Food Programme has faced in its 45-year history, a silent tsunami threatening to plunge more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger.

Inspired by the popular television drama CSI, investigators in the Netherlands have trialed methods used by forensic scientists at crime scenes to highlight infection risks in their hospital. Researchers used Luminol, a chemical used by crime scene investigators, to detect traces of blood in their haemodialysis unit.

The results of a new study have demonstrated an effective way to lower cholesterol levels -- by eating chocolate bars. Researchers attribute the drop in cholesterol numbers (total cholesterol by 2 percent and LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 5.3 percent) to the plant sterols that have been added to the bar and the drop in blood pressure to the flavanols found in dark chocolate.

New research provides the first evidence that a child's sex is associated with the mother's diet. A new study shows a clear link between higher energy intake around the time of conception and the birth of sons. The findings may help explain the falling birth-rate of boys in industrialized countries.

Certain biases may exist in observational studies that compare outcomes of different cancer therapies, making the results questionable. That is the conclusion of a new study published in Cancer. Clinical trials are considered the gold standard for demonstrating the effectiveness of new treatments for cancer, but observational studies, which do not involve randomization but where available data are nonetheless analyzed to make treatment comparisons, have also been used to provide information on how well patients respond to particular drugs.

The U.S. Defense Department has launched a five-year, Army-led cooperative effort to leverage cutting-edge medical technology to develop new ways to assist servicemembers who've suffered severe, disfiguring wounds during their wartime service. A key component of the initiative is to harness stem cell research and technology in finding innovative ways to use a patient's natural cellular structure to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers.