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Consumers are facing a growing risk of getting counterfeit drugs because of rising Internet sales of medical drugs, projected to reach upwards of $75 billion by 2010. A new report calls for stronger enforcement legislation than current proposals in Congress.

During hysterectomy operations, surgeons often remove a woman's ovaries as well as her uterus. Cochrane researchers now say there is no evidence that removing the ovaries provides any additional benefit and warn surgeons to consider the procedure carefully.

Researchers have identified a type of cancer stem cell that might initiate metastatic cancer, which spreads beyond the original, primary tumor site and to other locations within the body. For the first time, scientists have revealed that the molecular profiles of these cancer stem cells are much different than those located in primary tumors.

Women often undergo early Caesareans or induced labor following detection of decreased amniotic fluid volume, because this is seen as a sign of fetal distress. While no gold standard exists for measuring amniotic volumes, a new Cochrane Systematic Review suggests that the single deepest vertical pocket technique is better than the commonly used amniotic fluid index method.

As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity. According to a new report childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids.

Researchers found a new protein produced excessively in malignant melanoma, a discovery that is particularly relevant as skin cancer rates climb dramatically among young women. The protein, IMP-3, is not over-expressed in harmless moles but is increased in the most dangerous types of skin cancer, and in a subset of lesions that can be difficult to predict called thin melanomas.

Neuroscientists have found that a previously unsuspected set of genes links nature and nurture during a crucial period of brain development. The findings could lead to treatments for autism and other disorders thought to be tied to brain changes that occur when the developing brain is very susceptible to inputs from the outside world. Nature -- in the form of genes -- and nurture -- in the form of environmental influences -- are fundamentally intertwined during this period.

The selective gene-silencing technique called RNA interference holds promise for medicine if it can be adapted to work in humans. Certain antibiotic compounds called fluoroquinolones enhance the effectiveness of RNA interference in cells and could reduce potential side effects.

A mechanism that controls the movement of cells in a tissue by regulating cell adhesion has been identified. This same mechanism may be defective in diseases such as cancer and metastasis, when tumour cells lose their adhesion to neighbouring cells and migrate through the organism.

The white horse is an icon for dignity which has had a huge impact on human culture across the world. Scientists have now identified the mutation causing this spectacular trait and show that it can be traced back to an ancestor that lived thousands of years ago. The study is interesting for medical research since this mutation also increases the risk of melanoma.