Protein levels could signal that a child will develop diabetes – Decreasing blood levels of a protein that helps control inflammation may be a red flag that could help children avoid type 1 diabetes, researchers say.
GM-CSF required for the immune attack in multiple sclerosis – The neutralization of the cytokine GM-CSF could halt the development of multiple sclerosis, demonstrated by the research team of the immunologist Burkhard Becher at the University of Zurich in an animal model.
Researchers identify genes causing antimalarial drug resistance – Using a pair of powerful genome-search techniques, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Harvard University, and the Broad Institute have identified several genes that may be implicated in the malaria parasite’s notorious ability to rapidly evade drug treatments.
New approach to defeating flu shows promise – New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus.
Unilever Announces Recall of Skippy? Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Spread Due to Possible Health Risk Limited Recall of 6 Best-If-Used-By Dates – Unilever United States, Inc. announced a limited recall of Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
A blood test for Alzheimer’s disease? – Using a new technology that relies on thousands of synthetic molecules to fish for disease-specific antibodies, researchers have developed a potential method for detecting Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test.
FDA: Don?t Eat Tiny Greens Brand Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts – US FDA is advising consumers not to eat Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts (which contain alfalfa sprouts mixed with radish and clover sprouts) from Tiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Ill.
Newborns with low vitamin D levels at increased risk for respiratory infections – The vitamin D levels of newborn babies appear to predict their risk of respiratory infections during infancy and the occurrence of wheezing during early childhood, but not the risk of developing asthma.
Breakthrough in cancer vaccine research — New research could lead to improved vaccines for cancerous tumors – Researchers at the University of Cambridge hope to revolutionise cancer therapy after discovering one of the reasons why many previous attempts to harness the immune system to treat cancerous tumours have failed.
Physical fitness curbs frequency and severity of colds — Upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults – People who are physically fit and active have fewer and milder colds, indicates research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Scientists identify protein that spurs formation of Alzheimer’s plaques – In Alzheimer’s disease, the problem is beta-amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and causes nerve cells to weaken and die. Drugs designed to eliminate plaques made of beta-amyloid have a fatal problem: they need to enter the brain and remove the plaques without attacking healthy brain cells.
Study points to key genetic driver of severe allergic asthma – Scientists have identified a genetic basis for determining the severity of allergic asthma in experimental models of the disease.
