MSU researchers testing vaccine to help people quit smoking — Novel approach blocks ‘pleasure sensation’ – In a unique twist to a decades-old health crisis, Michigan State University researchers are testing a new vaccine to help people quit smoking and avoid relapses.
Novel artificial pancreas successfully controls blood sugar more than 24 hours — Mass. General, Boston University researchers run first clinical trial of system using 2 hormones – An artificial pancreas system that closely mimics the body’s blood sugar control mechanism was able to maintain near-normal glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia in a small group of patients.
University of Michigan scientists discover bone marrow can harbor HIV-infected cells — Targeting these reservoirs of latent cells may open door to new treatments – University of Michigan scientists have identified a new reservoir for hidden HIV-infected cells that can serve as a factory for new infections. This indicate a new target for curing the disease so those infected with the virus may someday no longer rely on AIDS drugs for a lifetime.
Pneumococcal vaccine offers protection to HIV-infected African adults in clinical trial – A clinical trial of a vaccine against a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis has shown that it can prevent three out of four cases of re-infection in HIV-infected adults in Africa.
An apple a day? Study shows soluble fiber boosts immune system – Soluble fiber – found in oats, apples, and nuts, for starters reduces the inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system, revealed by researchers.
Blood test can predict rheumatoid arthritis before symptoms arise — Study confirms elevated cytokine levels are early indicator of disease – Researchers from University Hospital in Umea, Sweden, have identified several cytokines, cytokine-related factors, and chemokines that increase significantly prior to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease onset.
Promising candidates for malaria vaccine revealed – Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have uncovered a group of proteins that could form the basis of an effective vaccine against malaria.
First successful use of expanded umbilical-cord blood units to treat leukemia – Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have cleared a major technical hurdle to making umbilical-cord-blood transplants a more widely-used method for treating leukemia and other blood cancers.
Each pound at birth lowers risk of developing TB — Just one more pound may help a newborn avoid tuberculosis later in life. – Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at how much protection additional birth weight added against developing the disease years later. They found that every 1.1 pounds of birth weight decreases the risk of developing tuberculosis later by 46 percent among identical twins.
Johns Hopkins researchers say vaccine appears to ‘mop up’ leukemia cells Gleevec leaves behind — Team cautions that results are very preliminary and they cannot yet rule out other reasons for success – Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show that a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).
Circumcision associated with significant changes in bacteria — Changes in bacteria within the penis microbiome documented for the first time. – Circumcision, which substantially lowers HIV risk in men, also dramatically changes the bacterial communities of the penis, according to a study led by scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Johns Hopkins University and published Jan. 6 in the scientific journal PLoS ONE.
‘Mini’ stem cell transplantation may reverse severe sickle cell disease – Results of a preliminary study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins show that “mini” stem cell transplantation may safely reverse severe sickle cell disease in adults.
