Signs

Signs of aging: Scientists evaluate genes associated with longevity

Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency's Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and at the University of Missouri-Columbia have collaborated on a detailed study to elucidate gene-expression patterns implicated in the aging process. Their results appear online today in the journal Genome Research. Led by Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson, Senior Scientist at the BC Cancer Agency'...

Nanowires can detect molecular signs of cancer, scientists find

Use of minuscule devices to spot cancer markers could lead to ultra-powerful new diagnostics Harvard University researchers have found that molecular markers indicating the presence of cancer in the body are readily detected in blood scanned by special arrays of silicon nanowires -- even when these cancer markers constitute only one hundred-billionth of the protein present in a drop of bl...

Discovery suggests why stem cells run through stop signs

Everyone knows that stem cells are controversial. Many people know that stem cells can grow into virtually any cell type found in the body, from a red blood cell to a muscle cell to a brain cell. But no one really knows why stem cells continue to divide and renew themselves long after the point where other cells stop dividing. Now scientists at Northwestern University and the University of...

In-home sensors spot dementia signs in elderly

An Oregon Health & Science University study shows motion and door sensors placed in elders' homes can help track activity patterns thought to relate to memory changes that are early signs of dementia. The study results, presented last week at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid, show that continuous, unobtrusive monitoring of in-hom...

Joslin discovers signs of residual islet cell function in people with long-term type 1 diabetes

Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that a surprisingly high percentage of people with type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent) who have had the disease for 50 years or longer (The Joslin Medalists) may still have residual functioning, insulin-producing islet cells and/or islet cell antibodies. The findings will be presented June 12 at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 66th Annu...

MIT designs portable 'lab on a chip'

Testing soldiers to see if they have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons could soon be much faster and easier, thanks to MIT researchers who are helping to develop a tiny diagnostic device that could be carried into battle. By tweaking the design of a tiny pump, researchers affiliated with MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies have taken a major step towards making an exi...

New cigarette designs don't offer lower predicted cancer risks

The tobacco company's description of its new cigarette brand seems to promise a lot. "May present less risk of cancer associated with smoking," the company boasts on its Web site, making it a natural choice "for smokers who have decided not to quit, but who are interested in a cigarette that responds to concerns about certain smoking-related illnesses, including cancer." Another tobacco firm, in...

Mice with a migraine show signs of brain damage

Migraines may be doing more than causing people skull-splitting pain. Scientists have found evidence that the headaches may also be acting like tiny transient strokes, leaving parts of the brain starved for oxygen and altering the brain in significant ways. A paper describing the work by neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center appeared online April 29 in Nature Neuros...