Genome of deadly amoeba shows surprising complexity, evidence of lateral gene transfer
The genome sequence of the parasitic amoeba Entamoeba histolytica, a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in developing countries, includes an unexpectedly complex repertoire of sensory genes as well as a variety of bacterial-like genes that contribute to the organism's unique biology. The report, which appears in the February 24 issue of Nature, presents the first genome-wide study...Scientists seek answers on what activates deadly anthrax spores
Scientists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and three other institutions are setting out to find what activates the spores in anthrax, the deadly bacterial infection that is back in the news. "A key aspect of anthrax spore biology concerns the germination process through which the dormant spore becomes a reproductive, disease-causing bacterium," explained Al Claiborne, Ph.D...U of M researcher examines newly emerging deadly disease
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified a newly emerging illness, named staphylococcal purpura fulminans. The disease begins as a respiratory tract infection, which then is infected by Staphylococcus aureus. The infection then moves to the lungs, making superantigens (bacterial toxins that activate large numbers of T cells), often leading to death due to hypertension and shock....'Smart drug' targets deadly brain cancer
A study led by Mayo Clinic researchers and conducted by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) reports that a new "smart" drug treatment for an incurable form of recurrent brain cancer slowed tumor growth in more than one-third of the 65 adult patients who tried it. The same research team also developed a screening technique to help predict which patients will respond best to this treat...Shark attack worries? Driving to the beach is more deadly
Which is more likely to happen - you being in a car wreck or being bitten by a shark? Those who answered that cars are greater killers win a free trip to the beach. It's really no contest, says a Texas A&M University professor. Your chances of being in a wreck are far greater than being a shark's lunch, says John McEachran, a professor of wildlife and fishery sciences who has studied...New hope for cancer victims – will vaccine cure the deadly bug
One very deadly form of cancer is pancreatic cancer, though it isn’t very common. Globally it kills lakhs of people every year. And now there is some hope for the unfortunate victims. A new vaccine has been successfully tested on the pancreatic cancer victims and it has increased the survival rates in many. Vaccines are typically thought of as a way of preventing disease. In cancer, howe...Migraine relieved by deadly toxin
A new way suggested by researchers to relieve chronic headaches. Botox injections help people whose migraine or chronic daily headache is not relieved by conventional medication. Botox is shorthand for botulinum toxin one of the most deadly poisons known to man. However, it does have some benign uses for instance,// botox injections are often used to smooth out wrinkles in cosmetic surgery. Now r...Smoking and Breast Cancer - A Deadly Combination
A new study shows women who smoke while undergoing therapy for breast cancer are more than twice as likely to die than non-smokers or those who quit smoking.// Researchers studied more than 1,000 non-smokers and more than 850 smokers who underwent therapy for breast cancer between 1970 and 2002. The study was the first of its kind to examine the effect of long-term smoking on breast canc...Latest Findings On The Deadly Disease - SARS
Scientists continue to gain new insights into how the deadly disease - SARS spread so quickly during last year’s outbreak.// The latest discovery researchers have made is that the virus doesn’t always cause the pneumonia doctors believe is typical of the disease. They say that explains why some people got SARS even though it looked as if they’d never been around anyone who had the disea...Deadly Diarrhoea Vaccine – Trail Results Promising
Diarrhoea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in India. An attempt to formulate// a vaccine against this deadly disease, which has claimed so many young lives, is worth the expense. India is set to begin the phase II clinical trials of a new vaccine for a deadly form of diarrhoea that causes thousands of deaths annually in India. This move has been accelerated after phase I...