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April 2007 Archive
April 2, 2007
New Insight into Mechanism of Aging
Researchers believe they've discovered how a rare genetic defect causes premature aging. The process they uncovered may play a role in the normal aging process as well.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies Don't Affect Genetic Code
Technologies to help women become pregnant have been growing in popularity ever since the birth in 1978 of the first successful "test-tube baby," which was conceived by in vitro fertilization. Many people, however, still worry that assisted reproduction technologies may carry health risks. A new study in mice can partly set their minds at ease. It found that the technologies had no detectable effects on the genetic code.
Genetically Altered Mice See a More Colorful World
By giving mice the gene that allows people to see red hues, scientists have created rodents that can see a wider range of colors. The study offers clues to the evolution of color vision and suggests that the brains of mammals can quickly adapt to new sensory information.
april 16, 2007
Computers Don't Help Mammogram Analysis
An increasingly used computer software system designed to help doctors spot evidence of breast cancer instead appears to reduce the accuracy of mammogram readings and may lead to additional and unnecessary medical testing, according to a recent study.
MRI Increases Detection of Second Cancer in Opposite Breast
When a woman is newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast, there’s up to a 10% chance that clinical exams and mammography will miss a tumor growing in the opposite breast. In light of this, some women opt for a prophylactic double mastectomy. Others choose to keep their breast but live with the chance of developing a second cancer. A new study funded by NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides welcome news to women faced with this decision. It found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improved the detection of cancer in the opposite breast at the time of initial diagnosis.
Researchers Identify Gene Involved in Dog Size
An international team has identified a genetic variant that influences how big a dog can get.
april 23, 2007
Monkey Genome Gives New Insight Into What Makes Us Human
The sequencing of the human genome in 2001 was a momentous accomplishment. However, to understand what separates us genetically from our less evolved relatives, researchers need to have the genome sequences of other primates for comparison. An international team of more than 170 scientists has now sequenced the genome of the rhesus macaque monkey and compared it to both the chimpanzee and human genomes. Their analysis reveals that the three primate species share about 93% of their DNA.
Lab-on-a-Chip Spots Potential Disease in Saliva
Preliminary findings from a large clinical trial expand the potential use for Gleevec, one of a new class of cancer drugs specifically designed to block abnormal proteins that lead to tumor growth. After surgical removal of a rare type of gastrointestinal tumor, patients who took daily Gleevec tablets were significantly less likely to have the cancer return than patients who didn't take the drug. The results were announced because the study had met its main goal of boosting survival without cancer recurrence.
Gleevec Helps Prevent Return of Type of Gastrointestinal Tumor
Preliminary findings from a large clinical trial expand the potential use for Gleevec, one of a new class of cancer drugs specifically designed to block abnormal proteins that lead to tumor growth. After surgical removal of a rare type of gastrointestinal tumor, patients who took daily Gleevec tablets were significantly less likely to have the cancer return than patients who didn't take the drug. The results were announced because the study had met its main goal of boosting survival without cancer recurrence.
april 30, 2007
Study Links Faulty DNA Repair to Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that affects roughly 30,000 Americans, is incurable and fatal. But a new discovery about how cells repair their DNA points to a possible way to stop or slow the onset of the disease.
Lower Sodium Decreases Long-Term Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Lowering your salt intake not only prevents high blood pressure but can also prevent heart disease, according to new clinical trial data.
Breast Cancer Rates Drop with Less Hormone Replacement Therapy
Scientists have found a rare genetic mutation that, while appearing in only one-third of 1% of schizophrenia patients, may hold clues to improved treatments.
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About NIH Research Matters
Harrison Wein, Ph.D., Editor
Vicki Contie, Assistant Editor
NIH Research Matters is a weekly update of NIH research highlights from the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health.
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