'Good' bacteria helps ease pain of colitis
...te ulcerative colitis. The mixture of eight lactic acid bacterial species is believed to be effective by mechanisms that include (1) reducing the number of "bad" bacteria, (2) reducing the amount of inflammation (3) increasing the mucus layer in the gut, and (4) increasing the amount of anti-inflammatory ...A new understanding of how immune system targets disease
...niques," Sant said. "By switching out single amino acid building blocks, we were able to drastically increase the potency of the T cell response to target epitopes. If confirmed, this discovery will bring immundominance and a major portion of the immune system under our control for the first time."...Major NH&MRC grant will fund multidisciplinary research to improve the treatment of neuroblastoma
...otein-1 (MRP1), the oncogene MYCN and the retinoic acid receptor. Retinoic acid is a Vitamin A derivative and is used in the treatment of neuroblastoma. Recent work has shown that ...New research offers clues to prevent brain damage in premature babies
... Dr. Back and his colleagues found that hyaluronic acid (HA) prevent immature oligodendrocytes from maturing and coating nerve fibers with new myelin. Astrocytes, the first-responders to nerve damage in the brain, produce HA, which accumulates on nerve fibers where myelin is missing. "Preterm birth can i...Stealth particles to target tumors
... the fact that cancer tumors have a lot more folic acid receptors and target those," says Pishko. "We could also use specific monoclonal antibodies to target specific tumors." The researchers also considered delivery of drugs to specific type cells, like those in the eye. This type of stealth targeting ...K-State researchers designing better drug to treat cystic fibrosis
...tors have used a series of single and double amino acid substitutions to modulate the activity of a channe...rates. The hydrogen bonding strengths of the amino acid side-chains correlate directly with anion selectivity and inversely with transport rates for the ani......rial, "Today, about 50,000 tons of acetylsalicylic acid are produced every year across the globe. If this entire output were pressed into 500 mg tablets, it would amount to 100 billion tablets every year." Dr. Messerli also remarked, "[W]ere aspirin discovered today, it would probably not pass muster at t...Hopkins experts highlight strategies to raise levels of so-called good HDL cholesterol
...the researchers cite niacin, also called nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, as the most effective medication for raising HDL cholesterol, leading to increases of 20 percent to 35 percent. Fibrate therapy is also effective, they say, producing an average increase of 10 percent to 25 percent. Statins are the l...Study shows new imaging tracer clarifies cause of chest pain up to 30 hours after pain stops
...udy, known by the brand name Zemiva, links a fatty acid to a radioisotope which is injected in the patient...cer in this study. The heart normally uses fatty acid as its primary fuel source for energy. Decreased blood flow to the heart, caused either by narrowed ...MoMA showcases Penn State researcher's device
...oxidase, the enzyme that reacts with glucose. The acid sensitive coating makes the device swell or shrink...ing mass depending on the surrounding acidity. The acid that causes the changes comes from the reaction of glucose with glucose oxidase, which produces gluc...Acting to prevent mild cognitive deficit after 60 may hinge on knowing levels of blood factor
... present in blood plasma, homocysteine is an amino acid by-product of the biological process that converts food to the chemical compounds that keep the body running. Other studies, as well as early results from clinical trials, indicate that preventive measures for homocysteine-related cognitive deficit ...Chromium picolinate linked with reduced carbohydrate cravings in people with atypical depression
...and proteins. When chromium is bound to picolinic acid to create chromium picolinate, absorption in the body is significantly improved. Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized chromium picolinate as a safe nutritional supplement. Comprehensive NeuroScience, Inc. Comprehensive Neur...Only one-third of women take vitamin to help prevent serious birth defects, survey finds
...king a multivitamin containing the B vitamin folic acid daily to prevent serious birth defects of the brai...eport (MMWR), highlight the need to increase folic acid fortification of the grain supply, the March of Dimes says. Daily use of folic acid has not shown a ...Researchers win Nobel Medicine Prize for discovering cause of ulcers
...s. For years, ulcers were considered functions of acid in the stomach or a results of stress and lifestyle factors. While the idea of bacteria being present in the stomach has been around for more than 20 years, much of the medical community believed that bacteria could not survive in the stomach's host...The Epilepsy Foundation issues Call to Action
...er. 5. Take a multivitamin containing folic acid before and after conception 6. If you become pregnant, enroll in the North American Pregnancy Registry (888-233-2334 or www.aedpregnancyregistry.org) as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed. 7. Make sure that your anticonvulsant blood lev...Eating fish associated with slower cognitive decline
...ve suggested that consumption of one omega-3 fatty acid in particular, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is important for memory performance in aged animals. Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., of Rush Uni...New rheumatoid arthritis drug developed at UCSD promises improved treatment options
... system T cells to be tolerant of the dnaJP1 amino acid sequence, which would usually contribute to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients," Albani said. DnaJP1 works by resetting the ability of the patient's immune system to tolerate dnaJ, thus transforming a potentially damaging trigger into a ...UVa researchers show that a natural carbohydrate can help lower blood sugar
...vated," Brautigan said. "When we changed one amino acid in PP2C that the modeling predicted was the site for INS2, then the activation by INS2 was absent. In that way the enzyme assay confirmed the model." The UVa group has been working to define the action of INS2 in hopes that it will potentially help m...Reagent under study as cancer vaccine may also help protect tumors
...xpressing IDO, which degrades tryptophan, an amino acid essential to survival of T-cells, orchestrators of immune response. Since then, the researchers have found that tumors and some infectious agents, such as HIV, use this mechanism to escape the immune system. In fact, Dr. David Munn, pediatric hemato...'Silent' nighttime acid reflux symptoms can cause poor sleep and sleep apnea
... heartburn symptoms suffered episodes of nighttime acid reflux according to research presented at the 70th...only report poor sleep, waking at night because of acid reflux. Some individuals who have respiratory problems exacerbated by acid reflux may frequently be...