One of the holy grails of local anesthesia is the ability to achieve a long-lasting nerve block that eliminates pain sensation while not affecting motor function. Now, researchers have discovered an anesthetic approach that seems to do just that.
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In a new approach to developing treatments for breast cancer, prostate cancer and enlarged hearts, researchers are zeroing in on a workhorse protein called RSK. When activated, RSK is involved in cell survival, cell proliferation, cell enlargement and a rare disease called Carney complex.
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The fatal brain disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob in humans, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in cattle and scrapie in sheep are so-called prion diseases, whereby one of the body’s normal proteins, the prion protein PrPc misfolds into a pathogenic form: PrPSc. In spite of several years of extensive research, little is still known about what actually happens in [...]
Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis can safely undergo surgery within 48 hours of admission, a new approach that can shorten hospital stays.
New research into how the brain controls the movements of limbs could prompt major advances in understanding the human brain and the development of prosthetic limbs.
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A new national study suggests that preschool-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time. The study showed that 4-year-olds living in homes with all [...]
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Clues to how the first land plants managed to avoid drying out might be provided by bryophytes, a group that includes the mosses, many of which retain remarkable drought tolerance. Some mosses can become so dry they crumble in the hand, but, if remoistened, will begin making proteins within minutes.
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A new study identifies for the first time a brain protein called SynDIG1 that plays a critical role in creating and sustaining synapses, the complex chemical signaling system responsible for communication between neurons.
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Gene variation is the reason that some great tit populations are more curious than others. In humans and animals alike, individuals differ in sets of traits that we usually refer to as personality. An important part of the individual difference in personality is due to variation in the underlying genes. One gene, the dopamine receptor [...]
Fewer than half of individuals who have “non-specific” chest pain (not explained by a well-known condition) experience relief from symptoms following standard medical care, according to a new study. In addition, one-tenth of those with persistent chest pain undergo potentially unnecessary diagnostic testing.
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