“First aid” for brain cells comes from blood

In acute ischemic stroke, the blood supply to the brain is restricted. Initially, brain cells die from lack of oxygen. In addition, ischemia activates harmful inflammatory processes in the affected area of the brain. For the first time, scientists at the Neurology Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital have shown that certain immune cells in the blood inhibit inflammation after a stroke. more  

New therapeutic target for melanoma identified

A protein called Mcl-1 plays a critical role in melanoma cell resistance to a form of apoptosis called anoikis, according to research published this week in Molecular Cancer Research. more

Prenatal meth exposure linked to abnormal brain development

A first of its kind study examining the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy has found the drug appears to cause abnormal brain development in children. more  

Alzheimer's: New findings resolve long dispute about how the disease might kill brain cells

For a decade, Alzheimer's disease researchers have been entrenched in debate about one of the mechanisms believed to be responsible for brain cell death and memory loss in the illness. more

Cold and brown fat raise the prospect of a new method of treating obesity  

Sven Enerbäck, Professor at the Institute of Biomedicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the scientists who published their results in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. Studies carried out by Enerbäck and others show that adults use brown fat to convert energy to heat - a discovery that may provide new possibilities in treating overweight and obesity. more

Findings show insulin - not genes - linked to obesity  

Researchers have uncovered new evidence suggesting factors other than genes could cause obesity, finding that genetically identical cells store widely differing amounts of fat depending on subtle variations in how cells process insulin. more

‘Rethinking drinking’ offers tools to assess, change risky habits

How many drinks have you had while enjoying a bottle of wine with a friend? How strong is your mixed drink? Do you wonder whether your drinking pattern might be considered risky? more

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