Common anticonvulsant may help slow progression of dementia

Researchers have found that a common anticonvulsant drug improved cognitive function and appeared to restore nerve cells in the brains of patients with HIV-related dementia. more  

Double transplants may offer a solution to short supply of kidneys

Transplanting a pair of kidneys with limited function into one patient can be just as successful as the standard procedure in which a patient receives a single kidney, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. more

Computer simulation hints at new HIV drug target

For more than a year, researchers watched patiently as a few computer-simulated HIV protease molecules squirmed into more than 15,000 slightly different shapes. In real time, this contortion takes only a fraction of a second. In the end, however, this suspended animation paid off, as the simulations uncovered a potential new drug target to fight drug-resistant AIDS. more  

Concern over rapid rise of chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease is rising rapidly worldwide and is becoming a global healthcare problem, warn experts in this week’s BMJ. more

Soy component associated with abnormal ovary and egg development in mice 

A substance found in soy-based infant formula and over-the-counter dietary supplements affects the development of ovaries and eggs in female infant mice, according to a study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Syracuse University. The study, “Neonatal Genistein Treatment Alters Ovarian Differentiation in the Mouse: Inhibition of Oocyte Nest Breakdown and Increased Oocyte Survival,” was published in a recent issue of the journal Biology of Reproduction. Melissa Pepling, assistant professor of biology in The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University, was an investigator on the study. more

Local TV news covers health a lot, but not always well  

Local television newscasts, where most Americans get most of their news, are packed with medical stories and health information. But the first-ever national study of that coverage finds many problems with it, and sees room for improvement by both TV stations and the health experts whose work fills the news. more

Bacterial infections pose major risks for drug abusers

In a recently published review article, scientists say that people who abuse drugs often are vulnerable to bacterial infections, including strains that are resistant to the most powerful antibiotics. Certain antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have been reported among men who have sex with men who use crystal methamphetamine. more