Monthly Archives: September 2007

Specific variations in two genes are linked to suicidal thinking
that sometimes occurs in people taking the most commonly prescribed
class of antidepressants, according to a large study led by scientists
at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH). Depending on the particular mix inherited,
these versions increased the likelihood of such thoughts from 2-
to15-fold, the study found. About 1 percent of adult patients were
deemed to be at high genetic risk, 41 percent at elevated risk
and 58 percent at lower risk. Continue reading →

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found
that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country
can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of
those cases attributed to cat allergy. Continue reading →

Giardia lamblia is a strange-looking parasite that swims in the
gut, spreads through stool, persists in contaminated water, and
is responsible for more than 20,000 reported infections a year
in the United States. Now it has finally spilled its genetic secrets. Continue reading →

Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health
(NIH), will join more than 125 world-class medical scientists
and innovators in health care and policy at the inaugural
session of The Aspen Health Forum. As a featured panel speaker
for the “Art of Humanity and Medicine” meeting
track, Dr. Volkow will discuss the brain’s reward circuitry
and how it relates to the emerging science of mood. The forum,
organized by the Aspen Institute and “The Atlantic” magazine,
will explore pressing bioscience issues and shed light on
cutting-edge scientific findings to improve the health of
the Nation. Continue reading →

To accelerate the advancement of stem cell
biology from bench to bedside for treatment of cardiovascular
disease, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will host
the scientific symposium Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine
at the NIH Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Sessions will cover lessons learned from hematopoiesis, specification
and use of embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, including
those derived from bone marrow (hematopoietic, endothelial
progenitor cells, and mesenchymal stem cells) and adult cardiac
stem cells that naturally reside in the heart; growth factors
to stimulate formation of new blood vessels (vascular regeneration)
and to repair or regenerate cardiac tissue (cardiac regeneration);
and technologies for monitoring cell activity. Continue reading →

Scientists have discovered a link between a mutated gene and a
protein found in dead brain cells of people who suffer from a form
of dementia and other neurological disorders. The finding, reported
in the Sep. 26, 2007, issue of the ,
demonstrates for the first time a pathological pathway that ultimately
results in cell death related to frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s
disease). The discovery could eventually play a role in the design
of new drug therapies. The study was funded by the National Institute
on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Continue reading →

New online resources stressing the importance of calcium for bone
health are now available for middle and high school teachers. The
resources are available through the Milk Matters calcium education
campaign, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. Continue reading →

Enhanced and systematic efforts to identify and treat depression in
the workplace significantly improves employee health and productivity,
likely leading to lower costs overall for the employer, according
to a study published September 26, 2007, in the . The study was funded by
the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH). Continue reading →

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on
Women’s Health (ORWH) and other co-sponsors announce the award
of more than $7 million to 15 new and continuing Building Interdisciplinary
Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) programs nationwide.
This expands an innovative effort to foster career development
in women’s health research with an emphasis on innovative interdisciplinary
mentoring across a variety of disciplines. Continue reading →

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) announces 11 new or continuing Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women’s Health Awards, as a result of the second solicitation for this program. Funding for these SCORs will total approximately $11 million per year for five years. Continue reading →