Monthly Archives: September 2007

Scientists have identified 2 proteins that appear to pair up
at the precise location in the ear where sound vibrations are
turned into electrical signals. The finding may eventually help
researchers develop more precise treatments for hearing loss. Continue reading →

Researchers have developed a procedure for repairing damaged
rat hearts by using cells generated in a dish from human embryonic
stem cells. The accomplishment brings scientists a step closer
to a treatment for people who have had heart attacks. Continue reading →

By disabling a single gene in mice, scientists have created animals
with symptoms that mimic those of people with obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD). The condition can be reversed by either restoring
a normal version of the gene in the mouse brain or by giving
the animals a medication commonly used for human OCD. Continue reading →

Tendon, the cord-like tissue that connects muscle to bone, contains
a small subset of previously unknown adult stem cells, scientists
at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
part of the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues
have discovered. Continue reading →

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NASA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in space-related health research. This agreement will help American scientists utilize the International Space Station to answer questions about human health and disease. Continue reading →

Accurate, up-to-date information on health issues affecting Hispanic
seniors is now available online in Spanish from the National Institute
on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The
user-friendly website has information on a wide range of health
topics, including diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes.
Helpful tips on choosing a doctor and maintaining a healthy lifestyle
also are available at Continue reading →

Mental disorders rank among the top ten illnesses causing disability — more
than 37 percent worldwide — with depression being the leading
cause of disability among people ages 15 and older, according to
the published
in 2006. Yet, the world’s mental health care needs are largely
going unmet, especially in less developed nations and in high-income
countries, according to results from a new survey of 17 countries
conducted as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World
Mental Health Survey Initiative. The results of the initiative,
partially funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), were published in in
September 2007. Continue reading →

The NIH’s Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Strength in Numbers campaign
debuted today. Offering a renewed commitment to qualified postdoctoral
scientists who are seeking careers in biomedical and behavioral
research, the program funds up to $35,000 annually in loan repayment. Continue reading →

A genetic variation has been identified that increases the risk
of two chronic, autoimmune inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). These research findings
result from a long-time collaboration between the Intramural Research
Program (IRP) of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and other organizations. NIAMS is part
of the National Institutes of Health. Continue reading →

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research will fund nine interdisciplinary research consortia as a means of integrating aspects of different disciplines to address health challenges that have been resistant to traditional research approaches. Continue reading →