Monthly Archives: October 2007

In a new study, researchers found they could detect toxic levels of acetaminophen in laboratory animals by analyzing gene expression in the blood. This study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, could be a first step in developing accurate new tools to detect acetaminophen overdose in humans. Continue reading →

At the invitation of HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, health ministers are
gathering in Washington, D.C. for the 8th Annual Global Health Security
Initiative (GHSI) Ministerial Meeting. They will review preparedness
initiatives to respond to threats of biological, chemical, radio-nuclear
terrorism, pandemic influenza and other public health emergencies. The
health ministers will also discuss food and product safety. This is the
first time the United States will host the GHSI Ministerial Meeting. Continue reading →

A new analysis suggests that about 3.4 million Americans age 71
and older — one in seven people in that age group — have
dementia, and 2.4 million of them have Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
is the latest in a series of analyses attempting to assess the
prevalence of dementia and AD, the most common form of dementia.
Published online this week in “Neuroepidemiology”, the study
is the first to estimate rates of dementia and AD using a nationally
representative sample of older adults across the United States. Continue reading →

Large numbers of American adolescents are putting themselves and
others at great risk by driving while under the influence of illicit
drugs or alcohol, according to a study funded by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). In 2006, 30 percent of high school seniors reported driving
after drinking heavily or using drugs, or riding in a car whose
driver had been drinking heavily or using drugs, at least once
in the prior two weeks. These findings are based on data obtained
from the Monitoring the Future study, in which nationally representative
samples of high school seniors have been surveyed annually since
1975. The data analysis is published in the November issue of the “Journal
of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs”. Continue reading →

Until recently, only one of the approximately 30,000 genes in
the human genome has been linked to risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s
disease (AD). Now, a new NIH-supported study in the Nov. 19, 2007,
issue of “NeuroReport” (now online) used a publicly shared
genome dataset to strongly support findings that variation in the
sequence of the SORL1 gene may be a second risk factor gene for
late-onset disease. Identifying the genes involved in AD ultimately
may help determine who may be at greater risk and enable researchers
to zero in on pathways to develop new treatments. Continue reading →

Until recently, only one of the approximately 30,000 genes in
the human genome has been linked to risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s
disease (AD). Now, a new NIH-supported study in the Nov. 19, 2007,
issue of “NeuroReport” (now online) used a publicly shared
genome dataset to strongly support findings that variation in the
sequence of the SORL1 gene may be a second risk factor gene for
late-onset disease. Identifying the genes involved in AD ultimately
may help determine who may be at greater risk and enable researchers
to zero in on pathways to develop new treatments. Continue reading →

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Nathaniel Stinson,
Jr., Ph.D., M.D., has been appointed acting director, Office of
Scientific Programs, National Center on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NCMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chief
among his responsibilities will be direct oversight of the NCMHD’s
Community Based Participatory Research Initiative and Loan Repayment
Programs. Continue reading →

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Nathaniel Stinson,
Jr., Ph.D., M.D., has been appointed acting director, Office of
Scientific Programs, National Center on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NCMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chief
among his responsibilities will be direct oversight of the NCMHD’s
Community Based Participatory Research Initiative and Loan Repayment
Programs. Continue reading →

Researchers have created transgenic poplar trees that can break
down a class of common environmental pollutants. With their large
size and extensive root systems, these trees may one day help
to clean up contaminated sites faster and for less money than
current methods. Continue reading →

By studying human brains from before birth through adulthood,
researchers have identified a gene that increases its activity
during normal brain development but that may fail to ramp up
in people with schizophrenia. The faulty activity of this gene, called “GAD1″, may be to blame for at least some
cases of schizophrenia, the scientists say. Continue reading →