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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have identified a bacterium in field-caught mosquitoes that, when present, stops the development of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans. According to the study, the Enterobacter bacterium is part of the naturally occurring microbial flora of the mosquito’s gut and kills the parasite by producing reactive oxygen species (or free radical molecules).

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Whitehead Institute researchers have found that the planarian flatworm regenerates missing tissues using pluripotent adult stem cells. Until now, scientists could not determine if the dividing cells in planarians are a mix of specialized stem cells that regenerates specific tissues, or if individual neoblasts are pluripotent and able to regenerate all tissues.

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In a four-decade, Holy Grail-like quest to fully understand what it means to be in a “supersolid” state, physicists have found that supersolid isn’t always super solid. In other words, this exotic state of frozen helium appears to have liquid-like properties.

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A uniquely collaborative study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies uncovered a novel mechanism that turns up glucose production in the liver when blood sugar levels drop, pointing towards a new class of drugs for the treatment of metabolic disease.

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A collaborative effort by investigators at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies recently revealed just how similarly mammals and insects make critical metabolic adjustments when food availability changes, either due to environmental catastrophe or everyday changes in sleep/wake cycles. Those findings may suggest novel ways to treat metabolic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes.

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Sepsis is a major killer in hospital intensive care units. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found that manipulating a genetic factor that can launch or throttle the body’s defenses can improve survival rates during bacterial infection.

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The Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 has taken an image of galaxy NGC 4214. This galaxy glows brightly with young stars and gas clouds, and is an ideal laboratory to study star formation and evolution.

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The safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico became a central concern following the Deepwater Horizon blowout a year ago. Even after previously closed Gulf waters began reopening in summer 2010, consumer confidence in the safety of Gulf seafood remained shaky. A new review published online May 12 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) affirms that levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found thus far in Gulf seafood samples in fact have been well below levels that would be of concern for human health.

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Scientists have used a genetically re-engineered herpes virus that selectively hunts down and infects cancerous tumors and then delivers genetic material that prompts cancers to secrete a biomarker and reveal their presence, according to a study appearing May 11 in PLoS (Public Library of Science) ONE.

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Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage.

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Using geriatric mice, a Johns Hopkins research team has shown that losartan, a commonly used blood pressure drug, not only improves regeneration of injured muscle but also protects against its wasting away from inactivity.

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Buck Institute study in Nature identifies novel metabolic signaling pathway in worms that coordinates the aging response to nutrient availability. Results provide missing piece of DR puzzle.

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Boston University researchers discover that a simple compound — sugar – dramatically boosts the effectiveness of first-line antibiotics. Their findings appear in the May 12 issue of Nature.

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Compared with other mothers, women who deliver twins live longer, have more children than expected, bear babies at shorter intervals over a longer time, and are older at their last birth, according to a University of Utah study.

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There’s a reason to be afraid of the dark. Fish accustomed to living near the light of the water’s surface become proverbial “fish out of water” when they move to dark environments like caves, according to a study from North Carolina State University.

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Tool may one day be used to guide patients’ treatment with standard therapy alone, or personalized clinical trial upfront.

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Health educators and foundation representatives will discuss these reports at a press event on May 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Interested media can RSVP for either the event or teleconference by emailing Maureen Thielemans at [email protected]. To access the teleconference, dial 1-877-366-0711 and enter the code 23938620#.

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This research shows for the first time the role of a specific protein – MAN2C1 – in prostate cancer development. The finding is significant because prostate cancer patients with increased levels of MAN2C1 appear to face more aggressive forms of the disease. This research could serve a diagnostic purpose in terms of likelihood of whether prostate cancers at early stages will progress into metastatic tumours.

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Constipation is definitely not a glamorous topic. In reality, it affects nearly 30 million Americans and costs more than $1 billion annually to evaluate and treat.

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Virginia Tech (will release on May 10) the results of a new rating system of adult football helmets that is designed to reduce the risk of concussions. One currently manufactured helmet received the top “5 star” rating, and a total of five helmets received the very good “4-star” rating.

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A new research paper from an international and interdisciplinary team, published in the journal Ecography, has uncovered the mystery behind the relationship between the duration of the open water period and the geographic coverage of marine species.

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Approximately 14 percent of all strokes occur during sleep, preventing many from getting clot-busting treatment, according to a study published in the May 10, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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In the first large trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have shown that estrogen-lowering drugs can shrink tumors and reduce mastectomy rates for patients with stage 2 or 3 breast cancer.

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Prior research suggests that mind-body therapies, while used by millions of patients, are still on the fringe of mainstream medical care in America. New research suggests that attitudes are changing.

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A new study of U.S. veterans ages 70 and older finds that the healthiest get the most benefit from current colon cancer screening methods. However, for many less healthy veterans the burdens of screening may outweigh the benefits.

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While adult tyrannosaurs wielded power and size to kill large prey, youngsters used agility to hunt smaller game.

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Paleontologists describe the skull of a juvenile Tarbosaurus bataar determined to be only 2 to 3 years old at the time of its death, about 70 million years ago. Although less than a foot long, this skull is anything but short on the information it reveals, particularly with respect to the changes that took place as these top predators grew from juveniles to adults.

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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered new clues about how the intestine maintains friendly relations with the 100 trillion symbiotic bacteria that normally live in the digestive tract.

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Discovery of a new class of insect repellant raises the possibility of formulations that are thousands of times more effective than current repellants.

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Older, sicker heart-transplant recipients are significantly more likely to be alive a year after their operations if they have their transplants at hospitals that do a large number of them annually new Johns Hopkins research suggests. These patients fare less well at low-volume centers, the research shows.

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A colonoscopy is an invaluable procedure for detecting problems in the colon and rectum. Doctors can often diagnose gastrointestinal issues and even catch the warning signs of colorectal cancer. Perfecting the skills required for this delicate procedure takes practice. But just how much practice makes perfect?

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American, Canadian, and Korean Research by George Washington University and Yale University Reveals Autism Prevalence May be Higher Than Current Estimates

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Cardiologists from the Cardiac & Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center presented new research at The Heart Rhythm Society’s 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions, May 4 -7 in San Francisco, California. Researchers presented recent findings about the value of expanding genetic screening for life threatening arrhythmia, advanced risk stratification for genetic conditions like Brugada Syndrome and the promise of novel spinal cord stimulation technology to treat atrial fibrillation.

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While children of all ethnicities can contract Kawasaki disease, a study led by researchers at the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego finds that Filipino children with KD are at a higher risk for inflammation of the blood vessels of the heart than those of other Asian and non-Asian backgrounds.

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Arsenic exposure and smoking each elevate the risk of disease. But when combined together, the danger of dying from cardiovascular disease is magnified, a new study finds.

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Many patients on dialysis may not understand medical information critical to their wellbeing, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians must understand and address the limited health literacy of patients with kidney disease.

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Kidney disease affects 1 in 9 US adults, and by 2020 more than 750,000 Americans will be on dialysis or awaiting kidney transplant. Despite this growing health problem, every year fewer US medical students adopt nephrology as a career, according to a review appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

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Many patients on dialysis may not understand medical information critical to their wellbeing, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians must understand and address the limited health literacy of patients with kidney disease.

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1) Walking and cycling have increased in the United States but remain at low levels: Better infrastructure and targeted programs needed to encourage active travel; 2) Workers at nail salons may be at higher risk of harmful exposure to toxins; 3) Greater availability of fast food restaurants associated with higher calorie intake.

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A UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher has identified the most comprehensive measurement to date of estrogen’s effect on breast cancer cells, showing for the first time how immediate and extensive the effect is.

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A protein that helps the brain develop early in life can fight the mental fuzziness induced by sleep deprivation, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, after isolating normal stem cells that form the developing placenta, have given them the same properties of stem cells associated with an aggressive type of breast cancer.

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Tests of a new antibody-based “biosensor” developed by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science show that it can detect marine pollutants like oil much faster and more cheaply than current technologies. The device is small and sturdy enough to be used from a boat.

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1) Blacks and Hispanics less likely than whites to receive screening; 2) Disparities persisted after increased colorectal screening coverage.

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Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have made a critical discovery that may lead scientists to abandon the use of broad conventional ethnic labels—African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian—to estimate a patient’s genetic risk for disease. This first-of-its kind study conducted with diverse patients receiving care at a single urban academic medical center, marks an important step in the clinical application of personalized medicine. The data are published online in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

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UCLA scientists have discovered a way to wake up the immune system to fight cancer by delivering an immune system-stimulating protein in a nanoscale container called a vault directly into lung cancer tumors, harnessing the body’s natural defenses to fight disease growth.

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The effects of nicotine upon brain regions involved in addiction mirror those of cocaine, according to new neuroscience research. A single 15-minute exposure to nicotine caused a long-term increase in the excitability of neurons involved in reward, according to a University of Chicago study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

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Between 2001 and 2008, the annual rate of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries performed in the United States decreased by more than 30 percent, but rates of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) did not change significantly, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

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In a study conducted to examine the health outcomes related to salt intake, as gauged by the amount of sodium excreted in the urine, lower sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, while higher sodium excretion did not correspond with increased risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease complications, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

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Only about half of new drugs approved in the last decade had comparative effectiveness data available at the time of their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and approximately two-thirds of new drugs had this information available when alternative treatment options existed, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.