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Bioengineered Stem Cells Produce Hair On Bald Mice

A recent experiment by the department of organ technologies at the Tokyo University of Science was successful at bioengineering hair follicle growth in bald mice.  Though these images may look small in the scheme of bioengineering organs, the development is very important, both for those who would like to replace their 'rugs' with something more credible, and for the future of other bioengineered organ replacements.

 


FDA Approves Radioactive Dye In Brain Scan For Alzheimer's

It was a great Friday for those folks waiting for the radioactive dye Amyvid to be approved. The dye, which allows doctors to see the toxic protein amyloid plague in the brain via a PET scan, has been waiting for approval since it was turned down by the FDA one year ago.  On Friday, April 6, 2012 the FDA approved the use of Eli Lilly's Amyvid, and Lilly announced that the dye will be available for use this summer, in small supply.

 


Proof: Weight Loss Surgery Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Two studies released this week reported that weight loss surgery has helped persons with Type 2 diabetes throw away their injection needles and medicine bottles!  Patients in these two studies truly experienced remarkable, some would say miraculous, results.

Scientists Discover Regenerative Cell Process That May Reverse Liver Disease

There is a much greater demand for liver transplants than there are available livers.  But a liver transplant may not be the only way to save a patient on the waiting list in the future.  Now, there is hope that a new technology might help the body enhance the production of healthy cells, so that the liver could literally repair itself.

Researchers Document Success Of Amatadine For Head Injury Patients

Severe head injuries of the kind induced by motorcycle accidents, rough sports, falls, and blows to the head visit about 1.7 million Americans every year.  Very difficult to treat, these occurrences often result in permanent brain damage, vegetative, or semi-vegetative states.  Some doctors have been using an old flu medicine called amatadine to treat head injury patients and have reported success with the drug, but an international, inter-disciplinary team was recently the first to test the drug against a placebo.

Higher Heart Disease & Cancer Risks Posed By Sleeping Pill Use

When you see the data that researchers from Scripps Sleep Center have gathered connecting the use of sleeping pills with serious disease and early death, it will surely be enough to keep you awake....

Stem Cell Technology Used To Create Neuronal Model For Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a "true human neuronal model" that replicates the early stages of Alzheimer's disease in actual human brain cells.  They have accomplished this model by using adult stem cells to more accurately demonstrate the pathology of the disease.

First Embryonic Stem Cells Used In Humans Safely Treat Dry Macular Degeneration

Results for the very first human embryonic stem cell treatment were announced today in the online first section of The Lancet journal.  The first aim of the study was to determine if the stem cell transplant was a safe treatment for age-related dry macular degeneration (dry AMD), the main cause of blindness in persons over 60.  But, in addition...

 


Scientists Hope Natural Herb Will Prove Effective Treatment For Alcoholism

A tree that is native to China, the Hovenia dulcis, or Asian raisin tree, has been described to contain a hangover remedy since 659 AD.  If you can fathom how long it's been in use, you may wonder why it's taken so long for modern research to study its potential as a treatment for alcohol addiction.  Well, now a multi-disciplinary team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are actively studying its impact; first on rats....

 


Deep Brain Stimulation Tested On Bipolar Subjects Unresponsive To Other Treatments

Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is in its early experimental stages; this study, for example, had only 17 subjects. But when you cut into a person's skull and implant electrodes on either side of the brain while people are awake, it's probably not that easy to attract willing subjects. Nevertheless...