Developments

Scientists have found important genetic differences that significantly raise the risk of stroke, and they are found in millions of people. The study is the first to identify common genetic variants influencing stroke risk in the United States and may lead to better treatments, they reported on Wednesday. While other stroke-related genes have been...
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More than half of the newly diagnosed patients with type 1 diabetes who got an experimental treatment for the disease did not need insulin injections for at least a year. Patients also showed improvements in the functioning of the insulin-producing cells that are attacked and destroyed in patients with type 1 diabetes. Four of...
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A drug that boosts the body’s production of stem cells appears to "jump-start" the bone-healing process to a point that older adults’ bones heal as fast as young people’s, suggest preliminary results released Tuesday by U.S. researchers. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York gave teriparatide (Forteo) to 145 people...
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Energy drinks may boost performance during exercise by activating the brain, new research suggests. Apparently, brain areas can be activated by titillation of unknown and mysterious receptors in the mouth, according to a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Physiology. These receptors are independent of ordinary taste buds, says Ed Chambers,...
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A late-stage clinical study of Pfizer Inc’s (PFE) Sutent was halted early after the drug showed significant benefit in patients with a rare form of cancer, the drugmaker said on Thursday, sending its shares up 3.5%. An independent committee monitoring the study recommended halting it after concluding that patients on Sutent stayed free of...
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A decompression chamber may help children with autism, say researchers. After 40 hours of hyperbaric treatment autistic children showed significant improvements in social interaction and eye contact compared with controls. The BMC Pediatrics study could not show if the results were long-lasting but should prompt further investigation of the treatment, the US team said....
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A weapon against the germ that triggers the common cold could be discovered now that scientists have analyzed the DNA of an entire family of cold viruses, a study said. Colds are difficult to treat and prevent because the rhinovirus that causes them takes many forms, becoming elusive targets for drugs, said Stephen Liggett,...
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