Drugs Offer Promise of Fitness Without Effort

Can you enjoy the benefits of exercise without the pain of exertion? The answer may one day be yes — just take a pill that tricks the muscles into thinking they have been working out furiously.

Researchers at the Salk Institute report they have found two drugs that do wonders for the athletic endurance of couch potato mice. One drug, known as Aicar, increased the mice’s endurance on a treadmill by 44 percent after just four weeks of treatment.

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Mutation found in canine gene may help develop therapies for humans with blindness

Cone-rod dystrophies (CRDs) are a group of eye diseases caused by progressive loss of the photoreceptor cells in the retina. In a study published online in Genome Research (www.genome.org), researchers have identified a novel mutation in a gene associated with CRD in dogs, raising hopes that potential therapies can be developed for people suffering from these eye disorders.

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New discovery may lead to immunization against cardiovascular disease

Low levels of naturally occurring antibodies may represent an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke in men. This discovery, published in the academic journal Atherosclerosis, has now led to attempts to develop an immunization against cardiovascular disease.

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New treatment therapy helps inhibit hepatitis C

Two new studies examine the use of the nucleoside polymerase inhibitor, R1626, to the standard therapy for hepatitis C. The reports appear in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The articles are available online at Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).

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Gene-Hunters Schizophrenia Study offers hope

Two groups of researchers hunting for schizophrenia genes on a larger scale than ever before have found new genetic variants that point toward a different understanding of the disease.

The variants discovered by the two groups, one led by Dr. Kari Stefansson of Decode Genetics in Iceland and the other by Dr. Pamela Sklar of the Massachusetts General Hospital, are all rare. They substantially increase the risk of schizophrenia in those affected but account for a tiny fraction of the total number of cases.

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Experts continue to cite Bifantis as promising probiotic treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Studies show inflammatory biomarkers return to normal levels, reduction in IBS symptoms after treatment with Bifantis

Two new review articles that cover therapeutic approaches to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the July issue of Nutrition in Clinical Practice, cite growing evidence that probiotics, and specifically Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 (Bifantis®), are effective in helping manage IBS. Both articles point to data that suggest Bifantis (available in the U.S. only in supplement form, marketed as Align) – has anti-inflammatory properties that help normalize gut function at a cellular level.

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Potential New Drug Target to Fight Tuberculosis Identified

Membrane Protein Is Key to Bacteria’s Defense Against Immune Cell Acidification During Infection, According to New Research by Weill Cornell Medical College Scientists

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Stem Cells for Better Blood Clotting

A new solution to blood clotting problems may be around the corner.

Human blood depends on cells called platelets to clot. Individuals undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from anemia often suffer from low counts of these crucial cells.

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UT Southwestern gastroenterologists freeze out esophagus cancer with new therapy

UT Southwestern Medical Center gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.

The Food and Drug Administration-approved cryoablation therapy helps Barrett’s esophagus patients with dysplasia, a condition in which normal cells are transformed into potentially cancerous ones.

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Gallbladder removed without external incisions

Natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery takes next step as gallbladder is removed through uterus using no external incisions

In April of last year, surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center made headlines by removing a women’s gallbladder through her uterus using a flexible endoscope, aided by several external incisions for added visibility. Now, they have performed the same procedure without a single external incision in what surgeons report may be the first surgery of its kind in the United States.

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