NIH Research Matters from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) A weekly summary of research developments and discoveries at NIH en-us http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/index.htm weinh@od.nih.gov Mon, 21 April 2008 09:08:00 EST National Institutes of Health (NIH) Logo http://www.nih.gov/images/nih50.gif http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/index.htm 50 50 New Genes Linked to Gout http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008gout.htm

Researchers have identified 2 new genes--and confirmed the role of a third--that are associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common, painful form of arthritis.

an x-ray image of a human foot

 0079@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008gout.htm Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:16:00 EDT Rethinking Metastasis http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008cancer.htm

Most cancer deaths result from metastasis, the spread of cancer from a tumor to other parts of the body. Researchers have long thought that metastasis comes at a late stage of cancer. A new study suggests the process may start long before that.

Scanning electron micrograph of cancer cell.

 0080@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008cancer.htm Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:16:00 EDT Making "Safer" Stem Cells http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008stemcell.htm

Scientists have developed a new technique to convert adult liver and other cells into versatile stem cells. By using a common cold virus, it sidesteps the cancer-causing potential of a previously developed method using a different kind of virus.

Photo of cultured stem cells in a well plate.

 0081@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/october2008/10062008stemcell.htm Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:16:00 EDT Pelvic Floor Disorders Affect Almost a Quarter of U.S. Women http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008pelvis.htm According to a new analysis, nearly a quarter of U.S. women are affected by pelvic floor disorders, a cluster of health problems that causes physical discomfort and limits activity. an xray image of the right side of a human female's pelvis. 0076@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008pelvis.htm Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EDT Bisphenol A Blocks Growth of Brain Connections in Monkeys http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008bpa.htm Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used to make plastic food containers, can prevent connections from forming between nerve cells in the brains of monkeys, a new study suggests. a photo of a hard plastic water bottle. 0077@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008bpa.htm Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EDT Gut Microbes Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes in Mice http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008microbe.htm Research in mice has found that the trillions of microbes living in the gut can blunt the immune system attack that causes type 1 diabetes. The discovery may shed light on rising rates of type 1 diabetes in developed countries. Scanning electron micrograph of microbes that may be found in the gut. 0078@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09292008microbe.htm Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EDT Gene Variations Linked to Kidney Disease in African Americans http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008kidney.htm For the first time, researchers have identified genetic variations that are strongly associated with kidney diseases disproportionately affecting African Americans. a photo of an African-American couple walking together. 0073@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008kidney.htm Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:50:00 EDT Virtual Colonoscopies Rival Accuracy of Standard Ones http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008colonoscopy.htm An advanced imaging technique called virtual colonoscopy can detect most of the large precancerous and cancerous polyps that can be found by the more invasive standard colonoscopy. an image inside of the colon produced by a virtual colonoscopy. 0074@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008colonoscopy.htm Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:50:00 EDT Activated Protein Can Reduce Heart Damage http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008heart.htm Researchers have identified a protein that, when activated, protects against injury to rat hearts. The discovery may lead to treatments for preventing heart damage during procedures such as coronary bypass surgery. an illustration of a heart with a grey damaged area. 0075@http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09222008heart.htm Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:50:00 EDT Insights into Common Brain Cancer Under blue light, researcher uses a syringe to extract purified DNA, which glows orange, from a tube.A large-scale, comprehensive study of glioblastoma has uncovered new genetic mutations with potential implications for the disease's diagnosis and treatment. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09152008cancer.htm Monitoring the Brain's Memory-Making Cells a colorful illustration of the brain.The brain cells that fire when a person watches a brief film clip are triggered again when the person later recalls that imagery, a new study shows. The research offers insights into how the brain summons up past experiences and may also provide clues to brain disorders that harm short-term memory. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09152008memory.htm Prions Cross Species Barrier in the Laboratory Pink stained brain tissue riddled with white holes.Researchers have gotten infectious prions from one species to turn normal prion proteins from a different species into infectious ones in a test tube. The technique will prove a valuable tool for understanding how prions cross species barriers. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09152008prions.htm Treatment Lowers Preterm Infants' Risk for Cerebral Palsy a photo of a baby and mother.Preterm infants born to mothers receiving intravenous magnesium sulfate — a common treatment to delay labor — are less likely to develop cerebral palsy than those whose mothers don't receive it, according to a new report. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09082008infants.htm Mice Grow More Hearing Cells After Gene Transfer an electron micrograph of extra sensory hair cellsResearchers have used gene transfer to produce functional hair cells in the inner ears of mice. The accomplishment is an important step in developing potential strategies to treat hearing impairment. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09082008transfer.htm Rare Insulin-Producing Cells Created from Adult Mouse Cells image of a mouse pancreasBy tweaking just 3 genes in living mice, scientists have transformed common adult pancreas cells into a rarer type of cell that produces insulin. The reprogrammed cells generated enough insulin to bring down abnormally high blood sugar in diabetic mice. The study shows that mature cells can directly change into new cell types without first reverting back to a stem cell state. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/september2008/09082008insulin.htm