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NIDA Announces New Tools for Drug Abuse Treatment - May 31, 2007
5/31/2007
Two new products designed to speed the adoption of science-based interventions into clinical practice are now available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These new “Blending Team” products are part of an expanding portfolio that includes the latest research findings on drug abuse approaches and interventions.

Human Antibodies Protect Mice from Avian Flu - May 28, 2007
5/29/2007
An international team of scientists, including researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, report using antibodies derived from immune cells from recent human survivors of H5N1 avian influenza to successfully treat H5N1-infected mice as well as protect them from an otherwise lethal dose of the virus.

Small Infants Have Greater Survival Rate in High Level Intensive Care Facilities - May 23, 2007 (AHRQ release)
5/24/2007
Very low birth weight infants are significantly more likely to survive when delivered in hospitals with high-level neonatal intensive care units that care for more than 100 such newborns annually than are those delivered in comparable facilities that provide care to fewer than 100 such children every year.

NIH Outlines Plans for Study of Pediatric Seizures - May 23, 2007
5/23/2007
The scenario unfolds almost every day in the United States. A crowd gathers at a playground, or perhaps on a soccer field. A child has fallen to the ground, gripped by a seizure. Usually, the twitching and jerking stop within a few minutes. If they do not, the condition becomes status epilepticus, continuous unrelenting seizures that can lead to brain damage — or even death — if not treated. An ambulance rushes the child to a nearby hospital emergency department. There, doctors do their best to administer life-saving treatment as quickly as possible. Before they can treat the patient, however, they must choose between one of two drugs commonly prescribed to treat the condition.

Low Levels of Common Enzyme Key to Resistance in Ewing’s Sarcoma - May 23, 2007
5/23/2007
A study from scientists at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and their collaborators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has pinpointed a potential mechanism for resistance of Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, to a protein that may be useful in fighting cancer — and a possible method for overcoming this resistance. The results appear online May 23, 2007, in the Journal of Pathology.

Sling Surgery is More Effective than Burch for Bladder Control in Women - May 21, 2007
5/21/2007
In the largest and most rigorous U.S. trial comparing two traditional operations for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women, a team of urologists and urogynecologists supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that a sling procedure helps more women achieve dryness than the Burch technique. The study is being released early by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) to coincide with a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association on May 21, 2007. Results will appear in the May 24 print edition of NEJM.

NIDA Offers Psychiatrists a Look at State-of-the-Science on Addiction and Mental Illnesses - May 21, 2007
5/21/2007
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today challenged psychiatrists to learn more about the importance of substance abuse as a factor in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

Gene Expression Profiling in Mice Can Predict Risk of Skin Lesions Progressing to Cancer - May 20, 2007
5/21/2007
A new study has shown that microarray technology, which allows researchers to simultaneously compare the degree to which hundreds of genes are expressed (converted into proteins), now makes it possible to more definitively identify skin lesions in mice that are thought to be at high risk of progressing to a type of cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

NIH Study Tracks Brain Development in 500+ Children across U.S. - May 18, 2007
5/18/2007
Investigators funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have released the first data from an effort to track normal brain development in hundreds of children growing up near six U.S. cities.

Scientists Develop Method to Track Immune System Enzyme in Live Animals - May 17, 2007
5/17/2007
Scientists supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at the National Institutes of Health have created two mouse strains that will permit researchers to trace, in a live animal, the activity of an enzyme believed to play a crucial role both in the normal immune response as well as autoimmunity and B cell tumor development. Their report appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Skin Cancer Information is Newest Offering on NIHSeniorHealth Website - May 17, 2007
5/17/2007
Those who have reached middle age and beyond can remember when deep tans were thought to be beautiful and healthy. Back then, it was not widely recognized that hours spent sunbathing could increase the risk for skin cancer. It was not until the early 1980s that public health experts began to advise against tanning as one important way to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Older Americans concerned about this condition can learn more about it by visiting NIHSeniorHealth.gov, a Web site developed by the National Institutes of Health with the needs of older people in mind.

The Quest for an Effective HIV Vaccine Presents New Possibilities, Challenges - May 16, 2007
5/17/2007
A vaccine that prevents HIV infection remains an important goal in the fight against AIDS, but the current top HIV vaccine candidates may not work in this way, say scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water Causes Cancer in Lab Animals - May 16, 2007
5/16/2007
Researchers announced today that there is strong evidence a chemical referred to as hexavalent chromium, or chromium 6, causes cancer in laboratory animals when it is consumed in drinking water. The two-year study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) shows that animals given hexavalent chromium developed malignant tumors.

National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - May 16, 2007
5/16/2007
Today, National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we honor those who have dedicated themselves to promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and education among people of Asian and Pacific Island heritage. It is also a day to remember those whom we have lost to HIV/AIDS and to recommit ourselves to stopping this deadly disease from spreading within our communities.

In Memoriam, Stephen E. Straus, M.D., First Director of NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Internationally Recognized Physician-Scientist - May 15, 2007
5/16/2007
Stephen E. Straus, M.D., 60, the first director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), died of brain cancer May 14, 2007, at his home in Potomac, Maryland.

Integrative Medicine Consult Service Established at the NIH Clinical Center - May 14, 2007
5/14/2007
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has established an Integrative Medicine Consult Service at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, the world’s largest hospital devoted to research. This service will provide physicians, nurses, and other members of the Clinical Cnete health care team the ability to discuss complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies with knowledgeable medical staff from the consult service and learn how various CAM practices might complement or interact with a patient's care as a research participant at the Clinical Center.

Fly and Worm Models to Teach Researchers About Human Biology and Medicine - May 14, 2007
5/14/2007
In an effort to understand every part of the genome needed for organisms to develop and thrive, the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the first grants in a four-year, $57 million scientific mission to identify all functional elements in the genomes of the fruit fly and round worm.

Statement on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, Friday May 18, 2007 - May 14, 2007
5/14/2007
May 18, 2007 marks the 10th annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, an opportunity to reflect upon the more than two decades of progress worldwide in the search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine. Today, many challenges remain, but we look forward with optimism as the HIV vaccine candidates in clinical trials today are among the most promising we have seen.

New Spanish Publication Gives Evidence-Based Parenting Guidelines - May 11, 2007
5/11/2007
Just in time for Mother's Day, the National Institutes of Health has released '¿Qué Significa ser Padres? (What Does It Mean To Be Parents?)', a free Spanish–language publication geared toward Hispanics who are seeking advice on parenting.

Can an Omega-3 Fatty Acid Slow the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease? - May 10, 2007
5/10/2007
Nutritionists have long endorsed fish as part of a heart-healthy diet, and now some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of certain fish may also benefit the brain by lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In order to test whether an omega-3 fatty acid can impact the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, will evaluate one in a clinical trial, the gold standard for medical research.

Researchers Publish First Marsupial Genome Sequence - May 9, 2007
5/9/2007
An international team, led by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the publication of the first genome sequence of a marsupial, belonging to a South American species of opossum.

Risk of Lymphoma Increases with Hepatitis C Virus Infection - May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at an increased risk of developing certain lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system), according to a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Baylor College of Medicine, found that HCV infection increased the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 20 percent to 30 percent.

Risk of Lymphoma Increases with Hepatitis C Virus Infection- May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at an increased risk of developing certain lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system), according to a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Baylor College of Medicine, found that HCV infection increased the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 20 percent to 30 percent.

Health Officials Renew Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program - May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
U.S. and Indian health officials have renewed the Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program (VAP), a 20-year-old bilateral collaboration supporting research on vaccines, immunology and related biomedical issues. The VAP aims to reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases of public health significance in India, the United States and other parts of the world, and to promote vaccines as one of the most cost-effective health technologies.

NIDA Looks at Non-Injection Drug Use and Spread of HIV/AIDS - May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
More than 500 scientists, clinicians and public health specialists met today at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to discuss the latest research on drug abuse and the evolving epidemic of HIV/AIDS. This is the first-ever two-day public meeting at NIH to include a focus on non-injection drug use and HIV transmission. The meeting was being held in collaboration with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

NIDA News Scan #50 - May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
Drug Abuse and addition continue to fule the spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States and abroad. The issue of NewsScan highlights NIDA-supported studies that address the multifaceted issues relating to HIV/AIDS

Genetic Roots of Bipolar Disorder Revealed by First Genome-Wide Study of Illness - May 8, 2007
5/8/2007
The likelihood of developing bipolar disorder depends in part on the combined, small effects of variations in many different genes in the brain, none of which is powerful enough to cause the disease by itself, a new study shows. However, targeting the enzyme produced by one of these genes could lead to development of new, more effective medications. The research was conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), with others from the Universities of Heidelberg and Bonn and a number of U.S. facilities collaborating in a major project called the NIMH Genetics Initiative.

Researchers Identify New Genetic Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes - April 26, 2007
5/8/2007
In the most comprehensive look at genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes to date, a U.S.-Finnish team, working in close collaboration with two other groups, has identified at least four new genetic variants associated with increased risk of diabetes and confirmed existence of another six.

NIH Survey Shows Most People with Drug Use Disorders Never Get Treatment - May 7, 2007
5/7/2007
Only 8 percent of people identified as drug abusers, and fewer than 40 percent of those diagnosed with drug dependence, have ever gotten any kind of intervention or treatment, according to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). The study was conducted by scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), components of the National Institutes of Health.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder May Be Underrecognized and Improperly Treated - May 7, 2007
5/7/2007
A new study supports earlier estimates of the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the U.S. population, and suggests the illness may be more accurately characterized as a spectrum disorder.

The Heart Truth Road Show Travels to Washington, DC - May 7, 2007
5/7/2007
The Heart Truth Road Show, a traveling women’s heart health exhibit designed to bring heart health education and screenings to women across the country, stops in Washington, DC May 14-16. Celebrating National Women's Health Week, the exhibit offers information about heart disease and its risk factors.

Pinn Point on Women's Health Breast Cancer Advances in Detection, Treatment and Cure - May 4, 2007
5/4/2007
The Office of Research on Women’s Health is broadcasting the second in a series of podcasts, “Pinn Point on Women’s Health,” hosted by Dr. Vivian Pinn, Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health and the Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health.

Imaging Techniques Reveal that HIV Infects Host Cells Using a Molecular Entry Claw - May 3, 2007
5/4/2007
An advanced imaging technique known as electron tomography has allowed researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to visualize an “entry claw,” a unique structure formed between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS and the cell it infects. The findings are in the May 4, 2007, issue of PLoS Pathogens.

Study to Probe How Healthy Younger Adults Make Use of Genetic Tests - May 3, 2007
5/3/2007
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have teamed with Group Health Cooperative in Seattle and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit to launch a study to investigate the interest level of healthy, young adults in receiving genetic testing for eight common conditions. Called the Multiplex Initiative, the study will also look at how people who decide to take the tests will interpret and use the results in making their own health care decisions in the future.

NIH Funds Center in Iowa to Study Botanicals Used in Dietary Supplements - May 3, 2007
5/3/2007
The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced a grant to Iowa State University to study botanicals used as ingredients in dietary supplements. A multidisciplinary research team will study Hypericum (St. John’s wort), Prunella (Self-heal), and several types of Echinacea (for example, Purple Coneflower) for their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.

Urologic Diseases Cost Americans $11 Billion a Year - May 1, 2007
5/1/2007
Bladder, prostate and other urinary tract diseases cost Americans nearly $11 billion a year, according to a new report from the National Institutes of Health. Medicare’s share exceeded $5.4 billion.

Keep Vision in Your Future: Get an Eye Exam to Guard Against Glaucoma - May 1, 2007
5/1/2007
More than four million Americans have glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and destroys eyesight. However, nearly half of those with glaucoma are not even aware they have it. Are you one of them? You owe it to yourself to find out by getting a dilated eye exam. With its painless and gradual loss of vision, glaucoma comes with no early warning signs, but it can be detected during a comprehensive dilated eye exam. In an effort to encourage Americans to make vision a health priority, the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), observes Healthy Vision Month each May. This year’s observance highlights the importance for early detection of glaucoma.

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