A University of Iowa researcher has found that ion channels in the kidney play a critical role in regulating blood pressure and that a hormone called vasopressin stimulates these channels to increase sodium absorption, leading to hypertension. The study provides new insights into Liddle's syndrome, a rare genetic form of hypertension.
Researchers found three distinct shedding patterns in HIV-positive men, related to viral sources and genetic strains. This discovery shifts the focus of AIDS vaccine research from blood-borne viruses to multiple strains in semen.
Researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine identified zonulin and zot proteins in human brain that regulate the blood-brain barrier. This discovery could lead to new treatments for brain disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and HIV infection.
The study shows how chromosomes are distributed unevenly during cancer cell division, leading to genetic defects and abnormal growth. The researchers also discovered a breakage-fusion-bridge cycle that can amplify gene copies contributing to cancer growth.
A UCSF study reveals that anti-smoking programs can immediately generate significant health care savings by reducing low birth weight babies and heart disease cases. The research estimates that a one percent drop in smoking rates could save up to $572 million in direct medical costs.
Researchers are using two major grants to develop a new diagnostic nomenclature for children's mental health, combining valid symptoms and rules from competing systems. The studies aim to identify clusters of co-occurring symptoms and test hypotheses regarding the syndromes of mental disorder.
A study found that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is critical to embryonic development, increasing the risk of prenatal and postnatal death. The deficiency also increases the incidence of birth defects in fetuses exposed to oxidative stress.