NIH Research Matters
March 2012 Archive
March 26, 2012
Risk in Red Meat?
A new study adds to the evidence that eating red meat on a regular basis may shorten your lifespan. The findings suggest that meat eaters might help improve their health by substituting other foods for some of the red meat they eat.
Carnivores Lack Taste for Sweets
Some meat-eating mammals have lost their ability to taste sweetness, and those that swallow their food whole may lack bitter and savory tastes. The new findings suggest that unneeded taste receptors might be lost through evolution.
Worms Yield Insights into Brain Development
Acorn worm embryos don't have anything resembling a human brain. But a new study in these worms found ancient evolutionary origins for our own complex central nervous system and brain.
March 19, 2012
Organ Transplants Without Life-Long Drugs
A new method allowed kidney recipients to eventually stop taking harsh immune-suppressing drugs even though they'd received mismatched organs. The accomplishment may lead to more options for organ transplants.
Gorilla Genome Yields Surprises
Researchers have completed a draft sequence of the gorilla genome. Their analysis reveals that people may be more closely related to gorillas than we realized.
Nanocomplexes Label Cells for MRI Tracking
Nanocomplexes can be used to label transplanted cells so they can be tracked by MRI, according to a new study. In the future, the technique might be used to monitor whether transplanted immune or stem cells reach their targets.
March 12, 2012
Early Epigenetic Effects in Alzheimer's Disease
Repression of certain gene activity in the brain appears to be an early event affecting people with Alzheimer's disease, a new study found. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, this blockade and its effects on memory were treatable.
Diesel Exhaust and Lung Cancer Deaths in Miners
In a study of miners, scientists found that heavy exposure to diesel exhaust increased the risk of death from lung cancer. The risk might also extend to other people exposed to high diesel exhaust levels.
How Sulfa Drugs Work
Researchers have finally found out how sulfa drugs—the first class of antibiotics ever discovered—work at the molecular level. The finding offers insights into designing more effective antibiotics.
March 5, 2012
Egg-Producing Stem Cells Found in Women
Researchers have isolated egg-producing stem cells from the ovaries of women and observed these cells giving rise to young egg cells, or oocytes. The finding may point the way toward improved treatments for female infertility.
Colonoscopies Prevent Colon Cancer Deaths
Removing polyps during colonoscopy can not only prevent colorectal cancer, but also reduce deaths from the disease for years, according to a new study.
Bacteria’s Contracting Syringe Machine
Some bacteria, such as those that cause cholera, use a special system to inject toxins into the cells of host organisms and other bacteria. A new study has revealed how this syringe-like injection system works at a molecular level.
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About NIH Research Matters
Harrison Wein, Ph.D., Editor
Vicki Contie, Assistant Editor
NIH Research Matters is a weekly update of NIH research highlights from the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health.
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