Science and Health News

Injuries to the spinal cord can cause paralysis and other permanent disabilities because severed nerve fibers do not regrow. Now, scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) have succeeded in releasing a molecular brake that prevents the regeneration of nerve connections. Treatment of mice with Pregabalin, a drug that acts upon the growth inhibiting mechanism, caused damaged nerve connections to regenerate. Researchers led by neurobiologist Frank Bradke report on these findings in the journal Neuron.

Columbia College of Dental Medicine researchers have identified stem cells that can make new cartilage and repair damaged joints.

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered that a molecule triggered by running can help repair certain kinds of brain damage in animal models.

Overview The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020 proposes that «as appropriate to national context, countries consider the use of economic tools that are justified by evidence, and may include taxes and subsidies, to improve access to healthy dietary choices and create incentives for behaviours associated with improved health outcomes and discourage the consumption of less healthy options».

The new heat-stable RNA ligase could be useful for a variety of applications including in vitro diagnostics and sequencing.

A tiny virus that may sting like a black widow spider.

This technology will be used for the selective destruction of tumor cells and for wound care

Researchers have prevented the development of Alzheimer’s disease in mice by using a virus to deliver a specific gene into the brain. The early-stage findings, by scientists from Imperial College London, open avenues for potential new treatments for the disease.