Archives for 2008

The Promise of Stem Cells to Repair the Heart

August 13, 2008 | by

A number of recent advances in stem cell biology are poised to transform therapeutic approaches to a variety of cardiovascular diseases. In the July issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers report one such advance, demonstrating that they can direct mouse embryonic stem cells to develop into an embryonic cell layer called the mesoderm, which can differentiate (meaning become different in the process of development) into the heart, blood and other tissues [1].

Health Highlights – August 5th, 2008

August 5, 2008 | by

Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.

Health Highlights

Mapping Connections in the Human Brain

July 31, 2008 | by

The first high-resolution structural connection map of the human cerebral cortex was published earlier this month in the journal PLoS Biology. The study reveals regions that are highly connected and central, forming a structural core network [1]. Intriguingly, this core network consists of many areas that are more active when we’re at rest than when we’re engaged in a task that requires concentration.

Living Life to its Fullest: The Song of Randy Pausch

July 25, 2008 | by

Randy Pausch.jpgRandy Pausch lost his battle with pancreatic cancer today. In September 2007, the Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Professor was asked to give a Journeys Lecture, in which faculty speak to their students as if it were their last lecture. In Pausch’s case, it was indeed. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006; by August 2007, the cancer had metastasized to his liver and spleen and he was given just six months to live.

Increased Coffee Consumption Associated with Lower Risk of Liver Cancer

July 22, 2008 | by

Here’s another reason to enjoy your coffee. A recent study in the July edition of the Journal Hepatology found a significant inverse association (meaning opposingly related; an increase in one variable results in a decrease in another) between coffee drinking and the risk of primary liver cancer [1]. The study also found that serum levels of an antioxidant enzyme, elevated in people with low coffee consumption, were associated with an increased risk of developing the disease.