A team from the Institut Pasteur has recently shown that the tuberculosis bacillus hides from the immune system in its host’s fat cells. This formidable pathogen is protected against even the most powerful antibiotics in these cells, in which it may remain dormant for years. This discovery, published in PLoS ONE, sheds new light on possible strategies for fighting tuberculosis. [click link for full article]

An emulsion of olive oil, egg yolk and glycerine might be just the recipe to keep heart patients away from the operating room and cardiac bypass surgery.That’s the finding of a study to be published in the January issue of the journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions led by Michael Savage, M.D., director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia.The mixture is not swallowed, Dr. Savage explains. [click link for full article]

The body ensures a constant level of energy is available to all of its cells through a complex system that includes regulating how much food we eat, how much of the digested food we absorb, how much of the digested food we store away, and how much of our energy store we release for use. If this balance is upset, individuals can become obese and develop type 2 diabetes. [click link for full article]

The first vaccine against atherosclerosis is not far away in the future, according to Jan Nilsson, professor of Experimental Cardiology at Lunds Universitet in Malmö (Sweden) and EVGN member. Human clinical trials are likely to begin at the end of next year: they will be aimed at verifying the safety of a preparation, still under investigation in a laboratory model, made of antibodies obtained against selected fragments of oxidized Low Density Lipoproteins, or oxLDLs. [click link for full article]

Paget disease is a bone disease that results in enlarged bones and causes bone pain, arthritis, deformities, and fractures. It mostly affects individuals over the age of 40 and has a hereditary component. One gene that is mutated in approximately one third of patients with hereditary Padget disease is p62 (sequestosome 1). However, it has not been clear whether mutations (such as the common p62P392L mutation) in this gene actually cause Paget disease. [click link for full article]

The first vaccine against atherosclerosis is not far away in the future, according to Jan Nilsson, professor of Experimental Cardiology at Lunds Universitet in Malmö (Sweden) and EVGN member. Human clinical trials are likely to begin at the end of next year: they will be aimed at verifying the safety of a preparation, still under investigation in a laboratory model, made of antibodies obtained against selected fragments of oxidized Low Density Lipoproteins, or oxLDLs. [click link for full article]

The surprising structure and properties of a protein responsible for regulating the transport, storage and use of iron — as it binds its target RNA — are described by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago in ScienceIron is an essential nutrient, and defects in uptake and metabolism that result in either deficiencies or overload of iron cause a variety of diseases and disorders, including heart disease, arthritis and cancer. [click link for full article]

Proteomics, bioinformatics and Zebrafish are the novel tools set up by the European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN).Advanced technology is crucial to today⬔s biomedical research. But it is expensive and it requires specific expertise, which is expensive too. Then sharing becomes a must. And it guarantees a high level of cooperation among research groups throughout Europe. [click link for full article]

A common perception is that pet owner is a young person who is full of action, exercises a lot, and actively plays with a pet, particularly with a dog. The reality is different, however.The association of pet ownership and health of working aged Finns (20-54 years of age) was studied at the University of Turku as part of a large research project entitled Health and Social Support (HeSSup). [click link for full article]

If you want to change your Medical prescription drug plan, or join one for the first time, you are now just four days away from the deadline, 31st December, 2006. This time round many premiums have gone up in price, while several existing ones will not offer the same drug coverage.The decision beneficiaries make now will have to stand until November, 2007. Experts say over three-quarters of enrollees will have to pay more for their plan after December 31st. [click link for full article]