A remarkable number of insect species are infected by intracellular bacteria called Wolbachia. How these bacteria spread naturally, and how they might be used by man to control pests or disease vectors, are very active areas of research. Current theory largely ignores random effects that are likely to be important during the initial stages of invasion when only one or a few insects are infected. Our paper provides new theory to remedy this gap.

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are shedding light on how type-1 diabetes begins. Doctors have known the disease is caused by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas, but the exact trigger of the attack has been unclear. Now, a new study in mice implicates the immune signal interferon-alpha as an early culprit in a chain of events that upend sugar metabolism and make patients dependent on lifelong insulin injections.

Individuals with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are at increased risk for other cancers, according to a study published in the August 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Previous studies have documented that people who have had nonmelanoma skin cancer were at increased risk for developing melanoma, but it is less well-established whether they were also at risk for cancers that do not involve the skin.

The news about antidepressant medications over the past several years has been mixed. The bad news from large multicenter studies such as STAR*D is that current antidepressant medications are effective, but not as effective as one might hope. Thus, there is a significant need for new treatment mechanisms for depression. On that front, there has been mixed news as well.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care have today (27 August 2008) published a guideline on the care and treatment of adults and children/young people with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a type of high cholesterol that is caused by an inherited genetic mutation.

Asian-American/Pacific Islanders with early-stage stomach cancers have an overall median survival rate that is higher than those of other races or ethnicities, according to new research, Reuters Health reports.For the study, Barry Feig of the University of Texas M.D.

University Hospitals Case Medical Center has been recognized for its achievement in implementing the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The GuidelinesSM for coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke.

Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing anti-inflammatory drugs, announced the initiation of the FRANCIS (Fewer Recurrent Acute coronary events with Near-term Cardiovascular Inflammation Suppression) clinical trial designed to examine the impact of varespladib when administered to patients within 96 hours of an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) event.

When is the last time you got vaccinated? If you’re like most Americans it’s been years, maybe even decades. In fact the Centers for Disease Control has warned that far too few American adults are being vaccinated against serious, even deadly diseases. “There’s always been an emphasis in pediatrics on prevention, and immunizations are a big part of that, but adult medicine has not caught up,” says William Sutker, M.D.