There is no association between hepatitis B vaccination and the development of multiple sclerosis.

Gas6 is a platelet-response amplifier that, if inhibited, protects from thrombosis without inducing bleeding. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common condition that can be fatal if fractions of the clot break off and lodge in the arteries of the lungs. Heparin, warfarin and aspirin prevent clot formation but may induce bleeding.In the February Nature Medicine researchers from the Centre for Transgene technology and Gene Therapy at Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, Belgium, de

Triclosan, a common ingredient of mouthwashes, inhibits the growth of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and P. berghei in a mouse model. Resistance is rapidly developing to the few remaining anti-malarial drugs and thus new therapies are urgently needed. In the February Nature Medicine, researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India, investigate the commonly used antibiotic Triclosan as an effective treatment for malaria.Namita and Avadhesha Suriola found that an i

Vascular endothelial growth factors signal the development of tumour-induced lymph vessel growth and enhance lymphatic metastasis in vivo.A poorly understood characteristic of cancerous tissue is its ability to develop lymphatic tissue by the process of lymphangiogenesis. This is an important consideration because this contributes to the cancer's ability to metastasise through the body. In the February Nature Medicine, three separate research groups provide direct evidence that two recently clon

Intracoronary irradiation with iridium-192 reduces the rates of stent restenosis but is associated with a higher rate of late thrombosis and risk of myocardial infarction.

In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia the non-malignant B cells do not mature to produce IgG and IgA because of an interaction with CD30+ T cells.In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia antibody production by B cells is severely impaired and this is associated with increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. The mechanisms behind the immune defects have remained elusive. In the February issue of Nature Immunology, researchers from Cornell University, New York, show how leukaemia cells in

Current bone marrow transplant treatment of cancer patients does not include agents to amplify the number of repopulating stem cells. A step closer to developing an appropriate drug has been made by Mickie Bhatia and colleagues from the John P. Robarts Research Institute, London, Canada who report in the February issue of Nature Immunology how the sonic hedgehog protein is involved in the regulation of the human stem cell pool.Their research indicates that the cytokine-induced proliferation of p

The concept that neurons can perform calculations and store information temporarily by exciting each other in a reciprocal way has been around for some time, but has been difficult to test experimentally. A team from the New York University School of Medicine presents evidence in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience, that may help to prove this intriguing hypothesis.Aksay and colleagues worked on a group of neurons in the brainstem of goldfish that are involved in controlling eye movements.

No single genetic cause links inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Susceptibility loci at chromosomes 6p21 (PSORS1) and 1p have been identified for patients suffering from psoriasis.

Epileptic seizures may be predicted by analysing the non-linear changes in the patient's electroencephalogram.

Genetic screening is the best available diagnosis option for relatives of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia.