After damage or anaesthetisation of the right brain hemisphere, some people can suffer from misidentification of their own extremities (a condition known as asomatopagnosia). Researchers from Harvard Medical School believe they now have the data to explain why this happens.Julian Paul Keenan and colleagues studied patients who were having their brain hemispheres individually anaesthetised to investigate their epilepsy. During anaesthesia, the patients were shown pictures of faces generated by mo

Type II diabetes is characterised by tissue resistance to insulin and is widespread in industrialised societies. A link between obesity and type II diabetes has long been suspected but details of the mechanism were unknown. Now, a newly discovered hormone described in 18 January Nature is proposed as the essential link between obesity and type II diabetes.Michell Lazar and colleagues from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that adipocytes secrete a unique signalling protein, whi

There are several chromosomal regions where asthma-associated genes are known to be located. These include a region on the long arm of chromosome 3 that is linked with other immune system related diseases such as Crohn's or systemic lupus erythematosus.In research published in the January issue of European Respiratory Journal, Koichiro Asano and colleagues from Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, examined the DNA sequence of a gene in this region of chromosome 3 that encodes a chemokine r

Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) activity protects the foetus by suppressing T-cell-driven local inflammatory responses to foetal alloantigens.

Genetic factors have a major effect on plasma concentrations of haemostatic proteins; age also has a significant effect.

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the risk of cancer by inducing apoptotic cell death. How this occurs, however, is unknown. A critical pathway for apoptosis involves the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. This interacts with Apaf-1 to activate caspase proteases that orchestrate cell death. Douglas R. Green from La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, San Diego, and colleagues, found that treatment of a human cancer cell line with aspirin induced casp

Platelets are central to the process of wound healing. But overly responsive platelets could block normal blood flow, particularly where atherosclerosis exists, resulting in stroke, myocardial infarction and unstable angina. Hence the interest in studying the receptors for platelet-activating substances released from damaged vessels, like ADP.In 11 January Nature, Pamela B. Conley of COR Therapeutics, California, and colleagues report that they have cloned the ADP receptor P2Y12 and showed that

The molecule ghrelin is an acylated peptide that stimulates the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Masamitsu Nakazato and collegues from Miyazaki Medical College, Kiyotake, Japan report in 11 January Nature that ghrelin mediates feeding and probably has a function in growth regulation, by stimulating feeding and release of growth hormone.Nakazato et al injected ghrelin into the brains of rats, and found that the animals ate more and gained weight (Nature 2001, 409:194-198). Con

Blocking IL-5 or adding IL-12 can lower the number of eosinophils in mild asthma but has no effect on hyper-responsiveness.

Replacing key growth cone components GAP-43 and CAP-23 could be an effective way to stimulate regeneration of spinal axons.

Deletion or loss of the long arm of chromosome 7 in myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukaemia could indicate previous exposure to ionising radiation, says Dr Maryanne Gundestrup from the University of Copenhagen (Lancet 2000; 356: 2158). This finding can be used as a marker for an increased risk of acute myeloid leukaemia due to increased exposure to radiation in persons, such as aircrew members exposed to cosmic radiation or patients after radiotherapy. Researchers studied the karyotype of sev

The use of handheld cellular telephones is not associated with risk of brain cancer according to a paper published in JAMA (JAMA 2000 284:3001-3007).Between 1994 and 1998, Dr Joshua Muscat and colleagues from New York conducted a case-controlled study on the effects of cellular phones in 5 US academic medical centers. They interviewed 469 patients with primary brain cancer and 422 matched controls. They found that the median monthly hours of cellular telephone use was 2.5 for cases, not statisti