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Two herbal remedies are about to undergo controlled clinical trials to test their effectiveness in treating memory loss and dysmenorrhoea.

An enzyme derived from the cassava plant could be used to selectively destroy cancer cells.

A new protein that might be involved in generating the amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease has been identified.

Retinoid receptors play a key part in cholesterol homeostasis.

LONDON, September 5 (SPIS MedWire). Parkinson's disease may not be restricted to the brain; it could also cause the loss of nerve terminals in the heart, according to new research. Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Maryland, USA, carried out positron emission tomography scans on 29 Parkinson's disease patients. Nearly all had reduced numbers of norepinephrine-producing nerve endings in the heart. This decrease was not related to whether the patien

A recent study suggests that lipids should be measured routinely on admission in acute coronary syndromes.

LONDON, September 1 (SPIS MedWire). A new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been developed involving a bacterium used in the manufacture of dairy products. Scientists at the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology genetically modified Lactococcus lactis to produce anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10). Administered orally in mice, the strain appeared to prevent and even cure chronic IBD. Conventional treatments administered orally or by injection are hindered bec

Transatlantic coalition of cardiologists redefine infarction so that severe angina may now be called a heart attack.

Understanding its antibiotic resistance may save the lives of many cystic fibrosis sufferers.

Capillary formation in ischemic limbs may be a beneficial side effect for normocholesterolemic patients.

Inhibiting the telomerase enzyme, present in most cancers, may prevent cell division but some scientists warn of "more harm than good."

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor restores blood flow to areas of cardiac tissue previously hibernating.

Sub-clinical infections in mice suggest that the food chain could be affected.

Autoimmune reaction to infection could be an important factor in atherogenesis.

A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet in babies may protect against coronary heart disease in adulthood.