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Results of a preliminary study show that “mini” stem cell transplantation may safely reverse severe sickle cell disease in adults.

Patients with a cluster headache, which is characterized by bouts of excruciating pain usually near the eye or temple, were more likely to report being pain-free within 15 minutes of treatment with high-flow oxygen than patients who received a placebo treatment, according to a new study.

In a new study to asses patient awareness of medications prescribed during a hospital visit, 44 percent of patients believed they were receiving a medication they were not, and 96 percent were unable to recall the name of at least one medication that they had been prescribed during hospitalization.

A drug being tested to treat cancer could also help patients suffering from asthma, research has suggested. Scientists found that the drug — R-roscovitine — helps to kill certain immune cells which can exacerbate symptoms associated with asthma.

Researchers have identified a peptide (a chain of amino acids) that specifically recognizes and penetrates cancerous tumors but not normal tissues. The peptide was also shown to deliver diagnostic particles and medicines into the tumor.

Leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders are serious and often deadly blood cancers. Recent research introduces potential new treatment options and improved diagnostic methods for patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelofibrosis that are based on a better understanding of the underlying genetic causes of these conditions.

Patients who experience dermatologic toxic effects from epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) have a high prevalence of skin and nail infections, according to a new study.

Scientists are adding additional brush strokes to the revolutionary new image now emerging for star-shaped cells called astrocytes in the brain and spinal cord. Their report suggests a key role for astrocytes in morphine’s ability to relieve pain and cause addiction.

Researchers have discovered how an oncogene gets activated in mature B cells, suggesting a new target for therapy in B cell lymphomas. The study marks the first time researchers have understood how the over-activation of c-myc can lead to blood-related cancers.

A new study describes the development of drug resistance in mice with lung cancer. The lung tumors in mice result from changes similar to those seen in human patients. Also like humans, these tumors initially respond to drug treatment but eventually become resistant to therapy. Studying lung cancer cells in this model should provide insight into the mechanisms that make lung cancer cells resistant to current treatment methods and uncover new therapeutic targets.

More than half of HIV patients experience memory problems and other cognitive impairments as they age, and doctors know little about the underlying causes. New research suggests HIV-related cognitive deficits share a common link with Alzheimer’s-related dementia: low levels of the protein amyloid beta in the spinal fluid.

The addition of a small molecule to the cancer drug Temozolomide disrupts repair mechanisms in a type of tumor cells that is highly resistant to treatment.

Rats passively exposed to tobacco smoke become dependent on nicotine, according to a new study. The findings of how rats’ brains respond to exposure to tobacco smoke have implications for the study of the effects of tobacco smoke on the human brain and for future studies testing new treatments for tobacco addiction.

A massive, data-crunching computer search program that matches fragments of potential drug molecules to the known shapes of viral surface proteins has identified several FDA-approved drugs that could be the basis for new medicines — if emerging viruses such as the H5N1 (avian flu) or H1N1/09 (swine flu) develop resistance to current antiviral therapies.

Chemists have developed a new platinum compound that is as powerful as the commonly used anticancer drug cisplatin but better able to destroy tumor cells.

Scientists have discovered that two main causes of AD amyloid-beta (A²) peptides and apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) impair the growth of new neurons born in adult brains. What is more, they have identified drug treatments that can normalize the development of these cells even in the presence of A² or apoE4.

Psychologists in Spain have just concluded a study regarding the use of addictive substances by young university students and the manifestation of impulsive behavior in the same group of people, on a cognitive and psychomotor level. The findings suggest that regular consumers of cannabis and alcohol are more impulsive than non-users. However, there is no evidence of the differences between both of these consumer groups, which makes these experts believe that “consuming these substances, whatever their nature, is related to impulsivity.”

Recent research into the availability of ‘Spice’ drugs online raises new concerns about its mood altering effects.

Approximately 20 percent of dialysis patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedure such as angioplasty) are given an antithrombotic medication they should not receive, which may increase their risk for in-hospital bleeding, according to a new study.

The second phase of a clinical trial testing a new stem-cell-based therapy on injured heart muscle has been launched by researchers at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.