Mystical Beauty

Human H5N1 Virus Replikin Count Overtakes That in H5N1 Bird Flu A common question asked at current scientific conferences is: “Where did bird flu go?” The recent decrease in reported H5N1 human cases and bird outbreaks might indicate that the virus has become dormant. However, quantitative analysis by Replikins, Ltd. released ...

A bird flu pandemic could kill up 62 million people with developing countries bearing the brunt of the deaths, according to a new forecast. Researchers based the prediction on data from the 1918-20 influenza pandemic, which caused more deaths than the First World War. So far there have been 258 confirmed cases ...

A tiny implant now being developed at MIT could one day help doctors rapidly monitor the growth of tumors and the progress of chemotherapy in cancer patients. The implant contains nanoparticles that can be designed to test for different substances, including metabolites such as glucose and oxygen that are associated with tumor growth.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by early skin lesions and the progressive tissue fibrosis. More than skin deep, this thickening and hardening of connective tissue affects the blood capillaries, the gastrointestinal tract, the lungs, and the heart. In SSc patients, fibrosis frequently leads to organ dysfunction, serious illness, and death. Researchers have yet to determine the underlying cause of this disfiguring, debilitating condition or find an effective anti-fibrotic remedy.

Microtubules constantly grow and shrink, but during cellular transport they need to be kept stable. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have discovered for the first time that a protein stabilises microtubules by binding to their weakest part, the so-called lattice seam. The study, which appears in this week's issue of the journal Cell, also suggests that the protein creates a special surface along the seam that offers an alternative track for transportation.