Researchers discover promising anti-HIV agents

[Eric Gershon] Researchers at Yale University have discovered new chemical compounds that prevent HIV from replicating in human T-cells. These compounds could result in new, highly effective HIV treatments that are 10 to 2000 times more potent than HIV drugs now on the market. Read more >>

How do you mend a broken heart?

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A study involving University of Sydney cardiac researchers has shown the loss of a loved one can really break your heart. Read more >>

'Share the care' raises R650 000

This year's 'Share the care' campaign from mothers purchasing Elizabeth Anne's and Purity brands purchased between July and October 2011 has raised R650 000 for the Avril Elizabeth Home and its 170 residents. This is the 19th year that Tiger Brands has been caring for the home's residents and it has raised just over R5.3 million for the home.

Bristol researchers to help tackle the global problem of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance has become an escalating health issue that threatens our ability to control bacterial infections. To help tackle this global health problem an international collaboration, comprising researchers from the UK and Canada, has been awarded around £4.5 million to develop new strategies for treating 'superbugs'. Read more >>

Starlings help to explain irrational preferences

Research into decision-making by European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) may help to explain why many animals, including humans, sometimes exhibit irrational preferences. Read more >>

Study to look at nerve cells in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Bristol have been awarded a grant that by using state-of-the-art stem cell technology will enable them to analysis nerve cells produced from skin biopsies of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Read more >>

Yale researchers find genetic link between heart disease and brain aneurysms

[Bill Hathaway] Yale School of Medicine researchers have discovered that a variant of a gene linked to heart disease also increases the risk of deadly aneurysms of blood vessels in the brain. The discovery of this link raises hopes for new treatments for intracranial aneurysms, which affect more than a half million people worldwide annually. Read more >>

Scientists identify area that could sever communication between brain and heart in disease

A team of neuroscientists and anaesthetists, who have been using pioneering techniques to study how the brain regulates the heart, has identified a crucial part of the nervous system whose malfunction may account for an increased risk of death from heart failure. The findings, published online (ahead of print) in the Journal of Physiology, could lead to more targeted therapies to help reduce serious illness and death in cardiovascular disease. Read more >>

Scientist discovers why drug boosts memory in Down syndrome mice

COLORADO, USA: A University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher who found a drug that improved memory in mice with Down syndrome has unlocked the mystery of how it works. Read more >>

Synaesthesia linked to a hyper-excitable brain

'Hyper-excitability' in regions of the brain may underlie synaesthesia, an unusual condition where some people experience a 'blending of the senses', Oxford University researchers suggest. Read more >>

The great pharma patent debate

[Dr Joanne Van Harmelen] In recent news, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has called on government to revise the Patents Act to reduce the patent protection available to pharmaceutical inventions, which the organisation believes is responsible for the high cost of medicines and a delay in the availability of generic medicines. Read more >>

Highlighting World Disability Day

The International Day of Persons with Disability takes place annually on 3 December, with this year's theme being 'Together for a Better World for All: Including Persons with Disabilities in Development'. Read more >>

Ethiopia as a model for health care leadership

[Michael Greenwood] Despite extensive poverty and limited resources, Ethiopia has made impressive strides in improving its health care system and can serve as a model for other countries seeking to make similar gains, a new paper by Yale researchers suggests. Read more >>

No violence against women campaign kicks off

Friday, 25 November, marks the start of the 16 days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, with a number of activities planned to raise awareness around women abuse expected to take place within the next two weeks. Read more >>

New programme on offer for female cancer patients

Netcare Garden City Hospital has partnered with the 'Look Good...Feel Better' organisation to provide beauty workshops to cancer patients to assist in boosting their morale. Read more >>

Mbalula in radical school sport plan

Pupils will have compulsory physical education classes from January next year, says Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula. He said his department will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education to reintroduce the subject. Read more >>