New Therapies Could Change Organ Transplants
Three reports show some patients went five years without anti-rejection drugs.

Girl switches blood type after liver transplant in first known case: doctors
SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian girl spontaneously switched blood groups and adopted her donor’s immune system following a liver transplant in the first known case of its type, doctors treating her said Thursday.
Ha!  Science catches up with fiction.  Law & Order has already been there.

New Microchip For PCR Testing At Crime Scenes, Doctors’ Offices
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — Researchers in Hong Kong have miniaturized technology needed to perform the versatile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) — widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, and a range of other key applications. They report development of a long-sought PCR microchip that could permit use of PCR at crime scenes, in doctors’ offices, and other out-of-lab locations.

Dogs Get Pricey Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is still years away for you, but for your pooch this modern medical procedure is now available. Vet-Stem, a privately held company in San Diego, Calif., began offering fat-derived stem cell therapy this month for treatment of arthritis as well as tendon and ligament injuries in dogs.
There have been many new medical procedures that were available to pets long before they were available to humans.

Skin Care: Scar-free Healing Shown With Gene Suppression
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — New research from the University of Bristol shows that by suppressing one of the genes that normally switches on in wound cells, wounds can heal faster and reduce scarring. This has major implications not just for wound victims but also for people who suffer organ tissue damage through illness or abdominal surgery.

Large Study Links Folic Acid Supplementation With Reduced Risk Of Preeclampsia During Pregnancy
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy has long been known to reduce the risk of birth defects in newborns, but a new study now suggests that the vitamin may also reduce the risk of preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death worldwide.

Obesity Connected With Nervous System
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — A discovery by Queen’s biologists and their students sheds new light on the genetic roots of obesity – a condition that is increasing dramatically in North America and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer.

From And For The Heart, My Dear Valentine: Broccoli
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — Wishing your Valentine good heart health on February 14 — and throughout 2008? Then consider the food some people love to hate, and hand over a gift bag of broccoli along with that heart-shaped box of chocolates. Researchers in Connecticut are reporting impressive new evidence that eating broccoli may protect against heart disease.

Regular, Long-term Aspirin Use Reduces Risk Of Colorectal Cancer, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — The use of regular, long-term aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduces the risk associated with colorectal cancer, according to a study published in Gastroenterology… However, the use of aspirin for chemoprevention of colorectal cancer may require using the drug at doses that are higher than recommended over a long period of time, which may cause serious side effects including gastrointestinal bleeding.

New Colon Cancer Test Might Spot Trouble Earlier
THURSDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say they have zeroed in on a biomarker that could detect colorectal cancer in its earliest stages in a simpler, less invasive and more accurate way than existing blood tests.
I hope this test is cheaper.  The current test is a budget buster.

Co-Pays Contribute to Drop in Preventive Care
Even small co-pays made some women opt out of screening mammographies, study finds

Kids Learn More When Mom Is Listening
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — Kids may roll their eyes when their mother asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom.
Sounds like it doesn’t need to be mom, just someone who helps the student review what was learned that day.  It’s similar to what we used to do at the college student union between classes.

Sports Machismo May Be Cue To Male Teen Violence
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — The sports culture surrounding football and wrestling may be fueling aggressive and violent behavior not only among teen male players but also among their male friends and peers on and off the field, according to a Penn State study.

Your Personality Type Influences How Much Self-control You Have
People are motivated by one of two fundamental needs: they are either “promotion-focused,” seeking products that will help them achieve hopes and aspirations, or they are “prevention-focused,” seeking items that help achieve a need for safety and security. According to the research, people are better able to exercise self-control when they choose goal-pursuit strategies — such as diets or money management — that “fit” with their promotion or prevention focus.
I’ll bet these needs are tied to political inclinations, too.  Liberals are promotion focused and conservatives are prevention focused.

Specific Brain Region Governs Problem-Solving Skills
Monkey research pinpoints reward center, which can go awry

Worship Site Predates Zeus
Ancient pottery found at an altar used by ancient Greeks to worship Zeus was actually in use at least a millennium earlier, new archeological data suggest.

Killer Space Rock Theory Is Soaking Wet
Sixty-five million years ago the asteroid struck the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, and most scientists think this event played a large role in causing the extinction of 70 percent of life on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs. Geophysicists now have created the most detailed 3-D seismic images yet of the mostly submerged Chicxulub impact crater. The data reveal that the asteroid landed in deeper water than previously assumed and therefore released about 6.5 times more water vapor into the atmosphere.

Virgin Galactic unveils spaceship
NEW YORK - Within a few years, a handful of rich tourists may be blasting into space in a craft that looks a little like a cross between the space shuttle and a corporate jet.