National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases
Sun Apr 24 04:37:01 EDT 2011
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Common genetic variant linked to pulmonary fibrosis risk - Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a common genetic variant associated with substantially increased risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis, a debilitating and life-threatening lung condition. The genetic variant is found in a region of DNA thought to regulate the production of an important mucus-forming protein.

NIH-supported survey to study functional change in older adults - Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries will receive an invitation in May to be part of a special study looking at the impact of age-related changes on functional ability. The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) will be seeking some 9,000 people aged 65 and older to participate in this long-term study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. NHATS is led by Judith Kasper, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore.

Scientific community leaders meet May 2 to begin advising NIH's Center for Scientific Review - Scientific experts from across the country have joined a new council that will begin meeting May 2, 2011, to advise the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at the National Institutes of Health on the peer review of NIH grant applications in scientific review groups at CSR.

NIH statement on World Malaria Day, April 25, 2011 - In commemorating World Malaria Day and reflecting on this year's theme, "Achieving Progress and Impact," we celebrate the important strides made in many regions of the world to control malaria, while acknowledging the enormous challenges that remain.

Three NIH Scientists Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Three National Institutes of Health scientists have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, whose members include some of the world's most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities, and the arts.

Alzheimer's diagnostic guidelines updated for first time in decades - For the first time in 27 years, clinical diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease dementia have been revised, and research guidelines for earlier stages of the disease have been characterized to reflect a deeper understanding of the disorder. The National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer's Association Diagnostic Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease outline some new approaches for clinicians and provides scientists with more advanced guidelines for moving forward with research on diagnosis and treatments. They mark a major change in how experts think about and study Alzheimer's disease. Development of the new guidelines was led by the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association.

NIDA raises the curtain on addiction - The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced today the launch of its Addiction Performance Project, an innovative continued medical education program designed to help primary care providers break down the stigma associated with addiction.

NEI names 2011 Healthy Vision Community Awards recipients - Working in Appalachia and Harlem, serving toddlers and seniors, the 2011 Healthy Vision Community Awards (HVCA) winners are committed to making eye health and vision priorities in their communities. HVCA, sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is a unique program that provides awards up to $10,000 to make a difference in communities across the Nation by supporting grassroots eye health education. This seed money supplies the spark that gets projects started, which are then sustained through community partnerships.

NIH researchers complete whole-exome sequencing of skin cancer - A team led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health is the first to systematically survey the landscape of the melanoma genome, the DNA code of the deadliest form of skin cancer. The researchers have made surprising new discoveries using whole-exome sequencing, an approach that decodes the 1-2 percent of the genome that contains protein-coding genes. The study appears in the April 15, 2011, early online issue of Nature Genetics.

NIH scientists identify gene that could hold the key to muscle repair - Researchers have long questioned why patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) tend to manage well through childhood and adolescence, yet succumb to their disease in early adulthood, or why elderly people who lose muscle strength following bed rest find it difficult or impossible to regain. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, are beginning to find answers in a specialized population of cells called satellite cells. Their findings, reported in the journal Genes & Development, suggest a potential therapeutic target for conditions where muscle deterioration threatens life or quality of life.

Complementary and alternative medicine dialogue lacking between patients, providers - Despite their high use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Americans over the age of 50 often do not discuss CAM use with their health care providers, a survey indicates. The results, from AARP and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health were released today.

NIGMS Director Berg receives chemical society's public service award - Jeremy M. Berg, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), is a recipient of the 2011 Public Service Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS). The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to public service or to the development of public policy that benefits the chemical sciences. NIGMS is part of the National Institutes of Health.