http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Two studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center could lead to new treatments for lupus and other autoimmune diseases and strengthen current therapies for viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-enzyme-innate-immunity-sensor.html Medical research Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:58:09 EST news280148279 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers working at the Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University in China have found that giant pandas naturally produce a peptide that can kill fungi and bacteria. In their paper published in the journal Gene, the researchers describe how they came across the peptide as they were performing DNA analysis on the animals. They also report that they have been able to synthesize the peptide in their lab and have tested its antibacterial abilities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-peptide-giant-panda-fungi-bacteria.html Medical research Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:10:01 EST news276418024 Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a set of proteins circulating in blood whose levels accurately flag the presence of lymphedema. The findings, to be reported Dec. 18 in PLoS ONE, spur optimism that this common but relatively neglected condition, which affects an estimated 10 million people in the United States, finally will be amenable to detection (and, eventually, treatment) with 21st-century techniques. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-blood-accurately-lymphedema.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:00:05 EST news275072203 Toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. In the U.S. it is estimated that more than 22 percent of the population 12 years and older have been infected with toxoplasma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-parasites-toxoplasmosis.html Medical research Mon, 21 May 2012 05:21:06 EST news256796430 Ninety-six per cent of women who attended a preconception clinic before undergoing IVF had three or more lifestyle problems and risk factors, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-percent-women-ivf-preconception-multiple.html Health Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:30:01 EST news254049685 A study of almost 3,800 pregnancies has provided the most accurate and direct evidence to date that malaria infection reduces early foetal growth. Low birth weight is the most important risk factor for neonatal mortality in developing countries. The research, carried out on the border of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), highlights the importance of preventing malaria in pregnancy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-ultrasound-evidence-effect-malaria-fetal.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:07 EST news248008548 (Medical Xpress) -- A new mouthwash developed by a microbiologist at the UCLA School of Dentistry is highly successful in targeting the harmful Streptococcus mutans bacteria that is the principal cause tooth decay and cavities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-mouthwash-cavities.html Health Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:47:28 EST news240662842