13th December Research Round Up
13 Dec 2012
Please find below a roundup of some recent research published in BioMed Central’s open access journals including how statins reduce the risk of gastric cancer for diabetics; how to decide the safest crops to grow in contaminated soil; and a promising new technique (in mice) using stem cells to repair brain injury.
1. Statins reduce the risk of gastric cancer
In a case control study researchers looked at almost 1000 patients and 1000 diabetic control individuals from the Samsung Medical Center, Korea. Their results showed that statins reduce the risk of gastric cancer (gastric adenocarcinoma) in people with diabetes, and that the risk decreases with length of use.
BMC Cancer 2012, 12:596 doi:10.1186/1471-2407-12-596
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/12/596/abstract
2. How to chose the safest crops in polluted areas
Using the technique of ‘principal components analysis’ (PCA) a new study finds that the impact of heavy metal content of polluted soil, from old mining areas, on contamination of food crops can be minimised by choosing specific vegetable species. Parsley roots, lettuce, beans and cucumbers had the highest health risk while onions and carrot leaves (for example) had the lowest health risk in contaminated areas.
http://journal.chemistrycentral.com/content/6/1/156/abstract
3. Bone marrow cells show promise in repairing brain injuries
New research shows that mice treated with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) after brain injury are able to recover sensorimotor function. The use of autotransplanted bone marrow cells means that if this treatment can be applied in humans it will reduce problems due to rejection of foreign cells.
http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions.com/content/8/1/58/abstract
If you have any questions regarding these, or any of our articles, please contact me. With over 270 journals we can help find information about a wide range of biological and medical topics.
Dr Hilary Glover
Scientific Press Officer, BioMed Central
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3192 2370
Mob: +44 (0) 778 698 1967
Email: hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
Notes to Editors
1. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral
