Cloned Sheep Has Human Gene

The Scottish creators of Dolly, the sheep cloned from the genetic material of an adult sheep, have now produced a lamb which carries a human gene within every cell in its body. Genetic researchers worldwide are hailing the news as a 'breakthrough,' ushering in an era when animals might become 'living factories' producing hormones, compounds and organs which could save human lives.

Testosterone Falls as Men Age

While not as rapid or extreme as the menopause that women go through in their 50s, men also suffer from declining hormone levels as they age, according to a Missouri researcher. Such a decline may result in waning strength and sexual interest, and even memory problems, said Dr. John Morley, a professor of geriatrics at St. Louis University in Missouri. Treatment with male hormones, such as testosterone, may help relieve such problems in at least some men.

Genes Tied to Heart Risk in Blacks

Researchers may have found a genetic link to levels of blood fats called triglycerides among blacks. The genes, located on chromosomes 6 and 16, control the way cells make cholesterol. They may also be controlling blood levels of triglycerides, a risk factor for heart disease. The findings may lead to a test that can identify people at risk.

Alcohol Increases Deaths Among Poor

Alcohol is a major contributor to the higher death rate among people in lower socioeconomic groups compared with people of higher income, a study shows. In all countries for which such information is available, excessive drinking plays an important role in this mortality imbalance, especially where violent or accidental deaths are concerned.

Teen Sex and Substance Abuse

Use of alcohol or drugs may not be as significant a factor in unprotected sex among teens as previously thought, according to a new report. "Influence of substance use on condom use could not be demonstrated," the researchers write in the July issue of the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Gulf War: More GIs Exposed to Gas

The number of veterans exposed to harmful nerve gas during the 1991 Persian Gulf War may have been five times that previously estimated, the Pentagon announced Thursday. Department of Defense officials say nearly 100,000 U.S. soldiers may have come into contact with small amounts of the nerve gas sarin after a U.S.-led demolition of an Iraqi munitions dump.

C-Peptide May Help Diabetics

C-peptide, a chain of amino acids created as a by-product of insulin synthesis, appears to prevent or reverse vascular and nerve damage in diabetic rats, according to a study published in the journal Science. "These observations certainly raise the possibility that (C-peptide) might be useful clinically in preventing the onset and even reversing some of the (diabetic) complications in vessels and nerves," said Dr. Joseph Williamson, professor of pathology at Washington University School of Medicine and lead researcher of the study.

Experimental Prostate Cancer Therapy

Two new types of immunotherapy look promising in shrinking or destroying prostate cancer -- at least in laboratory mice. The treatments, including genetic engineering of tumor cells, or injection of a blocking antibody, allowed mice to fight off or completely prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells, according to a report in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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