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Scientists Reverse Prion Disease Symptoms in Mice
U.K. researchers say they've found a way to reverse symptoms of prion diseases, such as the human form of mad cow disease (vCJD), in mice.
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By halting production of proteins corrupted by such diseases, the Medical Research Council scientists were able to reverse memory and behavior problems in the mice, BBC News reported.
The study was published in the journal Neuron.
The results suggest that it may be possible to treat people with prion disease before the brain is permanently damaged, the researchers said. However, that would depend on having a test to detect vCJD (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) at the early stages, the study authors added.
"This is potentially very important work because it shows something which we didn't expect and which could be extremely significant," Roger Morris, a professor of molecular biology at King's College London, told BBC News. He was not involved in the study.
"It means that the prospect of being able to do something for people may be much better than we thought. We may be able to reverse the behavioral effects," of prion disease, Morris added.
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Japan Confirms 4th Bird Flu Outbreak This Year
Japanese officials said Thursday they've confirmed the country's fourth outbreak of bird flu in poultry this year. Tests are still being conducted to determine if it's the deadly H5N1 virus or a less dangerous H5N2 virus.
In this latest outbreak, more than 80 chickens died at a poultry farm in the town of Shintomicho in Miyazaki prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. In response, officials ordered the slaughter of 93,000 chickens, Agence France Presse reported.
In January, there were two cases of H5N1 in Miyazaki prefecture and another outbreak of bird flu in Okayama prefecture on the island of Honshu.
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