Washington, Mar 13 : Certain gene variations in some women may protect them against cervical cancer, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

The researchers say that if the presence or absence of such genetic variants is known, doctors can easily tailor treatment strategies.

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections from several of the human papillomaviruses (HPV) - a family of viruses that also cause common skin warts and genital warts.

Washington, Mar 13 : Giving up smoking before surgery can almost half the risk of post-op complications, says a new study.

"Smokers are prone to developing a number of complications after surgery, ranging from impaired wound and bone healing to life-threatening pulmonary and cardiovascular problems" said Dr Omid Sadr Azodi from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

"This is why it is so important to find feasible, financially attractive and effective ways to help patients stop smoking before surgery," the expert added.

During the study, the researchers randomly assigned 117 patients who were due to undergo general or orthopaedic surgery to an intervention and control group.

Washington, Mar 13 : Researchers from University of Alberta have identified certain genes responsible for spinal disc degeneration.

Michele Crites-Battie and Tapio Videman, in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, have discovered eight genes linked to lumbar disc degeneration.

"We found more genes associated with disc degeneration than was discovered in 30 prior studies. This is very exciting," said Videman.

Washington, Mar 13: Facemasks can help prevent adverse cardiovascular effects caused by pollution, scientists have shown.

Researchers discovered that pollution from car exhausts caused arteries to stiffen, resulting in higher blood pressure and reduced blood flow to the heart, reports BioMed Central''s open access journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology.

Nicholas Mills from the University of Edinburgh worked with a team of researchers to investigate the cardiovascular damage that can be caused by inhaling diesel smoke.

Washington, March 13 : Injecting a patient''s own bone marrow-derived stem cells into the spinal column using multiple routes can be an effective treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI), say researchers.

Scientists from DaVinci Biosciences, Costa Mesa, California, and Hospital Luis Vernaza in Ecuador say that such a treatment can return some quality of life for SCI patients without serious adverse events.

Revealing their findings in the journal Cell Transplantation, the researchers said that they administered bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMCs) directly into the spinal column, spinal canal and intravenously to eight patients with SCI-four acute and four chronic.

Washington, Mar 13 : Researchers at University of California, Irvine, have found that circadian rhythms, our own body clock, regulate energy levels in cells.

According to researchers, the findings could provide greater insights into the bond between the body''s day-night patterns and metabolism. They said that the discovery could help create new ways to treat cancer, diabetes, obesity and a host of related diseases.

Also, Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, and his colleagues found that the proteins involved with circadian rhythms and metabolism are intrinsically linked and dependent upon each other.