Washington, Apr 9 : A new study from North Carolina State University has revealed that soy may help in treating canine cancers.

The research team led by Dr. Steven Suter, assistant professor of oncology sought to determine whether genistein - a molecule found in soy that has been shown to be toxic to a wide variety of cancer cells in humans - also inhibit the growth of canine lymphoma cells.

The study showed that a commercially available form of genistein called GCP was effective in killing canine lymphoid cells in a laboratory setting.

Washington, Apr 9: Soy aglycons of isoflavone (SAI), a group of soybean constituent chemicals, may help reduce menopause effects, say researchers.

The research, described in BioMed Central''s open access journal Nutrition & Metabolism, shows how dietary supplementation with SAI lowers cholesterol, increases the anti-oxidative properties of the liver and prevents degeneration of the vaginal lining.

Robin Chiou led a team of researchers from National Chiayi University, Taiwan, who studied the effects of the dietary supplement on a group of female rats that had undergone ovary removal.

Washington, April 9: Mayo Clinic researchers have found that medications recommended to patients suffering from Parkinson''s disease may trigger destructive behaviours, such as compulsive gambling or hypersexuality.

The researchers have revealed that their study extends findings from two Mayo case series published in 2005, which reported a connection between dopamine agonist medications and compulsive gambling or hypersexuality.

Washington, April 9: Suffering from constipation? Well, help is on the way – a team of researchers has identified a potential drug target to make it a lot easier to go to the bathroom, especially when all other methods fail.

They have discovered a group of nerve ending receptors, which, when stimulated, causes the bowels to pass waste, and the specific receptor needed to activate bowel clearance.

Also, they tested chemicals that work with those receptors, providing a blueprint for the development of new laxatives.

London, Apr 9: Heartburn medications are often prescribed to people with poorly controlled asthma, however, the treatment has been found ineffective in reducing asthmatic symptoms, say researchers.

The study led by the American Lung Association''s Asthma Clinical Research Centres has shown that heartburn medications do not help control asthma symptoms prescribed to those without significant heartburn.

The researchers found that participants who took esomeprazole (Nexium) had as many asthma episodes as participants who were given an inactive pill, or placebo.

Washington, April 9 : Low levels of vitamin D in patients with autoimmune disease may be a result rather than a cause of the disease, and supplementing with this nutrient may worsen a patient's condition, according to a review.

Researchers at the California-based non-profit Autoimmunity Research Foundation, who have authored the review, say that vitamin D may provide short-term relief by lowering inflammation, but it may exacerbate disease symptoms over the long-term.