London, Apr 2 : Scientists have revealed that exposure to common infections might lead to the development of childhood leukaemia.

The researchers claimed to have identified a molecule called TGF, produced by the body in response to infection, which appears to trigger multiplication of pre-cancerous stem cells at the expense of its healthy counterparts.

Researchers had previously identified a genetic mutation linked to stimulation of pre-leukaemic cells. It is believed to occur in 1 in 100 newborns and one in 100 of these children develop leukaemia.

Washington, April 2 : An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils has shown some promise to reduce the size of tumours and enhance the positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its harmful side effects.

A. M. El-Mowafy, a professor at Mansoura University in Egypt, studied the effects of the fatty acid Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) on solid tumours growing in mice.

The researcher also studied how this fatty acid interacts with the drug cisplatin, which is known to cause kidney damage.

Washington, April 2: While most people appear to be extremely stressed amidst the ongoing recession, a study has suggested that stress may further worsen their financial troubles.

Anthony J. Porcelli and Mauricio R. Delgado, both psychologists at Rutgers University, have found that acute stress affects risk taking during financial decision making.

They conducted a study in which a group of volunteers chose between various financial gambles, after being asked to immerse their hand for a period of time in either ice-cold or room-temperature water.

Washington, Apr 1 : Chronic insomnia with short sleep duration is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension, according to a new study.

In the study, researchers found that participants with insomnia and an objectively measured, severely short sleep duration of less than five hours had a risk for hypertension that was 500 percent higher than participants without insomnia who slept more than six hours.

People with insomnia and moderately short sleep duration of five to six hours had a risk for hypertension that was 350 percent higher than normal sleepers.

Washington, April 1: Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have reached a step closer to developing a new drug to inhibit tumour growth in cancer patients, and potentially help in the healing of wounds.

The researchers looked at angiogenesis - the body''s formation of new blood vessels from existing blood vessels - and how some blood proteins are involved in that process and affect blood vessel growth during a study.

They found that a protein called ferritin binds to and cripples the ability of another blood protein, called HKa, to shut down blood vessel growth.

The researcher point out that new blood vessels supply a steady stream of nutrients and oxygen, which are essential for tumour growth.

Washington, April 1 : Scientists at the University at Buffalo have found that the risk of heart attack increases with an increase in bacteria in the mouth.

The researchers have revealed that they observed this trend while studying the relationship between periodontal disease and the development of heart disease.

While a number of studies have suggested a connection between organisms that cause periodontal disease and the development of heart disease, very few have tested this theory.