Melbourne, Mar 11 : An Australian scientist has claimed that HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) may adapt so that it is no longer a life-threatening virus.

Speaking ahead of the launch of Adelaide University''s Robinson Institute, Roger Short, a professor from Melbourne University''s medicine faculty, said it was not in the virus''s interest to kill its host.

"If we look into long term future, if humans survive that long, it seems likely that over time the virus, which mutates incredibly rapidly, will eventually adapt so it doesn''t kill us," News. com. au quoted Short, as saying.

London, Mar 11 : Women who suffer migraines during pregnancy are at an increased risk of stroke as well as other vascular conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and blood clots, says a new study.

Using a database of over 18 million hospital discharge records, scientists in the United States tested the association between migraine and vascular diseases during pregnancy.

In the British Medical Journal study, boffins identified 33,956 pregnancy related discharges with a diagnosis of migraine from 2000 to 2003.

Washington, Mar 11 : Exposure to stress in adolescence might put teens at an increased cardiovascular disease risk in adulthood, suggests a new study.

Andrew J. Fuligni, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA has revealed that stressful experiences might put otherwise healthy kids at increased heart disease risk.

The researchers found that a greater frequency of stress was associated with higher levels of an inflammatory marker called C-reactive protein, or CRP, which has been identified as an indicator for the later development of cardiovascular disease

Washington, Mar 11: Researchers from Scripps Florida have identified a potential therapeutic target for hepatitis C.

The research tem led by Professor Donny Strosberg has found that peptides (molecules of two or more amino acids) derived from the core protein of hepatitis C inhibits the production of the actual virus.

"We went for the simplest solution, taking a peptide from core to see if we could block the interaction," Strosberg said, "and it did."

Washington, Mar 11 : Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences have identified a new mechanism the malaria parasite uses to enter human red blood cells, which could lead to the development of a vaccine cocktail to fight the mosquito-borne disease.

Malaria is transmitted to humans through bites from mosquitoes.

For decades, researchers have known that a molecule called glycophorin B, which is found on the surface of human red blood cells, is important for invasion of the malaria parasite.

However, the specific molecule by which the malaria parasite attaches itself to invade the host was not known until now.

Washington, Mar 11 : Blinking frequently while sitting in front of the computer helps reduce the risk of dry eyes from prolonged use, say researchers.

Keshia Sims Elder, assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, has revealed the blinking frequently helps keeps the front surface of the eye moist.

“Many work in front of a computer all day and this can leave vision vulnerable to problems like dry eyes, eyestrain and other problems that may signal computer vision syndrome,” said Elder.