Washington, November 1 : A team of American scientists claims to have uncovered an important step in hormone-triggered bone growth, paving the way for new osteoporosis drugs and better bone-building therapies.

The research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) showed that parathyroid hormone (PTH) given intermittently enhances the body''s own bone-building action through a specific "co-receptor" on the surface of bone cells.

While scientists have known for long that PTH stimulates bone formation, the exact mechanism underlying this effect has been unknown to date.

Washington, Nov 1: Parents who smoke are likely to have impulsive kids, says a new study.

The new study led by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found that children of parents who smoke are likely to share a tendency to act impulsively, a trait that could be linked to a decision to become a smoker.

Lead researcher Brady Reynolds focused his study on the connection between smoking and impulsivity, or more specifically, delay discounting.

Washington, Oct 31 : In a study on family-based gene scan of Alzheimer''s disease, scientists have discovered the sites of four novel genes that may significantly influence risk for the most common late-onset form of the devastating neurological disorder.

Led by researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND), the researchers described how newly available technology is improving understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying the disease.

Washington, Oct 31 : Researchers at UC Davis Cancer Center have discovered that the HER2 gene itself is the key behind the aggressiveness of HER2-positive breast cancer.

They found that HER2 advances tumour growth by shutting down its own regulator gene, labelled LRIG1 and commonly called "Lig-1".

The new study comes in line with recent research showing that Lig-1 limits the growth-promoting signals of HER2.

Now, the researchers have found that the regulator is significantly suppressed when compared to healthy breast tissue.

Washington, Oct 31 : Taking a crucial step towards stem cell therapies, scientists have revealed that our bodies'' ability to respond to an internal ''mayday'' signal may ultimately pave the way for long-awaited regenerative medicine.

The study from the University of Bristol has brought stem cell therapies for heart disease one step closer.

Led by Dr Nicolle Krankel, the researchers have discovered how our bodies initiate DIY rescue and repair mechanisms when blood supply is inadequate, for example in diabetic limbs or in the heart muscle during heart attack.

Washington, October 31 : A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician says that sexual problems in women, though prevalent, are not always associated with distress.

Dr. Jan Shifren, of the MGH Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, found in a survey of women that while 40 per cent of the participants had sexual problems, only 12 per cent of them indicated that those issues were a source of significant personal distress.