Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Sciences.

CWRU study suggests the race for high IQs relates to access to information

11 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University From about the age of three, whites on average outscore their African-American counterparts on IQ tests, but psychologists find the 15-point gap can be eliminated when each racial group has an equal opportunity to learn.

CWRU scientists reveal how magnesium works on ion channels important for regulating blood pressure

11 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University researchers report in Nature how magnesium activates microscopic ion channels in the membrane of a cell. These particular ion channels are important in controlling blood pressure.

CWRU sociologists find social stimuli shape youths

11 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University No single 'silver bullet' produces a well-adjusted adolescent, according to a team of Case Western Reserve University sociologists reporting on the influence of family, school, neighborhoods and friends on the lives of early teens.

CWRU study offers insight to control hypertension

11 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University researchers have been able to set and achieve lower blood pressure goals in a study group of African Americans whose hypertension is difficult to control, according to a study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

CWRU physicist's discovery to help in the development of new electronic devices

10 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Molecular electronics got a boost with the discovery of a new class of liquid crystalline materials that has potential use in electronic devices such as light emitting diode, solar cells, optical switches and transistors.

CWRU study examines Web sites that sold anthrax treatment after 2001 outbreak

10 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Web sites selling the prescription-only medication ciprofloxacin (also known by its brand name Cipro(r)) sprang up quickly following an anthrax outbreak in October 2001, according to a new study by researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

New CWRU twins study to look at environment and reading

10 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers from four universities and 350 pairs of same-sex twins will participate in a study, looking at environmental factors that influence how and when children read.

CWRU researchers creating new gel to replace severed peripheral nerves

10 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Engineering are developing a synthetic material to help bridge the gap between severed peripheral nerves.

CWRU anthropologist discovers Ethiopians adaptations to high altitude living differs from Tibetans, Andeans

09 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University New discoveries by Case Western Reserve University anthropologist Cynthia Beall continue to unravel the mystery of how humans have adapted to high altitude living.

CWRU researchers demystify fatigue failure in polysilicon used in MEMS devices

09 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at Case Western Reserve University report in Science that miniature micron-sized polysilicon laboratory specimens subjected to cyclic tension/compression loading undergo fatigue, and could ultimately fail, as a result of damage produced by the compressive cycles, rather than from moisture-assisted stress corrosion cracking.

New therapy for heart failure? CWRU researchers try stem cells from an umbilical cord

09 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The National Institutes of Health awarded $450,000 to investigators at The Research Institute of University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University to explore the use of umbilical cord stem cells to heal damaged heart muscles.

Study shows donating a kidney does not benefit seller

09 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Individuals who sell a kidney do not receive a long-term economic benefit from the sale and may have a worsening of their health, according to a new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

New drug targets cancer cells: In combination with laser light, destroys tumors

08 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine are, for the first time in human clinical trials, using a new drug designed to sensitize cancer cells for destruction.

Researchers discover anxiety and aggression gene in mice

08 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Calling it the Pet-1 gene, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Department of Neurosciences say that when this gene is removed or 'knocked out' in a mouse, aggression and anxiety in adults are greatly elevated compared to a control (also called wild type) mouse. Other neurologic functions, such as motor coordination, feeding and locomotor activity, do not appear altered in the knockout mouse.

Possible genetic link between sleep apnea and obesity discovered

08 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine/Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital are the first to complete a whole-genome scan for obstructive sleep apnea and obesity.

New age provides evidence for presence of a dark energy

08 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Cosmologists from Case Western Reserve University and Dartmouth College have continued efforts to refine the age of the universe by using new information from a variety of sources to calculate a new lower age limit that is 1.2 billion years higher than previous age limits.

Researchers reach milestone in learning how to stop disfiguring disease

08 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers have reached an important milestone in learning how to halt a major mosquito-borne disease affecting 120 million people around the world. The disease, called lymphatic filariasis and commonly known as elephantiasis, is a leading cause of physical disfigurement, social ostracism and economic loss throughout Africa, Asia, South America and islands of the Pacific Ocean. The disease can lead to dramatically swollen and disfigured legs, arms, breasts and genitals.

CWRU researchers find critical molecules that trigger inflammation in Alzheimer disease

07 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The main pathological signature of Alzheimer disease, which causes progressive memory loss in its victims, is plaques in the brain. Currently, massive research efforts are geared toward eliminating these plaques.

New findings at CWRU further tie to gum, heart disease

07 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University One more link has been forged between poor oral health and heart disease as findings from two research studies from Case Western Reserve University's School of Dentistry were presented during the 32nd annual meeting of the American Association of Dental Research in San Antonio, Texas.

New breathing device result of CWRU, UHC, VA research

07 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The innovative breathing device that is enabling actor Christopher Reeve, paralyzed in a horseback riding accident eight years ago, to breath periodically on his own was developed through three decades of research at CWRU, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

CWRU geneticists find component of common plastic bottles causes abnormal pregnancies in mice

07 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers have found disturbing new evidence suggesting that environmental exposure to a ubiquitous substance may cause chromosomally abnormal pregnancies. They have learned that low levels of a compound used in the manufacture of some plastic food and beverage containers and some baby bottles interfere with cell division in the eggs of female mice.

CWRU study shows tight glucose control in diabetes lowers risk of atherosclerosis

06 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Strict glucose control in type 1 diabetes reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, a benefit that persists for years, according to a study published 'New England Journal of Medicine'.

CWRU study finds African-Americans and premature babies face increased risk

06 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University In a study of more than 900 Cleveland children, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital have discovered a surprisingly large number of youth with a serious sleep-related breathing disorder that could make it difficult for them to think or perform well in school and may lead to serious growth or heart problems.

CWRU researchers find signs of lethal cell division in mouse models for Alzheimer's disease

06 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University CWRU researchers have discovered signs of lethal cell division in mouse models for Alzheimer's Disease, findings that offer clues as to why AD mice may not exhibit neuron death as seen in humans.

Cystic fibrosis gene therapy trial results encouraging

06 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Scientists and physicians in Cleveland have announced encouraging results from the first-of-its-kind gene therapy trial involving cystic fibrosis patients and a new compacted DNA technology.

CWRU researchers find obesity in young adults is linked to dental diseases

05 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University There's one more reason why young adults should trade in potato chips and television for a more active life. Case Western Reserve University researchers in epidemiology and dentistry have found a link between obesity and periodontal disease. They have discovered that obese young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 have twice the rate of gum disease than middle and older-aged adults.

High levels of gene duplication implicated in disease

05 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine geneticists have been involved in a detailed analysis of the reference sequence of chromosome 7 that is published in the July 10 issue of the journal Nature.

CWRU researchers help discover new colon cancer gene

05 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland report finding a new gene that is switched off early in the development of colon cancer.

CWRU breast cancer researchers question tradition: Are stem cell transplants better than chemo?

05 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University High-dose chemotherapy coupled with a stem cell transplant do not improve the outcomes of post-operative patients with advanced breast cancer, according to findings of a multi-center study designed and conducted at the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Case study finds listening to soft music can ease labor pains

04 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Many women approach childbirth labor fearful of the pain they may experience, but are also unwilling or unable to take medication to ease the pain. However, a new study provides hope for those seeking to lessen delivery pain without medications: through the use of music.

Case psychologist to develop diagnostic tool for detecting bipolar disorder in young children

04 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Information gathered over the next five years from more than 1600 families in the Cleveland area will help researchers develop a tool to diagnose bipolar disorder in children as young as five years old.

Case researchers substantiate bacterial link to preterm birth through mice studies

04 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A team of researchers, led by microbiologist Yiping Han from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, has discovered that a bacterium (Fusobacterium nucleatum) found in orally related periodontal disease enters the blood, targets placentas and amniotic fluid of pregnant mice and triggers preterm or term stillbirths and infant deaths.

Superclot therapy tested as repair for periodontal disease

04 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A super blood clot, rich in growth factors, has the potential to be a new therapy in restoring oral health to those with periodontal (gum) disease. Once implanted during surgery, the clot has the potential to spur the regeneration of lost bone, gum and connective tissues damaged by gum disease.

Case scientists test protein as early cancer detection agent

03 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have identified an agent that could lead to the early detection of many cancers. The Case research team discovered that the human body increases production of the protein clusterin as a signal of cell distress and provides a reliable gauge of the general health of a cell. The findings were reported in a recent issue of the scientific journal Cancer Biology and Therapy.

Case psychologist explores pretend play and its role in psychology, therapy

03 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University Psychologist Sandra Russ takes old-fashioned children's play seriously. In her new book, 'Play in Child Development and Psychotherapy' (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), she broaches the idea of actively teaching children how to play as a way to cope, learn self control and begin to think imaginatively.

Case, WIYN astronomers discover new galaxy orbiting Andromeda

03 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University astronomers have announced the discovery of a new galaxy, termed Andromeda VIII. The new galaxy is so widespread and transparent that astronomers did not suspect its existence until they mapped the velocity of stars thought to belong to the well-known and nearby large Andromeda spiral galaxy and found them to move independently of Andromeda.

Girls more likely to use tanning facilities than boys, and more often

03 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A new study looking at the indoor tanning behavior of white American teens shows that almost 37 percent of girls have used an indoor tanning facility at least once and almost 30 percent of girls report using a tanning booth three or more times.

Case to develop two-way wireless biological sensors

02 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Scientists at Case Western Reserve University are carving out a revolutionary new paradigm for the health care market with cutting-edge, implantable, wireless biological sensors smaller than an aspirin.

Case study suggests cardiovascular patients do not exercise regularly

02 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Even patients recovering from heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems have trouble maintaining a regular exercise program, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

mouth's defenses against AIDS discovered: New findings hold potential for AIDS prevention

02 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The findings are reported in the November 7 issue of the international journal 'AIDS.' The researchers also added that the findings hold potential for finding new ways of preventing AIDS and other infections in the body.

New genetic link to common colon cancer: Blood from families at risk contributed to discovery

02 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A team of researchers from University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University have identified a specific location on a human chromosome that can be linked to familial cases of colon cancer, the type of colon cancer that tends to run in families.

Researchers find new breast cancer gene may play role in estrogen-induced breast cancers

01 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a new breast cancer gene that may play a role in estrogen-induced breast cancers.

Understanding how teens think help scientist develop interventions for brain-injured youth

01 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University When a teacher asked a youth recovering from a brain injury to 'boot up' the computer, the teen kicked it. Such misinterpretations of word meanings, sarcasms and social cues are common for teens with head injuries and have long-range consequences in alienating the individual from peers, family members and co-workers.

Autoimmune disease weakens eye and body muscles

01 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Under a new $4.7 million grant from the National Eye Institute, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland hope to develop in five years a drug ready for human clinical trials to treat myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that weakens muscles, affects vision, and in the most severe cases, puts patients on artificial ventilation. According to the National Eye Institute, this is the largest single project grant it has awarded to an Ohio institution.

Case researchers to take buzz out of heavy snorers: New implantable device to help treat sleep apnea

01 February 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Relief is on the way for loud, heavy snorers with obstructive sleep apnea. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing an implanted medical device slightly larger than a postage stamp to help 20 million Americans who suffer from the sleep disorder. The device will operate like a heart pacemaker.

Case researchers say a positive approach is the most successful in corporate coaching

31 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Looking to make a slam dunk with corporate colleagues, many business leaders are hiring professional coaches. How these coaches approach 'their players' can lead to an effective or ineffective shift in action and interactions in the business world, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management.

Bioscience firm developing unique drug delivery system to work with Case & UH researchers

31 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Transcutaneous Technologies, Inc., a Japanese bioscience firm, which has ties to researchers at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Health System, is currently developing a unique medication delivery system, has agreed to establish its U.S. headquarters in Cleveland.

Case researchers to test epilepsy drug as treatment for Alzheimer's disease

31 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A medication that has been around for 40 years and successfully used to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder may provide new hope for the more than 4 million Americans suffering with Alzheimer's disease.

Case researchers find that aged roaches experience perils of stiff joints

31 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University researchers reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology that as the roach's life wanes between 60-65 weeks after the onset of adulthood, it slows down, experiences stiff joints, and has problems climbing and a decreased spontaneous fleeing response. Death comes shortly after the onset of these movement problems.

Case study shows dental hygienists can be essential to early detection of oral cancer

30 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University In one of the first national surveys of dental hygienists about their knowledge and screening practices for oral cancers, researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine found indications that while dental hygienists view screening for oral cancer an important component of their practice and possess comparable oral cancer knowledge with the general dentist in the private practice, they often do not carry out oral cancer screenings.

Case professor uncovers secrets of successful university spinoffs

30 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The origins of such giants as Google, Lycos and Genentech began in the labs or minds of university researchers. They eventually spun off into venture companies that grew into major businesses. What's the secret? Case Western Reserve University's Scott Shane is close to finding it.

Case research reveals poor children staying longer in foster care under welfare reform

30 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Three related studies at Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences reveal how families involved with the child welfare system are deteriorating under welfare reform.

Case study shows drug companies are top health care lobbyists

30 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Pharmaceutical companies spend more money lobbying Congress than other health care organizations, according to a new Case Western Reserve University study in the American Journal of Medicine.

Case, partners to develop patented stainless steel hardening process

29 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Five research partners, including Case Western Reserve University, Swagelok Company and the Oakridge National Laboratory, aim to expand the applicability of the patented surface hardening process to a broader range of corrosion-resistant steels to reduce energy consumption in a host of manufacturing industries.

Medical residents report sleep loss and fatigue take toll on learning, work and personal lives

29 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University In a new study, sleep researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and colleagues report sleep loss and fatigue affect medical residents in several ways, including learning, job performance and personal relationships.

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure & influence of home environment on children's IQ scores

29 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that prenatal cocaine exposure was not associated with lower full scale IQ scores, or verbal or performance IQ scores at age 4 years.

Case researchers discover new clinical syndrome leading to severe osteoarthritis

29 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers from Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland have discovered a new clinical syndrome that they have named hereditary chondrolysis, a rare disabling disease in which the cartilage debonds from bone, leading to severe generalized osteoarthritis.

Case biomedical engineers develop first sliver-sized sensor to monitor glucose levels in diabetics

28 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University It's a good thing that the son of Miklos Gratzl, a Case Western Reserve University biomedical engineer, got a splinter in his finger one day, at least for the sake of science.

Potential for developing a new cream or gel to block AIDS transmission during heterosexual sex

28 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Michael Lederman, M.D., of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, and research colleagues have shown that it may be possible to block male to female HIV transmission in heterosexual intercourse and have identified the target for blocking that transmission.

Visiting dental researcher at Case invents new technology to aid orthodontists

28 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The newly Food and Drug Administration-approved orthoscrew, so tiny it is dwarfed by a fingertip, is difficult to place between the narrow spaces of teeth roots and bone.

Case researchers say beware of anti-aging claims

28 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University People, who may not be able to afford to, are spending millions of dollars on bogus anti-aging products that could threaten your health, according to researchers from law and medicine at Case Western Reserve University. They want to enlist the support of doctors and geriatric groups in educating the public and have called for greater regulation of the growing anti-aging industry in the article-'Anti-Aging Medicine: Can Consumers be Better Protected.

Cancer researchers seek to predict tumor growth

27 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Case Western Reserve University schools of medicine and engineering have launched a revolutionary investigation in cancer research as part of a National Cancer Institute effort that challenges engineers and oncologists with the development of a systems biology approach to gain understanding and to unlock issues of the most complex cancer biology problems.

Study by Case finds complementary relaxation therapy reduces post-operative pain

27 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that patients who used a relaxation technique, called 'systematic relaxation,' experienced a substantial decrease in pain after undergoing surgery.

Imagery reduces children’s post-operative pain, study finds

27 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A study aimed at giving health care providers a better understanding of the multidimensional nature and effects of school-age children’s post-operative pain concludes that using imagery with analgesics reduced tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy pain and anxiety following surgery.

New study shows how Mad Cow prions hitch a ride into intestine

26 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A new study from the Department of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine shows that the infectious version of prion proteins, the main culprits behind the human form of mad cow disease or variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, are not destroyed by digestive enzymes found in the stomach.

Tool for mental health case workers to help clients become more independent

26 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Mental health case workers want to help their clients become as independent as possible and achieve a sense of well-being and self-mastery. Frequently, however, they lack a framework for thinking about how they can best help their clients do that. But a team of researchers led by Jerry Floersch, assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences has developed a tool, called the Zone of Recovery Relatedness to enable case workers and other caregivers to provide the appropriate help a client needs to move along the path towards recovery.

Case research team heading to home base with Pc 4

26 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A professional baseball player at the plate hits the ball one out three times at bat. For a chemist in the drug development business, the odds of making a new drug are much longer, one in 5,000. Even as a long shot, the work of Malcolm Kenney, a Case Western Reserve University professor of chemistry, and Nancy Oleinick, a Case professor of radiation oncology, shows promise of scoring with the development of Pc 4, a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy of cancer.

Green tea polyphenols thwart prostate cancer development at multiple levels

26 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher Sanjay Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor of urology, was part of the team behind a new study finding that a natural component of green tea targets molecular pathways that shut down prostate cancer proliferation and metastatic spread of tumor cells. They also found the tea component inhibits growth of tumor nurturing blood vessels.

Case dental researcher explores link between gum disease and heart disease in HIV patients

25 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Patients with HIV, who are taking a cocktail of life-saving medicines, may be at risk for developing heart disease at an accelerated rate. This situation may provide a unique opportunity to study the link between oral health and heart disease.

Collaborators may change cosmologists' understanding of when oldest stars in universe formed

25 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Recent findings from Case Western Reserve University physicists and their collaborators may change cosmologists' understanding of when the oldest stars in our universe might have formed.

Study finds colorectal cancer screening underused

25 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Fewer than half of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer had received a screening procedure at least six months prior to their diagnosis, according to a new study from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Researchers discover new gene in colon cancer

25 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Cancer researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have found a “Celebrex-like” gene that suppresses the growth of colon cancer.

Outcome of Grokster case could affect development of electronic reproduction and distribution technology

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Raymond Ku A case before the United States Supreme Court could significantly affect the development of new technologies for reproducing and distributing copyrighted works of art and entertainment, says a Case Western Reserve University School of Law professor.

Case study finds beating cancer takes team work by doctor, patient, caregiver

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Beating cancer takes team work by the doctors, patients and significant caregivers, like spouses and children. With a $1.1 million, five-year National Cancer Institute grant, sociologists from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University will focus on elderly cancer patients, studying the relationship and communications amongst the health care trio.

Case researchers grow carbon nanotubes, basic building blocks of anotechnology cheaper means

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A Case Western Reserve University engineer has created the “seeds” that can grow into today’s and tomorrow’s computer and phone chips. In a development that could lead to smaller but more powerful computers and electronic communication devices, Massood Tabib-Azar, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Case, and engineering graduate student Yan Xie are growing carbon nanotube bridges in their lab that automatically attach themselves to other components without the help of an applied electrical current.

Responsive teaching helps autistic children with language, cognitive and social-emotional development

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Parents of autistic children can spend as much as $50,000 a year on therapies for their children. But a new research study from Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences shows promise of providing effective treatment for autism and other developmental disorders at a far lower cost.

New study provides insights into transmission of mad cow and other prion diseases

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Prion diseases are a group of mysterious neurological disorders that include mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Part of their mystery is how they are transmitted, especially from one species to another. Unlike other known transmissible diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, many scientists believe that prion diseases are caused by a rogue, abnormally shaped form of normally occurring proteins called prions.

Rockwell researchers create intelligent fluid sensor for reliable machinery operation

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Effective lubrication systems are essential to the reliable operation of critical industrial, commercial and military machinery. Operating requirements such as temperature extremes, high load, high speed or airborne contaminants place severe demands on lubrication systems. That’s why researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Engineering and their partners at Rockwell Automation have developed an intelligent fluid sensor to help insure the reliability of lubrication systems for critical machinery.

Research designed to evaluate long-term (at least ten years) survival of transplanted cornea

24 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Improving the training and standardizing the procedures used by the nation’s eye banks to assess corneal cells may help to select corneas with optimal health for transplantation, according to new study led by Jonathan H. Lass, MD, principal investigator of the study and chairman of the department of ophthalmology at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Music improves sleep quality in older adults, Taiwanese and Case nursing researchers find

23 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Sleep, a vital ingredient in life, can sometimes become difficult as humans get older. But a recent study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital in Taiwan shows that listening to soft music at bedtime will help older adults sleep better and longer.

Halt Ibuprofen use before gum surgery, Case researchers say

23 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine recommend the discontinuation of ibuprofen prior to surgery to correct gum disease because blood loss is two times greater for those using the medication than those not taking it.

Critical first step in understanding myelin repair and its role in treatments

23 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Robert Miller, Ph.D. A collaboration of five of the world's leading neuroscientists, including Robert Miller, Ph.D., professor of neurosciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has identified three new 'switches,' or signals, operating in the brain and spinal column that appear to turn on and off the nerve cell's ability to repair myelin. Myelin is the protective coating surrounding nerve cells that is damaged by multiple sclerosis. The scientists' findings are a critical first step in understanding myelin repair and its role in treatments for MS and other demyelinating diseases.

Tight glucose control lowers cardiovascular complication risk by about 50 percent in type 1 diabetes

23 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Saul Genuth, M.D. For the first time, research has shown that 'lowering glucose, or blood sugar, levels cuts the risk of getting cardiovascular complications by about 50 percent in people with type 1 diabetes,' according to Saul Genuth, M.D., professor of medicine at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and an endocrinology specialist at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Researchers find first gene for inherited testicular cancer in mice

23 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University In this week's journal Nature, researchers report finding the first gene responsible for inherited susceptibility of testicular cancer in mice. The gene, which is called dead end, is involved in normal testicular development and may play a role in inherited forms of a testicular cancer occurring in infants.

Scottish dental student sees new advances in dental medicine

22 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University What do roller coasters and dental implants have in common? The answer is two exchange students, Claudia Greenfield from Glasgow, Scotland, and Jamie Bartman, a third-year student at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

Is there another world in the mirror, Case physicist asks

22 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Like Lewis Carroll’s Alice, who steps through the looking glass into a strange world, Lawrence Krauss, Case Western Reserve University professor of physics, began his search for extra dimensional worlds with the Twilight Zone episode, “Little Lost Girl.” Krauss explores the fascination both scientists and lay people have with the possibility that there that is more out there than meets the eye, in his new book, Hiding in the Mirror: the Mysterious Allure of Extra Dimensions, from Plato to String Theory and Beyond (Viking Press).

Help for Alzheimer's patient in NIH study benefits all as we age

22 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Imagine not being able to see if a loved one is happy or sad because their facial features blend together or not being able to discern the words on a prescription bottle because the letters melt into the paper and appear fuzzy. It happens every day to individuals with Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases who suffer vision contrast deficits.

Case researchers find exercise, eating right and maintaining weight benefit oral health

22 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Heart healthy habits are good for oral health, too, according to a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Children born with low-birth-weight in1990s have considerable long-term health & educational needs

22 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Children born in the 1990s weighing less than 2.2 lbs. are at significantly increased risk of experiencing chronic health conditions and functional and educational limitations compared to normal-birth-weight children, according to a study from researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital published in the July 20 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

Prison inmates say sexual violence in penitentiaries is a stereotypical belief

21 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Mark Fleisher In a ground-breaking cultural study on rape and sexuality in prisons, a Case Western Reserve University social scientist has added new dimensions to generally accepted perceptions generated by movies, television shows or hearsay that prison rape is widespread in correctional facilities in the United States.

Dentist report on new computerized tomography systems

21 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Reporting on four new CBCT systems in the December issue of the Journal of Orthodontics are J. Martin Palomo and Mark Hans from the department of orthodontics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and C.H. Kau and S. Richmond from the department of dental health and biological sciences at the University of Wales' College of Medicine.

Tight glucose control cuts heart disease by half in Type 1 diabetes

21 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Intensive glucose control lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke by about 50 percent in people with type 1 diabetes, researchers report in the Dec. 22, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Their findings are based on a follow-up study of patients who took part more than a decade ago in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a major clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Geometric reasoning helps create powerful statistical methods to detect signals

21 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A Case Western Reserve University research team from physics and statistics has recently created innovative statistical techniques that improve the chances of detecting a signal in large data sets. The new technique can not only search for the “needle in the haystack” in particle physics, but also has applications in discovering a new galaxy, monitoring transactions for fraud and security risk, identifying the carrier of a virulent disease among millions of people or detecting cancerous tissues in a mammogram.

One drug tackles two diseases, Case researcher finds

21 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Drugs that reverse and prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis also significantly ward off periodontal disease, according to a graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine who reports in the current Menopause journal article, “Periodontal Assessments of Postmenopausal Women Receiving Risedronate.”

Case biologists show that what a neuron can do is a function of mechanical context

20 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The brain as command center for bodily movement was too simple an idea, thought the Russian physiologist Nicolas Bernstein some 60 years ago. After studying human movements for years, Bernstein pointed out in 1940 that the great flexibility of the body, coupled with unexpected events in the world, meant that the nervous system had to prepare the body in advance for what might happen next.

About 5-10% of chronically critically ill patients utilize half of all intensive care unit resources

20 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Barbara J. Daly A growing population of chronically critically ill patients use approximately half of all hospital intensive care unit resources at a cost of an estimated $50 billion annually. In turn, health care providers pass those costs onto the consumer. But an intensive communications plan agreed upon by families and health care providers being tested by researchers at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing can help reduce cost and length of stay in the ICU through a relatively simple intervention, the researchers say.

Case and Kent State researchers look at repairing regretted messages

20 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Communication scientists from Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University have studied how and why people choose certain ways to repair the damage done once hurtful words are spoken.

Dystrophy launched by Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland

20 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at the Vision Research Coordinating Center and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (Case) and University Hospitals of Cleveland are leading a nationwide study of the genetics of Fuchs‚ Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.

Much of entrepreneurial drive is genetic, new study finds

19 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Scott Shane Entrepreneurs are considered vital to the health of a region's or nation's economy, since they create wealth and jobs. And while governments and business groups are always on the lookout for ways to spark entrepreneurship, no one knows precisely what leads people to start their own business. But a new study suggests that a substantial part of the answer can be found in an individual's genetic makeup.

First link of oral bacteria and preterm birth found in human

19 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A 37-year-old-mother, who gave birth to a low-weight preemie at 24 weeks, exhibited the first-found link in a human between bacteria found in the mouth and the amniotic fluid of a woman in preterm labor.

Human defensins may be a new antibiotic to thwart disease

19 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Imagine getting a cold, the flu or strep throat. Instead of swallowing an antibiotic or an over-the-counter medication, you rev up your body's natural immune engine to fight off viral, fungal or bacterial infections. A team of researchers, under the direction of Aaron Weinberg from the Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine, are unraveling the biological mechanisms that allow our body to ward off disease to create new therapeutic treatments.

Professor applies virtual reality simulation to train world's brain & heart surgeons

19 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University M. Cenk Cavusoglu Virtual reality simulation tools are already revolutionizing the way dentists are taught at Case Western Reserve University, and if M. Cenk Cavusoglu has his way, simulation technology at Case will also train the world's brain and heart surgeons.

Dr. Laughlin completes phase 1 clinical trial using umbilical cord blood to treat leukaemia

18 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A relatively new source of stem cells has been used to treat leukemia. Mary Laughlin, who is a researcher at the National Center for Regenerative Medicine and an associate professor of hematology and oncology, and her colleagues at the Cleveland-based center successfully concluded a phase I clinical trial using umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat leukemia.

Federal Reserve examines angel investors' criteria for investing in start-ups

18 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Angel investors want to invest their money in companies with a sustainable competitive advantage, run by strong, experienced management teams, and are located in a region with a relevant industrial base and strong universities.

Case senior finds new way to measure the body consciousness during senior project

18 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A graduating senior from Case Western Reserve University doing an honors thesis in psychology found a way to measure whether the perception of young women's reported idealized weight matches their actual weight by using the ratios from Body Mass Index.

Case paleontologist to analyze new fossil skull from Ethiopia to make determination

18 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University paleontologist Scott Simpson began to relax, after a day of exploration in the Gona area in Ethiopia's Afar region. As he sipped Kool-Aid at a table in the camp's kitchen, he heard horns honking and singing in the distance.

Case neuroscientists continue to unravel Alzheimer's damage

17 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Neuroscientists at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found evidence of which protein in the brain's immune cells triggers a cascade of reactions that produces unregulated free radical production that eventually leads to the neural cell death found in Alzheimer's disease.

Listening to music can reduce chronic pain and depression

17 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Listening to music can reduce chronic pain by up to 21 percent and depression by up to 25 percent, according to research published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing by Sandra L. Siedlecki, a nurse researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. Siedlecki collaborated with and used tapes from previous pain studies by Marion Good, professor of nursing at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

Signaling between Mesenchymal Stem Cells & a Three-Dimensional Scaffold for tissue repair

17 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Dr. Arnold Caplan, who is a researcher at the National Center for Regenerative Medicine and professor of biology and general medical sciences (oncology), has described a novel way to repair cartilage and bone by growing bone marrow stem cells on three dimensional scaffolds. The scaffolds were made up of hyaluronan, a substance that looks like 'goo' and is one of the body's main lubricants.

Molecule that drives blood vessel growth & blindness in age-related macular degeneration

16 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A dart-like molecule that adheres to proteins in the eye is the key that turns on the uncontrolled growth of blood vessels, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. Uncontrolled blood vessel growth is a major contributor to the development of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among people over 65 in the United States.

Case Western Reserve University researchers find how a protein regulates anxiety

16 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University What makes us anxious? For the first time, researchers from Case Western Reserve University demonstrated how one of the members of the regulator of the G signaling proteins called RGS2 found in the brain influences the synaptic activity of neuronal circuits involved in regulation of anxiety.

New lunar meteorite found in Antarctica

16 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Although last year's inclement weather resulted in fewer Antarctic meteorite recoveries than usual, scientists have recently discovered that one of the specimens is a rare breed, a type of lunar meteorite seen only once before.

New mammal discovery made by Case paleontologist

16 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Fossils of a new hoofed mammal that resembles a cross between a dog and a hare which once roamed the Andes Mountains in southern Bolivia around 13 million years ago was discovered by Darin A. Croft, assistant professor of anatomy at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a research associate at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Case School of Medicine professor discovers nerve cell defects caused by mental retardation gene

15 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered changes in nerve cell function caused by mutation of the gene responsible for Rett Syndrome, a devastating progressive neurological disorder. As reported this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team led by David M. Katz, PhD, Professor of Neurosciences, has found changes in the way that nerve and endocrine cells regulate the secretion of molecules that are critical for cell-to-cell communication and the body's response to stress.

AIDS study challenges conventional treatment guidelines for HIV patients

15 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University A newly published study by investigators at the Center for AIDS Research at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, led by Benigno Rodríguez, MD, along with a nationwide team of AIDS/HIV experts, strongly challenges conventional thinking about the role of measurements of the amount of HIV particles in the blood as a method of predicting a patient's ability to fight off the disease.

Fossils of new pygmy water buffalo provide evidence that it once roamed Cebu island in Philipines

15 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University The fossils of an unusual pygmy buffalo, shorter than a yardstick at its shoulders but with a weight of a reindeer at 350 pounds, show the first evidence that 'island dwarfing' can take place among the cattle family. A group of scientists, led by Darin A. Croft from Case Western Reserve University, report the discovery of this new species in the bovine family, the first new fossil mammal from the Philippines in 50 years, in the Journal of Mammalogy.

New therapy reverses resistance to chemotherapy

15 January 2007 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University's Technology Transfer Office has entered a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement with TRACON Pharmaceuticals of San Diego, Calif., to develop Methoxyamine, a new cancer therapeutic that reverses cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy. Methoxyamine is a 'first in class' drug that targets a specific DNA repair pathway.

Human, chimp genes may have different functions

21 October 2006 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland may have made an important discovery in the study of what makes chimpanzees and humans different.

CWRU study shows how brain-injured, normal teens interact

25 February 2006 - Case Western Reserve University A blow to the head can do more than scramble a teen's thoughts. It can lock them out of the social fun of being young. Feeling like a teen-ager is easy, but acting like one after suffering a severe brain injury is difficult, according to Case Western Reserve University communication scientists. Observations in the hallways and cafeterias of Cleveland-area high schools led the researchers to some ground-breaking insights into how teens interact.

CWRU study gives first look at effects of cancer on survivors

13 January 2006 - Case Western Reserve University Many forms of cancer once left few survivors, but now more than 10 million people make it through this life-threatening illness. But nearly 40 percent of cancer survivors continue to view themselves as victims and many are reluctant to talk to others about their illness experience.

Mouse, human genomes share similarities

23 September 2005 - Case Western Reserve University Although separated by 100 million years in evolution, humans and mice share many of the same genes, according to a new analysis. The comparison, which appeared in a recent issue of the journal Science, is co-authored by researchers from Celera Genomics of Rockville, Md., and geneticists from other institutions, including Joe Nadeau from CWRU's School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Intervention can greatly improve dialysis treatment

12 July 2005 - Case Western Reserve University A new clinical trial demonstrates that identifying and overcoming three barriers greatly improves the quality of hemodialysis treatment, a finding that may help the 33,000 Americans now receiving suboptimal doses of hemodialysis.

Researchers find snoring associated with head shape

12 June 2005 - Case Western Reserve University If a nightly symphony of snorers sleeps in your home, chances are they inherited the family's round-shaped head. Six researchers at Case Western Reserve University have used the shape of a person's head as one indicator of potential problems with sleep apnea, a chronic form of snoring. Round-headed individuals tend to interrupt a good night's sleep with snoring more than long, thin-faced people.

Chemists are developing vaccine for skin cancer

06 June 2005 - Case Western Reserve University A new therapeutic vaccine under development for melanoma, one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer, offers hope of killing the disease. Zhongwu Guo, CWRU assistant professor of chemistry, is the lead researcher on a five-year, $1.1 million National Institutes of Health research project, 'Metabolic Engineering of Cancer for Immunotargeting.'

Case researchers grow carbon nanotubes in lab using faster, cheaper means

13 April 2005 - Case Western Reserve University Basic building blocks of nanotech, carbon nanotubes will help carry the $850 billion electronics industry forward

Researchers genetically alter mosquitoes to impair malaria transmission

24 September 2004 - Case Western Reserve University Malaria kills about 2 million people annually, mostly African children under the age of 5. While conventional approaches to controlling the disease have been ineffective, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers are developing a genetically altered mosquito that one day could be added to the arsenal in the war against the disease.

Researchers discover novel gene that may suppress colon cancer

15 May 2004 - Case Western Reserve University By discovery of a novel gene, medical researchers have taken a step toward better understanding and perhaps earlier detection and improved chance of cure of 40 percent of human colon cancers.

Definitive evidence: not smoking and exercise lead to longer lives for seniors

24 April 2004 - Case Western Reserve University CWRU researchers have reported the first definitive evidence that exercising and not smoking leads to a longer life in adults over the age of 75. The findings came from a controlled analysis of the first eight years of data collected in a National Institute on Aging-supported, longitudinal study of 1,000 adults over the age of 75, living in two retirement communities in Clearwater, Fla.

Premature babies grow to lower IQs, fewer risks

04 January 2004 - Case Western Reserve University Babies weighing less than two pounds at birth are more likely to have lower IQs and fail to graduate from high schools or enroll in four-year colleges as young adults, but they are less likely to use alcohol or drugs or become pregnant.

CWRU improving design of artificial joint replacements

30 October 2003 - Case Western Reserve University Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Exponent, a leading engineering and science-consulting firm in Philadelphia, are working to improve the wear and performance of artificial joints made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The team uses high-power computing techniques, advanced mathematical models, and load-bearing tests to investigate the performance of the plastic in total joint replacements and aims to uncover how the damage that occurs to the plastic progresses.

Researchers create tiny cancer drug delivery device

21 July 2003 - Case Western Reserve University Biomedical engineers and physicians at CWRU and University Hospitals of Cleveland have created an innovative drug delivery device, a biodegradable polymer rod smaller than the tip of a lead pencil, to help treat liver cancer.

Chemist unlocks mysteries of cholesterol, heart disease

03 March 2003 - Case Western Reserve University Graffiti on a building's wall can be a nuisance, but the kind sticking to proteins in the blood can be used as a new indicator for cardiovascular disease.

CWRU researchers create electronic nose to detect hazards

12 January 2003 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University physicists and engineers are designing an 'electronic nose' that will sniff out, without sounding an alarm, nerve gas and other chemicals used in warfare or terrorism.

CWRU researchers demystify protein at root of osteoarthritis

23 July 2002 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University researchers have discovered kinks in aggrecan, a widely studied protein at the submolecular root of arthritis, a finding that brings scientists closer toward new drugs and other interventions to prevent or alleviate the disease.

Drug delivery device to help treat cardiovascular disease

23 July 2002 - Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University researchers are developing an innovative drug delivery device to help treat cardiovascular disease. 'Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S., particularly for men who die of strokes and heart attacks brought on by blocked or closed arteries,' said Roger Marchant, the lead researcher on the study and professor in the department of biomedical engineering at CWRU. '

Three-dimensional structure of a protein that may open door to development of highly specific cell killer

09 April 2002 - Case Western Reserve University CWRU researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of a protein that may open the door to the development of a highly specific cell killer and a new generation of antibiotics

Researchers find tobacco has negative effects on motor development

01 April 2002 - Case Western Reserve University Scientists know the effects of cocaine on the adult brain and cardiovascular systems. Now there is a growing body of research documenting the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on infants, which is raising public health concerns about the long-term cognitive and developmental outcomes for these children.

Bacteria, not worms are the main cause of River Blindness

31 March 2002 - Case Western Reserve University River blindness, a devastating tropical disease that affects 18 million people in Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and Latin America, is caused by parasitic worms that burrow into the skin and release millions of tiny offspring that spread throughout the body. But, the worms themselves probably are not the main culprits behind the disease, says an international team of scientists led by Cleveland researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Researchers find link between cavities, ear infection

19 March 2002 - Case Western Reserve University Getting a baby weaned from the bottle may not only prevent tooth decay, but decrease the number of ear infections. In a preliminary study of 97 preschool children, researchers from Case Western Reserve University's School of Dentistry found that children with one or more cavities have higher numbers of ear infections than children with no caries (cavities). The association increases for younger children.

Study addresses disparity between African-American and white youths sentenced to detention facilities

12 March 2002 - Case Western Reserve University About one-third of Cuyahoga County's youths are African-American, yet during the 1990s they accounted for nearly three-fourths of those sent to state detention facilities.