Diabetes and obesity are major leading causes of death and disability across the world, together afflicting over 450 million individuals. These diseases are similar in that both are characterized by disruptions of nutrient balance within the body: diabetes results in elevated sugar levels in the blood, while obesity leads to an accumulation of fat in body tissues.

Researchers at Columbia University recently developed a method of cell migration, which has the ability to successfully regenerate cartilage cells in rabbits' joints. This discovery is significant as it provides the potential to repair and customize entire segments of joint tissue. Jeremy Mao published his group's findings online in The Lancet this July.

In the July 28th issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, new information was released regarding the correlation between the brain, low-calorie diets, and a longer lifespan. The study, involving a protein called SIRT1, was conducted by Shin-ichiro Imai, a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis.

A recent study showed that oral contraceptives (OC) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could protect against the formation of brain aneurysms and rupture of cerebral blood vessels in postmenopausal women. Researchers from Rush University presented their findings at the 7th annual meeting of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery in California.