(Karolinska Institutet) The normal aging process has long been linked to problems with cell respiration, the process through which the cells extract energy from nutrients. Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now shown how certain proteins that are synthesized in the cellular mitochondria -- popularly known as the cells' power plants -- become unstable and disintegrate, which in turn can impair cell respiration and cause premature aging.

Beside its well described role in the central and peripheral nervous system 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), commonly known as serotonin, is also a potent immuno-modulator. Serotoninergic receptors (5-HTR) are expressed by a broad range of inflammatory cell types, including dendritic cells (DCs).

(American Society of Plastic Surgeons) Migraine headaches are a drain -- not only on the estimated 30 million Americans who suffer from them, but on the economy, too. But according to a new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there is hope for severe and frequent migraine sufferers who can't find relief in conventional remedies.

(Wiley-Blackwell) Hepatitis C virus is a blood-borne disease that causes inflammation of the liver and to which there is currently no vaccine available. The World Health Organization estimates that 3 percent of the world's population, approximately 170 million people, are infected with HCV and it is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis, end stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation.

(Wellcome Trust) A new urine test developed with funding from the Wellcome Trust will allow doctors to diagnose chlamydia infection in men within the hour, improving the ability to successfully treat the infection on the spot and prevent re-transmission.