Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in growing functional human blood vessels in mice using cells from adult human donors. The achievement is seen as an important step in developing clinical strategies to grow tissue vessels that may one day deliver oxygen-rich blood to damaged organs.

Researchers withdrew stem cells from the blood or bone marrow of adults or the umbilical cord blood of newborns. The cells were combined with two different types of progenitor cells in a culture dish of nutrients and growth factors. The cells were then implanted into mice with weakened immune systems

Children born prematurely are more likely to have medical and social disabilities in adulthood, new research says. The factors can hinder the preemies from getting a well-paid job and starting a family, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Over the last four decades, the advancement in medical science has led to better survival in premature babies but studies suggest that it may come at the cost of disabilities and hurdles in adult life

People with Alzheimer's who exercise regularly had less brain damage than those who did not exercise, a preliminary study suggests. The findings may indicate that staying physically fit could slow the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease and lead to development of a treatment, researchers hope.

Researchers from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City studied 57 people with early Alzheimer's. Their physical fitness was assessed by measuring their peak oxygen demand while on a treadmill, and brain shrinkage was estimated by MRI scans

Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is pushing a bill requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of treating children with autism. The governor wants insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year for treatments such as speech and occupational therapies for children with autism.

If the bill is passed, policies would also include the cost of psychiatric services. These costs would have to be paid until the child is 21-years old

Researchers studying more than 100 families linked to autism from the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan said they had identified at least six new genes that may provide families new hope for future treatment.

The finding, published in the July 11 issue of Science, shows that autism is not only caused by the deletion of some genes but also by turning off other genes. These genes cause disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience