Health Highlights: Nov. 1, 2007

The research to date "suggests that ISRS will be ready for use in disinfection and could provide treatments against some of the worst, often drug-resistant, bacterial and viral pathogens," study author Professor Kong-Thon Tsen said in a prepared statement.

Currently, ultraviolet (UV) rays are used to zap bacteria and viruses, but these types of rays often lead to cellular damage,CBC Newsreported.

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New Staining Techniques Produce "Brainbow"

Using the latest cell staining techniques to highlight neurons in up to 90 distinct colors, Harvard University researchers have created a vivid "brainbow" of brain tissues,BBC Newsreported.

This use of multiple fluorescent proteins to highlight specific areas could help research into the circuitry of the nervous system and improve understanding of brain wiring problems associated with a number of diseases. Until now, fluorescent labeling only had the capability of producing a few colors.

"In the same way that a television monitor mixes red, green, and blue to depict a wide array of colors, the combination of three or more fluorescent proteins in neurons can generate many hues," said researcher Dr. Jeff Lichtman.

"There are few tools neuroscientists can use to tease out the wiring diagram of the nervous system. Brainbow should help us much better map out the brain and the nervous system's complex tangle of neurons," said Lichtman,BBC Newsreported.

The research appears in the journalNature.

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U.S. Portion of Global Drug Sales to Decline in 2008: Report

Drug sales in the United States will decline from half of global sales two years ago to one-third of the worldwide market by 2008, says a new report released by the health care research firm IMS Health.