Gene therapy hope for Parkinson's An experimental treatment for Parkinson's that delivers billions of copies of a gene to the brain to calm overactive circuitry has had what researchers call 'extremely encouraging' results, with no side effects. The gene therapy aims to replicate the success of deep brain stimulation surgery, AP reports. The small study at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York focused on testing the safety of the procedure rather than its effectiveness, but the initial results are promising - practically eradicating all symptoms in one patient. Perk for morning sickness sufferers Women who suffer morning sickness may have as much as a 30 per cent lower risk of breast cancer later in life - and the worse and longer-lasting the symptoms, the lower the risk. A survey of almost 3,000 women by State University of New York researchers found that morning sickness was the only pregnancy-related factor that appeared to have a significant effect on the incidence of breast cancer, Reuters reports. Family pecking order affects IQ First-born sons typically have higher IQs than their brothers - almost certainly because of their social status in the family, a Norwegian study of more than 240,000 men has found. The 2.3 IQ point advantage, on average, holds true for boys with an older brother or brothers who died within 12 months - meaning they were raised as if they were the first born. Second-born brothers beat third-borns by 1.1 points on average, Reuters reports. University of Oslo researchers say the IQ differences are larger in small families, and vanish with greater age gaps. Similar differences are likely with girls, they say. Burning issue of sun protection Most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher offer inadequate protection or have safety issues, according to a study of more than 780 products by a US consumer watchdog. The Environmental Working Group says it would recommend only about one in six of the sunscreens and that almost 40 should be avoided, WebMD reports. Herb helps in cold prevention Echinacea, a medicinal herb used by the Sioux Indians, can lower the risk of catching a cold by more than half - although researchers say they're still not sure how or why it works. And when combined with vitamin C, it reduces the incidence of cold by 86 per cent, a wide- scale study by the University of Connecticut has found. Echinacea refers to as many as nine daisy-like plant species that are native to North America and were used by the natives against infection, snakebites and rabies, AFP reports. The three major ingredients are alkamides, chicoric acid and polysaccharides, but it's unclear whether they work separately, together or with other constituents to stimulate the immune system.
