(November 19, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From London - According to an article in The Lancet, a woman has received the world's first trachea transplant that did not require the use of immunosuppressants. Scientists developed this personalized transplant by seeding a donor organ with the woman's own stem cells, which prevented her body from rejecting it. The patient is now enjoying a normal life and has shown no signs of rejection after 4 months.

From Pittsburgh - According to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a popular herbal supplement once thought to benefit memory and cognition has failed to show any effectiveness at preventing Alzheimer's disease. In a study of over 3,000 people, researchers found that 18% of those who took a twice-daily dose of the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba went on to develop dementia, compared to 16% of those who took placebo.

And finally, from the UK - According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, early diagnosis and treatment of HIV-infected infants can significantly reduce infant mortality and disease progression. In a study of nearly 400 infants, researchers found that initiating early antiretroviral therapy, that is, before clinical criteria were met, resulted in a 76% reduction in the infant mortality rate and a 75% reduction in HIV progression.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.