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For most of the time since the first description of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1868, the causes of this disabling disease have remained uncertain. Genes have been identified as important, which is why having other family members with MS is associated with a greater risk of developing the disease. A recent study my colleagues and I conducted found that several types of infection during the teenage years are associated with MS after age 20. Our study didn't investigate whether people who are more likely to have genetic risks for MS were also more likely to have worse infections. This might...

On MTV’s newest series, ’Lip Locked,’ the premise is simple: Can the chemistry between couples be tested by seeing if they can identify a loved one from a lineup based solely on a kiss..?"Whether they’re dating, besties, or even in the friend zone, this test won’t be easy for ANYONE!"-blares the show's carnival-barking promoters. Meh, simple enough, not really evil from just that, maybe. But there's more: The male contestant to be tested is GAY, and not just a faint whiff of Liberace, either. And the unknown ringer girls (?) to be kissed are all from different ethnicities. The kisses?...

A far-reaching study conducted by scientists at Cincinnati Children's reports that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)—best known for causing mononucleosis—also increases the risks for some people of developing seven other major diseases. Those diseases are: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes. Combined, these seven diseases affect nearly 8 million people in the U.S. Overall, the study sheds new light on how environmental factors, such as viral or bacterial infections, poor diet, pollution or other hazardous exposures, can interact with the human genetic blueprint...

A schoolgirl suffered multiple organ failure and four heart attacks just days after doctors sent her home with paracetamol and told her to take 'plenty of rest', an inquest heard. Amy Carter, 15, begged doctors not to discharge her, telling them 'I'm dying' but medics assured her she would be fine. She developed septicaemia after being released by doctors who had diagnosed her with glandular fever. Two days later on Christmas Eve, Amy - who had not been able to eat for 19 days and weighed just six stone - was taken to hospital and died hours later. Amy was...

The authenticity of the Blarney Stone, kissed by about 400,000 tourists a year, has been questioned by Mark Samuel, an archaeologist and architectural historian, and Kate Hamlyn in a new book... the authors say the present stone only came into use in 1888 -- for health and safety reasons. Up until then, those wishing to place their lips on the stone had to be dangled from the castle by two people holding their ankles. Today those wishing to ensure they will never be tongue tied lie on their back and, holding on to an iron railing, lean backwards from the...