ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, October 1, 2010
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Molecular On-off Switches for Cancer and Autoimmunity Defined (October 1, 2010) -- A new report offers hope in the search for new cancer drugs. By examining the seemingly conflicting roles of how oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes handle cellular stress, scientists argue that these opposing systems could be potent cancer drug targets. In addition, their hypothesis provides new insights into what contributes to immunological disorders such as chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. ... > full story
Dog ownership is associated with reduced eczema in children with dog allergies (October 1, 2010) -- Children with eczema have a greater risk of developing asthma and food allergies. The number of children with eczema is rising, but the reasons are unclear. A new study examines the relationship between pet ownership and eczema. Researchers found that dog ownership among children with dog allergies may reduce the risk of developing eczema by age 4 years; cat ownership, however, may increase the risk among children with cat allergies. ... > full story
Mammography significantly lowers death rate in women 40-49 (October 1, 2010) -- The landmark breast cancer screening study of women 40-49 has proven that annual mammography screening of women in their 40s reduces the breast cancer death rate in these women by nearly 30 percent. The results of this largest study ever conducted on women in this age group confirm that the use of the age of 50 as a threshold for breast cancer screening is scientifically unfounded. Women should begin getting annual mammograms at age 40. ... > full story
Alcohol consumers are becoming the norm in U.S., analysis finds (October 1, 2010) -- More people are drinking than 20 years ago, according to an analysis of national alcohol consumption patterns in the United States. Gathered from more than 85,000 respondents, the data suggests that a variety of factors, including social, economic and ethnic influences and pressures, are involved in the increase. ... > full story
Increased risk of other cancers for relatives of women with early onset breast cancer (October 1, 2010) -- Close relatives of women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 35 years are at an increased risk of developing other cancers, according to a new study. ... > full story
Varying CRP levels in ethnic groups may affect statin eligibility, heart risk prediction (October 1, 2010) -- Average C-reactive protein (CRP) values vary in diverse populations -- possibly impacting how doctors estimate cardiovascular risk and determine statin treatment, according to a new study. ... > full story
Language barriers may play role in health care disparities, study finds (October 1, 2010) -- Researchers have found that individuals who do not speak English at home are less likely to receive colorectal cancer screenings (CRC) as compared to those who do speak English at home. ... > full story
Genome of mosquito that spreads West Nile virus sequenced (September 30, 2010) -- To understand the genetic makeup of the Culex mosquito, and how the insect is able to transmit this and other viruses, scientists have sequenced the genome of Culex quinquefasciatus, a representative of the Culex genus of mosquitoes. The genome could give scientists clues to target specific Culex genes involved in the transmission of West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis and other diseases. ... > full story
Brain chemical finding could open door to new schizophrenia drugs (September 30, 2010) -- New research has linked psychosis with an abnormal relationship between two signaling chemicals in the brain. The findings suggest a new approach to preventing psychotic symptoms, which could lead to better drugs for schizophrenia. ... > full story
Genital herpes vaccine ineffective in women, study suggests (September 30, 2010) -- An experimental vaccine intended to prevent genital herpes disease in women, although generally safe and well-tolerated, proved ineffective when tested in the recently concluded clinical study known as the Herpevac Trial for Women. ... > full story
A downside to work flexibility? (September 30, 2010) -- Is there a downside to schedule control at work? According to new research, people who have more schedule control at work tend to report more blurring of the boundaries between work and the other parts of their lives, especially family-related roles. ... > full story
Genetic alteration linked with human male infertility (September 30, 2010) -- One in seven couples worldwide has difficulty conceiving a child, and male infertility is thought to account for nearly half of those cases. Although the cause of male infertility is often unknown, scientists have now discovered a genetic alteration that disrupts sperm production in otherwise healthy men. The research provides new insight into one cause of male infertility. ... > full story
Surgery: No sponge left behind (September 30, 2010) -- Using the same technology found in clothing tags used in retail store tracking systems, a new study shows that surgical sponges with implanted radio frequency tags may be an effective adjunct to manual counting and X-ray detection in preventing sponges from being left behind in patients following a surgical procedure. ... > full story
Epigenomics discovery yields new information about fat cells (September 30, 2010) -- By creating a "map" of histone modifications in fat cells, investigators have discovered two new factors that regulate fat formation, a key step on the road to better understanding obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. ... > full story
TV viewing likely to make you feel dissatisfied and fear illness, researcher warns (September 30, 2010) -- Watching television and its heavy dose of medical content in news and drama can lead to more concern about personal health and reduce a person's satisfaction with life according to a new study. ... > full story
New method for generating human stem cells is remarkably efficient (September 30, 2010) -- The ability to efficiently generate patient-specific stem cells from differentiated cells and then reliably direct them to form specialized cells (like neurons or muscle) has tremendous therapeutic potential for replacing diseased or damaged tissues. However, despite some successes, there have been significant limitations associated with existing methods used to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells. ... > full story
Research examines vicious cycle of overeating and obesity (September 30, 2010) -- New research provides evidence of the vicious cycle created when an obese individual overeats to compensate for reduced pleasure from food. ... > full story
Impending death for paper coupons? (September 30, 2010) -- With digital coupons more readily available, researchers set out to understand how consumers are using them and what they think about the technology behind the promotions and services provided. ... > full story
Technique to reattach teeth using stem cells developed (September 30, 2010) -- A new approach to anchor teeth back in the jaw using stem cells has been developed and successfully tested in the laboratory for the first time. ... > full story
Maternal diet high in trans fats doubles risk of excess body fat in breastfed babies, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- A new study suggests that mothers who consume a diet high in trans fats double the likelihood that their infants will have high levels of body fat. ... > full story
Early life experience modifies gene vital to normal brain function (September 30, 2010) -- Early life stress, such as an extreme lack of parental affection, has lasting effects on a gene important to normal brain processes and also tied to mental disorders, according to a new animal study. ... > full story
For the first time, monkeys recognize themselves in the mirror, indicating self-awareness (September 30, 2010) -- A study shows that under specific conditions, a rhesus macaque monkey that normally would fail the mark test can still recognize itself in the mirror and perform actions that scientists would expect from animals that are self-aware. ... > full story
Chemotherapy alters brain tissue in breast cancer patients, researchers find (September 30, 2010) -- Researchers have published the first report using imaging to show that changes in brain tissue can occur in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. ... > full story
IV treatment may lower risk of dying from bacterial meningitis (September 30, 2010) -- New research shows that an intravenous treatment -- called dexamethasone -- may cut a person's risk of dying from bacterial meningitis. ... > full story
Nanotechnology brings personalized therapy one step closer to reality (September 30, 2010) -- A novel technology can make nanoscale protein measurements, which scientists can use in clinical trials to learn how drugs work. ... > full story
Less than half of essential workers willing to report to work during a serious pandemic, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Although first responders willingly put themselves in harm's way during disasters, new research indicates that they may not be as willing -- if the disaster is a potentially lethal pandemic. In a recent study, researchers found that more than 50 percent of the first responders and other essential workers they surveyed might be absent from work during a serious pandemic, even if they were healthy. ... > full story
'Giant' step toward explaining differences in height among people (September 30, 2010) -- An international collaboration of more than 200 institutions has identified hundreds of genetic variants that together account for about 10 percent of the inherited variation of height among people. ... > full story
Addition of immunotherapy boosts pediatric cancer survival in children with neuroblastoma (September 30, 2010) -- Administering a new form of immunotherapy to children with neuroblastoma, a nervous system cancer, increased the percentage of those who were alive and free of disease progression after two years, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and fellow institutions. ... > full story
Blueberries help fight artery hardening, lab animal study indicates (September 30, 2010) -- Blueberries may help fight atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, according to results of a preliminary study with laboratory mice. The research provides the first direct evidence that blueberries can help prevent harmful plaques or lesions, symptomatic of atherosclerosis, from increasing in size in arteries. ... > full story
Women treated for breast cancer while pregnant have improved survival, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that women treated for breast cancer while pregnant -- long associated with a worse outcome -- in fact have improved disease-free survival and a trend for improved overall survival compared to non-pregnant women treated for the disease. ... > full story
Father's incarceration associated with elevated risks of marijuana and other illegal drug use, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- In a new study, researchers report evidence of an association between father's incarceration and substantially elevated risks for illegal drug use in adolescence and early adulthood. ... > full story
First direct evidence that ADHD is a genetic disorder: Children with ADHD more likely to have missing or duplicated segments of DNA (September 30, 2010) -- New research provides the first direct evidence that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a genetic condition. Scientists in the UK found that children with ADHD were more likely to have small segments of their DNA duplicated or missing than other children. ... > full story
Strong link between diabetes and air pollution found in national U.S. study (September 30, 2010) -- A national U.S. epidemiologic study finds a strong, consistent correlation between adult diabetes and particulate air pollution that persists after adjustment for other risk factors like obesity and ethnicity, researchers report. The relationship was seen even at exposure levels below the current EPA safety limit. ... > full story
Women with triple negative breast cancer and BRCA mutations have lower risk of recurrence, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Patients with triple negative breast cancer that also have mutations in the BRCA gene appear to have a lower risk of recurrence, compared to those with the same disease without the deleterious genetic mutation, according to researchers. ... > full story
Diet when young affects future food responses (September 30, 2010) -- A high protein diet during development primes the body to react unhealthily to future food binges. A study on juvenile rats suggests that lasting changes result from altering the composition of the first solid food that is consumed throughout growth into early adulthood. ... > full story
Less chemotherapy works well for some childhood cancer, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- A particularly aggressive childhood cancer can be fought successfully with far less chemotherapy than previously believed, avoiding harmful side effects caused by cancer drugs. ... > full story
Swine flu patients benefited from taking Tamiflu, says study (September 30, 2010) -- Healthy people who caught swine flu during the 2009 pandemic may have been protected against developing radiographically (X-ray) confirmed pneumonia by taking the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), concludes a study of cases in China. ... > full story
Decrease in suicide not linked to newer antidepressants, Norwegian study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Many researchers have studied the relationship between the increase in sales of new antidepressants in recent decades and a simultaneous decline in the suicide rate. In a study based on figures from the Nordic countries, researchers in Norway found no evidence that increased sales of the new medicines could be linked to a lower suicide rate. The researchers also did not find any relationship between reduced sales of the older and more toxic antidepressants and a reduction in suicide rates. ... > full story
New key to tissue regeneration: Drug treatment triggers sodium ions to regrow nerves and muscle (September 29, 2010) -- Tufts biologists have regenerated spinal cord and muscle by triggering an influx of sodium ions into injured cells. The approach breaks new ground in biomedicine because it requires no gene therapy; can be administered after an injury has occurred; and is bioelectric, rather than chemically based. The treatment is most directly applicable to spinal cord repair and limb loss. Proof-of-principle may apply to many complex tissues. ... > full story
Research on killer HIV antibodies provides promising new ideas for vaccine design (September 29, 2010) -- New discoveries about the immune defenses of rare HIV patients who produce antibodies that prevent infection suggest a novel direction for designing new vaccines. ... > full story
Purifying proteins: Researchers use NMR to improve drug development (September 29, 2010) -- The purification of drug components is a large hurdle facing modern drug development. This is particularly true of drugs that utilize proteins, which are notoriously difficult to separate from other potentially deadly impurities. Scientists are using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to understand and improve an important protein purification process. ... > full story
Mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer in ages 40–49 years, Swedish study finds (September 29, 2010) -- Mammography examinations of women aged 40–49 reduce breast cancer mortality by 29%, a statistically significant reduction, according to a national study in Sweden. ... > full story
Dirty hands, dirty mouths: Study finds a need to clean the body part that lies (September 29, 2010) -- Apparently your mom had it right when she threatened to wash your mouth out with soap if you talked dirty. Lying really does create a desire to clean the "dirty" body part, according to a University of Michigan study. ... > full story
Evidence of post-stroke brain recovery discovered (September 29, 2010) -- The world's largest study using neuroimaging of stroke patients struggling to regain ability to communicate finds that brain cells outside the damaged area can take on new roles. ... > full story
Circulating tumor cells can provide 'real-time' information on patient's current disease state (September 29, 2010) -- Circulating tumor cells may be a promising alternative, noninvasive source of tumor materials for biomarker assessment, according to new data. ... > full story
Heartbreak puts the brakes on your heart (September 29, 2010) -- Social rejection isn't just emotionally upsetting; it also upsets your heart. A new study finds that being rejected by another person makes your heart rate drop for a moment. ... > full story
Key action of a gene linked to both Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes identified (September 29, 2010) -- A research team has identified the mechanism behind a single gene linked to the causes of both Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. The data show that a gene for a protein called SorCS1, which can cause type 2 diabetes, impacts the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Abeta) in the brain. Abeta plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Intrauterine devices can be used to treat endometrial cancer (September 29, 2010) -- Intrauterine devices, originally developed as contraceptives, can also be used to treat and even cure cancer of the endometrium according to new research. The finding opens the way for young women with the disease, which affects the lining of the womb, to be treated without the need for a hysterectomy, thus preserving their fertility until they have had all the children they want. ... > full story
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