ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, December 27, 2010
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Learning to read the genome: Most detailed annotation of fruit-fly genome points way to understanding all organisms' genomes (December 27, 2010) -- Scientists have recently made major advances in understanding the complex relationships between the Drosophila genome, as recorded by DNA and RNA base pairs, and the patterns and physical organization of its chromosomes. These insights into reading the genome will apply to many organisms, including human beings. ... > full story
Protein targeted to stop melanoma tumor growth (December 27, 2010) -- Halting the growth of melanoma tumors by targeting the MIC-1 protein that promotes blood vessel development in tumors may lead to better treatment of this invasive and deadly cancer, according to new research. ... > full story
Circulating tumor cells predicted recurrence, death in patients with early-stage breast cancer (December 27, 2010) -- The presence of one to four circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood of early-stage breast cancer patients almost doubled patient's risk of cancer relapse and death, and five or more CTCs increased recurrence by 400 percent and death by 300 percent, according to Phase III results of the SUCCESS trial. These cells were found in patients after surgery but before chemotherapy treatment. ... > full story
Treating women’s depression might help them lose weight (December 27, 2010) -- For many women coping with obesity and depression, new research finds that improving your mood might be the link to losing weight. ... > full story
New rule predicts risk of stroke, death from surgery that prevents it (December 27, 2010) -- It's a medical Catch-22: carotid artery surgery can itself cause stroke, but so can asymptomatic carotid disease if left untreated. Researchers have now developed a clinical risk prediction rule using factors such as sex, race and health history to assess the danger the surgery poses, while a modified version will help patients make a more fully informed choice about whether to have the procedure. ... > full story
Fighting cancer and steering immune reactions: New mechanism for reversible proteasome inhibition (December 27, 2010) -- In their function as cellular recycling plants, proteasomes fulfill a life-sustaining role in all cells -- including cancer cells. When the proteasomes become inhibited, cells suffocate in their own waste. A recently discovered reversible proteasome inhibition may provide the key to more specific anti-cancer drugs and to controlling rejection reactions in transplantations. ... > full story
Poor breast cancer prognosis associated with presence of circulating tumor, cancer stem cells (December 27, 2010) -- Metastatic breast cancer patients whose blood contains circulating tumor cells before or after treatment with high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplant have shorter survival periods, according to a new study. ... > full story
Recovering from job loss: Most report few long-term psychological effects, study finds (December 27, 2010) -- Losing a job is a profoundly distressing experience, but the unemployed may be more resilient than previously believed -- the vast majority eventually end up as satisfied with life as they were before they lost their jobs, according to a new analysis. ... > full story
Part of brain that suppresses instinct identified (December 26, 2010) -- New research is revealing which regions in the brain fire up when we suppress an automatic behavior such as the urge to look at other people in an elevator. Researchers showed -- for the first time -- an increase in signal from the left inferior frontal cortex when study participants were confronted by a conflict between an image and a word superimposed on the image. ... > full story
Mammalian aging process linked to overactive cellular pathway (December 26, 2010) -- Researchers have linked hyperactivity in the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 cellular pathway to reduced ketone production in the liver, which is a well-defined physiological trait of aging in mice. During sleep or other times of low carbohydrate intake, the liver converts fatty acids to ketones, which are vital sources of energy during fasting, especially for the heart and brain. As animals age, their ability to produce ketones in response to fasting declines. ... > full story
Powerful new defibrillator: Minimally invasive surgeries mean smaller scars, quicker recovery (December 26, 2010) -- St. Michael's Hospital has become the first in Ontario to implant a small but powerful new defibrillator into a patient's chest. The defibrillator – about the size of a Zippo lighter – is the smallest available in terms of surface area and can deliver the highest level of energy, 40 joules. ... > full story
Robotic surgery for head and neck cancer shows promise (December 26, 2010) -- Less-invasive robotic surgery for upper airway and digestive track malignant tumors is as effective as other minimally invasive surgical techniques based on patient function and survival, according to researchers. ... > full story
Potential target for breast cancer therapy (December 26, 2010) -- Overexpression or hyperactivation of ErbB cell-surface receptors drives the growth of many breast cancers. Drugs, like Herceptin, that block the receptors' signals halt tumor progression in some patients. However, not all patients' tumors respond, with some becoming resistant over time. Researchers found a protein called P-Rex1 is crucial for signal transmission from ErbB receptors and is overexpressed in nearly 60 percent of breast cancer samples tested. ... > full story
Which comes first: Exercise-induced asthma or obesity? (December 26, 2010) -- Obese people are more likely to report exercise as a trigger for asthma. Of 673 people evaluated in a new study, 71 percent of participants reported exercise-induced asthma. ... > full story
Imagine your future self: Will it help you save money? (December 26, 2010) -- Why do people choose present consumption over their long-term financial interests? A new study finds that consumers have trouble feeling connected to their future selves. ... > full story
Preplay: How past experiences subconsciously influence behavior (December 24, 2010) -- Researchers report for the first time how animals' knowledge obtained through past experiences can subconsciously influence their behavior in new situations. ... > full story
Arsenic agent shuts down two hard-to-treat cancers in animal experiments (December 24, 2010) -- Researchers have found that an arsenic-based agent already FDA-approved for a type of leukemia may be helpful in another hard-to-treat cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma (ES). The research, based on animal studies, also suggests the drug might be beneficial in treating medulloblastoma, a highly malignant pediatric brain cancer. ... > full story
Emerging drug class may enhance red blood cell production in anemic patients (December 24, 2010) -- By determining how corticosteroids act to increase production of red blood cell progenitors, researchers have identified a class of drugs that may be beneficial in treating some erythropoietin-resistant anemias. One such anemia is Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), which is frequently treated with corticosteroids, despite their severe side-effects. The identified class of drugs may be able to treat other anemias, including those resulting from trauma, sepsis, malaria, kidney dialysis and chemotherapy. ... > full story
Site in brain where leptin may trigger puberty identified (December 24, 2010) -- Researchers have pinpointed a tiny site in the brain where the hormone leptin may help trigger the onset of puberty. ... > full story
Fast sepsis test can save lives (December 24, 2010) -- Blood poisoning can be fatal. If you suffer from sepsis, you used to have to wait as much as 48 hours for laboratory findings. A new diagnostic platform as big as a credit card will now supply the analysis after as little as an hour. This system is based on nanoparticles that are automatically guided by magnetic forces. ... > full story
Alzheimer's: Tau disrupts neural communication prior to neurodegeneration (December 24, 2010) -- A new study is unraveling the earliest events associated with neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal accumulation of tau protein. The research reveals how tau disrupts neuronal communication at synapses and may help to guide development of therapeutic strategies that precede irreversible neuronal degeneration. ... > full story
You are what your father ate, too: Paternal diet affects lipid metabolizing genes in offspring, research suggests (December 24, 2010) -- We aren't just what we eat; we are what our parents ate, too. That's an emerging idea that is bolstered by a new study showing that mice sired by fathers fed on a low-protein diet show distinct and reproducible changes in the activity of key metabolic genes in their livers. Those changes occurred despite the fact that the fathers never saw their offspring. ... > full story
Protein involved in early steps of melanoma development revealed (December 24, 2010) -- A protein required for early stages of melanoma development can also predict melanoma outcome, according to new research. ... > full story
Designer probiotics could reduce obesity (December 23, 2010) -- Specially designed probiotics can modulate the physiology of host fat cells say scientists. The findings could lead to specialized probiotics that have a role in the prevention or treatment of conditions such as obesity. ... > full story
How cells running on empty trigger fuel recycling (December 23, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered how AMPK, a metabolic master switch that springs into gear when cells run low on energy, revs up a cellular recycling program to free up essential molecular building blocks in times of need. ... > full story
Simple screen can help isolate virulent parts of pathogenic bacteria gene structures (December 23, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new approach to studying potentially deadly disease-causing bacteria which could help speed up the process of finding vaccines. The scientists have pioneered a simple screen which can help isolate the virulent parts of the gene structures of pathogenic bacteria. The screen allows researchers to simultaneously run thousands of tests where genes from the pathogen are pitted against the human blood cells that normally attack them. ... > full story
Shouldering family demands and worries bumps up angina risk (December 23, 2010) -- Shouldering family demands and worries seems to increase the risk of angina, the precursor to coronary artery disease, reveals new research. ... > full story
'Un-growth hormone' increases longevity, researchers find (December 23, 2010) -- A compound which acts in the opposite way as growth hormone can reverse some of the signs of aging, a research team has shown. The finding may be counter-intuitive to some older adults who take growth hormone, thinking it will help revitalize them. ... > full story
Invention could improve cancer drug delivery, lessen harmful effects of chemotherapy (December 23, 2010) -- A new invention may provide a way to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer tissues in controlled doses without harming healthy body cells. ... > full story
Complementary medicines can be dangerous for children, experts say (December 23, 2010) -- Complementary medicines can be dangerous for children and can even prove fatal, if substituted for conventional medicine, indicates an audit of kids' CAM treatment. ... > full story
Does equality increase status spending? (December 23, 2010) -- People are happier when goods are more equally distributed, but equality makes people want to spend more to get ahead of their neighbors, according to a new study. ... > full story
Placebos work -- even without deception (December 23, 2010) -- Patients who were knowingly given placebos for irritable bowel syndrome experienced significant symptom relief when compared with controls who were given nothing. ... > full story
Breakthrough in melanoma research: Protein suppresses progression of melanoma (December 23, 2010) -- In a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for patients with malignant melanoma, researchers have discovered that a particular protein suppresses the progression of melanoma through regulation of an oncogene, or gene responsible for cancer growth. ... > full story
Some cancer drugs may block cellular 'cross talk' but not kill cancer cells (December 23, 2010) -- A class of drugs thought to kill cancer cells may in fact block "cross talk" between the cancer cell and normal immune cells, resulting in reduced cancer growth and spread -- a discovery that could significantly alter the way cancer drugs are evaluated in the future. ... > full story
Measuring fatigue through the voice: Speech 'flattens' after 24 hours awake (December 23, 2010) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a new method to analyze the effect of fatigue on the central nervous system. They describe how sustained wakefulness slows speech and diminishes variations in pitch and tone -- findings relevant to public safety officials, military leaders, and employers concerned with fatigue among their workers. ... > full story
Discovery suggests a new way to prevent HIV from infecting human cells (December 23, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered how HIV binds to and destroys a specific human antiviral protein called APOBEC3F. ... > full story
Eating less healthy fish may contribute to America's stroke belt (December 23, 2010) -- People living in the "stroke belt" states eat more fried fish than people living in the rest of the country, which may contribute to the high rate of death from stroke in those states, according to a new study. ... > full story
Scientist uncovers switch controlling protein production (December 23, 2010) -- Scientist have discovered a molecular switch that controls the synthesis of ribosomes. Ribosomes are the large machineries inside all living cells that produce proteins, the basic working units of any cell. These new findings offer a novel target for potential treatments for a range of diseases, including cancer. ... > full story
When will runners and swimmers reach their physical limit? (December 23, 2010) -- Running and swimming records are broken again and again at almost every international athletics event, But, can human performance continue to improve indefinitely? Will runners continue to accelerate off the starting blocks and reach the finish line in faster and faster times? Will swimmers always be able to dive into the record books with a quicker kick? ... > full story
Component in common dairy foods may cut diabetes risk, study suggests (December 23, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a natural substance in dairy fat that may substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Most common adult brain cancer linked to gene deletion, doctors say (December 23, 2010) -- A new study has identified an important gene deletion in up to one of every four cases of glioblastoma, the most common adult brain cancer. This deletion contributes to tumor development, promotes resistance to therapy and considerably worsens a patient's survival prospects. ... > full story
Photons vs. protons for treatment of spinal cord gliomas (December 23, 2010) -- A study comparing the long-term outcomes of patients with spinal-cord tumors following radiation therapy suggests that certain subsets of patients have better long-term survival, and that photon-based radiation therapy may result in better survival than proton-beam therapy, even in patients with more favorable characteristics. ... > full story
New annotated database sifts through mountains of sequencing data to find gene promoters (December 23, 2010) -- Researchers announce the release of an online tool that will help scientists find "gene promoters" -- regions along a DNA strand that tell a cell's transcription machinery where to start reading in order to create a particular protein. The Mammalian Promoter Database (MPromDb) integrates sequencing data generated at Wistar with publicly available data on human and mouse genomics. MPromDb pinpoints known promoters and predicts where new ones are likely to be found. ... > full story
Why do risks with human characteristics make powerful consumers feel lucky? (December 23, 2010) -- People who feel powerful are more likely to believe they can beat cancer if it's described in human terms, according to new study. ... > full story
Study on effects of resveratrol and quercetin on inflammation and insulin resistance (December 23, 2010) -- A study was carried out to examine the extent to which quercetin and trans-resveratrol prevented inflammation or insulin resistance in primary cultures of human adipocytes treated with tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) -- an inflammatory cytokine elevated in the plasma and adipose tissue of obese, diabetic individuals. ... > full story
Young female chimpanzees treat sticks as dolls: Growing evidence of biological basis for gender-specific play in humans (December 22, 2010) -- Researchers have reported some of the first evidence that chimpanzee youngsters in the wild may tend to play differently depending on their sex, just as human children around the world do. Scientists say female chimpanzees appear to treat sticks as dolls, carrying them around until they have offspring of their own. Young males engage in such behavior much less frequently. ... > full story
Genome-wide hunt reveals links to abnormal rhythms behind sudden death, heart damage (December 22, 2010) -- A study among almost 50,000 people worldwide has identified DNA sequence variations linked with the heart's electrical rhythm in several surprising regions among 22 locations across the human genome. ... > full story
Immunity in emerging species of a major mosquito carrer of malaria (December 22, 2010) -- A new study suggests that the mosquitoes' immune response to malaria parasites, mediated by a gene called TEP1, is one of the traits that differ between two evolving species of Anopheles gambiae. ... > full story
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