ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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New drug target for prion diseases, 'mad cow' (January 11, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that plasminogen, a protein used by the body to break up blood clots, speeds up the progress of prion diseases such as mad cow disease. ... > full story
Steering cancer inflammation to inhibit tumor growth and spread (January 11, 2011) -- Most cancer tissues are invaded by inflammatory cells that either stimulate or inhibit the growth of the tumor, depending on what immune cells are involved. Now a Swedish-Belgian research team has shown that a protein that naturally occurs in the body, HRG, inhibits tumor growth and metastasis into secondary organs by activating specific immune cells. ... > full story
Abstinence, heavy drinking, binge drinking associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment (January 11, 2011) -- Previous research regarding the association between alcohol consumption and dementia or cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to moderate alcohol consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of the research has been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the start of the follow-up. A new study addresses this problem with a follow-up of more than two decades. ... > full story
Couch potatoes beware: Too much time spent watching TV is harmful to heart health (January 11, 2011) -- Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets, according to a new study. ... > full story
H1N1 pandemic flu points to vaccine strategy for multiple flu strains (January 11, 2011) -- Using blood samples from patients infected with the 2009 H1N1 strain, researchers developed antibodies that could bind H1N1 viruses from the last decade, as well as the 1918 flu virus and even H5N1. Some of the antibodies protected mice from a lethal viral dose, even 60 hours post-infection. The antibodies could help researchers in designing a vaccine against a wide spectrum of flu viruses. ... > full story
Less invasive techniques help manage complications of severe pancreatic disease (January 11, 2011) -- The use of combined treatments for severe acute pancreatitis is safe and effective in managing the disease, resulting in shorter hospitalizations and fewer radiological procedures than standard therapy, according to a new study. In a related study, doctors found that patients with infected pancreatic necrosis were able to avoid surgery through primary conservative treatment, which is in-patient medical treatment. ... > full story
For non-whites, geography plays key role in colon cancer screening; Race, ethnicity only part of equation, research finds (January 11, 2011) -- New research has found that whether a person gets screened for colon cancer often depends on where they live in addition to their race or ethnicity. ... > full story
Gesturing while talking helps change your thoughts (January 10, 2011) -- Sometimes it's almost impossible to talk without using your hands. These gestures seem to be important to how we think. They provide a visual clue to our thoughts and, a new theory suggests, may even change our thoughts by grounding them in action. ... > full story
'UnZIPPING' zinc protects hippocampal neurons (January 10, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that zinc enters cells through specialized protein gates known as ZIP transporters, and removing these ZIP proteins from cells in the hippocampus (an area of the brain that facilitates storing and retrieving memory) significantly protects them from injury. ... > full story
Mosquito nets do not work everytime, researchers find (January 10, 2011) -- Long-lasting insecticidal nets have yielded an important breakthrough in malaria prevention, but this does not automatically mean they always work against diseases transmitted by insect bites. Against the transmission of kala-azar disease in India and Nepal, they did not have an effect, researchers have found. ... > full story
With proper planning, selective rather than mass vaccination can reduce spread of flu, say physicists (January 10, 2011) -- During outbreaks of the flu, hospitals often reporting overcrowding, and doctors advise people who have not yet been vaccinated against flu to get their shots. Surprisingly, however, three physicists have developed an unconventional, theoretical strategy for intensive but limited vaccination against infectious diseases (such as flu) that would replace the practice of mass inoculation over a prolonged period. The physicists developed their theory using a technique borrowed from quantum mechanics. ... > full story
Children in formal child care have better language skills, Norwegian study finds (January 10, 2011) -- Fewer children who attend regular formal center- and family-based child care at 1.5 years and 3 years of age were late talkers compared with children who are looked after at home by a parent, child-carer or in an outdoor nursery, according to a new Norwegian study of nearly 20,000 children. ... > full story
Cancer in a single catastrophe: Chromosome crisis common in cancer causation (January 10, 2011) -- Cancer is most often considered to be the result of accumulation of mutations over time -- often over years. Researchers have found that in one in 40 cases, chromosomes explode in a single event, creating hundreds of fragments and many mutations. The new process is particularly common in bone cancers. Although the cause of the shattered chromosomes is not known, the team suggest possible mechanisms to be studied. ... > full story
'Long-shot' discovery may lead to advances in treating anxiety, memory disorders (January 10, 2011) -- A "long shot" discovery holds promise for treating post traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, and perhaps Alzheimer's disease and other memory impairment diseases. The researchers have discovered what may a completely unexplored drug target for the treatment of anxiety disorders. ... > full story
Induced pluripotent stem cells from fetal skin cells and embryonic stem cells display comparable potential for derivation of hepatocytes (January 10, 2011) -- Numerous patients suffering from chronic liver diseases are currently receiving inadequate treatment due to the lack of organs donated for transplantation. However, hepatocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could offer an alternative for the future. Scientists compared hepatocytes from embryonic stem cells with hepatocytes from iPS cells and found that their gene expression is very similar. ... > full story
Watch out for that boom: With the America's Cup destination decided, timely study identifies sailing injuries (January 10, 2011) -- Just as the site for the 2013 America's Cup has been announced, a new study highlights that the sport isn't always smooth sailing. Through an on-line survey completed by sailors, researchers have pieced together a report of the injuries that occur on two types of boats -- dinghies (small boats with crews of one or two) and keel boats (larger boats like those used in the America's Cup races with a crew of up to 16). ... > full story
Extreme obesity associated with higher risk of death for 2009 H1N1 patients (January 10, 2011) -- For those infected with the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus, extreme obesity was a powerful risk factor for death, according to an analysis of a public health surveillance database. In a new study, researchers associated extreme obesity with a nearly three-fold increased odds of death from 2009 H1N1 influenza. Half of Californians greater than 20 years of age hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 were obese. ... > full story
When less is more: How mitochondrial signals extend lifespan (January 10, 2011) -- In making your pro-longevity resolutions, like drinking more red wine and maintaining a vibrant social network, here's one you likely forgot: dialing down your mitochondria. It turns out that slowing the engines of these tiny cellular factories could extend your life-an observation relevant not only to aging research but to our understanding of how cells communicate with each another. ... > full story
Treating fractures: Children are not miniature adults, researchers caution (January 10, 2011) -- Treating fractures in children requires special knowledge of growth physiology. Incorrect treatment of bone fractures in child and adolescent patients is less often caused by technical deficiencies than by a misjudgment of the special conditions in this age group. Using the example of treating fractures of the upper limb, researchers in Germany report what should be borne in mind when diagnosing and treating fractures in children, and providing aftercare. They point out possible therapeutic errors and outline strategies to avoid these. ... > full story
Genetic mutation responsible for 'gigantism' disease -- or acromegaly -- identified (January 10, 2011) -- An international research team has identified the genetic mutation responsible for a disease known as "gigantism" or acromegaly. ... > full story
Double doses of chicken pox vaccine most effective, researchers find (January 10, 2011) -- When vaccinating children against varicella (chicken pox), researchers have found, two doses are better than one. In fact, the odds of developing chicken pox were 95 percent lower in children who had received two doses of the vaccine compared with those who had received only one dose. ... > full story
Antibiotic resistance is not just genetic (January 10, 2011) -- Genetic resistance to antibiotics is not the only trick bacteria use to resist eradication -- they also have a second defense strategy known as persistence that can kick in. Researchers have now demonstrated for the first time that interplay occurs between the two mechanisms to aid bacterial survival. The findings could lead to novel, effective approaches to treat multi-drug resistant infections. ... > full story
From dusty punch cards, new insights into link between cholesterol and heart disease (January 10, 2011) -- A stack of punch cards from a landmark study published in 1966, and the legwork to track down the study's participants years later, has yielded the longest analysis of the effects of lipoproteins on coronary heart disease. The study tracked almost 1,900 people over a 29-year period, which is nearly three times longer than other studies that examine the link between different sizes of high-density lipoprotein particles and heart disease. ... > full story
Most consumers want predictive tests to learn if a disease is in their future (January 10, 2011) -- Consumers may place a high value on information to predict their future health, and may be willing to pay out of pocket to get it. In a national survey, roughly 76 percent of people indicated that they would take a hypothetical predictive test to find out if they will later develop Alzheimer's disease, breast or prostate cancer or arthritis. ... > full story
Link between signaling molecules could point way to therapies for epilepsy, stroke, other diseases (January 10, 2011) -- The finding that two molecules communicate to regulate electrical and chemical activity in nerve cells could be a passport to novel therapies for epilepsy and other diseases. ... > full story
Liver disease a possible predictor of stroke (January 10, 2011) -- People suffering from fatty liver disease may be three times more likely to suffer a stroke than individuals without fatty liver, according to a new study. The study is the first to find a link between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- a disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver in non drinkers -- and stroke. ... > full story
Extracting cellular 'engines' may aid in understanding mitochondrial diseases (January 10, 2011) -- Medical researchers who crave a means of exploring the genetic culprits behind a host of neuromuscular disorders may have just had their wish granted by a research team that has performed surgery on single cells to extract and examine their mitochondria. ... > full story
Brain scans show children with ADHD have faulty off-switch for mind-wandering (January 10, 2011) -- Brain scans of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have shown for the first time why people affected by the condition sometimes have such difficulty in concentrating. The study may explain why parents often say that their child can maintain concentration when they are doing something that interests them, but struggles with boring tasks. ... > full story
Measles viral protein movement described (January 10, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that proteins on the surface of a cell twist a viral protein into position, allowing the virus to start infection and cause disease, all in a movement as graceful as a ballroom dance. ... > full story
Herpes virus' tactical maneuver visualized in 3-D (January 10, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have developed a 3-D picture of a herpes virus protein interacting with a key part of the human cellular machinery, enhancing our understanding of how it hijacks human cells to spread infection and opening up new possibilities for stepping in to prevent or treat infection. This discovery uncovers one of the many tactical maneuvers employed by the virus. ... > full story
Cellular power plants' 'import business' revealed (January 10, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have discovered a new signaling path in cells: a mechanism which enables the transport of proteins into mitochondria to be adjusted depending on the current metabolic state of the cell. ... > full story
Babies process language in a grown-up way (January 9, 2011) -- Combining the cutting-edge technologies of MRI and MEG, scientists show that babies just over a year old process words they hear with the same brain structures as adults, and in the same amount of time. Moreover, the researchers found that babies were not merely processing the words as sounds, but were capable of grasping their meaning. ... > full story
First drug to treat Fragile X? (January 9, 2011) -- The first drug to treat the underlying disorder instead of the symptoms of Fragile X, the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability, shows some promise, according to a new study. ... > full story
Proteins need chaperones: Newly discovered processes in production of proteins described (January 9, 2011) -- Why does a chaperone sitting at the end of the ribosomal tunnel need to possess characteristics that can influence the chromatin structure in the nucleus? Scientists are now a step closer to answering this question. ... > full story
More than 3,000 survivors of the World Trade Center attacks experience long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (January 9, 2011) -- Nearly 10 years after the destruction of the World Trade Center towers there has been little research documenting the attacks' consequences among the survivors. Researchers have now found that of the 3,271 civilians who evacuated the Twin Towers, 95.6 percent of survivors reported at least one current post-traumatic stress symptom and 15 percent screened positive for PTSD, two to three years after the disaster. ... > full story
More evidence that malaria drug could help combat cancer, and that breaks from treatment could improve results (January 7, 2011) -- Scientists investigating the cancer-fighting properties of artesunate – a drug commonly used to treat malaria – have found early evidence that combining it with an existing cancer drug has the potential to make each drug more effective than when used alone. ... > full story
Potential new anti-cancer mechanism (January 7, 2011) -- Scientists have succeeded in decoding a potential new anti-cancer mechanism. The researchers discovered that normalizing abnormal tumor blood vessels through HRG (histidine-rich glycoprotein) prevents metastasis of tumor cells and enhances chemotherapy efficiency. ... > full story
Evidence lacking for widespread use of costly antipsychotic drugs, study suggests (January 7, 2011) -- Many prescriptions for the top-selling class of drugs, known as atypical antipsychotic medications, lack strong evidence that the drugs will actually help, a new study has found. Yet, drugs in this class may cause such serious effects as weight gain, diabetes and heart disease, and cost Americans billions of dollars. ... > full story
High dietary fat, cholesterol linked to increased risk of breast cancer (January 7, 2011) -- Elevated fat and cholesterol levels found in a typical American-style diet play an important role in the growth and spread of breast cancer, say researchers. ... > full story
IVF breakthrough to hit the world market (January 7, 2011) -- An Australian reproductive biologist has achieved a major breakthrough in IVF technology that is expected to help millions of women around the world who have suffered previous miscarriages after IVF treatment. ... > full story
Health chip gives instant diagnoses (January 7, 2011) -- Soon, your family doctor will no longer have to send blood or cancer cell samples to the laboratory. A little chip will give her test results on the spot. ... > full story
Blood test for Alzheimer's disease? (January 7, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a novel technology that is able to detect the presence of immune molecules specific to Alzheimer's disease in patients' blood samples. While still preliminary, the findings offer clear proof that this breakthrough technology could be used in the development of biomarkers for a range of human diseases. ... > full story
Perception of our heartbeat influences our body image (January 7, 2011) -- A new study suggests that the way we experience the internal state of our body may also influence how we perceive our body from the outside, as for example in the mirror. ... > full story
Tomatoes found to contain nutrient which prevents vascular diseases (January 7, 2011) -- They are the most widely produced fruit in the world, and now scientists in Japan have discovered that tomatoes contain a nutrient which could tackle the onset of vascular diseases. The research reveals that an extracted compound, 9-oxo-octadecadienoic, has anti-dyslipidemic affects. ... > full story
Standing tall is key for success: 'Powerful postures' may trump title and rank (January 7, 2011) -- New research suggests that posture plays an important role in determining whether people act as though they are really in charge. The research finds that "posture expansiveness," or positioning oneself in a way that opens up the body and takes up space, activates a sense of power that produces behavioral changes in a person independent of their actual rank or hierarchical role in an organization. ... > full story
Stem cell discovery could lead to improved bone marrow transplants (January 7, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a key molecule for establishing blood stem cells in their niche within the bone marrow. The findings may lead to improvements in the safety and efficiency of bone marrow transplants. ... > full story
Tablet splitting is a highly inaccurate and potentially dangerous practice, says drug study (January 7, 2011) -- Medical experts have issued a warning about the common practice of tablet splitting, after a study found that nearly a third of the split fragments deviated from recommended dosages by 15 percent or more. The study points out that the practice could have serious clinical consequences for tablets that have a narrow margin between therapeutic and toxic doses. And they are calling on manufacturers to produce greater dose options and liquid alternatives to make the practice unnecessary. ... > full story
Elevated rates of 'sarcoid-like' granulomatous pulmonary disease in World Trade Center responders (January 7, 2011) -- Researchers coordinating the largest clinical study to date of "sarcoid-like" granulomatous pulmonary disease in World Trade Center (WTC) responders have found that the rate of the condition was increased in this group as compared to the records of pre-9/11 FDNY personnel. ... > full story
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