ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New report shows 15 million babies born too soon every year
• Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice
• Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease
• Alzheimer's drug fails to reduce significant agitation
• Aspirin and warfarin equally effective for most heart failure patients, study suggests
• Why underweight babies become obese: Study says disrupted hypothalamus is to blame
• Potential to revive abandoned cancer drug by nanoparticle drug delivery
• Why research should be 'hacked'
• Genetically modified T cell therapy appears to be safe, lasting in decade-long study of HIV patients
• After epic debate, avian flu research sees light of day
• ALS clinics start implanting breathing-assist device under new FDA approval
• NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Risk Explained
• Iceman mummy: 5,000-year-old red blood cells discovered -- oldest blood known to modern science
• New understanding of Alzheimer's trigger
• Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter
• Writing a landmark sequel to 'The Book of Life'
• Is green sheen on bacon harmful? Nitrites in bacon and other meats explored
• 'Thin red line' around breast cancer: Visualization shows why immune system fails to kill tumors in mice
• New path of origin for macrophages
• Brains wired for 'avalanches' -- and learning
• Freezing Parkinson's in its tracks
• Tiny channel cleanses blood
• Combination of two drugs reverses liver tumors, study suggests
• New hope for PAD sufferers
• Evidence of familial vulnerability for epilepsy and psychosis
• Increased fructose consumption may deplete cellular energy in patients with obesity and diabetes
• Is there a link between mood and glucose control in diabetes?
• New method quickly IDs nanomaterials that can cause oxidative damage to cells
• Stem cell therapy shows promise in fight against HIV
• Large-scale simulation of human blood is boon to personalized medicine
• Glycogen accumulation in neurons causes brain damage and shortens the lives of flies and mice
• Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage
• Understanding inflammatory responses: A small cut with a big impact
• Biophysics: Order in chaos
• Delirium mouse model helps researchers understand the condition's causes
• Hearing and touch have common genetic basis: Gene mutation leads to impairment of two senses
• Evidence that BMI has an independent and causal effect on heart disease risk
• New clues to how brain cancer cells migrate and invade
• Dental fillings that kill bacteria and re-mineralize the tooth
• Biosynthetic grape-derived compound prevents progression of Alzheimer’s disease in animal model
• Dopamine impacts your willingness to work
• Sharpening our understanding of memories
• Blood pressure drugs linked with lower PTSD symptoms
• Smart gas sensors for better chemical detection

New report shows 15 million babies born too soon every year Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT The first-ever national, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth reveals that 15 million babies are born too soon every year.

Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT A new study suggests that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood could have a long-term effect on female fertility. Limiting such exposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.

Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.

Alzheimer's drug fails to reduce significant agitation Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT A drug prescribed for Alzheimer's disease does not ease clinically significant agitation in patients, according to first randomized controlled trial designed to assess the effectiveness of the drug (generic name memantine) for significant agitation in Alzheimer's patients.

Aspirin and warfarin equally effective for most heart failure patients, study suggests Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT Neither aspirin nor warfarin is superior for preventing a combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to a landmark clinical trial.

Why underweight babies become obese: Study says disrupted hypothalamus is to blame Posted: 02 May 2012 01:25 PM PDT A new animal model study has found that in low–birth-weight babies whose growth was restricted in the womb, the level of appetite-producing neuropeptides in the brain's hypothalamus — the central control of the appetite — is higher, resulting in a natural tendency among these children to consume more calories.

Potential to revive abandoned cancer drug by nanoparticle drug delivery Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT Researchers have developed nanoparticle carriers to successfully deliver therapeutic doses of a cancer drug that had previously failed clinical development due to pharmacologic challenges.

Why research should be 'hacked' Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT Australian researchers are calling for the open sharing of clinical trial data in the medical research community, saying it would be instrumental in eliminating bottlenecks and duplication, and lead to faster and more trustworthy evidence for many of our most pressing health problems.

Genetically modified T cell therapy appears to be safe, lasting in decade-long study of HIV patients Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT HIV patients treated with genetically modified T cells remain healthy up to 11 years after initial therapy, researchers report. The results provide a framework for the use of this type of gene therapy as a powerful weapon in the treatment of HIV, cancer, and a wide variety of other diseases.

After epic debate, avian flu research sees light of day Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT After a marathon debate over a pair of studies that show how the avian H5N1 influenza virus could become transmissible in mammals, and an unprecedented recommendation by a government review panel to block publication, one of the studies was finally and fully published on May 3, 2012.

ALS clinics start implanting breathing-assist device under new FDA approval Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT Three U.S. hospitals have begun implanting a device that stimulates the respiratory muscle in the chest and draws air into the lungs of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) under recently approved Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Risk Explained Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT After nearly 13 years of study and intense debate, a pair of new articles have confirmed exactly how a once-popular class of anti-inflammatory drugs leads to cardiovascular risk for people taking it.

Iceman mummy: 5,000-year-old red blood cells discovered -- oldest blood known to modern science Posted: 02 May 2012 11:11 AM PDT His DNA has been decoded; samples from his stomach and intestines have allowed us to reconstruct his very last meal. The circumstances of his violent death appear to have been explained. However, what had, at least thus far, eluded the scientists, was identifying any traces of blood in Ötzi, the 5,000-year-old glacier mummy. Examination of his aorta had yielded no results. Yet recently, a team of scientists from Italy and Germany, using nanotechnology, succeeded in locating red blood cells in Ötzi's wounds, thereby discovering the oldest traces of blood to have been found anywhere in the world.

New understanding of Alzheimer's trigger Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT A highly toxic beta-amyloid – a protein that exists in the brains of Alzheimer's disease victims – has been found to greatly increase the toxicity of other more common and less toxic beta-amyloids, serving as a possible "trigger" for the advent and development of Alzheimer's, researchers have discovered.

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter Posted: 02 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT A new study provides a long-sought explanation for the beneficial fat-fighting effects of black pepper. The research pinpoints piperine -- the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, concluding that piperine also can block the formation of new fat cells.

Writing a landmark sequel to 'The Book of Life' Posted: 02 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT Scientists are announcing the roadmap, policies and procedures for an ambitious international project aiming to compile a landmark sequel to "The Book of Life." The follow-up to the Human Genome Project, which decoded all human genes, involves identifying and profiling all of the proteins produced by the thousands of genes in the human chromosomes. It is called the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project.

Is green sheen on bacon harmful? Nitrites in bacon and other meats explored Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT As with many concerned consumers, researchers wondered if the green color sometimes seen in bacon is, in fact, harmful to human health. Recently, these scientists took an important first step in answering this question by determining the structure of the green pigment responsible for this "nitrite burn."

'Thin red line' around breast cancer: Visualization shows why immune system fails to kill tumors in mice Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT A pioneering approach to imaging breast cancer in mice has revealed new clues about why the human immune system often fails to attack tumors and keep cancer in check. This observation may help to reveal new approaches to cancer immunotherapy.

New path of origin for macrophages Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT Macrophages play a key role in the immune response. They differ depending on where they are located and which tasks they perform. A scientist at TUM has been investigating whether these different types of cells have the same origin. The study has revealed that there are two distinct macrophage cell lines that continue into adult life and that they have different origins.

Brains wired for 'avalanches' -- and learning Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Researchers reveal the connection between a model of learning in the brain and the cascading bursts of cortical activity known as neuronal avalanches.

Freezing Parkinson's in its tracks Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Scientists have developed a peptide that protects dopamine-producing neurons, freezing neurodegeneration in its tracks in preclinical trials. This peptide could be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbed through the skin from an adhesive patch as a preventative therapy for Parkinson's disease, she says.

Tiny channel cleanses blood Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT A microfluidic device separates bacteria and immune cells from red blood cells.

Combination of two drugs reverses liver tumors, study suggests Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT The combination of two inhibitors of protein mTOR stops the growth of primary liver cancer and destroys tumor cells, according to a new study.

New hope for PAD sufferers Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Research by vascular surgeons may offer new hope to sufferers of peripheral artery disease, the cause of nearly 60,000 lower-limb amputations annually, through the use of a patient's own stem cells.

Evidence of familial vulnerability for epilepsy and psychosis Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Although the two disorders may seem dissimilar, epilepsy and psychosis are associated. Individuals with epilepsy are more likely to have schizophrenia, and a family history of epilepsy is a risk factor for psychosis. It is not known whether the converse is true, i.e., whether a family history of psychosis is a risk factor for epilepsy.

Increased fructose consumption may deplete cellular energy in patients with obesity and diabetes Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Obese people who consume increased amounts of fructose, a type of sugar that is found in particular in soft drinks and fruit juices, are at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NFALD) and more its more severe forms, fatty inflammation and scarring.

Is there a link between mood and glucose control in diabetes? Posted: 02 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT When blood sugar levels in diabetes are poorly controlled, patients tend to have more complications such as depression and other mood disturbances, including anxiety and anger, and a lower overall quality of life. A better understanding of the relationship between glycemic variability and psychological disorders can lead to more effective strategies for patient management, researchers say.

New method quickly IDs nanomaterials that can cause oxidative damage to cells Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed a novel screening technology that allows large batches of metal oxide nanomaterials to be assessed in a rapid fashion based on their ability to trigger biological responses that are dependent on the electron transfer properties of semiconductor metal oxides. The team discovered that the cells in our bodies contain electronically active molecules that can participate in these electron transfer reactions upon contact with metal oxides.

Stem cell therapy shows promise in fight against HIV Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Researchers are a step closer to launching human clinical trials involving the use of an innovative stem cell therapy to fight the virus that causes AIDS.

Large-scale simulation of human blood is boon to personalized medicine Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Having a virtual copy of a patient's blood in a computer would be a boon to researchers and doctors. They could examine a simulated heart attack caused by blood clotting in a diseased coronary artery and see if a drug like aspirin would be effective in reducing the size of such a clot.

Glycogen accumulation in neurons causes brain damage and shortens the lives of flies and mice Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Scientists have conclusive evidence about the harmful effects of the accumulation of glucose chains (glycogen) in fly and mouse neurons. These two animal models will allow scientists to address the genes involved in this harmful process and to find pharmacological solutions that allow disintegration of the accumulations or limitation of glycogen production.

Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Pioneering research has applications in both health and sports. The suit is designed to give wearers feedback about where their body is in space. It does this by focusing on key points in the body, taking relative measurements between them to check the user's position. This data, much more simple to acquire and treat in real time than more complex motion capture systems, is then used to give the wearer feedback in real time about their movement.

Understanding inflammatory responses: A small cut with a big impact Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT During inflammation, controlled gene expression is necessary in order to allow the organism to mount an effective defense response. For this process, the protein ARTD1 is removed from the DNA. Veterinary biochemists and molecular biologists have now elucidated this previously unclear mechanism: ARTD1 is cut into two pieces by molecular scissors, which enhances gene expression. The results are groundbreaking for our understanding of inflammatory responses and the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs.

Biophysics: Order in chaos Posted: 02 May 2012 06:16 AM PDT Scientists have built a model to illustrate the process of skeletal muscle contraction. A combination of random protein movements and the elasticity inside muscles helps to maintain a steady force during skeletal muscle contraction.

Delirium mouse model helps researchers understand the condition's causes Posted: 01 May 2012 03:31 PM PDT A new mouse model of delirium has provided an important insight into the mechanisms underlying the condition, bringing together two theories as to its causes.

Hearing and touch have common genetic basis: Gene mutation leads to impairment of two senses Posted: 01 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT New research shows that hearing and touch have a common genetic basis. In patients with Usher syndrome, a hereditary form of deafness accompanied by impaired vision, researchers have discovered a gene mutation that is also causative for the patients' impaired touch sensitivity.

Evidence that BMI has an independent and causal effect on heart disease risk Posted: 01 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT In addition to the many risk factors associated with poor health, reducing body mass index (BMI) will have a considerable and independent impact if you want to reduce the risk of developing ischemic heart disease. This is the key finding from new research which evaluated the causal relationship between BMI and heart disease in 76,000 individuals.

New clues to how brain cancer cells migrate and invade Posted: 01 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that a protein that transports sodium, potassium and chloride may hold clues to how glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest type of brain cancer, moves and invades nearby healthy brain tissue.

Dental fillings that kill bacteria and re-mineralize the tooth Posted: 01 May 2012 03:28 PM PDT Scientists using nanotechology have created the first cavity-filling composite that kills harmful bacteria and regenerates tooth structure lost to bacterial decay. This first-of-a-kind nanocomposite will be tested in animal teeth then human volunteers next.

Biosynthetic grape-derived compound prevents progression of Alzheimer’s disease in animal model Posted: 01 May 2012 03:27 PM PDT Researchers have succeeded in developing a biosynthetic polyphenol that improves cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings provide insight in determining the feasibility of biosynthetic polyphenols as a possible therapy for AD in humans, a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure.

Dopamine impacts your willingness to work Posted: 01 May 2012 03:27 PM PDT Slacker or go-getter? Everyone knows that people vary substantially in how hard they are willing to work, but the origin of these individual differences in the brain remains a mystery. Now the veil has been pushed back by a new brain imaging study that has found an individual's willingness to work hard to earn money is strongly influenced by the chemistry in three specific areas of the brain.

Sharpening our understanding of memories Posted: 01 May 2012 03:27 PM PDT Scientists now have a better understanding of how precise memories are formed. The study looked at the cells in our brains, or neurons, and how they work together as a group to form memories.

Blood pressure drugs linked with lower PTSD symptoms Posted: 01 May 2012 01:27 PM PDT Traumatized people who take a class of common blood pressure medications tend to have less severe post-traumatic stress symptoms, researchers have found. The finding suggests that ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) could be valuable tools for treating or preventing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Smart gas sensors for better chemical detection Posted: 01 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT Portable gas sensors can allow you to search for explosives, diagnose medical conditions through a patient's breath, and decide whether it's safe to stay in a mine.

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