ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Diabetes drug shows promise in treatment of neurodegenerative disease
• Parkinson's disease-like sleep and motor problems observed in alpha-synuclein mutant mice
• Common genetic disease linked to father's age
• Optogenetics is proving to be highly promising in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Findings on onset of uterine fibroids provide potential for novel treatments
• Clinical sequencing technology identifies new targets in diverse cancers
• How do immune cells detect infections?
• Vaccinating children against HPV?
• Non-invasive first trimester blood test reliably detects Down's syndrome and other genetic fetal abnormalities
• Re-analysis of diabetes drug finds no higher heart attack risk
• The protein profile of restless leg syndrome
• Herpes virus exploits immune response to bolster infection
• Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism now have new research tool: Mature brain cells derived from skin cells
• Studies showing how bird flu viruses could adapt to humans offer surveillance and vaccine strategies
• Nuclear testing from the 1960s helps scientist determine whether adult brains generate new neurons
• Brain imaging study eliminates differences in visual function as a cause of dyslexia
• One in four patients with newly-diagnosed erectile dysfunction is a young man
• Unusual antibodies in cows suggest new ways to make medicines for people
• Wolbachia bacteria evolved to infect stem cell niches through successive generations of their hosts
• Parents with heavy TV viewing more likely to feed children junk food

Diabetes drug shows promise in treatment of neurodegenerative disease Posted: 07 Jun 2013 07:25 PM PDT Researchers have found that a drug used to control Type II diabetes can help repair the spinal cords of mice suffering from the inherited disease adrenoleukodystrophy which, untreated, leads eventually to a paralysis, a vegetative state and death. They believe that their findings may be relevant to other neurodegenerative diseases.  A Phase II trial will be starting shortly.

Parkinson's disease-like sleep and motor problems observed in alpha-synuclein mutant mice Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:03 PM PDT In the quest for an animal model of Parkinson's disease that mimics motor and non-motor symptoms of human Parkinson's disease (PD), scientists have developed strains of mice that overexpress alpha-synuclein. By studying a strain of mice bred to overexpress alpha-synuclein via the Thy-1 promoter, scientists have found these mice develop many of the age-related progressive motor symptoms of PD and demonstrate changes in sleep and anxiety.

Common genetic disease linked to father's age Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:10 AM PDT Scientists have unlocked the mystery of why new cases of the genetic disease Noonan syndrome are so common; a mutation that causes the disease disproportionately increases a normal father's production of sperm carrying the disease trait.

Optogenetics is proving to be highly promising in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in reducing the compulsive behavior of mice using optogenetics, a technique that combines light stimulation with genetic engineering.

Findings on onset of uterine fibroids provide potential for novel treatments Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Uterine leiomyomata, or fibroids, are benign tumors that nevertheless affect the health of millions of women. They may cause, for instance, pain, bleeding and infertility. Fibroids are also the most common reason for a hysterectomy. Now, scientists in Finland have identified the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of common leiomyomata.

Clinical sequencing technology identifies new targets in diverse cancers Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:06 AM PDT Novel abnormalities in the FGFR gene were identified in a spectrum of cancers, and preliminary results with cancer cells harboring FGFR fusions suggested that some patients with these cancers may benefit from treatment with FGFR inhibitor drugs.

How do immune cells detect infections? Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:05 AM PDT Researchers are using computer simulations to shed light on how immune cells may identify foreign antigens.

Vaccinating children against HPV? Posted: 07 Jun 2013 10:05 AM PDT The Human papillomavirus, or HPV, and its link to certain cancers has been in the headlines recently, reigniting the debate whether it is appropriate to vaccinate children against the virus.

Non-invasive first trimester blood test reliably detects Down's syndrome and other genetic fetal abnormalities Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:52 AM PDT New research has found that routine screening using a non-invasive test that analyzes fetal DNA in a pregnant woman's blood can accurately detect Down's syndrome and other genetic fetal abnormalities in the first trimester. The results suggest that the test is superior to currently available screening strategies and could reshape standards in prenatal testing.

Re-analysis of diabetes drug finds no higher heart attack risk Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:51 AM PDT A re-analysis of the data from a pivotal study of rosiglitazone found no increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with the controversial diabetes drug, according to researchers.

The protein profile of restless leg syndrome Posted: 06 Jun 2013 07:32 PM PDT A protein profile of people with restless leg syndrome (RLS) identifies factors behind disrupted sleep, cardiovascular dysfunction and pain, according to new research. The research gives insights into the disorder, and could be useful in the development of new treatments.

Herpes virus exploits immune response to bolster infection Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:11 AM PDT Researchers report that the herpes simplex virus type-1, which affects an estimated 50 to 80 percent of all American adults, exploits an immune system receptor to boost its infectiousness and ability to cause disease.

Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism now have new research tool: Mature brain cells derived from skin cells Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:11 AM PDT Difficult-to-study diseases such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and autism now can be probed more safely and effectively thanks to an innovative new method for obtaining mature brain cells called neurons from reprogrammed skin cells. The research offers the promise of direct disease modeling, allowing for the creation, in a Petri dish, of mature human neurons that behave a lot like neurons that grow naturally in the human brain.

Studies showing how bird flu viruses could adapt to humans offer surveillance and vaccine strategies Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:06 AM PDT Bird flu viruses are potentially highly lethal and pose a global threat, but relatively little is known about why certain strains spread more easily to humans than others. Two studies identify mutations that increase the infectivity of H5N1 and H7N9 viruses through improved binding to receptors in the human respiratory tract. The findings offer much-needed strategies for monitoring the emergence of dangerous bird flu strains capable of infecting humans and for developing more effective vaccines.

Nuclear testing from the 1960s helps scientist determine whether adult brains generate new neurons Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:06 AM PDT The birth of new neurons in the adult brain sharpens memory in rodents, but whether the same holds true for humans has long been debated. A new study reveals that a significant number of new neurons in the hippocampus -- a brain region crucial for memory and learning -- are generated in adult humans. The researchers used a unique strategy based on the amount of carbon-14 found in humans as a result of above-ground nuclear testing more than half a century ago.

Brain imaging study eliminates differences in visual function as a cause of dyslexia Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:06 AM PDT A new brain imaging study of dyslexia shows that visual system differences do not cause the disorder, but instead are likely a consequence.

One in four patients with newly-diagnosed erectile dysfunction is a young man Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:05 AM PDT In a recent analysis of one outpatient clinic, one in four men seeking medical help for newly-developed erectile dysfunction (ED) was younger than 40 years, and nearly half of young men with the condition had severe ED. While larger population-based studies are needed, the findings suggest that erectile dysfunction in young men may be more prevalent and more serious than previously thought.

Unusual antibodies in cows suggest new ways to make medicines for people Posted: 06 Jun 2013 11:05 AM PDT Humans have been raising cows for their meat, hides and milk for millennia. Now it appears that the cow immune system also has something to offer. A new study focusing on an extraordinary family of cow antibodies points to new ways to make human medicines.

Wolbachia bacteria evolved to infect stem cell niches through successive generations of their hosts Posted: 06 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT A new study provides evidence that Wolbachia target the ovarian stem cell niches of its hosts -- a strategy previously overlooked to explain how Wolbachia thrive in nature.

Parents with heavy TV viewing more likely to feed children junk food Posted: 06 Jun 2013 07:17 AM PDT If your preschooler thinks a cheeseburger is healthy, you may want to reconsider how you watch TV. A recent study found commercial TV viewing, as opposed to commercial-free digitally recorded TV or other media without food advertising, in the home was related to greater junk food consumption.

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