ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Obesity series exposes 'unacceptably slow' progress in tackling soaring global obesity rates over last decade
• Unhealthy eating habits outpacing healthy eating patterns in most world regions
• New weapon in the fight against cancer could be in your body already
• Nanotechnology: Better measurements of single molecule circuits
• Keeping atherosclerosis in-check with novel targeted inflammation-resolving nanomedicines
• Development of personalized cellular therapy for brain cancer
• Teen brain scans reveal a key to weight loss
• Partners for Kids: Cost savings, quality examined
• Autism genes activate during fetal brain development
• Epigenomics of Alzheimer's disease progression
• Scientists use MRI to visualize pancreas inflammation in type 1 diabetes
• Chromosome 'bumper repair' gene predicts cancer patient outcomes
• Individuals with type 2 diabetes should exercise after dinner
• An empty stomach can lead to an empty wallet
• High-powered X-ray laser unlocks mechanics of pain relief without addiction
• Recovering attention after a stroke: Brain's right hemisphere may be more valuable
• Learning from extinction: New insights on controlling cancer
• Brace yourself: Study finds people can use different strategies to prepare for stress
• 3-D engineered bone marrow makes functioning platelets
• A bodyguard for your ears: Scientists discover novel pain sensors in inner ear that warn of dangerously loud noise
• Researchers discover promising targets for treating allergies, asthma
• Research shows value of additional PET/CT scans in follow-up of lung cancer patients
• New target for treating asthma found
• Unlikely that topical pimecrolimus associated with increased risk of cancer
• Mucus retained in cystic fibrosis patients' cells leads to potentially deadly infections
• A good night's sleep keeps your stem cells young
• In a warmer world, ticks that spread disease are arriving earlier, expanding their ranges
• The perils of powdered caffeine and alcohol
• State funding boosts stem cell research in California, other states
• From the scent of geranium to cough medicine
• Increased DNA mutations found in children of teenage fathers
• Brain's iconic seat of speech goes silent when we actually talk
• Synthetic biology yields new approach to gene therapy
• Predicting cancers' cell of origin
• Specialized consultations improve geriatric care for elderly patients who are hospitalized for traumatic injuries
• Many pregnant teens use alcohol and drugs, study finds
• Growing evidence on standardized packaging of tobacco products
• Breakthrough in nanotoxicology by researchers
• Scientists turn the tables on drug-resistant bacteria by infecting them with bacteriophages (bacterial viruses)
• Epigenome of more than 100 tissue and cell types mapped
• Is the flame retardant, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a reproductive or developmental toxicant?
• Menthol increases nicotine exposure, worsens addiction
• Microbial metabolite of linoleic acid ameliorates intestinal inflammation
• Scientists announce anti-HIV agent so powerful it can work in a vaccine
• Epigenetic study highlights drug targets for allergies and asthma
• DNA-damage causes immune reaction, inflammation; linked to cancer development
• Osteoarthritis patients benefit from jumping exercise
• New growth factor indicates possible regenerative effects in Parkinson's disease
• Mulling the marijuana munchies: How the brain flips the hunger switch

Obesity series exposes 'unacceptably slow' progress in tackling soaring global obesity rates over last decade Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:17 PM PST Global failure to tackle obesity epidemic demands new ways of thinking, say leading experts. In less than a generation, experts say, rates of child obesity have risen dramatically worldwide. For example, in the USA children weigh on average 5kg more than they did 30 years ago, and one in three children is now overweight or obese. Although child obesity rates have started to level off in some cities and countries, no country to date has experienced declining rates of obesity across its population.

Unhealthy eating habits outpacing healthy eating patterns in most world regions Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:17 PM PST Worldwide, consumption of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables has improved during the past two decades, but has been outpaced by the increased intake of unhealthy foods including processed meat and sweetened drinks in most world regions, according to the first study to assess diet quality in 187 countries covering almost 4.5 billion adults.

New weapon in the fight against cancer could be in your body already Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:55 AM PST A tool for keeping the most common forms of cancer at bay could be in your gut, a new study concludes. For the study, the research team tested thousands of chemicals found in the body with the help of a robot and discovered more than 20 that could delay the aging process, something inevitably linked to cancer.

Nanotechnology: Better measurements of single molecule circuits Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:55 AM PST A new technique gives better measurements of the properties of electrical circuits made of single molecules. The method should enable more research in nanotechnology, researchers report.

Keeping atherosclerosis in-check with novel targeted inflammation-resolving nanomedicines Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:55 AM PST Nanometer-sized 'drones' that deliver a special type of healing molecule to fat deposits in arteries could become a new way to prevent heart attacks caused by atherosclerosis, according to a study in pre-clinical models.

Development of personalized cellular therapy for brain cancer Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:51 AM PST Immune cells engineered to seek out and attack a type of deadly brain cancer were found to be both safe and effective at controlling tumor growth in mice that were treated with these modified cells, a study concludes.

Teen brain scans reveal a key to weight loss Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:14 AM PST MRI scans of teenagers who had successfully lost weight and kept it off show that they have higher levels of executive function -- the ability to process and prioritize competing interests. Executive function is a trait that can be improved, scientists say.

Partners for Kids: Cost savings, quality examined Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:14 AM PST The cost-saving and health care quality outcomes of the pediatric Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Partners for Kids has been outlined by a recent study that indicates that Partners for Kids successfully improved the value of pediatric healthcare over time through cost containment, while maintaining quality of care.

Autism genes activate during fetal brain development Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST Mutations that cause autism in children are connected to a pathway that regulates brain development, scientists have found. The researchers studied a set of well-known autism mutations called copy number variants or CNVs. They investigated when and where the genes were expressed during brain development.

Epigenomics of Alzheimer's disease progression Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST Our susceptibility to disease depends both on the genes that we inherit from our parents and on our lifetime experiences. These two components -- nature and nurture -- seem to affect very different processes in the context of Alzheimer's disease. A new study of epigenomic modifications reveals the immune basis of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists use MRI to visualize pancreas inflammation in type 1 diabetes Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:39 AM PST It is possible to use magnetic resonance imaging to 'see' the inflammation in the pancreas that leads to type 1 diabetes, a pilot study has revealed. Autoimmunity and inflammation directed against the pancreas and its insulin-producing beta cells underlie the development of type 1 diabetes, researchers note.

Chromosome 'bumper repair' gene predicts cancer patient outcomes Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST Levels of mRNA for the gene TERT predict patient outcomes in bladder cancer, scientists have discovered. Results may help doctors and researchers mark especially aggressive bladder cancers, allowing them to recommend appropriate treatments and improve patient outcomes.

Individuals with type 2 diabetes should exercise after dinner Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST Individuals with type 2 diabetes have heightened amounts of sugars and fats in their blood, which increases their risks for cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. Exercise is a popular prescription for individuals suffering from the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Now, researchers have found that individuals with type 2 diabetes can lower their risks of cardiovascular diseases more effectively by exercising after a meal.

An empty stomach can lead to an empty wallet Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST Looking to save money on your next shopping trip? Better eat something before you head to the mall. According to new research, hunger increases our intention to acquire not only food, but also nonfood objects.

High-powered X-ray laser unlocks mechanics of pain relief without addiction Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST Scientists have solved the structure of a bifunctional peptide bound to a neuroreceptor that offers pain relief without addiction. Opiate drugs like morphine relieve pain by targeting mu receptors. While they effectively work by doing so, their prolonged use causes a growing tolerance to the drug and, ultimately, physical dependence.

Recovering attention after a stroke: Brain's right hemisphere may be more valuable Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:37 AM PST The right hemisphere may assist a damaged left hemisphere recover visual attention after a stroke, new research suggests. "The results demonstrate that the tasks we do every day change how the brain pays attention to the world around us. By understanding how these changes occur in healthy individuals, we can focus on behaviors that are impaired in stroke patients and provide a focus for rehabilitation," one researcher noted.

Learning from extinction: New insights on controlling cancer Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:37 AM PST A researcher brings a paleontological view of species extinction to bear on the challenges involved in driving populations of cancer cells to annihilation -- or at least improving patient prognosis through disease-limiting efforts.

Brace yourself: Study finds people can use different strategies to prepare for stress Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:31 AM PST People are not consistent in how they prepare mentally to deal with arguments and other stressors, with each individual displaying a variety of coping behaviors, research shows. In addition, the study found that the coping strategies people used could affect them the following day.

3-D engineered bone marrow makes functioning platelets Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:31 AM PST An international research team has reported development of the first three-dimensional tissue system that reproduces the complex structure and physiology of human bone marrow and successfully generates functional human platelets. Using a biomaterial matrix of porous silk, the new system is capable of producing platelets for future clinical use and also provides a laboratory tissue system to advance study of blood platelet diseases.

A bodyguard for your ears: Scientists discover novel pain sensors in inner ear that warn of dangerously loud noise Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:30 AM PST Our hearing has a secret bodyguard, a newly discovered connection from the cochlea to the brain that warns of intense incoming noise that causes tissue damage and hearing loss. Scientists believe it's the ear's novel pain system designed to protect it from dangerous noise. Because the ear doesn't have the nerve cells that normally detect pain, it needs its own alert system. The findings could usher new treatments for painful hearing conditions like tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Researchers discover promising targets for treating allergies, asthma Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:30 AM PST More than 30 genes that have strong effects on Immunoglobulin E, allergies and asthma have been discovered, reports an international team of scientists. The researchers also found that the genes are concentrated in eosinophils, a white cell that ignites inflammation in asthmatic airways. The genes indicate when the eosinophils are activated and primed to cause the most damage. The newly found activation signals provide a possible means of directing treatments by predicting who will respond before starting therapy.

Research shows value of additional PET/CT scans in follow-up of lung cancer patients Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:30 AM PST New research reveals a high value of scans which could lead to future change of reimbursement policies for follow-up positron emission tomography/computed tomography studies in lung cancer. The study establishes the value of fourth and subsequent follow-up PET/CT scans in clinical assessment and management change in patients with the disease.

New target for treating asthma found Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:29 AM PST The protein Mucin 5AC plays a critical role in airway hyperreactivity, a characteristic feature of asthma that makes it difficult to breathe, researchers have found. In experiments with mice, the scientists found that genetic removal of Muc5ac eliminated airway hyperreactivity.

Unlikely that topical pimecrolimus associated with increased risk of cancer Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:29 AM PST The topical medicine pimecrolimus to treat eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) in children appears unlikely to be associated with increased of risk of cancer based on how it was used in group of children followed for 10 years, according to an article.

Mucus retained in cystic fibrosis patients' cells leads to potentially deadly infections Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:29 AM PST Cystic fibrosis mucus actually gets stuck inside some of the cells that create it, rather than simply becoming stuck on the outside linings of organs, researchers have found, which can increase the risk of deadly infection for the patient.

A good night's sleep keeps your stem cells young Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:29 AM PST Environmental stress is a major factor in driving DNA damage in adult hematopoietic stem cells, researchers have found, concluding that a good night's sleep keeps your stem cells "young."

In a warmer world, ticks that spread disease are arriving earlier, expanding their ranges Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:29 AM PST In the northeastern United States, warmer spring temperatures are leading to shifts in the emergence of the blacklegged ticks that carry Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens. At the same time, milder weather is allowing ticks to spread into new geographic regions.

The perils of powdered caffeine and alcohol Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:21 AM PST Alcohol and caffeine have joined the ranks of milk, juice and other substances that now come in powdered form. Of the two, caffeine is more concerning, says one physician.

State funding boosts stem cell research in California, other states Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:19 AM PST A new study analyzed stem cell funding programs in four states and found that in both California and Connecticut, state programs have contributed to an increase in the share of publications in the field produced in these states.

From the scent of geranium to cough medicine Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST Terpenes and their derivatives exert important biological and pharmaceutical functions. Starting out from a few basic building blocks nature elegantly builds up complex structures. Chemically particularly challenging are bridged ring systems such as eucalyptol. Chemists have now developed a catalyst that initiates the formation of such compounds. A special feature of the catalyst: it self-assembles from smaller units.

Increased DNA mutations found in children of teenage fathers Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST New research reveals that the sperm cells of adolescent boys have more than six times the rate of DNA mutations as the equivalent egg cells in adolescent girls, resulting in higher rates of DNA mutation being passed down to children of teenage fathers. The findings suggest that the risk of birth defects is higher in the children of teenage fathers as a consequence.

Brain's iconic seat of speech goes silent when we actually talk Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST The brain's speech area, named after 19th century French physician Pierre Paul Broca, shuts down when we talk out loud, according to a new study that challenges the long-held assumption that 'Broca's area' governs all aspects of speech production.

Synthetic biology yields new approach to gene therapy Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST A novel gene-delivery system that shuttles a gene into a cell, but only for a temporary stay, has been developed by researchers, providing a potential new gene-therapy strategy for treating disease. The approach offers distinct advantages over other types of gene therapies currently under investigation, said the lead author of a study describing the new technique.

Predicting cancers' cell of origin Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:16 AM PST A study suggests a new way to trace cancer back to its cell type of origin, providing new insights into the early events that shape a cancer, and could have important implications for the many cancer patients for whom the originating site of the cancer is unknown.

Specialized consultations improve geriatric care for elderly patients who are hospitalized for traumatic injuries Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:15 AM PST Elderly patients who are admitted to the hospital for monitoring and surgical treatment of traumatic injuries could have better geriatric care if medical teams took one extra step--offering geriatric consultation, according to new research findings.

Many pregnant teens use alcohol and drugs, study finds Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:30 AM PST Many teenagers, especially younger teens, may not be getting the message about the risks of using alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy, researchers say -- but that having involved parents and being engaged academically can help.

Growing evidence on standardized packaging of tobacco products Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:30 AM PST A collection of peer-reviewed research papers has been collected and published, which bring together key parts of the evidence base for standardized packaging of tobacco products from 2008 to 2015.

Breakthrough in nanotoxicology by researchers Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:30 AM PST Whereas resistance to antibiotics complicates certain treatments, antimicrobial silver nanoparticles are gaining popularity for medical use. These particles are toxic for certain bacteria, but what about for humans? Researchers have taken a step toward understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that affect these particles

Scientists turn the tables on drug-resistant bacteria by infecting them with bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:21 AM PST Can a bacterial virus found in Jerusalem sewage prevent infections after root canal procedures? Medical researchers propose a way to turn the tables on harmful bacteria that infect humans, by infecting them with tiny viruses called bacteriophages. In a strange twist, one such virus, cultivated from Jerusalem sewage, may help prevent infections following dental procedures.

Epigenome of more than 100 tissue and cell types mapped Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:20 AM PST Much like mapping the human genome laid the foundations for understanding the genetic basis of human health, new maps of the human epigenome may further unravel the complex links between DNA and disease. The epigenome is part of the machinery that helps direct how genes are turned off and on in different types of cells.

Is the flame retardant, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a reproductive or developmental toxicant? Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:20 AM PST Two studies examined the effects of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) at oral doses of 10,100 or 1000 mg/kg bw/day over the course of 2 generations on growth as well as behavioral, neurological and neuropathologic functions in offspring.

Menthol increases nicotine exposure, worsens addiction Posted: 18 Feb 2015 06:20 AM PST Menthol in cigarettes reduces irritation of the airways and increases a critical marker of nicotine exposure, researchers report. "Menthol may increase the numbers of smokers – they get addicted quicker and have a harder time quitting. It's a tool to make people addicted," authors of the new study conclude.

Microbial metabolite of linoleic acid ameliorates intestinal inflammation Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:31 AM PST 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (HYA), a gut microbial metabolite of linoleic acid, has a suppressive effect on intestinal inflammation, researchers have discovered. HYA is expected to be practically applied as a functional food.

Scientists announce anti-HIV agent so powerful it can work in a vaccine Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST In a remarkable new advance against the virus that causes AIDS, scientists have announced the creation of a novel drug candidate that is so potent and universally effective, it might work as part of an unconventional vaccine.

Epigenetic study highlights drug targets for allergies and asthma Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST Scientists have discovered over 30 new genes that predispose people to allergies and asthma, some of which could be targets for new drugs. Asthma affects one child in 10 in the UK, and allergies may affect one third of the population. The new findings could lead to new treatments for allergic diseases, and will help to predict who will best respond to currently available treatments.

DNA-damage causes immune reaction, inflammation; linked to cancer development Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST For the first time scientists show the importance of DNA damage in fine tuning of our innate immune system and hence the ability to mount the optimal inflammatory response to infections and other biological dangers.

Osteoarthritis patients benefit from jumping exercise Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST Progressive high-impact training improved the patellar cartilage quality of the postmenopausal women who may be at risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) as well as at risk of osteoarthritis. The effects of high-impact exercise were examined on knee cartilages, osteoarthritis symptoms and physical function in postmenopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis.

New growth factor indicates possible regenerative effects in Parkinson's disease Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:30 AM PST Researchers have long sought treatments that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Current treatments have for decades been only symptomatic in nature, supplying the neurotransmitter dopamine, which the dying nerve cells can no longer produce. Results from a recent clinical study offer hope that future therapies could take advantage of the brain's own protective mechanisms to limit neuronal cell death and restore dopamine production to natural levels. In the first time in humans, researchers have applied a growth factor to the brain with the hope of preserving dopaminergic cells and fibers.

Mulling the marijuana munchies: How the brain flips the hunger switch Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:27 AM PST The 'munchies,' or that uncontrollable urge to eat after using marijuana, appear to be driven by neurons in the brain that are normally involved in suppressing appetite, according to a new study.

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