ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New clinical platform may accelerate discovery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents
• Enzalutamide: Indication of major added benefit for over 75-year-olds
• Cardiac tissue grown on 'spider silk' substrate
• Mapping energy metabolism of growing nerve cells to better understand neuronal disorders
• Women are more likely to be physically assaulted in developed countries, study shows
• Combined sewer systems lead to risk of illness after heavy rains
• Advocate uses genetic history to increase knowledge of hereditary cancer risk
• Microbes disprove long-held assumption that all organisms share a common vocabulary
• Molecular and functional basis established for nitric oxide joining oxygen and carbon dioxide in respiratory cycle
• Patient-Therapist relationship most important issue when it comes to psychosis patients, experts say
• Versatile switch for light-controlled cells: The structure of the light-driven ion pump KR2 may provide a blueprint for new optogenetic tools
• Enzyme in cosmetic products can act as allergen via the skin
• Spending cuts in India will hurt already inadequate health services, experts say
• Being underweight in middle age associated with increased dementia risk
• Serious life events in childhood can triple risk of developing type 1 diabetes
• New high-throughput screening method may uncover novel treatments for kidney disease
• Specific cells in female reproductive tract display susceptibility to HIV infection
• Synthetic muscle ready for launch
• When you land, can you stand? One-Year Mission video miniseries: Functional performance
• Scientists tackle our addiction to salt and fat by altering foods' pore size, number
• Mental practice, physical therapy effective treatment for stroke, research shows
• Golgi trafficking controlled by G-proteins
• Mother's genes can influence bacteria in her baby's gut
• Brain activity in infants predicts language outcomes in autism spectrum disorder
• New approach to treat drug-resistant HER2--positive breast cancer
• Stem cell disease model clarifies bone cancer trigger

New clinical platform may accelerate discovery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents Posted: 10 Apr 2015 08:48 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new technology that enables rapid discovery of aptamers, one of the fastest growing classes of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Aptamers are short sequences of genetic material that fold into precise 3-D structures that bind target molecules and inhibit their biological functions.

Enzalutamide: Indication of major added benefit for over 75-year-olds Posted: 10 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT In comparison with watchful waiting, the new drug Enzalutamide can prolong survival in certain patients with prostate cancer and delay the occurrence of disease complications, a new study concludes.

Cardiac tissue grown on 'spider silk' substrate Posted: 10 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT Genetically engineered fibers of the protein spidroin, which is the construction material for spider webs, has proven to be a perfect substrate for cultivating heart tissue cells, a group of researchers has found. The cultivation of organs and tissues from a patient's cells is the bleeding edge of medical research – regenerative methods can solve the problem of transplant rejection. However,it's quite a challenge to find a suitable frame, or substrate, to grow cells on, researchers say.

Mapping energy metabolism of growing nerve cells to better understand neuronal disorders Posted: 10 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT A group of scientists has discovered how nerve cells adjust to low energy environments during the brain's growth process. Their study may one day help find treatments for nerve cell damage and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Women are more likely to be physically assaulted in developed countries, study shows Posted: 10 Apr 2015 08:33 AM PDT Women in developed countries -- like the United States -- are actually more likely to be physically assaulted than women in developing countries, a new study suggests. Using data from the International Crime Victimization Survey from 45 countries, researchers reviewed physical and sexual assault victimization statistics at the national level to determine whether the societal structures around victims played a part in the frequency of attacks.

Combined sewer systems lead to risk of illness after heavy rains Posted: 10 Apr 2015 06:56 AM PDT Consumers whose drinking water can be contaminated by the release of untreated wastewater after heavy rains face increased risk for gastrointestinal illness, according to a report. Many older cities such as Chicago have combined sewer systems -- along with 772 other communities, primarily in the Northeast, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest, serving a total of 40 million people. While some cities are building infrastructure to handle sewage and runoff separately, other regions with combined systems depend on reservoirs to provide extra capacity during extreme rainfalls.

Advocate uses genetic history to increase knowledge of hereditary cancer risk Posted: 10 Apr 2015 06:55 AM PDT A mother who has tested positive for the BRCA2 cancer gene is one of 12 people in her family over three generations linked to the gene or diagnosed with cancer. Now she is using her family's genetic history to contribute to cancer research, prevention and treatment – with the aim of improving the quality of life for those facing hereditary risk.

Microbes disprove long-held assumption that all organisms share a common vocabulary Posted: 10 Apr 2015 06:55 AM PDT Some microorganisms found in nature and not grown in the laboratory reinterpret the instructions coded into their DNA. Short segments of DNA that signal other organisms to stop adding building blocks or amino acids to a protein are instead interpreted as "add another amino acid," scientists report.

Molecular and functional basis established for nitric oxide joining oxygen and carbon dioxide in respiratory cycle Posted: 10 Apr 2015 06:55 AM PDT Latest findings regarding nitric oxide have the potential to reshape fundamentally the way we think about the respiratory system – and offer new avenues to save lives. Scientific dogma has the respiration process involving only two elements -- oxygen and carbon dioxide. Specifically, the delivery of oxygen from lungs to tissues, and the removal of the waste product, carbon dioxide, through exhaling. Recently published information demonstrates that nitric oxide is essential for the delivery of oxygen to the cells and tissues that need it.

Patient-Therapist relationship most important issue when it comes to psychosis patients, experts say Posted: 10 Apr 2015 05:35 AM PDT The psychological treatment of more than 300 people suffering from psychosis has been examined by researchers, showing that, whatever the therapy, it is the relationship between the patient and therapist which either improves or damages wellbeing.

Versatile switch for light-controlled cells: The structure of the light-driven ion pump KR2 may provide a blueprint for new optogenetic tools Posted: 10 Apr 2015 05:33 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered the atomic structure of KR2, a light-driven transporter for sodium ions which had only recently been discovered. Based on the structural information the team then identified a simple way to turn KR2 from a sodium- into a potassium pump using simple means. Integrated into neurons, this could make KR2 a valuable tool for optogenetics, a new field of research that uses light-sensitive proteins as molecular switches to precisely control the activity of neurons and other electrically excitable cells using light impulses.

Enzyme in cosmetic products can act as allergen via the skin Posted: 10 Apr 2015 05:33 AM PDT Papain is an important industrial protein-degrading enzyme that is used, for example, in the food and cosmetic industries. When humans or animals come in contact with papain, strong allergic reactions of the skin can be the result, as scientists have found out.

Spending cuts in India will hurt already inadequate health services, experts say Posted: 09 Apr 2015 07:18 PM PDT Deep cuts in health spending by the Indian government will lead to continued inadequate health services and delays in achieving universal access to healthcare, argue experts. The Bharatiya Janata Party, elected to power in 2014, promised to increase access to health, improve quality and lower costs. But in 2014-2015, the central government spent much less than it had budgeted for - 20% less in current spending and as much as 50% less in capital spending.

Being underweight in middle age associated with increased dementia risk Posted: 09 Apr 2015 07:18 PM PDT Middle-aged people who are underweight (with a Body Mass Index [BMI] less than 20 kg/m2) are a third more likely to develop dementia than people of similar age with a healthy BMI, according to new research.

Serious life events in childhood can triple risk of developing type 1 diabetes Posted: 09 Apr 2015 03:29 PM PDT Serious life events in childhood, such as death or illness in the family, divorce/separation, a new child or adult in the family, and conflicts in the family, can triple the risk of subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, new research suggests.

New high-throughput screening method may uncover novel treatments for kidney disease Posted: 09 Apr 2015 03:26 PM PDT Researchers have developed a system that could be used to identify novel drug candidates that protect the function of the kidney cells that are damaged in patients with chronic kidney disease. One drug identified through the system effectively protected the kidney cells of rodents exposed to kidney damaging agents.

Specific cells in female reproductive tract display susceptibility to HIV infection Posted: 09 Apr 2015 01:22 PM PDT Some portions of the female reproductive tract are more likely to be infected by HIV, particularly the ectocervix compared to the endometrium, researchers have discovered. "We now want to understand how sex hormones play a role in regulating HIV-target cells in the FRT and the mechanisms through which FRT cells protect against infection," researchers explained.

Synthetic muscle ready for launch Posted: 09 Apr 2015 01:22 PM PDT NASA plans to send advanced material into space on Monday, April 13. The Synthetic Muscle™ has been developed to adhere to metal, and could be used in robotics in deep space travel such as travel to Mars because of its radiation resistance, scientists say. "Based on the good results we had on planet Earth, the next step is to see how it behaves in a space environment," said an engineer who worked on the project.

When you land, can you stand? One-Year Mission video miniseries: Functional performance Posted: 09 Apr 2015 12:08 PM PDT You always want to be the last man standing, especially at NASA. Optimal functional performance, such as standing, is taken even more seriously when preparing for future missions to Mars and beyond. Learn why functional performance is important for astronauts and patients recuperating from long-term bed rest.

Scientists tackle our addiction to salt and fat by altering foods' pore size, number Posted: 09 Apr 2015 12:08 PM PDT Food scientists have learned that understanding and manipulating porosity during food manufacturing can affect a food's health benefits. They report that controlling the number and size of pores in processed foods allows manufacturers to use less salt while satisfying consumers' taste buds. Meticulously managing pore pressure in foods during frying reduces oil uptake, which results in lower-fat snacks without sacrificing our predilection for fried foods' texture and taste, they say.

Mental practice, physical therapy effective treatment for stroke, research shows Posted: 09 Apr 2015 12:08 PM PDT A combination of mental practice and physical therapy is an effective treatment for people recovering from a stroke, according to researchers. Mental practice and physical therapy are interventions used to improve impaired motor movement, coordination and balance following stroke. Mental practice, also known as motor imagery, is the mental rehearsal of a motor action without an overt action. Physical therapy consists of repetitive, task-oriented training of the impaired extremity.

Golgi trafficking controlled by G-proteins Posted: 09 Apr 2015 12:08 PM PDT A family of proteins called G proteins are a recognized component of the communication system the human body uses to sense hormones and other chemicals in the bloodstream and to send messages to cells. In work that further illuminates how cells work, researchers have discovered a new role for G proteins that may have relevance to halting solid tumor cancer metastasis.

Mother's genes can influence bacteria in her baby's gut Posted: 09 Apr 2015 11:30 AM PDT A gene, which is not active in some mothers, produces a breast milk sugar that influences the development of the community of gut bacteria in her infant, researchers have discovered. The researchers emphasized that the finding does not suggest that breast milk from mothers without an active copy of the gene is less nourishing or healthy. Rather, it conveys the subtle and elegant choreography of one part of the human microbiome: The relationships between the mothers' genetics, the composition of her breast milk and the development of her infant's gut microbiota. It also reveals clues for enriching desirable bacteria in populations at risk of intestinal diseases -- such as preemies.

Brain activity in infants predicts language outcomes in autism spectrum disorder Posted: 09 Apr 2015 10:34 AM PDT Autism spectrum disorder can produce different clinical outcomes in young children, with some having strong conversation abilities and others not talking at all. A new study reveals at the first signs of possible autism in infants and toddlers, neural activity in language-sensitive brain regions is already similar to normal in those autism spectrum disorder toddlers who eventually go on to develop good language ability but nearly absent in those who later have a poor language outcome.

New approach to treat drug-resistant HER2--positive breast cancer Posted: 09 Apr 2015 10:32 AM PDT Resistance to therapy is a major problem in the cancer field. Using human cell lines of the HER2-positive breast cancer subtype, researchers detailed the surprising ways in which resistance to the drug lapatinib manifests and how to defeat resistance before it happens.

Stem cell disease model clarifies bone cancer trigger Posted: 09 Apr 2015 10:32 AM PDT Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a team of researchers has gained new insight into genetic changes that may turn a well known anti-cancer signaling gene into a driver of risk for bone cancers. The findings revolve around iPSCs, which since their 2006 discovery have enabled researchers to coax mature (fully differentiated) bodily cells (e.g. skin cells) to become like embryonic stem cells. Such cells are pluripotent, able to become many cell types as they multiply and differentiate to form tissues. The iPSCs can then be converted again as needed into differentiated cells such as heart muscle, nerve cells, bone, etc.

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