ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Nanotechnology advances could pave way for implantable artificial kidney
• How a mutant worm's reaction to a foul smell could lead to new disease treatment avenues
• Kitchen utensils can spread bacteria between foods
• Adding antiangiogenesis increases effectiveness of radiation against NF2-associated tumors
• Childhood obesity linked to poverty, parenting style
• Chronic arsenic exposure can impair ability of muscle to heal after injury
• Research points to development of single vaccine for Chikungunya, related viruses
• Controlling levels of specific gut bacteria could help prevent severe diarrhea
• Prenatal alcohol exposure: Services insufficient in supporting those affected
• New SARS-like virus can jump directly from bats to humans, no treatment available
• Dengue: Asymptomatic people transmit the virus to mosquitoes
• 'Post-hospital syndrome' found to be a risk factor for elective surgery
• Using copper to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses
• LocoMouse: Innovative tool sheds light on motor deficits
• Low energy sweeteners help reduce energy intake and body weight, evidence shows
• Highly sensitive sensors successfully map electrical patterns of embryonic heart
• Does alcohol consumption affect the risk for Parkinson's disease?
• New method identifies up to twice as many proteins, peptides in mass spectrometry data
• Medicines do not seem to degrade faster in space
• Researchers develop antibiotic alternative for wound infections
• Gastric bypass for teens: Weight loss and lipid improvements sustained 8 years after surgery
• Obese kids young as age eight show signs of heart disease
• Short bursts of high-intensity exercise does more for type 2 diabetes
• College football linemen face greater risk of heart problems
• Genes may determine the side effects of menopausal hormone therapy, study suggests
• Lung cancer surgery can be beneficial for high-risk patients with early stage disease
• Heart valve patients may benefit from managing own blood thinners
• First, do no harm: Hospital patients given anti-heartburn drugs have higher risk of dying, study finds
• Novel stem cell line avoids risk of introducing transplanted tumors
• Sugar molecules lose their 'Cinderella' status
• Gaucher disease may protect against Parkinson's disease-related color visual impairment
• New vaccine could prevent high cholesterol
• New link found in colon cancer, melanoma drug treatment
• Pancreatic cancer: CD44 protein induces metastases
• New method enables the early detection of ovarian cancer
• A treasure trove of new cancer biomarkers
• Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid for more effective policing of brain tumors
• New test for prostate cancer significantly improves prostate cancer screening
• Using microfluidic devices to sort stem cells
• IL-21 repairs immune function in primate model of HIV infection
• CPR by medics: Keep pumping or stop for rescue breathing?
• Common medication for heart failure patients does not increase activity level
• Use of testosterone replacement therapy in healthy men does not increase risk of heart attack or stroke, new study finds
• The boy who cried wolf: Drug alerts in the ER
• Enormous genetic variation may shield tumors from treatment
• Antibody targets key cancer marker; opens door to better diagnosis, therapy
• White coat and masked hypertension associated with higher rates of heart and vascular disease
• Drugs with multiple targets show promise against myotonic dystrophy type 1
• Implantable wireless devices trigger, and may block, pain signals
• End 'stem cell tourism,' experts urge
• Self-rated health predicts immune response to the common cold
• Researchers shed pharmacological light on formerly 'dark' cellular receptors

Nanotechnology advances could pave way for implantable artificial kidney Posted: 10 Nov 2015 11:51 AM PST New advances in nanopore technology could lead to the development of a surgically implantable, artificial kidney.

How a mutant worm's reaction to a foul smell could lead to new disease treatment avenues Posted: 10 Nov 2015 11:48 AM PST On Nov. 10 in the journal Science Signaling, University at Buffalo researchers will report that the mutant worms they were studying had altered dopamine signaling because the animals were missing the gene for an enzyme called PRMT-5, which facilitates an important cellular process -- protein arginine methylation.

Kitchen utensils can spread bacteria between foods Posted: 10 Nov 2015 10:45 AM PST Researchers have found that produce that contained bacteria would contaminate other produce items through the continued use of knives or graters -- the bacteria would latch on to the utensils commonly found in consumers' homes and spread. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware utensils and other surfaces at home can contribute to the spread of bacteria, say the authors of a new report.

Adding antiangiogenesis increases effectiveness of radiation against NF2-associated tumors Posted: 10 Nov 2015 10:45 AM PST Treatment with antiangiogenesis drugs may improve the effectiveness of radiation treatment of nervous system tumors that interfere with the hearing of patients with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis 2, investigators report.

Childhood obesity linked to poverty, parenting style Posted: 10 Nov 2015 10:45 AM PST With childhood obesity rates on the rise, a team of based researchers embarked on a study to show how authoritarian parenting and household income combine to affect kid's obesity risk.

Chronic arsenic exposure can impair ability of muscle to heal after injury Posted: 10 Nov 2015 09:04 AM PST Chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to stem cell dysfunction that impairs muscle healing and regeneration. More than 140 million people worldwide and 4 million Americans chronically ingest arsenic in their drinking water. The 21st most abundant metal in Earth's crust, arsenic is naturally present in soil and bedrock-walled wells and has no odor, color or taste.

Research points to development of single vaccine for Chikungunya, related viruses Posted: 10 Nov 2015 09:02 AM PST What if a single vaccine could protect people from infection by many different viruses? That concept is a step closer to reality. Researchers have identified 'broadly neutralizing' antibodies that protect against infection by multiple, distantly related alphaviruses -- including Chikungunya virus -- that cause fever and debilitating joint pain. The discovery, in mice, lays the groundwork for a single vaccine or antibody-based treatment against many different alphaviruses.

Controlling levels of specific gut bacteria could help prevent severe diarrhea Posted: 10 Nov 2015 09:02 AM PST Everyone has suffered from it. It's ranged from mild to severe. It's a condition that's most-often described in a whisper. Diarrhea. Severe cases of diarrhea, however, are no joking matter. New research may offer patients suffering from acute cases new treatments that focus on intestinal microbial communities to prevent the disease.

Prenatal alcohol exposure: Services insufficient in supporting those affected Posted: 10 Nov 2015 08:57 AM PST There is an urgent need to do more to recognize prenatal alcohol exposure at an early stage and to integrate better pathways for diagnosis, assessment and support. The importance of raising awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is the focus of new research, as there are unclear protocols and guidelines in place to adequately support those directly affected.

New SARS-like virus can jump directly from bats to humans, no treatment available Posted: 10 Nov 2015 08:57 AM PST A new bat SARS-like virus has been discovered that can jump directly from its bat hosts to humans without mutation. However, researchers point out that if the SARS-like virus did jump, it is still unclear whether it could spread from human to human.

Dengue: Asymptomatic people transmit the virus to mosquitoes Posted: 10 Nov 2015 08:57 AM PST Scientists have provided proof that people infected by dengue virus but showing no clinical symptoms can actually infect mosquitoes that bite them. It appears that these asymptomatic people -- who, together with mildly symptomatic patients, represent three-quarters of all dengue infections -- could be involved in the transmission chain of the virus.

'Post-hospital syndrome' found to be a risk factor for elective surgery Posted: 10 Nov 2015 08:56 AM PST A condition known as 'post-hospital syndrome' (PHS) is a significant risk factor for patients who undergo elective outpatient surgery, a new study has found. PHS is defined as having been hospitalized during the previous 90 days. This first-of-its-kind study found that among patients with PHS, 7.6 percent had to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of undergoing elective outpatient hernia surgery. By comparison, only 1.6 percent of non-PHS patients had to be readmitted following hernia surgery.

Using copper to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses Posted: 10 Nov 2015 07:21 AM PST Copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which are linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), new research shows. Animal coronaviruses that 'host jump' to humans, such as SARS and MERS, result in severe infections with high mortality. Researchers found that a closely-related human coronavirus - 229E - can remain infectious on common surface materials for several days, but is rapidly destroyed on copper.

LocoMouse: Innovative tool sheds light on motor deficits Posted: 10 Nov 2015 07:20 AM PST A state-of-the-art open-source tool captures fine details of locomotion and offers new insights onto the neural basis of balance and coordination, report developers. Using LocoMouse, the researchers analyzed locomotion in mice with cerebellar degeneration, and were surprised to discover that many of the mouse's movements were unexpectedly intact.

Low energy sweeteners help reduce energy intake and body weight, evidence shows Posted: 10 Nov 2015 07:20 AM PST Use of low energy sweeteners (LES) in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced calorie intake and body weight - and possibly also when comparing LES beverages to water -- according to a new review.

Highly sensitive sensors successfully map electrical patterns of embryonic heart Posted: 10 Nov 2015 07:20 AM PST Highly sensitive sensors have been successfully used to map the electrical activity of the developing heart in embryos, scientists report. The study could lead to new insight into how heart rhythm abnormalities develop, the researchers say.

Does alcohol consumption affect the risk for Parkinson's disease? Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:42 AM PST For many years, researchers have been investigating whether there are any associations between Parkinson's disease (PD) and lifestyle choices such as smoking and coffee and alcohol consumption. In a new review, authors say that the literature concerning alcohol consumption presents conflicting information.

New method identifies up to twice as many proteins, peptides in mass spectrometry data Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:40 AM PST An team of researchers developed a method that identifies up to twice as many proteins and peptides in mass spectrometry data than conventional approaches. The method can be applied to a range of fields, including clinical settings and fundamental biology research for cancer and other diseases. The key to the method's improved performance is its ability to compare data to so-called spectral libraries -- a pattern-matching exercise -- rather than individual spectra or a database of sequences.

Medicines do not seem to degrade faster in space Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:40 AM PST The results of an opportunistic, pilot-scale study suggest that medication degradation on the ISS does not differ from what is typically seen on Earth.

Researchers develop antibiotic alternative for wound infections Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:39 AM PST For the first time, researchers have discovered how electrical stimulation works for the treatment of bacterial infections, paving the way for a viable alternative to medicinal antibiotics. The researchers passed an electric current over a film of bacteria and in 24 hours killed almost all of a multi-drug resistant bacterium that is often present in difficult-to-treat infections. The remaining bacterial population was 1/10,000th of its original size.

Gastric bypass for teens: Weight loss and lipid improvements sustained 8 years after surgery Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:39 AM PST Eight years after having gastric bypass surgery as teenagers, patients continue to have significant weight loss and improvement in their lipid profiles.

Obese kids young as age eight show signs of heart disease Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:39 AM PST Imaging tests of obese children's hearts showed signs of heart disease, including kids as young as 8 years old. Obese children had 27 percent more muscle mass in the left ventricle of their hearts and 12 percent thicker heart muscles -- both signs of heart disease -- compared to normal weight children. Forty percent of the obese children were considered 'high-risk' because of problems with thickened muscle in the heart as well as impaired pumping ability.

Short bursts of high-intensity exercise does more for type 2 diabetes Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:39 AM PST Short bursts of high-intensity exercise improved cholesterol, blood sugar and weight among type 2 diabetes patients more than 30 minutes of sustained, lower-intensity exercise. Burst exercise patients experienced more than a two-fold greater improvement in HbA1c levels which is a measure of blood sugar levels and greater reductions in body mass index.

College football linemen face greater risk of heart problems Posted: 10 Nov 2015 06:39 AM PST A study of freshman college athletes found participation in American-style football was associated with significant increases in systolic blood pressure. Although both football linemen and non-linemen were found to have thicker left ventricular heart walls post-season, when compared to non-linemen, the linemen were at higher risk of developing irregularly thickened heart walls.

Genes may determine the side effects of menopausal hormone therapy, study suggests Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST Cardiovascular disease risk in women increases after menopause and is associated with the drop in estrogen levels. Menopausal hormone therapy could slow the progression, but oral formulations also increase the risk of blood clots. A new study reports that whether a woman will obtain cardiovascular benefits from certain types of hormone therapy may depend on her genes.

Lung cancer surgery can be beneficial for high-risk patients with early stage disease Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST Surgical lung resection, in which part of a lung is removed, can be a safe and effective treatment option for high-risk patients with early stage lung cancer, say researchers.

Heart valve patients may benefit from managing own blood thinners Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST Allowing select patients to self-manage blood thinners following heart valve surgery may lead to a lower risk of major complications, according to a new article.

First, do no harm: Hospital patients given anti-heartburn drugs have higher risk of dying, study finds Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST Right now, in any US hospital, about half of the patients have a prescription for an acid-reducing drug to reduce heartburn or prevent bleeding in their stomach and gut. But that well-intentioned drug may actually boost their risk of dying during their hospital stay, by opening them up to infections that pose more risk than bleeding would, researchers report.

Novel stem cell line avoids risk of introducing transplanted tumors Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST A new "progenitor cell" capable of unlimited expansion and differentiation into mature kidney cells, but without the risk of forming tumors, has been described by researchers in a new article.

Sugar molecules lose their 'Cinderella' status Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:30 AM PST Carbohydrates are often considered the 'Cinderella' molecules of biology yet they are a feature of an increasing number of medicines, from small molecule drugs to protein therapeutics or vaccines.

Gaucher disease may protect against Parkinson's disease-related color visual impairment Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:30 AM PST Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients have a five-fold greater risk of carrying genetic mutations in the ?-glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA), which are commonly associated with Gaucher disease (GD). Patients with both PD and GD tend to experience earlier onset of PD and more serious cognitive changes than PD patients without the mutations. A new study suggests that GD or the presence of GBA mutations may actually shield patients from deficiency in visual color discrimination, which is a hallmark of PD.

New vaccine could prevent high cholesterol Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:30 AM PST A new cholesterol-lowering vaccine leads to reductions in 'bad' LDL cholesterol in mice and macaques, according to new research.The authors of the study say the vaccine has the potential to be a more powerful treatment than statins alone.

New link found in colon cancer, melanoma drug treatment Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:30 AM PST New research findings show link a between colorectal cancer and melanoma drug treatment known as NT157. ancer is a highly complex disease in which the tumor recruits its surrounding tissue, as well as the immune system to support and promote its own growth. This realization explains why tumor therapy has been difficult for physicians. Researchers now realize that not only does the tumor need to be targeted, but also its microenvironment and the immune system, which is subverted by the tumor to support it.

Pancreatic cancer: CD44 protein induces metastases Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:25 AM PST Due to their rapid metastatic spread, pancreatic tumors are among the most aggressive types of cancer. Only three to five percent of patients have a survival rate of five years. A team of researchers has now established the basis for new therapeutic approaches. They report that in various pancreatic cancer mouse models CD44v6-specific peptides do not only inhibit the spread of tumor cells, but may even lead to the regression of already existing metastases.

New method enables the early detection of ovarian cancer Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:25 AM PST Around 75 per cent of ovarian tumors arise from the fallopian tube. There are currently no options for detecting this condition early or preventing it. With the help of an innovative, "three-way" catheter, a new study suggests that this situation may be different in the future.

A treasure trove of new cancer biomarkers Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:25 AM PST Biomarkers, which allow diseases to be diagnosed and staged based on relatively non-invasive blood tests, have been identified for several types of cancers, but for most cancers remain elusive. Now, research have identified a large number of genes that are upregulated in many different types of cancer, opening the door for developing biomarker tests that could be used to detect cancers early, allowing for prompt treatment.

Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid for more effective policing of brain tumors Posted: 10 Nov 2015 05:21 AM PST The exploitation of cerebrospinal fluid-derived circulating DNA as liquid biopsy promises a more accurate, effective and less invasive approach in unmasking the molecular characteristics of brain tumors.

New test for prostate cancer significantly improves prostate cancer screening Posted: 09 Nov 2015 07:00 PM PST A new study shows that a new test for prostate cancer is better at detecting aggressive cancer than PSA. The new test, which has undergone trial in 58,818 men, discovers aggressive cancer earlier and reduces the number of false positive tests and unnecessary biopsies.

Using microfluidic devices to sort stem cells Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:20 PM PST Biologists currently culture and analyze stem cells as free-floating clusters, which contain an unknown mixture of stem cells and different populations of progenitor cells. Cells in the interior of the cluster often go unnoticed if they start differentiating prematurely, losing their "stemness." Researchers have long looked for ways to safely isolate single stem cells from these clusters. By transporting stem cell clusters through a micro-scale, spiral-shaped device, researchers have now found they can safely isolate single stem cells.

IL-21 repairs immune function in primate model of HIV infection Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:20 PM PST A combination treatment aimed at repairing the immune system has shown encouraging effects in a nonhuman primate model of HIV infection, both during and after a course of antiretroviral drug treatment.

CPR by medics: Keep pumping or stop for rescue breathing? Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:19 PM PST The largest study so far of the outcomes of CPR performed by medics for people suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was conducted at 114 agencies across the United States and Canada. The researchers unexpectedly found that continuous chest compressions did not offer survival advantages, when compared to interrupting manual chest pumping to perform rescue breathing, nor were continuous chest compressions better in protecting brain function among those who survived and were later discharged from the hospital.

Common medication for heart failure patients does not increase activity level Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:19 PM PST Heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction -- where the heart becomes stiff and cannot relax or fill properly -- did not have increased exercise tolerance after taking isosorbide mononitrate, compared to a placebo.

Use of testosterone replacement therapy in healthy men does not increase risk of heart attack or stroke, new study finds Posted: 09 Nov 2015 01:05 PM PST A new study of generally healthy men who used testosterone replacement therapy to normalize testosterone levels has found that taking supplemental testosterone does not increase their risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

The boy who cried wolf: Drug alerts in the ER Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:38 PM PST To prevent a single adverse drug event, one commercial electronic health record opioid warning system fired off 123 unnecessary and clinically inconsequential alerts, according to the results of a new study.

Enormous genetic variation may shield tumors from treatment Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:32 PM PST The most rigorous genetic sequencing ever carried out on a single tumor reveals far greater genetic diversity among cancer cells than anticipated, more than 100 million distinct mutations within the coding regions of its genes. The finding suggests that even microscopic tumors are likely to contain extremely high genetic diversity. With so much variation, even small tumors are likely to contain cells that may be able to resist standard post-surgical cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation.

Antibody targets key cancer marker; opens door to better diagnosis, therapy Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:32 PM PST A molecular structure has been created that attaches to a molecule on highly aggressive brain cancer and causes tumors to light up in a scanning machine. In mouse models of human brain cancer, their tag is easily seen in a PET scanner, which is commonly used to detect cancer.

White coat and masked hypertension associated with higher rates of heart and vascular disease Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:31 PM PST Patients whose blood pressures spikes in the doctor's office but not at home, and patients whose blood pressure spikes at home but not in the doctor's office, suffer more heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes than patients with normal blood pressures in both settings, researchers have found.

Drugs with multiple targets show promise against myotonic dystrophy type 1 Posted: 09 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST Efforts to treat myotonic dystrophy type 1, the most common form of muscular dystrophy, are in their infancy. In a new study, researchers report they have added new capabilities to an experimental drug agent that previously defeated only one of DM1's many modes of action. Their retooled compounds interrupt the disease's pathology in three ways.

Implantable wireless devices trigger, and may block, pain signals Posted: 09 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST Building on wireless technology that has the potential to interfere with pain, scientists have developed flexible, implantable devices that can activate -- and, in theory, block -- pain signals in the body and spinal cord before those signals reach the brain. The researchers say the implants one day may be used in different parts of the body to fight pain that doesn't respond to other therapies.

End 'stem cell tourism,' experts urge Posted: 09 Nov 2015 11:24 AM PST The continued marketing and use of experimental stem cell-based interventions inside and outside the United States is problematic and unsustainable, according to a new paper by science policy and bioethics experts.

Self-rated health predicts immune response to the common cold Posted: 09 Nov 2015 11:24 AM PST It turns out that we may be the best forecasters of our own health.New research shows that a simple self-rating of health accurately predicts susceptibility to the common cold in healthy adults aged 18-55 years. The study indicates that low self-rated-health is associated with poorer immune system competence.

Researchers shed pharmacological light on formerly 'dark' cellular receptors Posted: 09 Nov 2015 11:15 AM PST Scientists have created a general tool to probe the activity of orphan receptors, illuminating their roles in behavior and making them accessible for drug discovery. The creation of the research tool involves computer modeling, yeast- and mammalian cell-based molecular screening techniques, and mouse models.

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