ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• 'Jaws' may help humans grow new teeth, shark study suggests
• Same gene dictates size of two sensory brain areas
• Long-term cancer surviors still need guidance about screening, side effects, lifestyle
• Poor air quality kills 5.5 million worldwide annually
• Software optimized on Mira advances design of mini-proteins for medicines, materials
• New nanotechnology detects biomarkers of cancer
• Study finds mechanism by which obesity promotes pancreatic and breast cancer
• Sleep apnea takes a toll on brain function
• Genome studies can help identify lifestyle risks for diseases
• Gene switch may repair DNA and prevent cancer
• Gene signature could lead to a new way of diagnosing Lyme Disease
• Gene previously observed only in brain is important driver of metastatic breast cancer
• Diabetics who use verapamil have lower glucose levels, data show
• Important role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia
• Supportive shoes a confusing term, runner attitude study finds
• Expert opinion on how to address the skyrocketing prices of cancer drugs
• New study confirms different generics have equal efficacy when treating epilepsy
• Asthma linked to an increased time to pregnancy
• What are my hiccups telling me?
• Gastric bypass surgery can reduce risk of death even for advanced ages
• Feeling older increases risk of hospitalization, study says
• Freezing nerves prior to knee replacement improves outcomes, study finds
• Mommy and me: Study shows how affectionate mothering can combat the effects of maternal depression
• Giving support to others, not just receiving it, has beneficial effects
• Want to be a doctor, but have a disability? Many medical schools look unwelcoming
• DNA breaks in nerve cells' ancestors cluster in specific genes
• New imaging technique shows how DNA is protected at chromosomes' ends
• Iron in the blood could cause cell damage, say researchers
• Common antimalarial drug could be used to treat major injury
• Younger T cells may improve immunotherapy for children's cancer
• Surprise role for dopamine in social interplay
• Lifelong physical activity increases bone density in men
• Unraveling the enigma of salty taste detection
• Potential therapy for most aggressive type of lung cancer in preclinical models
• Early diet of infants, not maternal obesity, influences development of gut microbiome
• Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection
• Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds
• Novel neuroprotective therapy found to enhance memory
• Breaking cell barriers with retractable protein nanoneedles
• Biosensors on demand
• Daily dose of beetroot juice improved endurance and blood pressure
• Doctors' reminders help keep people more engaged in their health care
• Tiny worm opens big discovery on nerve degeneration
• Breakable genes may promote disease, brain cell diversity
• Alternative proteins encoded by the same gene have widely divergent functions in cells
• Scientists identify a memory suppressor that may play a role in autism
• Increasing BRCA testing rates in young women with breast cancer
• Type 2 diabetes drug can exhaust insulin-producing cells
• True love: How transcription factors interact to create a heart
• How a master regulator in ovarian cancer can go from helpful to harmful
• Common cell transformed to master heart cell
• A heart-shaped protein
• Vitamin D-rich foods during pregnancy may reduce allergy risk in children
• Could the food we eat affect our genes? Study in yeast suggests this may be the case
• New answers concerning a weight-regulating hormone
• Researchers discover underlying cause of myeloma
• Faulty bioelectric signal responsible for facial defects caused by rare genetic disorder
• Remote telemonitoring does not reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients
• How your cells build tiny 'train tracks' could shed light on human disease
• New smart chip makes low-powered, wireless neural implants a possibility

'Jaws' may help humans grow new teeth, shark study suggests Posted: 12 Feb 2016 05:02 PM PST A new insight into how sharks regenerate their teeth, which may pave the way for the development of therapies to help humans with tooth loss, has been discovered.

Same gene dictates size of two sensory brain areas Posted: 12 Feb 2016 01:43 PM PST The discovery has implications for understanding how the human brain evolved and how it varies between people

Long-term cancer surviors still need guidance about screening, side effects, lifestyle Posted: 12 Feb 2016 01:42 PM PST Researchers have published an article that addresses the needs of cancer survivors who are at least nine years beyond an initial diagnosis. The Q &A article discusses how to better care for long-term survivors.

Poor air quality kills 5.5 million worldwide annually Posted: 12 Feb 2016 11:09 AM PST New research shows that more than 5.5 million people die prematurely every year due to household and outdoor air pollution. More than half of deaths occur in two of the world's fastest growing economies, China and India.

Software optimized on Mira advances design of mini-proteins for medicines, materials Posted: 12 Feb 2016 10:07 AM PST Scientists are using Mira to virtually design unique, artificial peptides, or short proteins. Peptides have the best properties of two different classes of medical drugs today and could enable future, peptide-based medicines with few side effects. As researchers begin to develop new peptides, they are optimizing their in-house software to test thousands of potential peptide structure designs in tandem, requiring a state-of-the-art supercomputer.

New nanotechnology detects biomarkers of cancer Posted: 12 Feb 2016 10:05 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technology to detect disease biomarkers in the form of nucleic acids, the building blocks of all living organisms.

Study finds mechanism by which obesity promotes pancreatic and breast cancer Posted: 12 Feb 2016 10:05 AM PST Investigators may have uncovered a novel mechanism behind the ability of obesity to promote cancer progression. The study focused on the effects of obesity on pancreatic and breast cancer, since more than half of those diagnosed with such tumors are overweight or obese.

Sleep apnea takes a toll on brain function Posted: 12 Feb 2016 07:23 AM PST People with sleep apnea show significant changes in the levels of two important brain chemicals, which could be a reason that many have symptoms that impact their day-to-day lives, new research concludes.

Genome studies can help identify lifestyle risks for diseases Posted: 12 Feb 2016 07:23 AM PST A type of study commonly used to pinpoint genetic variants associated with diseases can also be used to identify the lifestyle predictors that increase the risk of a disease -- something that is often overlooked in genetic studies.

Gene switch may repair DNA and prevent cancer Posted: 12 Feb 2016 07:23 AM PST New discoveries are bringing scientists closer to understanding how DNA repairs itself with a chemical modification which, when absent, can lead to tumor formation.

Gene signature could lead to a new way of diagnosing Lyme Disease Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:37 AM PST Researchers may have found a new way to diagnose Lyme disease, based on a distinctive gene "signature" they discovered in white blood cells of patients infected with the tick-borne bacteria.

Gene previously observed only in brain is important driver of metastatic breast cancer Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:36 AM PST One gene that was once thought only to be found in the brain is also expressed in breast cancer and helps promote the growth and spread of the disease, research shows. Additionally, the scientists showed how a version of the gene with edited RNA prevents metastasis.

Diabetics who use verapamil have lower glucose levels, data show Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:36 AM PST While causal relationship cannot be inferred, findings of a new study are "absolutely encouraging," says the lead author of a new report. The study shows for the first time that there is an association of verapamil use and lower fasting glucose levels in humans with diabetes

Important role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:19 AM PST Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders. No cure exists for these diseases. Ten percent of ALS patients suffer from a familial form of the disease, while FTD is caused in 40% of patients by a genetic defect. In 2011, the most important genetic cause of ALS and FTD was discovered. The causative mutation was a repetition of a piece of non-coding DNA, a so called tandem repeat, in a gene with an unknown function, named C9orf72. A team of scientists has now discovered that proteins translated from this tandem repeat interfere with the nucleocytoplasmic transport which they found is essential for causing ALS and FTD.

Supportive shoes a confusing term, runner attitude study finds Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:18 AM PST New running shoes to burn off Christmas excess are a popular purchase in the New Year, but the terms associated with supportive footwear and alternative styles of running can be confusing, a new study has found.

Expert opinion on how to address the skyrocketing prices of cancer drugs Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:16 AM PST Many patients with cancer find themselves in great financial distress, in part because the costs of cancer-fighting drugs are skyrocketing. Is it possible to create public policy that will rein in these prices and cut patients' out-of-pocket costs? Not without significant tradeoffs, that could reduce patients' access to some cancer medications, says a physician, cancer researcher and health economist.

New study confirms different generics have equal efficacy when treating epilepsy Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:16 AM PST A new study tested two generic lamotrigine (prescription antiepileptic) products and found no detectable difference in clinical effects among patients in the trial.

Asthma linked to an increased time to pregnancy Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:16 AM PST Asthma has been associated with a prolonged time to pregnancy and a decreased birth rate in a new clinical observation study. The current study investigated 245 women with unexplained fertility problems aged between 23 and 45 years. They underwent asthma and allergy testing and questionnaires during their fertility treatment. 96 women in the study had either an existing doctor's diagnosis of asthma or were diagnosed with asthma when they entered the study.

What are my hiccups telling me? Posted: 11 Feb 2016 04:23 PM PST Most of us can remember the Grey's Anatomy episode where Meredith's step-mom checks into the hospital for a case of hiccups that won't go away. The diagnosis wasn't pretty and it may have caused viewers to panic about their health every time they hiccupped.

Gastric bypass surgery can reduce risk of death even for advanced ages Posted: 11 Feb 2016 04:19 PM PST New research challenges the assumption that people can be too old for surgery. Surprisingly, even obese people well into their 70s can experience significant life-sustaining benefits by opting for the surgery, according to the study.

Feeling older increases risk of hospitalization, study says Posted: 11 Feb 2016 04:00 PM PST People who feel older than their peers are more likely to be hospitalized as they age, regardless of their actual age or other demographic factors, according to research.

Freezing nerves prior to knee replacement improves outcomes, study finds Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:59 PM PST Freezing nerves before knee replacement surgery combined with traditional pain management approaches significantly improves patient outcomes, the first study of its kind has found.

Mommy and me: Study shows how affectionate mothering can combat the effects of maternal depression Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:50 PM PST Certain parenting strategies can combat the negative impacts of maternal depression on an infant, suggests the first study of its kind. The work sought to investigate how a depressed mother's neuroendocrine response to stress can program the infant's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a set of signals and relationships between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenals. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is responsible for creating cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress.

Giving support to others, not just receiving it, has beneficial effects Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:49 PM PST Social support has well-known benefits for physical and mental health. But giving support -- rather than receiving it -- may have unique positive effects on key brain areas involved in stress and reward responses, suggests a new study.

Want to be a doctor, but have a disability? Many medical schools look unwelcoming Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:49 PM PST They may dream of becoming doctors, and helping people like themselves. But for young people with disabilities, that dream may die when they check the admissions standards of most medical schools, according to a new study.

DNA breaks in nerve cells' ancestors cluster in specific genes Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:49 PM PST A new avenue for thinking about brain development, brain tumors and neurodevelopmental/psychiatric diseases has been revealed by a new study.

New imaging technique shows how DNA is protected at chromosomes' ends Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:49 PM PST A new imaging technique has allowed researchers to see how DNA loops around a protein that aids in the formation of a special structure in telomeres. Telomeres are essentially caps on the ends of linear chromosomes, which are the structures inside our cells that contain DNA with our genetic information. In terms of function, telomeres are like the plastic coating (aglet) on the ends of shoelaces that prevents the laces from unraveling.

Iron in the blood could cause cell damage, say researchers Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:40 PM PST Concentrations of iron similar to those delivered through standard treatments can trigger DNA damage within 10 minutes, when given to cells in the laboratory. This is the finding of scientists who suggest that researchers need to look carefully at the amount of iron given in standard treatments, such as tablets and infusions, and the effects this could be having on the body.

Common antimalarial drug could be used to treat major injury Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:39 PM PST A common anti-malarial drug Artesunate could be used to reduce organ failure following injury, according to an early study in rats. The repurposing of the affordable and safe drug could help save the lives of major trauma patients, and the promising results have already led to human clinical trials being planned for this year.

Younger T cells may improve immunotherapy for children's cancer Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:42 AM PST Pediatric oncologists have investigated techniques to improve and broaden a novel personalized cell therapy to treat children with cancer. The researchers say a patient's outcome may be improved if clinicians select specific subtypes of T cells to attack diseases like acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma.

Surprise role for dopamine in social interplay Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:40 AM PST The chemical signal dopamine plays an unexpected role in social interactions, new research shows. In mice, nerve cells in the brain that release dopamine became particularly active in animals kept on their own for a short time.

Lifelong physical activity increases bone density in men Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:31 AM PST Men have many reasons to add high-impact and resistance training to their exercise regimens; these reasons include building muscle and shedding fat. Now a researcher has determined another significant benefit to these activities: building bone mass. The study found that individuals who continuously participated in high-impact activities, such as jogging and tennis, during adolescence and young adulthood, had greater hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density than those who did not.

Unraveling the enigma of salty taste detection Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:27 AM PST Scientists from the Monell Center have further characterized the identity and functionality of salt-responding taste cells on the tongue. The knowledge may lead to novel approaches to develop salt replacers or enhancers that can help reduce the sodium content of food while retaining desirable salty taste.

Potential therapy for most aggressive type of lung cancer in preclinical models Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST The specific combination of the drugs dasatinib and demcizumab impairs the growth of KRAS-driven lung tumors, the most aggressive sub-type and with the lowest survival rates. The research was conducted on mouse models and samples of human tumors. The experts are confident they can soon start clinical trials which will make it possible to transfer the discoveries to cancer patients.

Early diet of infants, not maternal obesity, influences development of gut microbiome Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST After the age of nine months, the development of the infant gut microbiota is driven by the transition to family foods, not maternal obesity, according to results from a new study. The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Children are essentially born without microbes in their gut, and they are immediately colonized upon birth. The next several years are critical in establishing a person's endogenous gut microbiota.

Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST The first real-time system has been developed to watch directly through the microscope as Ebola-like virus particles fuse with human cells to infect them. Their findings reveal key host cell and viral proteins that direct fusion and Ebola infection. Such knowledge is crucial for designing future drugs or vaccines to prevent this deadly disease.

Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST Although more than $500 million in federally funded research on Persian Gulf War veterans between 1994 and 2014 has produced many findings, there has been little substantial progress in the overall understanding of the health effects, particularly Gulf War illness, resulting from military service in the war, says a new report.

Novel neuroprotective therapy found to enhance memory Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST New research highlights the neuroprotective potential of a peptide developed at the university, and the marked difference in nerve cell communication in male and female mice. If researchers come to understand how the protein acts differently in each sex, drugs for potential therapeutics can be optimized to treat both autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Breaking cell barriers with retractable protein nanoneedles Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST Researchers have adapted a retractable protein polymer -- found naturally in certain bacteria -- to mechanically rupture cell membranes, which could lead to new drug delivery methods and other applications in biotechnology and medicine.

Biosensors on demand Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST New research leverages a combination of computational protein design, in vitro synthesis and in vivo testing to establish a first-of-its-kind strategy for identifying custom-tailored biosensors.

Daily dose of beetroot juice improved endurance and blood pressure Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST A daily dose of beetroot juice significantly improved exercise endurance and blood pressure in elderly patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a new study has concluded.

Doctors' reminders help keep people more engaged in their health care Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:17 AM PST Follow up emails from a primary care doctor can be a critical way to keep patients involved in their own health care, an new study examining the program called OpenNotes has found.

Tiny worm opens big discovery on nerve degeneration Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:17 AM PST A discovery in a transparent roundworm has brought scientists one step closer to understanding nerve degeneration. Researchers have discovered the worm contains two proteins that play a role in the degeneration of axons in nerve cells.

Breakable genes may promote disease, brain cell diversity Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST Researchers have identified 27 genes in brain stem cells that are prone to a type of DNA damage. The fragility of those genes could explain why they are often mutated or deleted in cancers and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. But their tendency to break could also benefit the brain by providing a way to produce a greater diversity of neurons.

Alternative proteins encoded by the same gene have widely divergent functions in cells Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST In a first large-scale systematic study, researchers found that most sibling proteins -- known as 'protein isoform' encoded by the same gene -- often play radically different roles within tissues and cells, however alike they may be structurally.

Scientists identify a memory suppressor that may play a role in autism Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST A specific microRNA has strong links to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, scientists report. The microRNA, known miR-980, serves as a memory suppressor in multiple brain regions of Drosophila, the common fruit fly, a widely recognized substitute for human memory studies.

Increasing BRCA testing rates in young women with breast cancer Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST Rates of genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have increased among women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 or younger, according to an article.

Type 2 diabetes drug can exhaust insulin-producing cells Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Long-term use of liraglutide, a substance that helps to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, can have a deteriorating effect on insulin-producing beta cells, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels, an international team of researchers warns.

True love: How transcription factors interact to create a heart Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Three transcription factors -- proteins that direct gene expression -- interact with each other and the genome to influence how a heart forms in an embryo, scientists have discovered. Without these protein interactions, severe congenital heart defects can occur. By understanding how the transcription factors work together during heart development, researchers may discover new ways to treat heart disease.

How a master regulator in ovarian cancer can go from helpful to harmful Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Scientists have defined the role of how a master genomic organizer influences the behavior of these ovarian-associated dendritic cells, revealing a previously unseen way in which cancer is able to manipulate our immune system.

Common cell transformed to master heart cell Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST By genetically reprogramming the most common type of cell in mammalian connective tissue, researchers have generated master heart cells -- primitive progenitors that form the developing heart. The feat could one day fuel drug discovery, powerful new models for heart disease and the raw material for treating diseased hearts.

A heart-shaped protein Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:39 AM PST From cookies and candies to balloons and cards, heart-shaped items abound this time of year. They're even in our blood. It turns out that the most abundant protein molecule in blood plasma--serum albumin (SA)--is shaped very much like a heart.

Vitamin D-rich foods during pregnancy may reduce allergy risk in children Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:38 AM PST Higher intake of foods containing vitamin D during pregnancy – but not supplemental vitamin D intake – was associated with reduced risk of development of allergies in children, new research demonstrates.

Could the food we eat affect our genes? Study in yeast suggests this may be the case Posted: 11 Feb 2016 08:15 AM PST Almost all of our genes may be influenced by the food we eat, suggests new research. The study, carried out in yeast -- which can be used to model some of the body's fundamental processes -- shows that while the activity of our genes influences our metabolism, the opposite is also true and the nutrients available to cells influence our genes.

New answers concerning a weight-regulating hormone Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:48 AM PST For years, scientists have failed to locate the DNA variants that control the weight-regulating hormone, leptin. However, new research has enabled the identification of four genes associated with leptin levels, which is particularly relevant within an obesity context. The study focuses on the powerful hormone leptin, which regulates humans' long-term energy balance by informing the brain about the amount of stored body fat.

Researchers discover underlying cause of myeloma Posted: 11 Feb 2016 06:02 AM PST Researchers have identified what causes a third of all myelomas, a type of cancer affecting plasma cells. The findings could fundamentally change the way this cancer and others are treated.

Faulty bioelectric signal responsible for facial defects caused by rare genetic disorder Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:55 AM PST Faulty bioelectric signaling has been found to be responsible for the skull and facial abnormalities that characterize the rare genetic disorder Andersen-Tawil Syndrome (ATS). It may therefore be possible to alter bioelectrical signaling to correct effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and other developmental defects or genetic mutations.

Remote telemonitoring does not reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:55 AM PST Combined health coaching and remote monitoring did not reduce all-cause 180-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients, and did not have significant effects on 30-day hospital readmissions, 30-day mortality, or 180-day mortality, reports a new article. But patients reported significantly improved quality of life.

How your cells build tiny 'train tracks' could shed light on human disease Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:52 AM PST Researchers have discovered how cells in the human body build their own 'railway networks', throwing light on how diseases such as bowel cancer work. The microtubule tracks are vital for functions such as cell division and are a key target for key cancer drugs. Now researchers are studying how these microtubule tracks are assembled.

New smart chip makes low-powered, wireless neural implants a possibility Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:30 AM PST A versatile chip offers multiple applications in various electronic devices, report researchers, suggested that there is now hope that a low-powered, wireless neural implant may soon be a reality. Neural implants when embedded in the brain can alleviate the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease or give paraplegic people the ability to move their prosthetic limbs.

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