ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Moving beyond race-based drugs
• New study uncovers mechanisms underlying how diabetes damages the heart
• Coping with active surveillance anxiety in prostate cancer
• Why everyone wants to help the sick, but not the unemployed
• How do you kill a malaria parasite? Clog it with cholesterol
• Early-life stress causes digestive problems and anxiety in rats
• First discovery in United States of colistin resistance in a human E. coli infection
• Fasting-like diet reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms
• Targeting metals to fight pathogenic bacteria
• Surrogate endpoints poor proxy for survival in cancer drug approval process
• Scientists illuminate hidden regulator in gene transcription
• Another reason to stay active as we age
• New discovery from the molecular machinery for depression and addiction
• Powering up the circadian rhythm
• Study identifies risk factors associated with eye abnormalities in infants with presumed Zika virus
• Slime mold reveals clues to immune cells' directional abilities
• Using a model to estimate breast cancer risk in effort to improve prevention
• Study visualizes proteins involved in cancer cell metabolism
• Researchers show experience plays strong role in early stages of brain circuit development
• Why malnutrition is an immune disorder
• Scientists discover mechanism that turns mutant cells into aggressive cancers
• Exploring the rise and fall of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland: Affordability
• Party on(line): The link between social media, alcohol use
• Mothers' parenting stress impacts both parents' sexual satisfaction
• Researchers link gene expression patterns of normal tissue to breast cancer prognosis
• Unmet surgical needs high for world's 60 million refugees
• Bright lights, healthy choices
• Prepackaged portion-controlled meals can lead to greater weight loss than self-selected portions, research says
• Differences in metabolism between androgen-dependent, castration resistant prostate cancer may lead to new therapies
• Scientists uncover potential trigger to kill cancer
• Helping stroke survivors get back on their feet
• New treatment room design model for future hospitals
• Engineering team develops novel technology to 'print' customized tablets for personalized medicine
• 'Phage' fishing yields new weapon against antibiotic resistance
• Global economic downturn linked with at least 260,000 excess cancer deaths
• Researchers identify immune genes tied to common, deadly brain cancer

Moving beyond race-based drugs Posted: 26 May 2016 04:02 PM PDT Prescribing certain medications on the basis of a patient's race has long come under fire from those uneasy with using race as a surrogate for biology when treating disease. But there are multiple challenges to overcome before we can move beyond race-based treatment decisions, writes a geneticist and a bioethicist in a new perspective piece.

New study uncovers mechanisms underlying how diabetes damages the heart Posted: 26 May 2016 04:02 PM PDT Cardiac complications are the number one cause of death among diabetics. Now a team of scientists has uncovered a molecular mechanism involved in a common form of heart damage found in people with diabetes.

Coping with active surveillance anxiety in prostate cancer Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT Men with prostate cancer who are under medical surveillance reported significantly greater resilience and less anxiety after receiving an intervention of mindfulness meditation, a study found. The anxiety and uncertainty that men who choose active surveillance experience when diagnosed with prostate cancer causes one in four to receive definitive therapies within one to three years, even when there is no sign of tumor progression.

Why everyone wants to help the sick, but not the unemployed Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT New research explains why health-care costs are running out of control, while costs to unemployment protection are kept in line. The answer is found deep in our psychology, where powerful intuitions lead us to view illness as the result of bad luck and worthy of help.

How do you kill a malaria parasite? Clog it with cholesterol Posted: 26 May 2016 12:22 PM PDT Drexel scientists have discovered an unusual mechanism for how two antimalarial drugs kill Plasmodium parasites. Amidst growing concerns about drug resistance, these findings could help to develop more effective drugs against the disease.

Early-life stress causes digestive problems and anxiety in rats Posted: 26 May 2016 12:22 PM PDT Traumatic events early in life can increase levels of norepinephrine -- the primary hormone responsible for preparing the body to react to stressful situations -- in the gut, increasing the risk of developing chronic indigestion and anxiety during adulthood, a new study reports.

First discovery in United States of colistin resistance in a human E. coli infection Posted: 26 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT The Multidrug Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research characterized a transferrable gene for colistin resistance in the United States that may herald the emergence of truly pan-drug resistant bacteria.

Fasting-like diet reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms Posted: 26 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT A mouse study, followed by a human study, indicates that the fasting-mimicking diet holds promise as a treatment for autoimmune diseases. A fasting-like diet switches on a process in which body kills bad cells, begins to generate new healthy ones, report scientists.

Targeting metals to fight pathogenic bacteria Posted: 26 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a unique system of acquisition of essential metals in the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This research represents a new potential target for the design of antibiotics.

Surrogate endpoints poor proxy for survival in cancer drug approval process Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT Surrogate endpoints used to support the majority of new cancer drugs approved in the US often lack formal study, according to the authors of a new report. This analysis questions whether the US Food and Drug Administration is adhering to standards that demand that surrogates be 'reasonably likely to predict' or 'established' to be used to grant approvals.

Scientists illuminate hidden regulator in gene transcription Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT Gene transcription is the process by which DNA is copied and synthesized as messenger RNA (mRNA) -- which delivers its genetic blueprints to the cell's protein-making machinery. Now researchers have identified a hidden, ephemeral phenomenon in cells that may play a major role in jump-starting mRNA production and regulating gene transcription.

Another reason to stay active as we age Posted: 26 May 2016 09:52 AM PDT Researchers found that individuals who maintain an active jogging habit into their senior years are spending nearly the same amount of metabolic energy as a 20-year-old.

New discovery from the molecular machinery for depression and addiction Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have described how a group of the brain's transport proteins with important roles in depression and dependence overcome the step which limits their effectiveness. The discovery makes it possible to describe the full function of the transport protein and can provide better opportunities for counteracting the effect of amphetamine and ecstasy on the brain.

Powering up the circadian rhythm Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT An American research team is the first to discover a protein that controls the strength of body's circadian rhythms. In new work, the team analyzed levels and molecular characteristics of REV-ERB? in the livers of mice throughout the day. They found that after its levels peaked during the day, two proteins, CDK1 and FBXW7, interacted with REV-ERB? to help reduce its levels to a low point by the middle of the night.

Study identifies risk factors associated with eye abnormalities in infants with presumed Zika virus Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have assessed and identified possible risk factors for ophthalmoscopic (an instrument used to visualize the back of the eye) findings in infants born with microcephaly (a birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head) and a presumed clinical diagnosis of Zika virus intrauterine infection.

Slime mold reveals clues to immune cells' directional abilities Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT How white blood cells in our immune systems home in on and engulf bacterial invaders -- like humans following the scent of oven-fresh pizza -- has long been a mystery to scientists. But biologists have now uncovered important clues about this mechanism.

Using a model to estimate breast cancer risk in effort to improve prevention Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT A model developed to estimate the absolute risk of breast cancer suggests that a 30-year-old white woman in the United States has an 11.3 percent risk, on average, of developing invasive breast cancer by the age of 80, according to a new study.

Study visualizes proteins involved in cancer cell metabolism Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Scientists using cryo-EM have broken through a technological barrier in visualizing proteins with an approach that may have an impact on drug discovery and development. The scientists have also reported achieving another major milestone, by showing that the shapes of cancer target proteins too small to be considered within the reach of current cryo-EM capabilities can now be determined at high resolution.

Researchers show experience plays strong role in early stages of brain circuit development Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT A new study suggests that external stimulation guides certain neurons' early development so that inhibitory neurons split into two different types of neurons, each with a different job, adding another level of complexity and regulation to the brain's circuitry.

Why malnutrition is an immune disorder Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT Malnourished children are most likely to die from common infections, not starvation. New experimental evidence indicates that even with a healthy diet, defects in immune system function from birth could contribute to a malnourished state throughout life. Researchers speculate that targeting immune pathways could be a new approach to reduce the poor health and mortality caused by under- and overnutrition.

Scientists discover mechanism that turns mutant cells into aggressive cancers Posted: 26 May 2016 09:43 AM PDT Scientists have caught a cancer-causing mutation in the act. A new study shows how a gene mutation found in several human cancers, including leukemia, gliomas and melanoma, promotes the growth of aggressive tumors.

Exploring the rise and fall of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland: Affordability Posted: 26 May 2016 08:58 AM PDT The rise and fall of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland is partly due to changes in affordability, according to recent reports.

Party on(line): The link between social media, alcohol use Posted: 26 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT One of the undeniable powers of social media is its ability to influence people and their behaviors. This is especially true, a study finds, when it comes to alcohol use. Researchers found that when participants in a study were exposed to ads touting beer, as opposed to those selling bottled water, they were more inclined to consider drinking alcohol.

Mothers' parenting stress impacts both parents' sexual satisfaction Posted: 26 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT First-time parents are only somewhat satisfied with their sex lives according to health researchers who checked in with parents regularly after their baby was born. And one factor that appears to be reducing their sexual satisfaction is mothers' stress as a new parent.

Researchers link gene expression patterns of normal tissue to breast cancer prognosis Posted: 26 May 2016 07:56 AM PDT Researchers have identified a particular gene expression pattern in normal-appearing breast tissue around tumors that was linked to lower 10-year survival rates for women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Unmet surgical needs high for world's 60 million refugees Posted: 26 May 2016 07:56 AM PDT The world's estimated 60 million refugees, displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution or human rights violations, may need at least 2.78 million surgeries a year, something thought to be very difficult to arrange in the midst of their upheaval.

Bright lights, healthy choices Posted: 26 May 2016 07:53 AM PDT Dining in dimly lit restaurants has been linked to eating slowly and ultimately eating less than in brighter restaurants, but does lighting also impact how healthfully we order? A new research study suggests that it does.

Prepackaged portion-controlled meals can lead to greater weight loss than self-selected portions, research says Posted: 26 May 2016 07:12 AM PDT Increased portion sizes in Americans' diets is widely recognized as a contributor to the obesity epidemic, and now new research examines the effect of prepackaged, portion-controlled meals on weight loss. The researchers found that when combined with behavioral counseling as part of a complete weight-loss intervention, a meal plan incorporating portion-controlled, prepackaged, frozen lunch and dinner entrées can promote greater weight loss than a self-selected diet.

Differences in metabolism between androgen-dependent, castration resistant prostate cancer may lead to new therapies Posted: 26 May 2016 06:55 AM PDT Integration of gene expression and metabolomics data identified key metabolic pathways that are altered in prostate cancer, report scientists at conclusion of their study.

Scientists uncover potential trigger to kill cancer Posted: 26 May 2016 06:55 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new way of triggering cell death, in a finding that could lead to drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disease. The method directly activates Bak to trigger cell death, explain the authors.

Helping stroke survivors get back on their feet Posted: 26 May 2016 06:35 AM PDT Small sensory devices could help to improve walking recovery during stroke rehabilitation in a bid to reduce social isolation, say investigators.

New treatment room design model for future hospitals Posted: 26 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT A new design model for future intensive and intermediate care facilities has been developed by experts. The results of research on evidence-based design (EBD) and user-orientation were applied to the design work. The project will be realized when Finland's first single-patient intensive and intermediate care and cardiac unit designed in accordance with the model becomes operational in 2018.

Engineering team develops novel technology to 'print' customized tablets for personalized medicine Posted: 26 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT A team of researchers has found a way to make personalized medicine cheaper and easier. Imagine if you could combine the myriad of pills you need to take for your ailment in just one tablet, or if you need only to take the medication once a day and the drug will be slowly released throughout the day at different rates to treat your illness, or if doctors could easily make tablets on the spot that are tailored to each patient's needs.

'Phage' fishing yields new weapon against antibiotic resistance Posted: 26 May 2016 06:19 AM PDT Researchers were fishing for a new weapon against antibiotic resistance and found one floating in a Connecticut pond. A virus called a bacteriophage, found in Dodge Pond in East Lyme, attacks a common multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogen called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can lethally infect people with compromised immune systems.

Global economic downturn linked with at least 260,000 excess cancer deaths Posted: 25 May 2016 07:00 PM PDT The economic crisis of 2008-10, and the rise in unemployment that accompanied it, was associated with more than 260,000 excess cancer-related deaths -- including many considered treatable, according to an international study. The researchers found that excess cancer burden was mitigated in countries with universal health coverage and in those that increased health care spending.

Researchers identify immune genes tied to common, deadly brain cancer Posted: 25 May 2016 07:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a group of immune system genes that may play a role in how long people can live after developing a common type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, a tumor of the glial cells in the brain.

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