ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Scientists discover 'fickle' DNA changes in brain
• Less is more for common cancer drug, study suggests
• 'Micro'-chemo and cancer pill combo tested in liver cancer patients
• Impediment to some cancer immunotherapy involves the free radical peroxynitrite
• New guideline outlines recommendations to reduce blood clots after hip and knee replacement
• Cell-specific mechanism-based gene therapy approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa
• Expandable prosthesis resolves advanced aortic valve disease
• Fruity aromas: An aphrodisiac for flies
• Glucosamine-like supplement suppresses multiple sclerosis attacks, study suggests
• New approach to keeping coronary arteries open after angioplasties
• Community storage of anthrax-preventing antibiotics should be determined by state, US researchers urge
• Young adults want to recover from addiction but need help to make it happen, study suggests
• Combating mood disorders: New approach simplifies the search for more specific drugs
• Intrinsic aerobic exercise capacity linked to longevity
• New inherited neurometabolic disorder discovered
• Humans and sharks share immune system feature
• Early to bed and early to rise: Study suggests it's keeping kids leaner
• 'Back-up system' reduces heart disease deaths
• Alcohol impairs the body's ability to fight off viral infection, study finds
• 'Master key' to unlock new treatments for autoimmune disorders discovered
• Neuronal stem cells tracked using MRI: Technology could inform treatment for brain injury and neurological disease
• Proteins that control development of varicose veins discovered
• Fatty acid test: Why some harm health, but others help
• New technique gives precise picture of how regulatory RNA controls gene activity
• Experts propose new unified genetic model for human disease
• Autistic mice act a lot like human patients: Geneticists develop promising mouse model for testing new autism therapies
• Diabetes and cancer: A shared biological basis
• Autistic mouse shows striking parallels to human disease
• How do you bring health care to the poor?
• Lift weights, eat mustard, build muscles?
• Canadians don't believe their eyes: Study suggests glaucoma screenings are happening too late
• Living with dementia and making decisions
• Schoolboy rugby: Risk of suffering an injury during a single season can be high, UK study shows
• Drunk behavior: A question of immunity

Scientists discover 'fickle' DNA changes in brain Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT Scientists investigating chemical modifications across the genomes of adult mice have discovered that DNA modifications in non-dividing brain cells, thought to be inherently stable, instead underwent large-scale dynamic changes as a result of stimulated brain activity. Their report has major implications for treating psychiatric diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and for better understanding learning, memory and mood regulation.

Less is more for common cancer drug, study suggests Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT Scientists have found that smaller, less toxic amounts of chemotherapy medicine given frequently to mice with human prostate cancer noticeably slowed tumor growth.

'Micro'-chemo and cancer pill combo tested in liver cancer patients Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT A combination of an oral drug, called sorafenib, and a method for injecting microbeads of chemotherapy directly into tumors has been proven safe for liver cancer patients and may improve outcomes for those who have these fast-growing, deadly tumors whose numbers are on the rise in the US.

Impediment to some cancer immunotherapy involves the free radical peroxynitrite Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT Researchers have found that tumor cell resistance to a specific cancer immunotherapy designed to kill cancer cells can be blamed on a mechanism that involves the production of a free radical peroxynitrite that causes resistance to therapeutic cancer-killing cells.

New guideline outlines recommendations to reduce blood clots after hip and knee replacement Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:51 PM PDT An updated clinical practice guideline recommends how to reduce the likelihood of blood clots after hip or knee replacement surgery, procedures that more than 800,000 Americans undergo each year. The new guideline suggests use of preventive treatments and advises against routinely screening patients after surgery using ultrasound imaging.

Cell-specific mechanism-based gene therapy approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa Posted: 30 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT Scientists have achieved temporary functional preservation of photoreceptors in a mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa using novel bipartite gene therapy.

Expandable prosthesis resolves advanced aortic valve disease Posted: 30 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT Among individuals 65 years and older, as many as 30 percent have aortic valve sclerosis or stenosis and as a result of their deteriorating health, they cannot enjoy a normal lifestyle. Physicians involved in a new study now have the option to replace the aortic valve using an innovative minimally invasive procedure -- transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Fruity aromas: An aphrodisiac for flies Posted: 30 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT The smell of food acts as an aphrodisiac for Drosophila (vinegar flies). Scientists have brought to light a novel olfactory perception mechanism: male flies use a scent derived from the fruit that they eat to stimulate their sexual appetite.

Glucosamine-like supplement suppresses multiple sclerosis attacks, study suggests Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT A glucosamine-like dietary supplement suppresses the damaging autoimmune response seen in multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.

New approach to keeping coronary arteries open after angioplasties Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT Researchers report a possible new approach to preventing coronary arteries from reclogging after balloon angioplasties.

Community storage of anthrax-preventing antibiotics should be determined by state, US researchers urge Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT As part of preparations for a possible large-scale anthrax attack, public health officials on the state and local levels should determine where and how anthrax-preventing antibiotics should be stored in their communities.

Young adults want to recover from addiction but need help to make it happen, study suggests Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT A new study suggests that strong motivation to change may exist from the get-go among young adults with severe addiction problems entering residential treatment, but the know-how and confidence to change come through the treatment experience,.

Combating mood disorders: New approach simplifies the search for more specific drugs Posted: 30 Sep 2011 07:28 AM PDT Many psychiatric conditions are caused by aberrant metabolism of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Researchers have now developed a new screening method, which will facilitate the search for new drugs that modulate the biological activity of serotonin.

Intrinsic aerobic exercise capacity linked to longevity Posted: 30 Sep 2011 07:28 AM PDT Aerobic exercise capacity has proven to be a good indicator of health. A recent article uses a rat model to show that innate exercise capacity can be linked to longevity.

New inherited neurometabolic disorder discovered Posted: 30 Sep 2011 07:28 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new inherited disorder that causes severe mental retardation and liver dysfunction. The disease, adenosine kinase deficiency, is caused by mutations in the ADK gene, which codes for the enzyme adenosine kinase.

Humans and sharks share immune system feature Posted: 30 Sep 2011 06:35 AM PDT A central element of the immune system has remained constant through more than 400 million years of evolution, according to new research. T-cell receptors from mice continue to function even when pieces of shark, frog and trout receptors are substituted in. The function of the chimeric receptors depends on a few crucial amino acids, found also in humans, that help the T-cell receptor bind to MHC molecules presenting antigens.

Early to bed and early to rise: Study suggests it's keeping kids leaner Posted: 30 Sep 2011 02:22 AM PDT Researchers recording the bedtimes and wake times of 2,200 Australian youths found that the night owls were 1.5 times more likely to become obese than the early birds, twice as likely to be physically inactive and 2.9 times more likely to sit in front of the TV and computer or play video games for more hours than guidelines recommend.

'Back-up system' reduces heart disease deaths Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:51 PM PDT Small bypass vessels which act as a "back-up system" for the heart's main arteries play a significant role in reducing the mortality of patients with coronary artery disease, according to new research.

Alcohol impairs the body's ability to fight off viral infection, study finds Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:51 PM PDT Alcohol can worsen the effects of disease. New research shows that alcohol modulates the anti-viral and inflammatory functions of monocytes. Prolonged alcohol consumption has a double negative effect of reducing the anti-viral effect of Type 1 interferon (IFN) whilst increasing inflammation via the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF±. Consequently this may impair host response to single-stranded virus infection like hepatitis C.

'Master key' to unlock new treatments for autoimmune disorders discovered Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:28 AM PDT Imagine a drug that treats most autoimmune disorders, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and Lupus. New research shows how scientists have discovered a molecule used by the body to prevent unnecessary immune reactions. This molecule, "alpha v beta 6," normally keeps our immune systems from overreacting when food passes through our bodies, and it may unlock an entirely new set of treatments for autoimmune disorders.

Neuronal stem cells tracked using MRI: Technology could inform treatment for brain injury and neurological disease Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:28 AM PDT Biologists have developed an MRI-based technique that allows researchers to non-invasively follow neural stem cells in vivo. The recently patented technology could be used to further the study of neural stem cells and inform the development of new treatments for brain injury caused by trauma, stroke, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.

Proteins that control development of varicose veins discovered Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:28 AM PDT A discovery explains for the first time what kicks off the process that causes varicose veins. In a new study, researchers from Germany describe a single protein that binds to DNA to control gene function (called "transcription factor AP-1") and the subsequent production of a newly discovered set of proteins that significantly affect the development of varicose veins.

Fatty acid test: Why some harm health, but others help Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:28 AM PDT In a new paper, researchers offer an explanation, and a framework that could lead to dietary supplements designed to treat obesity at the molecular level.

New technique gives precise picture of how regulatory RNA controls gene activity Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:27 AM PDT A new technique allows researchers to identify the exact DNA sequences and locations bound by regulatory RNAs. This information is necessary to understand how the recently identified RNA molecules control the expression of neighboring and distant genes.

Experts propose new unified genetic model for human disease Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:27 AM PDT Based on a wide variety of genetic studies and analysis -- from genome wide association studies looking for common variations in the DNA of many people with complex diseases to the sequencing of specific gene mutations thought to cause disease to whole genome sequencing -- four leaders in the field propose a unified genetic model for human disease.

Autistic mice act a lot like human patients: Geneticists develop promising mouse model for testing new autism therapies Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:27 AM PDT Scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches. The research found that autistic mice display remarkably similar symptoms and behavior as children and adults on the autism spectrum.

Diabetes and cancer: A shared biological basis Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:27 AM PDT Contrary to what you might think, cancer and diabetes appear to have some biology in common. According to a new study, a pathway that initially drew attention for its role in embryonic stem cells and cancer also influences the odds that mice develop or resist diabetes.

Autistic mouse shows striking parallels to human disease Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:27 AM PDT Mice with a defective version of a single gene show behaviors and symptoms that are remarkably similar to characteristics observed in humans with autism spectrum disorders. The animals also respond similarly to an FDA-approved drug used to treat repetitive behaviors in people with autism.

How do you bring health care to the poor? Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT If you want to provide poor people in developing countries with decent health care, you need to overcome several barriers at the same time. That is the conclusion a study based on years of research in Cambodia. The local community and existing social networks play an important role, but the authorities also have a role to play. The analysis has in the mean time been partly incorporated in Cambodian national policy.

Lift weights, eat mustard, build muscles? Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT If you want to lean out, add muscle and get ripped, new research suggests to look to your garden for help. Scientists have found that when a specific plant steroid was ingested by rats, it triggered a response similar to anabolic steroids with minimal side effects. The stimulatory effect of homobrassinolide on protein synthesis in muscle cells led to increases in lean body mass, muscle mass, and physical performance.

Canadians don't believe their eyes: Study suggests glaucoma screenings are happening too late Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although it can be treated, new research shows Canadians may not be doing enough to protect themselves. According to a new study, many Canadian glaucoma patients are not screened until the disease has reached moderate or advanced stages.

Living with dementia and making decisions Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT People with dementia can still make decisions in their everyday lives and with support from partners can continue to do so as their condition advances. This is one of the preliminary findings of a two-year research project into how married couples living with dementia make decisions on a daily basis.

Schoolboy rugby: Risk of suffering an injury during a single season can be high, UK study shows Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT A new study highlights the injury risks for schoolboys playing rugby. The research shows that the chance of a school player suffering an injury during a single season is at least 12 percent and, according to some research, could be as high as 90 percent.

Drunk behavior: A question of immunity Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:30 AM PDT Researchers in Australia have found that immune cells in your brain may contribute to how you respond to alcohol.

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