ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Caution advised when considering patient and colleague feedback on doctors
• New oncolytic virus shows improved effectiveness in preclinical testing
• Body’s molecular sensors may trigger autoimmune disease
• What role do cytokines play in autoimmune diseases?
• Poorer countries, those spending less on health care have more strokes, deaths
• 2.5 million California children still at risk of secondhand smoke exposure
• Strides made toward drug therapy for inherited kidney disease
• Intestinal stem cells respond to food by supersizing the gut
• Children suffer unnecessarily from chronic postoperative pain
• Progeria: Promising results from new gene therapy on animals
• Use of over-the-counter thyroid support pills is risky, researcher finds
• 'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug
• To diagnose heart disease, visualization experts recommend a simpler approach
• Snakes with big hearts may help yours: Fatty acids involved in python heart growth could benefit diseased human heart
• Building better HIV antibodies: Biologists create neutralizing antibody that shows increased potency
• Step toward unraveling Alzheimer's disease
• Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity
• Python study may have implications for human heart health
• Testing Guam infants for hearing loss remotely
• Programming cells to home in on specific tissues may enable more effective cell-based therapies
• More clues to causes of breast cancer: Hyperactivation of Akt and overexpression of IKBKE observed in 50 percent of human cancers
• Natural killer cells could be key to anthrax defense
• Watermelon reduces atherosclerosis, animal study finds
• Less invasive anesthetic methods better for endovascular aneurysm repair
• Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease
• Lung stem cells offer therapeutic clues
• Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date
• Natural intestinal flora involved in the emergence of multiple sclerosis, study finds
• Hard times during adolescence point to health problems later in life
• Hospital team significantly reduced risk of further vascular events after 'mini strokes'
• Gender differences: Viewing TV coverage of terrorism has more negative effect on women, study finds
• Statin therapy fails to slow progression of atherosclerosis in pediatric lupus patients, study finds
• Lower dose of corticosteroids just as effective as higher for shoulder pain, study finds
• Researchers examine 21-year series of nipple sparing mastectomy cases and find no cancers
• Speedy 3-D X-rays in the operating room
• Fast high precision eye-surgery robot developed
• Premature children have smaller teeth, research suggests
• Carbon nanostructures for easier detection of Parkinson's disease
• Clinical trial shows first evidence that anal cancer is preventable
• New pathway critical to heart arrhythmia discovered
• Through-the-nipple breast cancer therapy shows promise in early tests
• New drug targets revealed from giant parasitic worm genome sequence
• New 'scarless' surgery takes out tumors through natural skull opening

Caution advised when considering patient and colleague feedback on doctors Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:23 PM PDT Official assessments of a doctor's professionalism should be considered carefully before being accepted due to the tendency for some doctors to receive lower scores than others, and the tendency of some groups of patient or colleague assessors to provide lower scores, experts argue.

New oncolytic virus shows improved effectiveness in preclinical testing Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:35 PM PDT A new fourth-generation oncolytic virus designed to both kill cancer cells and inhibit blood-vessel growth has shown greater effectiveness than earlier versions when tested in animal models. The virus is being developed as a treatment for glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer. The new virus improved survival of mice with transplanted human glioblastoma tumors by 50 percent in a majority of cases compared with the previous-generation oncolytic virus.

Body’s molecular sensors may trigger autoimmune disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:28 PM PDT Bruce Beutler, MD, a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine, has coauthored an article describing a novel molecular mechanism that can cause the body to attack itself and trigger an autoimmune disease.

What role do cytokines play in autoimmune diseases? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:28 PM PDT Cytokines, a varied group of signaling chemicals in the body, have been described as the software that runs the immune system, but when that software malfunctions, dysregulation of the immune system can result in debilitating autoimmune diseases such as lupus, arthritis, and diabetes. Leading experts in the field of cytokine research present their most up-to-date findings and unique perspectives on the role of cytokines in autoimmune diseases in a special issue of Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research.

Poorer countries, those spending less on health care have more strokes, deaths Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:31 PM PDT Poorer countries and those that spend less on health care have greater incidences of stroke and stroke death than wealthier nations, according to new research. Stroke patients in poorer countries were more likely to be younger and to have hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel in or near the brain bursts. The findings emphasize the importance of preventing stroke risk factors, especially in developing countries.

2.5 million California children still at risk of secondhand smoke exposure Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:20 PM PDT Despite having the second-lowest smoking rate in the nation, California is still home to nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 12 who are exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a new policy brief. Among the most affected are African-American children, 12.6 percent of whom live in homes where smoking is permitted, three times the rate of any other socioeconomic group.

Strides made toward drug therapy for inherited kidney disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that patients with an inherited kidney disease may be helped by a drug that is currently available for other uses.

Intestinal stem cells respond to food by supersizing the gut Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Many organs, from muscles and intestines to the liver, change size during adulthood. A new study shows that adult stem cells are key to these changes. Working with fruit flies, biologists discovered that after eating, the gut secretes insulin that activates stem cells into overdrive to grow the gut. In flies, the midgut can quadruple in size within four days. The finding could have implications for diabetes and obesity in humans.

Children suffer unnecessarily from chronic postoperative pain Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Are children suffering needlessly after surgery? Anesthesiologists who specialize in pediatric care believe so.

Progeria: Promising results from new gene therapy on animals Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Huge progress has been made over the last few years in scientific research into progeria, a disease that leads to premature aging in children. In 2003, a team directed by Nicolas Lévy discovered the gene, and, in 2008, 12 children were able to begin clinical trials in which two molecules were combined to slow down the characteristic effects of the disease: premature aging. Researchers are continuing their efforts in an attempt to counter the consequences of the genetic defect that causes progeria.

Use of over-the-counter thyroid support pills is risky, researcher finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT People who use over-the-counter "thyroid support'' supplements may be putting their health at risk, according to a new study. The supplements contain varying amounts of two different kinds of thyroid hormones apparently derived in large part from chopped up animal thyroid glands, says an endocrinologist.

'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT Researchers working to change forever the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured have announced an important step toward making this a reality.

To diagnose heart disease, visualization experts recommend a simpler approach Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT A team of computer scientists, physicists, and physicians has developed a simple yet powerful method of visualizing human arteries that may result in more accurate diagnoses of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The prototype tool, called "HemoVis," creates a 2D diagram of arteries that performs better than the traditional 3D, rainbow-colored model. In a clinical setting, the tool has been shown to increase diagnostic accuracy from 39% to 91%.

Snakes with big hearts may help yours: Fatty acids involved in python heart growth could benefit diseased human heart Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT Identification of three fatty acids involved in the extreme growth of Burmese pythons' hearts following large meals could prove beneficial in treating diseased human hearts, according to new research.

Building better HIV antibodies: Biologists create neutralizing antibody that shows increased potency Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT Using highly potent antibodies isolated from HIV-positive people, researchers have recently begun to identify ways to broadly neutralize the many possible subtypes of HIV. Now, a team of biologists has built upon one of these naturally occurring antibodies to create a stronger version they believe is a better candidate for clinical applications.

Step toward unraveling Alzheimer's disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT Scientists outline new methods for better understanding links between specific proteins and the risks associated with Alzheimer's disease in a new study.

Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT In a development that sheds new light on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a team of scientists has identified connections between genetic risk factors for the disease and the effects of a peptide toxic to nerve cells in the brains of AD patients.

Python study may have implications for human heart health Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT A surprising new study shows that huge amounts of fatty acids circulating in the bloodstreams of feeding pythons promote healthy heart growth, results that may have implications for treating human heart disease.

Testing Guam infants for hearing loss remotely Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:25 AM PDT A mother cradled her slumbering infant in her arms in a testing center in Guam as she watched an audiologist in Colorado conduct a diagnostic test to determine whether or not her baby has a hearing loss. The remote test was held on Oct. 19 and marked the first technology-enabled distance diagnostic testing for hearing loss on very young infants on the island.

Programming cells to home in on specific tissues may enable more effective cell-based therapies Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT Researchers have developed a platform approach to chemically incorporate homing receptors onto the surface of cells.

More clues to causes of breast cancer: Hyperactivation of Akt and overexpression of IKBKE observed in 50 percent of human cancers Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT Researchers have discovered additional mechanisms of "Akt" activation and suggest a component of that activation mechanism -- inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) -- could be targeted as a therapeutic intervention for treating cancer.

Natural killer cells could be key to anthrax defense Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT Researchers have found new allies for the fight against anthrax. Known as natural killer cells, they're a part of the immune system normally associated with eliminating tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. But natural killer cells also attack bacteria -- including anthrax, according to a new study.

Watermelon reduces atherosclerosis, animal study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT In a recent study, watermelon was shown to reduce atherosclerosis in animals.

Less invasive anesthetic methods better for endovascular aneurysm repair Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have identified a safer, more cost effective way to provide anesthesia for patients undergoing endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm -- a common, often asymptomatic condition that, if not found and treated, can be deadly.

Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Gum disease can only develop with the help of normal bacteria living in the mouth, new research has revealed.

Lung stem cells offer therapeutic clues Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have cloned stem cells from the airways of the human lung and have shown that these cells can form into the lung's alveoli air sac tissue. Mouse models suggest that these same stem cells are deployed to regenerate lung tissue during acute infection, such as during influenza.

Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have built a map that shows how thousands of proteins in a fruit fly cell communicate with each other. This is the largest and most detailed protein interaction map of a multicellular organism, demonstrating how approximately one third of the proteins cooperate to keep life going.

Natural intestinal flora involved in the emergence of multiple sclerosis, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Multiple sclerosis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For a long time, pathogens were believed to be such external influences. According to scientists from Germany, however, it is apparently not harmful bacteria that trigger multiple sclerosis, but beneficial ones -- specifically, the natural intestinal flora, which every human being needs for digestion. The researchers discovered that genetically modified mice develop an inflammation in the brain similar to the human disease if they have normal bacterial intestinal flora. The microorganisms begin by activating the immune system's T cells and, in a further step, the B immune cells.

Hard times during adolescence point to health problems later in life Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Being hard up socially and financially during adolescence and early adulthood takes its toll on the body, and leads to physiological wear and tear in middle aged men and women, irrespective of how tough things have been in the interim. According to researchers, experience of social and material stressors around the time of transition into adulthood is linked to a rise in disease risk factors in middle age, including higher blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol.

Hospital team significantly reduced risk of further vascular events after 'mini strokes' Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Patients who had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), sometimes referred to as a "mini stroke", were much less likely to experience further vascular events in the first year if their care was coordinated by a special hospital team that integrated outpatient care and stroke unit facilities and provided on-going nurse-led counseling. Researchers studied 306 patients admitted to the hospital with a TIA. They found that when the patients were treated by an acute TIA team their cumulated risk of having a stroke in the first seven days was 65% lower than expected. The cumulated risk in the first 90 days fell by 74%.

Gender differences: Viewing TV coverage of terrorism has more negative effect on women, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:23 AM PDT Exposure to television coverage of terrorism causes women to lose psychological resources much more than men, which leads to negative feelings and moodiness. This has been shown in a new study that examined the differences between men and women in a controlled experiment environment.

Statin therapy fails to slow progression of atherosclerosis in pediatric lupus patients, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT Atorvastatin therapy was found to be ineffective in reducing atherosclerosis progression in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Results of the Atherosclerosis Prevention in Pediatric Lupus Erythematosus Trial show that the statin therapy did trend toward positive effect of treatment and may benefit patients with more severe SLE who were not included in the trial.

Lower dose of corticosteroids just as effective as higher for shoulder pain, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT Researchers report on the first comparative study of the two most commonly corticosteroid doses administered for shoulder pain. They found that lower doses were just as effective as higher doses in terms of reduction of pain, improved range of motion and duration of efficacy.

Researchers examine 21-year series of nipple sparing mastectomy cases and find no cancers Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT A new study suggests some women needing a lumpectomy or mastectomy to treat their breast cancer have another potential option that is safe and effective -- nipple sparing mastectomy. A long standing concern with this type of surgery is that cancer cells might be left under the nipple, posing a threat over time. To examine the effectiveness of NSM, surgeons conducted a review of patient records for all women receiving the surgery at Georgetown University Hospital between 1989 and 2010.

Speedy 3-D X-rays in the operating room Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:29 AM PDT Having an operation always places strain on patients, and this is especially true of complicated operations. Surgeons use 3-D X-rays to check the results before the patient has left the operating room. This does help to avoid possible complications, but it also means interrupting the surgery. Researchers are now developing a 3-D X-ray system that can be integrated seamlessly into operating procedure – with no more forced interruptions.

Fast high precision eye-surgery robot developed Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:27 AM PDT A researcher in The Netherlands has developed a smart eye-surgery robot that allows eye surgeons to operate with increased ease and greater precision on the retina and the vitreous humor of the eye. The system also extends the effective period during which ophthalmologists can carry out these intricate procedures.

Premature children have smaller teeth, research suggests Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:27 AM PDT The size of teeth in premature children is smaller than that of children who were full-term according to a new study.

Carbon nanostructures for easier detection of Parkinson's disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:27 AM PDT Dopamine deficiency is indicative of serious diseases of the nervous system. Tests of dopamine concentration – being usually very low in physiological fluids – are expensive and require specialized equipment that is usually not available in doctor's offices. This situation may change due to a recent invention. New electrodes coated with carbon nanoparticles deposited on silicate submicroparticles allow for the detection of dopamine in solutions easily and at a low cost.

Clinical trial shows first evidence that anal cancer is preventable Posted: 26 Oct 2011 02:53 PM PDT A large, international clinical trial indicates that a vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective, according to a new study.

New pathway critical to heart arrhythmia discovered Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:38 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems. Understanding the basic science of heart and muscle function could open the door to new treatments. The study examined the electrical impulses that coordinate contraction in heart and skeletal muscles, controlling heart rate. These impulses are key to health conditions like paralysis, muscle relaxation and heart arrhythmia.

Through-the-nipple breast cancer therapy shows promise in early tests Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:37 AM PDT Delivering anticancer drugs into breast ducts via the nipple is highly effective in animal models of early breast cancer, and has no major side effects in human patients, according to a new study. The results of the study are expected to lead to more advanced clinical trials of so-called intraductal treatment for early breast cancer.

New drug targets revealed from giant parasitic worm genome sequence Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:37 AM PDT Scientists have identified the genetic blueprint of the giant intestinal roundworm, Ascaris suum, revealing potential targets to control the devastating parasitic disease ascariasis, which affects more than one billion people in China, South East Asia, South America and parts of Africa, killing thousands of people annually and causing chronic effects in young children.

New 'scarless' surgery takes out tumors through natural skull opening Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:38 AM PDT A technique developed by surgeons is providing a new route to get to and remove tumors buried at the base of the skull: through the natural hole behind the molars, above the jawbone and beneath the cheekbone.

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