ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• MAKS: Drug-free prevention of dementia decline
• Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? Marker may give more accurate diagnosis
• Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart
• From gene to function: Genome wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets
• Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice
• Genetic sequencing could help match patients with biomarker-driven cancer trials, treatments
• Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma
• Home births: Then and now
• Researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy
• Researchers' new recipe cooks up better tissue 'phantoms'
• Scientists use laser imaging to assess safety of zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen
• Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy
• Gene is first linked to herpes-related cold sores
• Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab
• Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine
• Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances
• First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells reveals key differences with cancer cells
• Surgeons perform better with eye movement training
• New research distinguishes roles of conscious and sub-conscious awareness in information processing
• Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds
• Heart attack risk differs between men and women
• Self-referral leads to more negative exams for patients
• Why evolutionarily ancient brain areas are important
• Body rebuilding: Researchers regenerate muscle in mice
• New study supports mammography screening at 40
• Virtual childbirth simulator improves safety of high-risk deliveries
• Growth hormone increases bone formation in obese women

MAKS: Drug-free prevention of dementia decline Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:26 PM PST There are many different causes of dementia and, although its progression can be fast or slow, it is always degenerative. Symptoms of dementia include confusion, loss of memory, and problems with speech and understanding. It can be upsetting for the affected person, their relatives and carers. New research shows that a regime of behavioral and mental exercises was able to halt the progression of dementia.

Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? Marker may give more accurate diagnosis Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:15 PM PST New research finds a marker used to detect plaque in the brain may help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia -- Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The study is published in the Nov. 30, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved.

From gene to function: Genome wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST A new study successfully identifies new genetic variants involved in the formation of platelets and more importantly, defines how genes near these variants affect platelet size and number using a series of biological analyses. This is the largest genome-wide meta-analysis on platelet size and number and involves more than 68,000 individuals from different ancestries.

Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Researchers have been studying a group of potent antibodies that have the ability to neutralize HIV in the lab; Their hope is to create a vaccine that makes antibodies with similar properties. Now, biologists have taken one step closer to that goal: They have developed a way to deliver these antibodies to mice and, in so doing, have effectively protected them from HIV infection.

Genetic sequencing could help match patients with biomarker-driven cancer trials, treatments Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST A pilot study shows genetic sequencing could help match patients with biomarker-driven cancer trials.

Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:01 AM PST Scientists have uncovered important molecular and genetic keys to the development of soft-tissue sarcomas in skeletal muscle, giving researchers and clinicians additional targets to stop the growth of these often deadly tumors.

Home births: Then and now Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST New history research examines trends in US home births in the 1970s and paints a portrait of home-birth activists of the era -- activists who represented a broad cross section of society.

Researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST Research conducted by a pair of physicians has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose membranous nephropathy in its early stages. The test, which is currently only offered in the research setting and is awaiting commercial development, could have significant implications in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Currently, the only way to diagnose the disease is through a biopsy.

Researchers' new recipe cooks up better tissue 'phantoms' Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST The precise blending of tiny particles and multicolor dyes transforms gelatin into a realistic surrogate for human tissue. These tissue mimics, known as "phantoms," provide an accurate proving ground for new photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging technologies.

Scientists use laser imaging to assess safety of zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST Ultra-tiny zinc oxide (ZnO) particles are among the ingredients list of some commercially available sunscreen products, raising concerns about whether the particles may be absorbed beneath the outer layer of skin. To help answer these questions, a team of scientists from Australia and Switzerland have developed a way to optically test the concentration of ZnO nanoparticles at different skin depths.

Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST Researchers have shown that it is safe to cut and paste together different viruses in an effort to create the ultimate vehicle for gene therapy. In a phase I clinical trial, the investigators found no side effects from using a "chimeric" virus to deliver replacement genes for an essential muscle protein in patients with muscular dystrophy.

Gene is first linked to herpes-related cold sores Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:05 AM PST Researchers have identified the first gene associated with frequent herpes-related cold sores.

Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease -- loss of sense of smell -- can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease, a new study shows. The study confirms that the protein, called amyloid beta, causes the loss.

Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST The most poisonous substance on Earth -- already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles -- could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping millions of people with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis and other diseases, scientists are reporting.

Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of antibacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle against antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are reporting. Their research is on amphibians so smelly (like rotten fish, for instance) that scientists term them "odorous frogs."

First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells reveals key differences with cancer cells Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST Scientists investigating the interactions, or binding patterns, of a major tumor-suppressor protein known as p53 with the entire genome in normal human cells have turned up key differences from those observed in cancer cells. The distinct binding patterns reflect differences in the chromatin (the way DNA is packed with proteins), which may be important for understanding the function of the tumor suppressor protein in cancer cells.

Surgeons perform better with eye movement training Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:02 AM PST Surgeons can learn their skills more quickly if they are taught how to control their eye movements. Research shows that trainee surgeons learn technical surgical skills much more quickly and deal better with the stress of the operating theater if they are taught to mimic the eye movements of experts.

New research distinguishes roles of conscious and sub-conscious awareness in information processing Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST What distinguishes information processing with conscious awareness from processing occurring without awareness? And, is there any role for conscious awareness in information processing, or is it just a byproduct, like the steam from the chimney of a train engine, which is significant, but has no functional role? These questions - which have long puzzled psychologists, philosophers, and neurobiologists - were recently addressed in a new study.

Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Heart attack risk differs between men and women Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST Findings on coronary CT angiography, a noninvasive test to assess the coronary arteries for blockages, show different risk scenarios for men and women, according to a new study.

Self-referral leads to more negative exams for patients Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST Physicians who have a financial interest in imaging equipment are more likely to refer their patients for potentially unnecessary imaging exams, according to a new study.

Why evolutionarily ancient brain areas are important Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:50 AM PST Structures in the midbrain that developed early in evolution can be responsible for functions in newborns which in adults are taken over by the cerebral cortex. New evidence for this theory has been found in the visual system of monkeys. The scientists studied a reflex that stabilizes the image of a moving scene on the retina to prevent blur, the so-termed optokinetic nystagmus.

Body rebuilding: Researchers regenerate muscle in mice Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:23 AM PST Scientists have regenerated functional muscle tissue in mice, opening the door for a new clinical therapy for major muscle trauma. The team used a novel protocol to coax human muscle cells into a stem cell-like state and grew the reprogrammed cells on biopolymer microthreads. Surprisingly, the microthreads seemed to accelerate the regeneration process by recruiting progenitor mouse muscle cells, suggesting that they alone could become a therapeutic tool.

New study supports mammography screening at 40 Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:24 AM PST Women in their 40s with no family history of breast cancer are just as likely to develop invasive breast cancer as are women with a family history of the disease, according to a new study. These findings indicate that women in this age group would benefit from annual screening mammography.

Virtual childbirth simulator improves safety of high-risk deliveries Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:24 AM PST Newly developed computer software combined with magnetic resonance imaging of a fetus may help physicians better assess a woman's potential for a difficult childbirth.

Growth hormone increases bone formation in obese women Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:24 AM PST In a new study, growth hormone replacement for six months was found to increase bone formation in abdominally obese women.

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