ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• For advanced prostate cancer, new drug slows disease
• Cancer therapy that boosts immune system ready for wider testing
• Novel way to treat drug-resistant brain tumor cells
• Computer-designed proteins programmed to disarm variety of flu viruses
• Not all patients will pay for genetic testing, study suggests
• Altitude training: Study puts some data behind conventional wisdom
• American teens are less likely than European teens to use cigarettes and alcohol, but more likely to use illicit drugs
• Frog embryos may yield secrets of cancer cell migration
• New combination of two previously approved FDA drugs treat lung cancer
• Potential new approach to regenerating skeletal muscle tissue
• 'Safe' levels of arsenic in drinking water found to compromise pregnant/lactating mothers, offspring
• Baby wipes as safe as using water, study finds
• Weather patterns can be used to forecast rotavirus outbreaks
• Psychology and the sporting life
• Structural clockwork of circadian rhythms
• Map could point way to fungus vaccine
• New strategy directly activates cellular 'death protein'
• Intravenous kidney cell transplant experiments raise hope for future human kidney failure treatments
• Monkey lip smacks provide new insights into the evolution of human speech
• After-sex switch: Mapping the changing behaviors in the female fruit fly's mind
• New device warns workers of high levels of airborne metals in minutes rather than weeks
• Health benefits of vitamin D dependent on type taken
• Bitter taste receptors for Stevia sweeteners discovered
• Rewriting DNA to understand what it says
• Who says girls can't compete athletically with boys?
• New treatment for irritability in autism
• Protein in saliva promises new diagnostic methods
• Benefits of hypothermia for infants continue through early childhood, study suggests

For advanced prostate cancer, new drug slows disease Posted: 02 Jun 2012 10:49 AM PDT A new medication proved effective in slowing the spread of metastatic prostate cancer, while helping to maintain the quality of life, in patients with advanced disease. The Phase 3 study was unblinded midway, allowing patients receiving the placebo to instead take the drug because of the favorable results.

Cancer therapy that boosts immune system ready for wider testing Posted: 02 Jun 2012 10:48 AM PDT Scientists are testing experimental drugs aimed at restoring the immune system's ability to spot and attack cancer, have shown promising early results in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer. More than 500 patients were treated in two new studies of two drugs that target the same immune-suppressive pathway, and the investigators say there is enough evidence to support wider testing in larger groups of patients.

Novel way to treat drug-resistant brain tumor cells Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:17 PM PDT New research explains why the incurable brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is highly resistant to current chemotherapies.

Computer-designed proteins programmed to disarm variety of flu viruses Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:17 PM PDT Proteins found in nature, but that do not normally bind the flu, can be engineered to act as broad-spectrum antiviral agents against many flu virus strains, including H1N1 pandemic influenza. One engineered protein has a flu-fighting potency that rivals several monoclonal antibodies. The proteins are constructed via computer modeling to fit neatly onto a nano-sized target on flu viruses, and prevent that part of the virus from changing shape to infect cells.

Not all patients will pay for genetic testing, study suggests Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:17 PM PDT More than one-fifth of people who have received referrals to test for cancer-causing genes say they will only undergo testing if their insurance covers the cost -- just as more insurers are instituting cost-sharing for medical services like genetic testing, according to new findings.

Altitude training: Study puts some data behind conventional wisdom Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:15 PM PDT With altitude training, coaches of elite runners generally fall into two camps when determining when their runners should compete after coming back from altitude, even though little research has been conducted on this question. A study by exercise physiologists finds that both camps might be right.

American teens are less likely than European teens to use cigarettes and alcohol, but more likely to use illicit drugs Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:13 PM PDT The U.S. had the second-lowest proportion of students who used tobacco and alcohol compared to their counterparts in 36 European countries, a new report indicates.

Frog embryos may yield secrets of cancer cell migration Posted: 01 Jun 2012 08:13 PM PDT Developmental biologists are investigating craniofacial development in a frog model to better understand genetic control of cell migration. The work is expected to advance knowledge of how cancer cells migrate away from primary tumors to cause metastatic disease in new sites, among other processes.

New combination of two previously approved FDA drugs treat lung cancer Posted: 01 Jun 2012 10:56 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized signaling network disrupted in lung cancer that can be turned back on by a novel combination of two previously approved FDA drugs. The drug combination targets a pathway to treat advanced/late stage lung cancer. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.

Potential new approach to regenerating skeletal muscle tissue Posted: 01 Jun 2012 07:38 AM PDT An innovative strategy for regenerating skeletal muscle tissue using cells derived from the amniotic fluid is outlined in new research. The article shows that damaged muscle tissues can be treated with cells derived from the fluids which surround the fetus during development, leading to satisfactory regeneration and muscle activity.

'Safe' levels of arsenic in drinking water found to compromise pregnant/lactating mothers, offspring Posted: 31 May 2012 05:08 PM PDT Exposure to arsenic in drinking water at the level the US Environmental Protection Agency currently deems as safe in the United States (10 parts per billion) induces adverse health outcomes in pregnant and lactating mice and their offspring, concludes a new study.

Baby wipes as safe as using water, study finds Posted: 31 May 2012 05:07 PM PDT New research has found that a brand of baby wipes is just as safe and hydrating as using water alone on newborn skin, suggesting official guidance may need updating.

Weather patterns can be used to forecast rotavirus outbreaks Posted: 31 May 2012 05:06 PM PDT By correlating weather factors like temperature, rain and snowfall, a professor of civil and environmental engineering is able to predict the timing and intensity of rotavirus, a disease that causes extreme diarrhea, dehydration and thousands of death annually, particularly among children. Her research focused on one of the hardest-hit regions of the world, South Asia.

Psychology and the sporting life Posted: 31 May 2012 01:57 PM PDT The 2012 Olympics in London are about to start, and millions around the world will admire and ponder the mysteries of athletic performance. Psychological scientists are no exception. Researchers have examined how visual illusions improve sports performance, how attitudes and beliefs about competence determine performance and what exactly happens when we indulge in silly sports rituals.

Structural clockwork of circadian rhythms Posted: 31 May 2012 11:58 AM PDT Scientists have determined the three-dimensional structure of two proteins that help keep the body's clocks in sync. The proteins, CLOCK and BMAL1, bind to each other to regulate the activity of thousands of genes whose expression fluctuates throughout the course of a day.

Map could point way to fungus vaccine Posted: 31 May 2012 10:57 AM PDT Researchers have made breakthrough use of 3-D magnetic resonance technology to map the structure of Candida, a common fungus that is potentially deadly for individuals with impaired immune function. The work could pave the way for development of an effective vaccine.

New strategy directly activates cellular 'death protein' Posted: 31 May 2012 10:57 AM PDT Researchers have devised a strategy to directly activate a natural "death" protein, triggering the self-destruction of cells -- which could lead to new possibilities for designing cancer drugs.

Intravenous kidney cell transplant experiments raise hope for future human kidney failure treatments Posted: 31 May 2012 10:56 AM PDT Scientists have successfully transplanted primary kidney cells intravenously to treat renal failure in rats, pointing the way to a possible future alternative to kidney transplants and expensive dialysis treatments in humans.

Monkey lip smacks provide new insights into the evolution of human speech Posted: 31 May 2012 10:56 AM PDT Scientists have traditionally sought the evolutionary origins of human speech in primate vocalizations. But unlike these primate calls, human speech is produced using movements of the tongue, lips and jaw. Speech is also learned, while primate vocalizations are mostly innately structured. New research supports the idea that human speech evolved less from vocalizations than from communicative facial gestures.

After-sex switch: Mapping the changing behaviors in the female fruit fly's mind Posted: 31 May 2012 10:56 AM PDT If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then it shouldn't be surprising that their neural circuits differ. Researchers have used dramatic changes in the behavior of the female fruit fly after sex to help map these often very different circuits.

New device warns workers of high levels of airborne metals in minutes rather than weeks Posted: 31 May 2012 08:25 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development of a new paper-based device that can warn workers that they are being exposed to potentially unhealthy levels of airborne metals almost immediately, instead of the weeks required with current technology. The device costs about one cent to make and could prevent illness in the millions of people who work with metal.

Health benefits of vitamin D dependent on type taken Posted: 31 May 2012 07:23 AM PDT New research has shown that vitamin D3 supplements could provide more benefit than the close relative vitamin D2.

Bitter taste receptors for Stevia sweeteners discovered Posted: 31 May 2012 07:23 AM PDT Stevia is regarded as a healthy alternative to sugar. Yet there are drawbacks to the Stevia products recently approved as sweeteners by the European Union. One of these is a long-lasting bitter after-taste. Scientists have now identified the receptors on the human tongue mediating the bitter sensation.

Rewriting DNA to understand what it says Posted: 31 May 2012 07:22 AM PDT Our ability to "read" DNA has made tremendous progress in the past few decades, but the ability to understand and alter the genetic code, that is, to "rewrite" the DNA-encoded instructions, has lagged behind. A new study advances our understanding of the genetic code: It proposes a way of effectively introducing numerous carefully planned DNA segments into genomes of living cells and of testing the effects of these changes. New technology speeds up DNA "rewriting" and measures the effects of the changes in living cells.

Who says girls can't compete athletically with boys? Posted: 31 May 2012 07:22 AM PDT A new study that looked at performance differences between male and female childhood athletes found little difference in certain age groups, even though boys and girls rarely compete against each other in the US.

New treatment for irritability in autism Posted: 31 May 2012 07:21 AM PDT Autism is a developmental disorder that affects social and communication skills. Irritability is a symptom of autism that can complicate adjustment at home and other settings, and can manifest itself in aggression, tantrums, and self-injurious behavior. These disruptive behaviors are frequently observed in children with autism, which may considerably affect their ability to function at home or in school. Researchers now suggest a possible new treatment.

Protein in saliva promises new diagnostic methods Posted: 31 May 2012 07:19 AM PDT Blood poisoning is a serious problem in medical care. New research now shows that the protein suPAR, which can be used for early detection of critical cases of sepsis, is found in saliva, which opens new potential for tracking diseases.

Benefits of hypothermia for infants continue through early childhood, study suggests Posted: 30 May 2012 04:01 PM PDT A treatment to reduce the body temperatures of infants who experience oxygen deficiency at birth has benefits into early childhood, according to a follow-up study.

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