ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Got food allergies? You can now test your meal on the spot using a cell phone
• Depression eased quickly with experimental drug: Works in brain like Ketamine, with fewer side effects, study suggests
• No strong evidence to back use of cannabis extract in multiple sclerosis
• Brain damage triggered by mini-strokes detailed
• Lethal stings from the Australian box jellyfish could be treated with zinc
• Dead guts spill history of extinct microbes: Fecal samples from archeological sites reveal evolution of human gut microbes
• Vegetable compound could become ingredient to treating leukemia
• Pre-transplant umbilical cord blood expansion in lab speeds establishment of new blood supply in patients, reducing high-risk time to recovery
• Research may have important implications for combating diabetes
• Protein strongest just before death
• Stress resilience, susceptibility traced to neurons in reward circuit
• Unhealthy behaviors could slow progress in reducing heart disease, stroke
• Delaying childbirth may reduce the risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer, study suggests
• Drug that may help fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy discovered
• Targeted micro-bubbles detect artery inflammation: Procedure done in pigs could potentially detect heart disease early in humans
• Study paves way to design drugs aimed at multiple protein targets at once
• Researchers induce, relieve depression symptoms in mice with light
• Fragile X protein linked to nearly 100 genes involved in autism
• Substance with promising in vitro anti-cancer effects synthesized: Substance found in tiny amounts in Chinese medicinal herb
• Frog-in-bucket-of-milk folklore leads to potential new antibiotics
• Light shed on workings of the body's immune response
• Biocompatible patch developed to heal infants with birth defects
• Previously unknown mechanism identified in oncogene-induced senescence
• 'Smart stethoscope' advance in monitoring treatment of kidney stones
• Advanced brain investigations can become better and cheaper
• Skin patches for more medicines? Some large molecules sneak through skin on their own
• Could ending your fatty food habit cause withdrawal symptoms and depression?
• Opiates already in body may encourage cancer growth, certain medications could slow it
• Psychological therapies improve life for children with post-traumatic stress disorder, study suggests
• Just a spoonful: Sweet taste comforts babies during injections
• Industry sponsorship leads to bias in reported findings of clinical trials
• Long-term public health support needed to tackle infectious disease outbreaks
• Taxes on sugary drinks and high fat foods could improve health, experts say
• Algal ancestor is key to how deadly pathogens proliferate, researchers find
• Prevalence of visual impairment in US increases
• Capturing circulating cancer cells could provide insights into how disease spreads
• What causes hot flushes during menopause? Researchers identify brain region that may trigger the uncomfortable surges of heat
• Alzheimer's breakthrough? Drug intended for diabetes appears to restore memory in Alzheimer’s brain cells
• Robotic scarless gallbladder surgery
• The current state of lung cancer treatment

Got food allergies? You can now test your meal on the spot using a cell phone Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:59 PM PST Scientists have developed a lightweight device called the iTube, which attaches to a common cell phone to detect allergens in food samples. The iTube attachment uses the cell phone's built-in camera, along with an accompanying smart-phone application that runs a test with the same high level of sensitivity a laboratory would.

Depression eased quickly with experimental drug: Works in brain like Ketamine, with fewer side effects, study suggests Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:57 PM PST A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system. The findings serve as a proof of concept that targeting this system holds promise for development of a new generation of rapid antidepressants with fewer side effects than ketamine.

No strong evidence to back use of cannabis extract in multiple sclerosis Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:57 PM PST There is no strong evidence to back the use of cannabis extract in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, concludes a review of the available evidence on the first licensed preparation.

Brain damage triggered by mini-strokes detailed Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:57 PM PST A new study details for the first time how "mini-strokes" cause prolonged periods of brain damage and result in cognitive impairment. These strokes, which are often imperceptible, are common in older adults and are believed to contribute to dementia.

Lethal stings from the Australian box jellyfish could be treated with zinc Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:56 PM PST Box jellyfish of the Chironex species are among the most venomous animals in the world, capable of killing humans with their sting. Their venom, though, which kills by rapidly punching holes in human red blood cells, can be slowed down by administering zinc, according to new research.

Dead guts spill history of extinct microbes: Fecal samples from archeological sites reveal evolution of human gut microbes Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:56 PM PST Extinct microbes in fecal samples from archaeological sites across the world resemble those found in present-day rural African communities more than they resemble the microbes found in the gut of cosmopolitan US adults, according to new research.

Vegetable compound could become ingredient to treating leukemia Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:56 PM PST A concentrated form of a compound called sulforaphane found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the number of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in the lab setting, said researchers.

Pre-transplant umbilical cord blood expansion in lab speeds establishment of new blood supply in patients, reducing high-risk time to recovery Posted: 12 Dec 2012 05:48 PM PST Donated umbilical cord blood establishes a new blood supply in patients more quickly after transplantation when it is first expanded in the lab on a bed of cells that mimics conditions in the bone marrow, researchers report.

Research may have important implications for combating diabetes Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST Biochemists are providing new insights that could have important implications for understanding and treating diabetes.

Protein strongest just before death Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST Researchers have discovered a protein that does its best work with one foot in the grave. The study focuses on the nontraditional lifestyle of Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor proteins, which could lead to new ways to treat cancer.

Stress resilience, susceptibility traced to neurons in reward circuit Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST A specific pattern of neuronal firing in a brain reward circuit instantly rendered mice vulnerable to depression-like behavior induced by acute severe stress. The same firing pattern had the opposite effect when the depression-like behaviors were induced by chronic mild stress. Split-second control of the implicated circuit, via optogenetics, showed that context -- stressor type and intensity -- is pivotal to the workings of brain rapid antidepressant mechanisms.

Unhealthy behaviors could slow progress in reducing heart disease, stroke Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST Poor eating and exercise habits could be the game-changer in the fight against heart disease and stroke deaths, according to new research.

Delaying childbirth may reduce the risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer, study suggests Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:25 PM PST Younger women who wait at least 15 years after their first menstrual period to give birth to their first child may reduce their risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer by up to 60 percent, according to a new study.

Drug that may help fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy discovered Posted: 12 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST Drugs are currently being tested that show promise in treating patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an inherited disease that affects about one in 3,600 boys and results in muscle degeneration and, eventually, death.

Targeted micro-bubbles detect artery inflammation: Procedure done in pigs could potentially detect heart disease early in humans Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:42 AM PST Researchers have found that targeted micro-bubbles can help detect heart disease before it progresses too far as well as identify patients who are at risk for strokes.

Study paves way to design drugs aimed at multiple protein targets at once Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:40 AM PST Pharmaceutical chemists had suggested that the objective of a drug hitting multiple targets simultaneously is impossible and unlikely to succeed. A new study shows how to efficiently and effectively make designer drugs that can do that.

Researchers induce, relieve depression symptoms in mice with light Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:40 AM PST Researchers have successfully induced and relieved depression-like deficiencies in both pleasure and motivation in mice by controlling just a single area of the brain known as the ventral tegmental area. It is the first time that well-defined types of neurons within a specific brain region have been directly tied to the control of myriad symptoms of major depressive illness.

Fragile X protein linked to nearly 100 genes involved in autism Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:40 AM PST Doctors have known for many years that patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, are often also diagnosed with autism. But little has been known about how the two diagnoses are related. Now scientists have pinpointed the precise genetic footprint that links the two.

Substance with promising in vitro anti-cancer effects synthesized: Substance found in tiny amounts in Chinese medicinal herb Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:09 AM PST In science's equivalent of ascending Mt. Everest, researchers are reporting success in one of the most difficult challenges in synthetic chemistry -- a field in which scientists reproduce natural and other substances from jars of chemicals in a lab. The feat, reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, involved synthesis of a rare substance with promising in vitro anti-cancer effects found naturally in tiny amounts in a Chinese medicinal herb.

Frog-in-bucket-of-milk folklore leads to potential new antibiotics Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:08 AM PST Following up on an ancient Russian way of keeping milk from going sour -- by putting a frog in the bucket of milk -- scientists have identified a wealth of new antibiotic substances in the skin of the Russian Brown frog.

Light shed on workings of the body's immune response Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:08 AM PST Researchers have discovered that two proteins which are believed to play a key role in controlling the body's immune response are found in lower levels in T lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis.

Biocompatible patch developed to heal infants with birth defects Posted: 12 Dec 2012 08:13 AM PST Researchers have created a new type of biodegradable scaffold to repair the hearts of infants with birth defects.

Previously unknown mechanism identified in oncogene-induced senescence Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:31 AM PST Cell aging, or cellular senescence, has an important role in the natural physiological response to tumor development. Activated oncogenes are able to induce senescence, and recent findings have suggested that oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) could play a key role in future cancer therapy. Researchers have now identified a previously unknown mechanism in the regulation of OIS.

'Smart stethoscope' advance in monitoring treatment of kidney stones Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:28 AM PST A new listening device is being used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment of kidney stones -- saving patients unnecessary repeat therapy and x-ray monitoring. The new 'Smart stethoscope' is placed on a patient's skin as they undergo shock wave treatment for kidney stones and assesses whether the treatment is working.

Advanced brain investigations can become better and cheaper Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:28 AM PST An important method for brain research and diagnosis is magnetoencephalography (MEG). But the MEG systems are very expensive. Researchers are now showing that MEG can be performed with technology that is significantly cheaper than that which is used today – technology that can furthermore provide new knowledge about the brain.

Skin patches for more medicines? Some large molecules sneak through skin on their own Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:26 AM PST Certain naturally occurring large molecules are able to sneak through the skin at a rate higher than that expected based on their size, according to a new study. The study reports a surprising finding that Avicins, plant-derived natural products with molecular weights greater than 2000, penetrate the human skin on their own.

Could ending your fatty food habit cause withdrawal symptoms and depression? Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:21 AM PST Even before obesity occurs, eating fatty and sugary foods causes chemical changes in the brain, meaning that going on a diet might feel similar to going through drug withdrawal, according to a new study.

Opiates already in body may encourage cancer growth, certain medications could slow it Posted: 12 Dec 2012 06:21 AM PST A new study has shown that, even without the addition of further opioids such as morphine, opioids already in the body can enhance the malignant tendencies of human cancer cells.

Psychological therapies improve life for children with post-traumatic stress disorder, study suggests Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:33 PM PST Children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of traumatic events, including child abuse, may benefit from psychological therapies, according to a new review. In the first systematic review of PTSD in young people, researchers found that children and teenagers diagnosed with PTSD showed signs of improvement up to three months following treatment and called for more studies to assess long-term benefits.

Just a spoonful: Sweet taste comforts babies during injections Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST The sweet taste of sugar may provide some comfort for babies during immunizations, according to a new review. Researchers found babies did not cry for as long if they were given drops of sugar solution before injections.

Industry sponsorship leads to bias in reported findings of clinical trials Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST Studies reporting the results of industry sponsored clinical trials present a more favorable picture of the effects of drugs and medical devices than those reporting on non-industry sponsored trials, according to a new systematic review. The researchers call for a rethink of the way that industry bias is handled in medical guidelines and reviews.

Long-term public health support needed to tackle infectious disease outbreaks Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST Outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as swine flu (H1N1) threaten global health and should be considered by funding agencies and humanitarian organizations as development issues rather than emergency situations, requiring long-term support and investment, according to U.S. experts.

Taxes on sugary drinks and high fat foods could improve health, experts say Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST Taxes on soft drinks and foods high in saturated fats and subsidies for fruit and vegetables could lead to beneficial dietary changes and potentially improve health, according to a study by experts from New Zealand.

Algal ancestor is key to how deadly pathogens proliferate, researchers find Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:32 PM PST Long ago, when life on our planet was in its infancy, a group of small single-celled algae floating in the vast prehistoric ocean swam freely by beating whip-like tails, called flagella. The organisms are called Apicomplexa, but are better known as the parasites that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis. Now, researchers have discovered how an important structure inside these parasitic cells, which evolved from the algal ancestor millions of years ago, allows the cells to replicate and spread inside their hosts. Their research may lead to new therapies to halt these deadly pathogens before they cause disease.

Prevalence of visual impairment in US increases Posted: 11 Dec 2012 01:35 PM PST The prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment (not due to need for glasses) in the U.S. has increased significantly in recent years, which may be partly related to a higher prevalence of diabetes, an associated risk factor.

Capturing circulating cancer cells could provide insights into how disease spreads Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST A glass plate with a nanoscale roughness could be a simple way for scientists to capture and study the circulating tumor cells that carry cancer around the body through the bloodstream.

What causes hot flushes during menopause? Researchers identify brain region that may trigger the uncomfortable surges of heat Posted: 11 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST Medical researchers have identified a region in the brain that may trigger the uncomfortable surges of heat most women experience in the first few years of menopause. Although the results are not yet directly applicable in helping affected individuals, they provide better understanding of the biological mechanisms involved, a necessary first step for treatments to be developed.

Alzheimer's breakthrough? Drug intended for diabetes appears to restore memory in Alzheimer’s brain cells Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST Medical researchers have discovered a drug intended for diabetes appears to restore memory in Alzheimer's brain cells.

Robotic scarless gallbladder surgery Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:37 AM PST Surgeons have performed a gallbladder surgery using just one incision, leaving patients without a noticeable scar.

The current state of lung cancer treatment Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:04 AM PST A new review outlines the current state of lung cancer treatment. It points out that in the lung cancer varieties whose driver oncogenes can be matched with targeted therapy, tend to give a 70-80 percent patient response as opposed to 20-30 percent response to traditional chemotherapies, and with much reduced side effects.

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