ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New findings could help improve development of drugs for addiction
• Pollutants from incense smoke cause human lung-cell inflammation
• Alcoholism could be linked to a hyper-active brain dopamine system
• How 'junk DNA' can control cell development
• Discovery of novel gene mutations in leukemia patients opens up personalized therapy options
• Novel 3-D simulation technology helps surgical residents train more effectively
• Why is orange the new black for female victims of trauma?
• Necrostatin-1 counteracts aluminum's neurotoxic effects
• New drugs to find the right target to fight Alzheimer's disease
• Tired, moody and pregnant? Exercise may be the answer
• Study of gene expression has revealed first steps of evolution in gene regulation in mice
• Burnt sugar derivative reduces muscle wasting in fly and mouse muscular dystrophy
• Genetics: More than merely a mutated gene
• The four-point test to predict death risk from C. difficile
• Simple ultrasound treatment may help protect the kidneys

New findings could help improve development of drugs for addiction Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT Scientists have described findings that could enable the development of more effective drugs for addiction with fewer side effects. The study showed in a combination of cell and animal studies that one active compound maintains a strong bias towards a single biological pathway, providing insight into what future drugs could look like.

Pollutants from incense smoke cause human lung-cell inflammation Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:22 AM PDT Burning incense, a popular cultural practice in many parts of the world, generates indoor air pollutants that may cause inflammation in human lung cells, say researchers.

Alcoholism could be linked to a hyper-active brain dopamine system Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:18 AM PDT Research suggests that people who are vulnerable to developing alcoholism exhibit a distinctive brain response when drinking alcohol, according to a new study. Compared to people at low risk for alcohol-use problems, those at high risk showed a greater dopamine response in a brain pathway that increases desire for rewards. These findings could help shed light on why some people are more at risk of suffering from alcoholism and could mark an important step toward the development of treatment options.

How 'junk DNA' can control cell development Posted: 02 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT Researchers have confirmed that, far from being "junk," the 97 percent of human DNA that does not encode instructions for making proteins can play a significant role in controlling cell development. And in doing so, the researchers have unraveled a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the activity of genes, increasing our understanding of the way cells develop and opening the way to new possibilities for therapy.

Discovery of novel gene mutations in leukemia patients opens up personalized therapy options Posted: 02 Aug 2013 07:17 AM PDT Specific mutations (N676K) in the FLT3 receptor can contribute to the development of acute myeloid leukemia. The FLT3 receptor regulates cell growth, while activating gene mutations promote the uncontrolled proliferation of white blood cells.

Novel 3-D simulation technology helps surgical residents train more effectively Posted: 02 Aug 2013 06:51 AM PDT A novel interactive 3-dimensional simulation platform offers surgical residents a unique opportunity to hone their diagnostic and patient management skills, and then have those skills accurately evaluated according to a new study.

Why is orange the new black for female victims of trauma? Posted: 02 Aug 2013 06:51 AM PDT How do pathways to jail vary for females who are victims of specific types of trauma? New research pinpoints the types of trauma such as caregiver violence, witnessing violence, and intimate partner violence, that lead to specific types of offending later in life and offers explanations based on real experiences.

Necrostatin-1 counteracts aluminum's neurotoxic effects Posted: 02 Aug 2013 06:48 AM PDT Researchers have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects.

New drugs to find the right target to fight Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 Aug 2013 05:03 AM PDT The future is looking good for drugs designed to combat Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have unveiled how two classes of drug compounds currently in clinical trials work to fight the disease. Their research suggests that these compounds target the disease-causing peptides with high precision and with minimal side-effects.

Tired, moody and pregnant? Exercise may be the answer Posted: 02 Aug 2013 05:02 AM PDT Exercise may improve the mood of pregnant women and help to reduce levels of fatigue reports new research. The study examined whether a four week exercise intervention program would result in improvements in the psychological well-being of previously inactive pregnant women. The results were clear, with participants reporting significant improvements in their mood during the program. They also saw reduced levels of fatigue, suggesting that pregnant women should be encouraged to engage in regular exercise to improve both psychological and physical well-being.

Study of gene expression has revealed first steps of evolution in gene regulation in mice Posted: 02 Aug 2013 05:02 AM PDT A study of gene expression has revealed the first steps of evolution in gene regulation in mice. The research has implications for the study of differences in gene regulation between people.

Burnt sugar derivative reduces muscle wasting in fly and mouse muscular dystrophy Posted: 01 Aug 2013 08:31 PM PDT A trace substance in caramelized sugar, when purified and given in appropriate doses, improves muscle regeneration in an insect and mammal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The substance, THI, protects the body's levels of a cell signal important in cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration. Fruit flies and mice with the muscular dystrophy gene both showed improvements in movement, and other reductions of symptoms.

Genetics: More than merely a mutated gene Posted: 01 Aug 2013 08:31 PM PDT If two women have the same genetic mutation that puts them at higher-than-average risk for a disease such as breast cancer, why does only one develop the disease? Genetic scientists have begun to understand how the rest of the genome interacts with such mutations to cause the differences we see among individuals.

The four-point test to predict death risk from C. difficile Posted: 01 Aug 2013 08:31 PM PDT Researchers have developed a unique four-point test using easily measurable clinical variables which can be used to accurately predict the death risk to patients from C. diff. Accurate prediction means that those patients at risk can be managed accordingly by the clinical team.

Simple ultrasound treatment may help protect the kidneys Posted: 01 Aug 2013 08:30 PM PDT Ultrasound treatments may prevent acute kidney injury that commonly arises after major surgery, according to a new study. The findings suggest that this simple and noninvasive therapy may be an effective precaution for patients at risk.

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