ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Neurons get their neighbors to take out their trash
• Exploring how the nervous system develops
• Children consuming a Mediterranean Diet are 15% less likely to be overweight
• Counterterrorism, ethics, and global health
• Placental marker of prenatal stress linked to brain mitochondrial dysfunction
• New blood test identifies heart-transplant rejection earlier than biopsy can
• False negative results found in prognostic testing for breast cancer
• Breathalyzer test may detect deadliest cancer
• Genetic code for diabetes in Greenland broken by scientists
• Achilles' heel in antibiotic-resistant bacteria discovered
• Unlocking therapeutic potential of SLC13 transporters
• How brain 'reboots' itself to consciousness after anesthesia
• Molecular 'Yin-Yang' of Blood Vessel Growth revealed
• Self-repairing mechanism can help to preserve brain function in neurodegenerative diseases
• Nature's chem lab: How microorganisms manufacture drugs
• Ban on pavement sealant lowered levels of potentially harmful compounds in lake
• MERS-related abnormality distribution on CT identifed, clarified
• Cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation counseling during hospitalization shown in study
• For patients with sickle cell disease, blood donors are a matter of life and death
• Heparin derivative suppresses neuroblastoma tumor growth
• Hand shiatsu treatment explored as sleep aid
• Potential cholesterol lowering drug has breast cancer fighting capabilities
• Soccer-related facial fractures examined

Neurons get their neighbors to take out their trash Posted: 19 Jun 2014 09:55 AM PDT Biologists have long considered cells to function like self-cleaning ovens, chewing up and recycling their own worn out parts as needed. But a new study shows that some nerve cells found in the eye pass off their old energy-producing factories to neighboring support cells to be 'eaten.' The find, which may bear on the roots of glaucoma, also has implications for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other diseases that involve a buildup of 'garbage' in brain cells.

Exploring how the nervous system develops Posted: 19 Jun 2014 09:55 AM PDT The circuitry of the central nervous system is immensely complex and, as a result, sometimes confounding. When scientists conduct research to unravel the inner workings at a cellular level, they are sometimes surprised by what they find. The findings give scientists an idea of how individual cell types are generated, how they differentiate and how they form appropriate connections with one another.

Children consuming a Mediterranean Diet are 15% less likely to be overweight Posted: 19 Jun 2014 06:58 AM PDT Children consuming a diet more in line with the rules of the Mediterranean one are 15% less likely to be overweight or obese than those children who do not.

Counterterrorism, ethics, and global health Posted: 18 Jun 2014 12:38 PM PDT The surge in murders of polio vaccination workers in Pakistan has made headlines this year, but little attention has been devoted to the ethical issues surrounding the global health impact of current counterterrorism policy and practice. A new essay reviews the range of harms to population health traceable to counterterrorism operations.

Placental marker of prenatal stress linked to brain mitochondrial dysfunction Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:26 AM PDT An enzyme found in the placenta is likely playing an important role in translating stress experienced by a mother early in pregnancy into a reprogramming of her developing baby's brain, research suggests. "People think that the placenta only serves to promote blood flow between a mom and her baby, but that's really not all it's doing," the lead investigator said. "It's a very dynamic endocrine tissue and it's sex-specific, and we've shown that tampering with it can dramatically affect a baby's developing brain."

New blood test identifies heart-transplant rejection earlier than biopsy can Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:26 AM PDT A noninvasive way to detect heart-transplant rejection weeks or months earlier than previously possible has been devised by researchers. The test, which relies on the detection of increasing amounts of the donor's DNA in the blood of the recipient, does not require the removal of any heart tissue.

False negative results found in prognostic testing for breast cancer Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:26 AM PDT Researchers retested tumor samples from a large group of women and found that 22 out of 530 women had their tumor type incorrectly classified, which precluded them from effective treatment options. The repercussions of incorrectly identifying a cancer's subtype are considerable. "While it is comforting that only four percent of these women were misclassified initially, this is an enormous issue for those who fall into this group," said one researcher.

Breathalyzer test may detect deadliest cancer Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT Lung cancer causes more deaths in the US than the next three most common cancers combined. Now a new breathalyzer test, embedded with a 'NaNose' nanotech chip to literally 'sniff out' cancer tumors, has been developed by a team of international researchers. It may turn the tide by both accurately detecting lung cancer and identifying its stage of progression.

Genetic code for diabetes in Greenland broken by scientists Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT New ground-breaking genetics research explains the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Greenlandic population, based on blood samples from 5,000 people or approximately 10% of the population. "Several epidemiological studies have looked at the health implications of the transition from life as sealers and hunters in small isolated communities to a modern lifestyle with appreciable dietary changes. Perhaps the gene variant which has been identified can be interpreted as a sign of natural selection as the traditional Greenlandic diet consisted primarily of protein and fat from sea animals," one researcher said.

Achilles' heel in antibiotic-resistant bacteria discovered Posted: 18 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT A breakthrough in the race to solve antibiotic resistance has been made by scientists. New research reveals an Achilles' heel in the defensive barrier that surrounds drug-resistant bacterial cells. The findings pave the way for a new wave of drugs that kill superbugs by bringing down their defensive walls rather than attacking the bacteria itself. It means that in future, bacteria may not develop drug-resistance at all.

Unlocking therapeutic potential of SLC13 transporters Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:58 AM PDT The first functional analysis of a member of a family of transporter proteins implicated in diabetes, obesity, and lifespan, has been completed, potentially providing the key that will enable researchers to unlock their therapeutic potential. Members of the SLC13 transporter family play a key role in the regulation of fat storage, insulin resistance, and other processes.

How brain 'reboots' itself to consciousness after anesthesia Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:58 AM PDT One of the great mysteries of anesthesia is how patients can be temporarily rendered completely unresponsive during surgery and then wake up again, with their memories and skills intact. "Recovery from anesthesia is not simply the result of the anesthetic 'wearing off,' but also of the brain finding its way back through a maze of possible activity states to those that allow conscious experience," one researcher said. "Put simply, the brain reboots itself."

Molecular 'Yin-Yang' of Blood Vessel Growth revealed Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:58 AM PDT A crucial process that regulates development of blood vessels has been discovered by scientists. SerRS (seryl tRNA synthetase) belongs to a family of enzymes that have fundamental, evolutionarily ancient roles in the protein-making machinery of cells. But researchers have been finding in recent years, some of these protein-maker enzymes seem to have evolved extra functions. The finding may lead to treatments for disorders involving abnormal blood vessel growth, including diabetic retinopathy and cancer.

Self-repairing mechanism can help to preserve brain function in neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:20 AM PDT Neurogenesis, the self-repairing mechanism of the adult brain, can help to preserve brain function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Prion or Parkinson's, research shows. The brain has some self-repairing potential that accounts for the renewal of certain neuronal populations living in the dentate gyrus, a simple cortical region that is part of the larger functional brain system controlling learning and memory, the hippocampus. This process is known as neurogenesis.

Nature's chem lab: How microorganisms manufacture drugs Posted: 18 Jun 2014 10:19 AM PDT The first three-dimensional snapshots of the "assembly line" within microorganisms that naturally produces antibiotics and other drugs have been captured by researchers. Understanding the complete structure and movement within the molecular factory gives investigators a solid blueprint for redesigning the microbial assembly line to produce novel drugs of high medicinal value.

Ban on pavement sealant lowered levels of potentially harmful compounds in lake Posted: 18 Jun 2014 09:22 AM PDT In 2006, Austin, Texas, became the first city in the country to ban a commonly used pavement sealant over concerns that it was a major source of cancer-causing compounds in the environment. Eight years later, the city's action seems to have made a big dent in the targeted compounds' levels -- researchers now report that the concentrations have dropped significantly.

MERS-related abnormality distribution on CT identifed, clarified Posted: 18 Jun 2014 08:20 AM PDT Key defining characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in CT imaging of patients confirmed as having the disease have been identified by researchers. The study found that the most common CT finding in hospitalized patients with MERS infection is suggestive of an organizing pneumonia pattern.

Cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation counseling during hospitalization shown in study Posted: 18 Jun 2014 08:18 AM PDT The cost-effectiveness of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation, an intervention that includes in-hospital counseling, pharmacotherapy and post-hospital follow-up, has been demonstrated compared to usual care among smokers hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

For patients with sickle cell disease, blood donors are a matter of life and death Posted: 17 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT Every six weeks for the past nine years, Mawasi Belle has been donating blood, totaling nearly 80 trips to the medical institution and thousands of pints of blood collected. But for Belle, this selfless act is merely a part of her lifestyle. "My decision to give is easy. If I do not donate, patients with serious blood diseases, like sickle cell anemia, will die." And Belle is right: Patients with sickle cell disease and other serious blood conditions rely on donors to keep their blood flowing and hearts beating.

Heparin derivative suppresses neuroblastoma tumor growth Posted: 17 Jun 2014 10:07 AM PDT A new strategy for treating neuroblastoma using a modified version of heparin, a century-old injectable drug that thins the blood to prevent clots from forming, has been discovered by researchers. The study, conducted in mice, found that when heparin is altered to remove its blood-thinning properties, it can suppress and shrink neuroblastoma tumors without causing severe bleeding.

Hand shiatsu treatment explored as sleep aid Posted: 17 Jun 2014 09:19 AM PDT Self-administered shiatsu is being explored as sleep treatment for patients with chronic pain. Researchers are exploring the traditional Japanese massage practice called shiatsu as a potential treatment to help patients with chronic pain find slumber -- and stay asleep. A small pilot study followed nine people living with chronic pain as they self-administered shiatsu pressure techniques on their hands at bedtime.

Potential cholesterol lowering drug has breast cancer fighting capabilities Posted: 17 Jun 2014 08:22 AM PDT A compound initially developed as a cholesterol-fighting molecule not only halts the progression of breast cancer, but also can kill the cancerous cells, research confirms. "The compound exhibited anti-tumor properties in human samples and in samples that were administered by injection into the mice," one researcher said. "In both cases, the proteins that cause tumors to grow were eliminated, leading to more aggressive cell death."

Soccer-related facial fractures examined Posted: 17 Jun 2014 07:24 AM PDT Fractures of the nose and other facial bones are a relatively common and potentially serious injury in soccer players, reports a Brazilian study. Through their analysis, researchers report that he nose and upper jaw (maxilla) accounted for 35 percent of fractures and the cheekbone (zygomatic bone) for another 35 percent. Most of the remaining fractures were of the lower jaw (mandible) and eye socket (orbit). Eighty-seven percent of the injuries were caused by collision with another player; the rest occurred when the player was struck by the ball.

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