ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Epigenetic changes can drive cancer, study shows
• Trees save lives, reduce respiratory problems
• Primary texting bans associated with lower traffic fatalities, study finds
• Clearing cells to prevent cervical cancer
• Computerized ADHD testing
• Smartphone experiment tracks whether our life story is written in our gut bacteria
• Shift work linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes
• Cell therapy for multiple sclerosis patients: Closer than ever?
• Klotho: neuroprotective against Alzheimer's disease
• Microbes make the sake brewery
• Genetic switch discovered that can prevent peripheral vascular disease in mice
• Ferric Citrate May Reduce Dialysis Patients' Need for Multiple Medications
• Genetic test helps predict which children with kidney disease will respond to standard therapy
• Physician advocates awareness, collaboration to combat peaking Hep C virus
• Link between ritual circumcision procedure, herpes infection in infants examined by analysis
• Early warning sign for babies at risk of autism: Early joint attention predicts later autism symptoms
• Piggy-backing cells hold clue to skin cancer growth

Epigenetic changes can drive cancer, study shows Posted: 26 Jul 2014 05:23 AM PDT A mouse model has been created providing the first in vivo evidence that epigenetic alterations alone can cause cancer. Epigenetic alterations don't change the DNA sequence but how it is 'read.' In particular, DNA methylation, the addition of a methyl group (or molecule), is an epigenetic switch that can stably turn off genes, suggesting the potential to cause cancer just as a genetic mutation can. Until now, direct evidence that DNA methylation drives cancer formation was lacking.

Trees save lives, reduce respiratory problems Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:35 PM PDT In the first broad-scale estimate of air pollution removal by trees nationwide, scientists have calculated that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms. The study considered four pollutants for which the U.S. EPA has established air quality standards: nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in aerodynamic diameter.

Primary texting bans associated with lower traffic fatalities, study finds Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:44 AM PDT States that allow officers to pull over a driver for texting while driving saw fewer deaths than those that use secondary enforcement of texting bans. Some states have banned all drivers from texting while driving, while others have banned only young drivers. Also, some states' texting bans entail secondary enforcement, meaning an officer must have another reason to stop a vehicle, like speeding or running a red light, before citing a driver for texting while driving. These differences appear to impact traffic deaths, this study concludes.

Clearing cells to prevent cervical cancer Posted: 25 Jul 2014 10:15 AM PDT A novel approach to preventing cervical cancer has been described by researchers, based on findings showing successful reduction in the risk of cervical cancer after removal of a discrete population of cells in the cervix. The findings come from a study that looked at squamocolumnar junction cells, or SCJ cells. These cells reside in the cervical canal and have been implicated as the origins of cervical cancer.

Computerized ADHD testing Posted: 25 Jul 2014 08:07 AM PDT A new technology can now be utilized on patients called the Quotient® ADHD Test. t is FDA-cleared for the objective measurement of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, as an aid in the assessment of ADHD. ADHD is a common childhood condition characterized by more than normal difficulty with focus, behavior control, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Smartphone experiment tracks whether our life story is written in our gut bacteria Posted: 25 Jul 2014 05:04 AM PDT Life events such as visiting another country or contracting a disease cause a significant shift in the make-up of the gut microbiota -- the community of bacteria living in the digestive system, according to. Two participants in a recent study used smartphone apps to collect information every day for a year. The authors think the method could be rolled out to studies of human-bacteria relationships with many more participants.

Shift work linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes Posted: 24 Jul 2014 04:20 PM PDT Shift work is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the risk seemingly greatest among men and those working rotating shift patterns, indicates an analysis of the available evidence. This heightened risk rose to 37% for men, after further analysis to look at the potential effects of gender, study design, study location, job, shift schedule, body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes and physical activity levels.

Cell therapy for multiple sclerosis patients: Closer than ever? Posted: 24 Jul 2014 03:29 PM PDT For the first time, scientists generated induced pluripotent stem cells lines from skin samples of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and further, they developed an accelerated protocol to induce these stem cells into becoming oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system implicated in multiple sclerosis and many other diseases.

Klotho: neuroprotective against Alzheimer's disease Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:21 PM PDT Researchers may have found a way to delay or even prevent Alzheimer's disease. They discovered that pre-treatment of neurons with the anti-aging protein Klotho can prevent neuron death in the presence of the toxic amyloid protein and glutamate. Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent age-related dementia affecting 5.4 million Americans including 13 percent of people age 65 and older and more than 40 percent of people over the age of 85.

Microbes make the sake brewery Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:20 PM PDT A sake brewery has its own microbial terroir, meaning the microbial populations found on surfaces in the facility resemble those found in the product, creating the final flavor according to research. This is the first time investigators have taken a microbial census of a sake brewery.

Genetic switch discovered that can prevent peripheral vascular disease in mice Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:18 PM PDT Millions of people in the United States have a circulatory problem of the legs called peripheral vascular disease. It can be painful and may even require surgery in serious cases. This disease can lead to severe skeletal muscle wasting and, in turn, limb amputation. Scientists have tested a non-surgical preventative treatment in a mouse model of the disease and it was associated with increased blood circulation.

Ferric Citrate May Reduce Dialysis Patients' Need for Multiple Medications Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:17 PM PDT Ferric citrate effectively reduced blood phosphorus levels while increasing iron stores and decreasing the need for intravenous iron and anemia medications in dialysis patients, researchers report after conducting a study. The medication may help reduce complications and costs associated with kidney disease care.

Genetic test helps predict which children with kidney disease will respond to standard therapy Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:17 PM PDT Among children with sporadic nephrotic syndrome, genetic mutations in the kidney's filtration barrier were frequently linked with a lack of response to immunosuppressive treatments, researchers report. The genetic test was even more predictive than a kidney biopsy for identifying children who would not benefit from immunosuppressive therapies.

Physician advocates awareness, collaboration to combat peaking Hep C virus Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:42 AM PDT Eliminating hepatitis C virus infection is feasible, can provide economic benefits, enhance capacity to address other health challenges, and improve health care disparities, an expert argues. More than 185 million people worldwide, 3 percent of the world's population, are living with HCV and 350,000 die each year.

Link between ritual circumcision procedure, herpes infection in infants examined by analysis Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:14 AM PDT A rare procedure occasionally performed during Jewish circumcisions that involves direct oral suction is a likely source of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) transmissions, a literature review has found. The practice -— known as metzitzah b'peh -— and its link to HSV-1 infections have sparked international debate in recent years, yet no systematic review of the literature has been published in a peer-reviewed journal examining the association and potential risk.

Early warning sign for babies at risk of autism: Early joint attention predicts later autism symptoms Posted: 24 Jul 2014 10:40 AM PDT Researchers have found that early joint attention -- such as making eye contact to communicate about a toy, without smiling -- predicts later autism symptoms. The findings help identify children that can benefit from early interventions.

Piggy-backing cells hold clue to skin cancer growth Posted: 24 Jul 2014 09:45 AM PDT Skin cancer cells work together to spread further and faster, according to a new study. In a tumor, the faster growing cells 'piggy-back' along with the more invasive cells, so together they can be more effective in establishing a new tumor once they have reached different parts of the body, the researchers report.

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