ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• An apple a day could keep obesity away
• 'Frenemy' in Parkinson's disease takes to crowdsourcing
• Genetic modifier affects colon tumor formation
• Spastic paraplegia: New light shed on cause
• DNA signature found in Ice Storm babies: Prenatal maternal stress exposure to natural disasters predicts epigenetic profile of offspring
• Ancient human genome from southern Africa throws light on our origins
• Harvesting energy from walking around: Shoe insole charges AAA and watch batteries
• Trastuzumab should remain as standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer, trial suggests
• Protein that causes frontotemporal dementia also implicated in Alzheimer's disease
• Signature of aging in brain: Researchers suggest that the brain's 'immunological age' is what counts
• new role for estrogen in pathology of breast cancer discovered
• Ten year trends reveal more children admitted to intensive care but with lower staffing ratios
• Remote healthcare for an aging population
• Investigating 'underground' habitat of Listeria bacteria
• Promising results shown with targeted approaches in subsets of non-small cell lung cancer
• Mesothelioma: New Findings On Treatment Options
• New data on combination treatments for melanoma
• Nivolumab shows signs of superior response rate compared to standard chemotherapy in advanced melanoma
• Asking parents smart questions can help obese kids lose weight
• Cells from placentas safe for patients with multiple sclerosis, study shows
• Human genome was shaped by an evolutionary arms race with itself
• Early sign of pancreatic cancer identified by researchers
• Adding cediranib to chemotherapy improves progression-free survival for metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, phase II trial shows
• Pertuzumab adds 16 months survival benefit to trastuzumab and chemotherapy treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
• Crizotinib treatment effective against ROS1-positive lung cancer, study suggests
• French studies measure benefits of colorectal cancer screening
• Customizing chemotherapy in lung cancer: New phase II data reported
• Chemotherapy: Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in phase III trial
• Second-line afatinib significantly improves progression-free survival in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, phase III trial shows
• Anamorelin shown to improve appetite and body mass in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia
• Cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and radiotherapy are safe for babies, studies suggest
• Children with autism more sedentary than their peers, study shows
• Glaucoma drug, weight loss combo tested to restore vision
• Rare type of pollen observed at record levels in air for first time in forty years in U.K.

An apple a day could keep obesity away Posted: 29 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT Nondigestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples -- may help prevent disorders associated with obesity, scientists have concluded. "We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."

'Frenemy' in Parkinson's disease takes to crowdsourcing Posted: 29 Sep 2014 02:44 PM PDT A key neuronal protein called alpha-synuclein normally gathers in synapses, where aggregates of it help regulate neurotransmissions, researchers have found. In overabundance, though, a-synuclein can choke off communication altogether, leading to neuronal death and related diseases.

Genetic modifier affects colon tumor formation Posted: 29 Sep 2014 12:47 PM PDT The adenomatous polyposis coli protein, which protects against colon cancer, has been the focus of recent study. Many experiments involve testing mice with APC mutations, which cause colon cancer, and seeing if any new drug compounds will work against the mutations.

Spastic paraplegia: New light shed on cause Posted: 29 Sep 2014 12:39 PM PDT A gene mutation linked to hereditary spastic paraplegia, a disabling neurological disorder, interferes with the normal breakdown of triglyceride fat molecules in the brain, scientists have found. The researchers found large droplets of triglycerides within the neurons of mice modeling the disease.

DNA signature found in Ice Storm babies: Prenatal maternal stress exposure to natural disasters predicts epigenetic profile of offspring Posted: 29 Sep 2014 07:53 AM PDT The number of days an expectant mother was deprived of electricity during Quebec's Ice Storm in 1998 predicts the epigenetic profile of her child, a new study finds.

Ancient human genome from southern Africa throws light on our origins Posted: 29 Sep 2014 07:53 AM PDT The skeleton of a man who lived 2,330 years ago in the southernmost tip of Africa tells us about ourselves as humans, and throws some light on our earliest common genetic ancestry. The man's genome was sequenced and shown to be one of the 'earliest diverged' -- oldest in genetic terms -- found to-date in a region where modern humans are believed to have originated roughly 200,000 years ago.

Harvesting energy from walking around: Shoe insole charges AAA and watch batteries Posted: 29 Sep 2014 07:52 AM PDT A device that fits inside a pair of shoes harvests the energy left-over when someone walks. This energy is then stored in AAA or watch batteries.

Trastuzumab should remain as standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer, trial suggests Posted: 29 Sep 2014 07:51 AM PDT Analysis of more than 8,000 women who participated in the world's largest study of two treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer reinforces other findings from the clinical trial showing that trastuzumab (Herceptin) should remain the standard of care for this cancer, says a researcher.

Protein that causes frontotemporal dementia also implicated in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:40 AM PDT Low levels of the naturally occurring protein progranulin exacerbate cellular and cognitive dysfunction, while raising levels can prevent abnormalities in an Alzheimer's model.

Signature of aging in brain: Researchers suggest that the brain's 'immunological age' is what counts Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:38 AM PDT Evidence of a unique 'signature' that may be the 'missing link' between cognitive decline and aging has been found by researchers. The scientists believe that this discovery may lead, in the future, to treatments that can slow or reverse cognitive decline in older people.

new role for estrogen in pathology of breast cancer discovered Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:05 AM PDT A previously unknown mechanism by which estrogen prepares cells to divide, grow and, in the case of estrogen-positive breast cancers, resist cancer drugs, has been discovered in a recent study. The researchers say the work reveals new targets for breast cancer therapy and will help doctors predict which patients need the most aggressive treatment.

Ten year trends reveal more children admitted to intensive care but with lower staffing ratios Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:05 AM PDT More children than ever are being admitted to intensive care units in England and Wales, but there are fewer staff per bed available to cope with the increase, according to a new report.

Remote healthcare for an aging population Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT An aging population and an increased incidence of debilitating illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease means there is pressure on technology to offer assistance with healthcare - monitoring and treatment. Research points to remote monitoring as offering a way to improve patient care and even accelerate medical research.

Investigating 'underground' habitat of Listeria bacteria Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT The literature describes Listeria as ubiquitous bacteria with widespread occurrence. Yet they only become a problem for humans and animals when they contaminate food processing facilities, multiply, and enter the food chain in high concentrations. An infection with Listeria monocytogenes can even be fatal for humans or animals with weakened immune systems.

Promising results shown with targeted approaches in subsets of non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT The BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib has significant anti-tumour activity in patients with advanced BRAF V600E mutant non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed after chemotherapy, according to phase II data.

Mesothelioma: New Findings On Treatment Options Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT Treating patients with high-dose radiotherapy after chemotherapy and surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma does not achieve improvements in local relapse and overall survival, according to new data from a prospective randomized phase II trial.

New data on combination treatments for melanoma Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT Combination therapy with both BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and MEK inhibitor cobimetinib achieves greater progression-free survival and response rates than vemurafenib plus placebo in BRAF-mutation positive melanoma, according to phase III data.

Nivolumab shows signs of superior response rate compared to standard chemotherapy in advanced melanoma Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:03 AM PDT The monoclonal antibody nivolumab achieves superior response rates and a longer duration of response than standard chemotherapy in patients whose melanoma has progressed after treatment with ipilimumab, according to phase III data.

Asking parents smart questions can help obese kids lose weight Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:02 AM PDT Preventing childhood obesity may begin at home, but there's plenty nurses can do to help parents embrace healthy lifestyle choices, says one expert. For tips about diet and exercise to stick, clinicians need to take the time to interview families about their habits, she adds.

Cells from placentas safe for patients with multiple sclerosis, study shows Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:02 AM PDT Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were able to safely tolerate treatment with cells cultured from human placental tissue, according to a study. "This is the first time placenta-derived cells have been tested as a possible therapy for multiple sclerosis," said the lead investigator of the study. "The next step will be to study larger numbers of MS patients to assess efficacy of the cells, but we could be looking at a new frontier in treatment for the disease."

Human genome was shaped by an evolutionary arms race with itself Posted: 28 Sep 2014 12:47 PM PDT An evolutionary arms race between rival elements within the genomes of primates drove the evolution of complex regulatory networks that orchestrate the activity of genes in every cell of our bodies, researach shows. The arms race is between mobile DNA sequences known as 'retrotransposons' (a.k.a. 'jumping genes') and the genes that have evolved to control them.

Early sign of pancreatic cancer identified by researchers Posted: 28 Sep 2014 12:47 PM PDT A sign of the early development of pancreatic cancer –- an upsurge in certain amino acids that occurs before the disease is diagnosed and symptoms appear -- has been identified by a team of researchers. Although the increase isn't large enough to be the basis of a new test for early detection of the disease, the findings will help researchers better understand how pancreatic cancer affects the rest of the body.

Adding cediranib to chemotherapy improves progression-free survival for metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, phase II trial shows Posted: 28 Sep 2014 09:56 AM PDT For patients with cervical cancer that has recurred after treatment or has spread elsewhere in the body, adding the experimental drug cediranib to standard chemotherapy improves tumor shrinkage and adds a modest improvement in progression-free survival, researchers report.

Pertuzumab adds 16 months survival benefit to trastuzumab and chemotherapy treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer Posted: 28 Sep 2014 09:56 AM PDT Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of their body live around 16 months longer if treated with a combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab and chemotherapy compared to those treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy alone, updated results from the CLEOPATRA study reveal.

Crizotinib treatment effective against ROS1-positive lung cancer, study suggests Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT Treatment with the targeted therapy drug crizotinib effectively halted the growth of lung tumors driven by rearrangements of the ROS1 gene in a small clinical trial.

French studies measure benefits of colorectal cancer screening Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT The introduction of biennial colorectal cancer screening in a region of France increased the rate of diagnosis of high risk pre-cancerous adenomas (sometimes called polyps) by 89%, researchers have reported.

Customizing chemotherapy in lung cancer: New phase II data reported Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT Measuring the expression levels of an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis can help predict the response of lung cancers to certain treatments, a Korean study has shown. In a randomized phase II study, researchers showed that patients whose lung cancers expressed low levels of an enzyme called thymidylate synthase experienced a greater benefit from treatment with the combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin than those whose tumors expressed high levels.

Chemotherapy: Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in phase III trial Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy, according to the results of a phase III trial.

Second-line afatinib significantly improves progression-free survival in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, phase III trial shows Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT The tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib significantly improved progression-free survival compared to methotrexate in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy, the results of a phase III trial show.

Anamorelin shown to improve appetite and body mass in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT A new drug, anamorelin, improves appetite and body mass in patients with advanced lung cancer who are suffering cancer anorexia and cachexia, according to phase III data.

Cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and radiotherapy are safe for babies, studies suggest Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT Children who are exposed to chemotherapy or radiotherapy while in the womb suffer no negative impacts on mental or cardiac development, international studies have shown. "When chemotherapy is administered after the first trimester of pregnancy, we cannot discern any problems in the children," says lead author of a study on the topic.

Children with autism more sedentary than their peers, study shows Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT Children with autism are more sedentary than their typically-developing peers, a study shows, averaging 50 minutes less a day of moderate physical activity and 70 minutes more each day sitting.

Glaucoma drug, weight loss combo tested to restore vision Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:20 AM PDT A blinding disorder, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), affects overweight young women. It is a condition, of unknown origin, causing raised intracranial pressure primarily in obese women. Those with IIH suffer debilitating headaches, and, because of pressure on the optic nerves, 86 percent develop some degree of vision loss. New research is aiming to bring relief to these patients.

Rare type of pollen observed at record levels in air for first time in forty years in U.K. Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:58 AM PDT Ragweed, which grows in late-summer and early autumn, is one of the most notorious hayfever-causing plants in North America, but is rarely found in the United Kingdom as it requires long-lasting autumns before the first winter frost to grow and survive. Now, record levels have been recorded for the first time in four decades, say researchers, who warn that mild autumn could mean more misery for hayfever sufferers.

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