ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• CPR: It's not always a lifesaver, but it plays one on TV
• New synthetic tumor environments make cancer research more realistic
• Oysters harbor, transmit human norovirus: Avoid raw ones
• Medicinal marijuana: Patients battle stigma and misunderstanding
• DNA 'clews' used to shuttle CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool into cells
• Important steps toward developing a blood test to catch pancreatic cancer early
• New embryo image processing technology could assist in IVF implantation success rates
• Lack of folic acid enrichment in Europe causes mortality among fetuses
• The alien within: Fetal cells influence maternal health during pregnancy (and long after)
• A barcode for shredding junk RNA
• Turning breath into words: New device unveiled to give paralysis victims a voice
• Tumour suppressor genes curb growth in neighboring cells
• New mechanism in adrenal gland tumors
• Brain scans predict response to antipsychotic medications
• Women with hypertension in pregnancy and their siblings face increased risk of heart disease
• Meningitis: Research advances on 'scourge' of transplant wards
• Goth teens could be more vulnerable to depression and self-harm
• Retinoids may increase effectiveness of targeted therapies against high-risk leukemia
• Brazil's national oral health policy: An example for other nations
• Scientists identify possible key in virus, cancer research
• Humans may be harmed by endocrine disrupting chemicals released during natural gas mining
• In diabetic eye disease, peripheral lesions in the retina point to risks of progression
• Degenerating neurons respond to gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease
• A patient shedding poliovirus for 28 years: Possible challenges for polio eradication
• Researchers thwart cancer cells by triggering 'virus alert'

CPR: It's not always a lifesaver, but it plays one on TV Posted: 28 Aug 2015 10:52 AM PDT If you think that performing CPR on a person whose heart has stopped is a surefire way to save their life, you may be watching too much TV. The truth is more depressing than fiction, according to a new study. While medical dramas Grey's Anatomy and House show cardiopulmonary resuscitation saving a patient's life nearly 70 percent of the time, the real immediate survival rate is nearly half that -- around 37 percent.

New synthetic tumor environments make cancer research more realistic Posted: 28 Aug 2015 10:52 AM PDT Tumors are notoriously difficult to study in their natural habitat -- body tissues -- but a new synthetic tissue environment may give cancer researchers the next-best look at tumor growth and behavior. Researchers have now developed a new technique to create a cell habitat of hydrogels which can realistically and quickly recreate microenvironments found across biology.

Oysters harbor, transmit human norovirus: Avoid raw ones Posted: 28 Aug 2015 10:52 AM PDT Oysters not only transmit human norovirus; they also serve as a major reservoir for these pathogens, according to newresearch.

Medicinal marijuana: Patients battle stigma and misunderstanding Posted: 28 Aug 2015 08:30 AM PDT New research examines the experiences of California residents who have been prescribed medical marijuana and the stigma they experience from public opinion.  The findings indicate that the stigma of using medical marijuana may contribute to the under-treatment of those who might benefit from medical marijuana.

DNA 'clews' used to shuttle CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool into cells Posted: 28 Aug 2015 08:27 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time created and used a nanoscale vehicle made of DNA to deliver a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool into cells in both cell culture and an animal model.

Important steps toward developing a blood test to catch pancreatic cancer early Posted: 28 Aug 2015 07:23 AM PDT Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States and has a 5-year survival rate of only 6 percent, which is the lowest rate of all types of cancer.  This low survival rate is partially attributed to the difficulty in detecting pancreatic cancer at an early stage.

New embryo image processing technology could assist in IVF implantation success rates Posted: 28 Aug 2015 07:23 AM PDT Biologists and engineers have developed a new non-invasive image processing technique to visualize embryo formation. Researchers were able to see, for the first time, the movement of all of the cells in living mammalian embryos as they develop under the microscope. This breakthrough has important implications for IVF treatments and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. In the future, this approach could help with embryo selection to improve IVF success rates.

Lack of folic acid enrichment in Europe causes mortality among fetuses Posted: 28 Aug 2015 07:22 AM PDT A new international study shows that 5,000 fetuses in Europe annually are affected by spina bifida and other severe defects on the central nervous system. Seventy percent of these pregnancies are terminated, while increased mortality and serious diseases affect the children who are born. At least half of the cases can be avoided by adding folic acid to staple foods as is already being done in 70 non-European countries.

The alien within: Fetal cells influence maternal health during pregnancy (and long after) Posted: 28 Aug 2015 06:13 AM PDT Dramatic research has shown that during pregnancy, cells of the fetus often migrate through the placenta, taking up residence in many areas of the mother's body, where their influence may benefit or undermine maternal health.

A barcode for shredding junk RNA Posted: 28 Aug 2015 05:14 AM PDT A growing, dividing cell uses most of its energy store to make its "protein factories," the ribosomes. An important player in their "assembly" is the exosome, a molecular shredding machine that breaks down excess ribonucleic acid (RNA). Researchers have discovered how the exosome identifies its target RNA. The team identified a specific detection signal, comparable to a postal code or bar code that targets the exosome to the remote RNA.

Turning breath into words: New device unveiled to give paralysis victims a voice Posted: 28 Aug 2015 05:14 AM PDT A new device which transforms paralysis victims' breath into words – believed to be the first invention of its kind – has been developed.

Tumour suppressor genes curb growth in neighboring cells Posted: 28 Aug 2015 05:14 AM PDT Researchers have unraveled a role for tumor suppressor genes in restricting the growth of neighboring cell populations. The study might have implications for understanding the early events of tumorigenesis and the selection of the tumour-initiating cells.

New mechanism in adrenal gland tumors Posted: 28 Aug 2015 05:14 AM PDT Scientists have elucidated a mechanism that is responsible for the development of adrenal gland tumors. They discovered that the BMP7 protein plays a key role in this process and that it could be a possible target for future treatments.

Brain scans predict response to antipsychotic medications Posted: 28 Aug 2015 05:10 AM PDT Investigators have discovered that brain scans can be used to predict patients' response to antipsychotic drug treatment.

Women with hypertension in pregnancy and their siblings face increased risk of heart disease Posted: 27 Aug 2015 06:59 PM PDT High blood pressure during pregnancy is a risk factor for future hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but it's not clear if this increased risk is because these women are more likely to have a family history of heart disease or if elevated blood pressure during pregnancy causes long-term metabolic and vascular abnormalities. A new study is now providing some insights.

Meningitis: Research advances on 'scourge' of transplant wards Posted: 27 Aug 2015 06:59 PM PDT The fungus Cryptococcus causes meningitis, a brain disease that kills about 1 million people each year. It's difficult to treat because fungi are genetically quite similar to humans, so compounds that affect fungi tend to have toxic side effects for patients. Now, researchers have identified 18 proteins that play a role in spore formation and germination. The findings raises the possibility of preventing the disease by blocking the spores' germination.

Goth teens could be more vulnerable to depression and self-harm Posted: 27 Aug 2015 06:56 PM PDT Young people who identify with the goth subculture might be at increased risk of depression and self-harm, according to new research.

Retinoids may increase effectiveness of targeted therapies against high-risk leukemia Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:46 PM PDT Scientists have identified how mutations in the IKZF1 gene contribute to a high-risk leukemia subtype and drugs that may enhance the effectiveness of targeted therapy

Brazil's national oral health policy: An example for other nations Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:45 PM PDT Brazil is the only country with more than 200 million inhabitants that has a universal health system, funded by federal, state and municipal budgets. In recent decades, the system has evolved from an exclusionary to a universal model, the unified health system (Sistema Único de Saúde [SUS]), where everyone is entitled to healthcare and the government is required to provide it. Primary healthcare is the backbone of the new system, in keeping with the guidelines set forth by the Primary Healthcare Reform, recommended by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization.

Scientists identify possible key in virus, cancer research Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:44 PM PDT Scientists have uncovered a viral protein in the cell that inhibits the major DNA sensor and thus the body's response to viral infection, suggesting that this cellular pathway could be manipulated to help a person fight infection, cancer or autoimmune diseases.

Humans may be harmed by endocrine disrupting chemicals released during natural gas mining Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:44 PM PDT More than 15 million Americans live within one mile of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations that combine directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' to release natural gas from underground rock. Researchers have reviewed research on health effects associated with UOG operations and concluded these activities have potential for environmental release of a complex mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals that could potentially harm human development.

In diabetic eye disease, peripheral lesions in the retina point to risks of progression Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:44 PM PDT Investigators have now shown that eyes with diabetic retinal lesions predominantly in peripheral areas of the retina that are seen in UWF images but not in traditional retinal photographs show surprisingly higher risks of progressing to advanced stages of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy.

Degenerating neurons respond to gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:44 PM PDT Degenerating neurons in patients with Alzheimer's disease measurably responded to an experimental gene therapy in which nerve growth factor was injected into their brains, report researchers.

A patient shedding poliovirus for 28 years: Possible challenges for polio eradication Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:42 PM PDT With all but two countries worldwide, Pakistan and Afghanistan, declared polio-free, the eradication of the devastating viral disease in the near future is a real possibility. A new study however reports results from an individual in the UK with an immune disease whose stool samples have contained large amounts of live polio virus for over 20 years. Patients like this one, the authors suggest, could start new polio outbreaks and complicate polio eradication as currently planned.

Researchers thwart cancer cells by triggering 'virus alert' Posted: 27 Aug 2015 10:01 AM PDT Working with human cancer cell lines and mice, researchers have found a way to trigger a type of immune system 'virus alert' that may one day boost cancer patients' response to immunotherapy drugs. An increasingly promising focus of cancer research, the drugs are designed to disarm cancer cells' ability to avoid detection and destruction by the immune system.

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