ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Researchers give peptides a longer life
• Obese people need more vitamin E, but actually get less
• Researchers reduce inflammation in human cells, a major cause of frailty
• Predicting cancer's growth from few clues
• Research elucidates genetics behind Salmonella's host specificity
• 'Inner GPS' study may aid diagnosis of brain diseases
• Structure of tuberculosis enzyme revealed, could offer drug target
• How new hydrogel can facilitate microsurgery
• Cancer cells use secret tunnels to communicate, smuggle cancer signals their neighbors
• Even a little is too much: One junk food snack triggers signals of metabolic disease
• New study uncovers attitudes of African-American children toward overweight peers
• Sugar-coated nanoworms not for breakfast in the human immune system
• Researchers are on their way to predicting what side effects you'll experience from a drug
• New research opens door to understanding human tonsil cancer
• 90 percent of skin-based viruses represent viral 'dark matter,' scientists reveal
• Early contact with dogs linked to lower risk of asthma
• Breast cancer: Research identified obstacles to care in Appalachia
• How the Ebola scare stigmatized African immigrants in the US
• Engineers design magnetic cell sensors
• Traveling through space? Don't forget your sleeping pills and skin cream
• World-first 3-D image of a protein involved in cancer spread
• Increasing vitamin D supplementation in elderly women
• Male, female mice respond differently to inflammation
• Swedish diagnostic method for Alzheimer's becomes international standard
• Tissue cartography
• Off-label prescription drug use and adverse drug events
• Teen sex talks with parents, especially moms, associated with safer sex
• Study reveals the architecture of the molecular machine that copies DNA
• Cancer cells hijack glucose, alter immune cells
• Innate immune system modulates severity of multiple sclerosis
• Online cognitive behavioral therapy benefits people with depression, anxiety
• Substantial differences in obstetric care for First Nations women in Canada
• Apgar score may be tool for predicting whether mother will become critically ill
• New study, showing cancer-like forms of parasites, may lead to new approaches to curing diseases
• Lifestyle a risk factor for celiac disease
• Sleepwalkers feel no pain, remain asleep despite suffering injuries
• Abdominal fat in early pregnancy can predict development of gestational diabetes
• Find way to focus on dietary supplement safety, experts say
• Immunity from H1N1 flu vaccine wears off rapidly
• DNA sequencing shows divergent genomes in malaria vectors of Brazilian rainforest
• Devastating effect war, violence has on children's mental health
• Scientists identify 'checkpoint' to prevent birth defects, spontaneous miscarriage
• Studying cancer DNA in blood may help personalize treatment in liver cancer
• Herpes viruses with an unusual broad host range
• Hypersexual disorder linked to overactive stress systems
• New applications for tried and tested medicines
• In 2030, we will have local protein on our plate
• Could self-disseminating vaccines cut off emerging infectious diseases at source?
• New treatment targets cancers with particular genetic signature
• Around a fifth of unvaccinated ethnic school girls in UK think they don't need HPV jab
• Soybean foods may protect menopausal women against osteoporosis
• Selective media coverage may cause us to forget certain health facts
• Anti-smoking messages can backfire, research suggests
• Skin cancer causing fusion gene identified

Researchers give peptides a longer life Posted: 02 Nov 2015 01:41 PM PST A biochemical trick has been developed that can significantly extend the lifespan of peptides, smaller cousins of proteins. The finding opens up new possibilities for creating peptides to treat cancer, infertility and other conditions.

Obese people need more vitamin E, but actually get less Posted: 02 Nov 2015 01:37 PM PST Obese people with metabolic syndrome face an unexpected quandary when it comes to vitamin E -- they need more than normal levels of the vitamin because their weight and other problems are causing increased oxidative stress, but those same problems actually cause their effective use of vitamin E to be reduced.

Researchers reduce inflammation in human cells, a major cause of frailty Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:37 PM PST Chronic inflammation, closely associated with frailty and age-related diseases, is a hallmark of aging. Now researchers have discovered that inhibiting key enzyme pathways reduces inflammation in human cells in culture dishes and decreases inflammation and frailty in aged mice.

Predicting cancer's growth from few clues Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:28 PM PST Duke mathematicians are developing ways to help doctors predict how different cancers are likely to progress when measurements of tumor growth are hard to come by. In a new study, they describe a way to compare common models of tumor growth, using only two time-point measurements of tumor size -- often the maximum available before patients begin treatment. Determining which models work best for different cancers is key to designing optimum treatment strategies.

Research elucidates genetics behind Salmonella's host specificity Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:28 PM PST Using genomic techniques, slight variations in the coding sequence of proteins that bind Salmonella to host cells can determine what type of animal a particular strain infects, new research indicates.

'Inner GPS' study may aid diagnosis of brain diseases Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:28 PM PST A new study sheds light on brain cells in our 'inner GPS,' which may improve understanding of memory loss and wandering behavior in people with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Structure of tuberculosis enzyme revealed, could offer drug target Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST A team of scientists has determined the structures of several important tuberculosis enzymes, which could lead to new drugs for the disease.

How new hydrogel can facilitate microsurgery Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST Skillful surgeons can do amazing things in extremely small places, but finding better ways to suture tiny blood vessels has been an ongoing challenge for even the best. In a new article, several researchers show how a new peptide-based hydrogel could one day make that reconnection process easier to perform and less likely to fail.

Cancer cells use secret tunnels to communicate, smuggle cancer signals their neighbors Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST Cancer cells use previously unknown channels to communicate with one another and with adjacent non-cancerous cells, a new report suggests. The researchers report that an in vitro co-culture system robustly quantifies the transfer of fluorescent proteins between cells and can also compare between various conditions.

Even a little is too much: One junk food snack triggers signals of metabolic disease Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST We hate to ruin Thanksgiving, but a new report suggests that for some people, overindulgence at the dinner table or at snack time is enough to trigger signs of metabolic disease.

New study uncovers attitudes of African-American children toward overweight peers Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST African-American girls show more empathy and are more accepting of overweight peers who can be victims of bullying, new research shows.

Sugar-coated nanoworms not for breakfast in the human immune system Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:26 PM PST Nanoparticles could aid diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancer -- if the immune system would leave them alone. A new study shows that inducing crosslinks on nanoparticle surface sugars lets them escape mouse immune system and identifies remaining culprit for human immune recognition of nanoparticles.

Researchers are on their way to predicting what side effects you'll experience from a drug Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:26 PM PST Researchers have developed a model that could be used to predict a drug's side effects on different patients. The proof of concept study is aimed at determining how different individuals will respond to a drug treatment and could help assess whether a drug is suitable for a particular patient based on measurements taken from the patient's blood.

New research opens door to understanding human tonsil cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2015 12:25 PM PST Researchers have developed a groundbreaking method to identify and separate stem cells that reside in the tonsils. While stem cells in many other body tissues have been well studied, little is known about these stem cells.

90 percent of skin-based viruses represent viral 'dark matter,' scientists reveal Posted: 02 Nov 2015 11:37 AM PST Scientists in recent years have made great progress in characterizing the bacterial population that normally lives on human skin and contributes to health and disease. Now researchers have used state-of-the-art techniques to survey the skin's virus population, or "virome." The study reveals that most DNA viruses on healthy human skin are viral "dark matter" that have never been described before. The research also includes the development of a set of virome analysis tools that are now available to researchers for further investigations.

Early contact with dogs linked to lower risk of asthma Posted: 02 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST Scientists have used national register information in more than one million children to study the association of early life contact with dogs and subsequent development of asthma. This question has been studied extensively previously, but conclusive findings have been lacking. The new study showed that children who grew up with dogs had about 15 percent less asthma than children without dogs.

Breast cancer: Research identified obstacles to care in Appalachia Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:16 AM PST Researchers have taken a new approach to understanding why so many breast cancer patients in Appalachia aren't getting the care they need, and their findings are set to change how people view the obstacles to care that beset the region.

How the Ebola scare stigmatized African immigrants in the US Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:15 AM PST A new study finds similarities between how African immigrants were stigmatized during the recent Ebola crisis to how the gay community was stigmatized during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Engineers design magnetic cell sensors Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:15 AM PST Engineers have designed magnetic protein nanoparticles that can be used to track cells or to monitor interactions within cells. The new "hypermagnetic" protein nanoparticles can be produced within cells, allowing the cells to be imaged or sorted using magnetic techniques. This eliminates the need to tag cells with synthetic particles and allows the particles to sense other molecules inside cells, say the researchers.

Traveling through space? Don't forget your sleeping pills and skin cream Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:15 AM PST A new study is the first-ever examination of the medications used by astronauts on long-duration missions to the International Space Station: the medications they used, the reasons they used them and how well they said the medicines worked were analyzed.

World-first 3-D image of a protein involved in cancer spread Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:12 AM PST Scientific history has been made by determining the first three-dimensional image of a protein linked to the spread of cancer. The 3-D image shows the architecture and intimate atomic-level detail of a bacterial heparanase, an enzyme that degrades a sugar molecule known as heparan sulfate, say scientists.

Increasing vitamin D supplementation in elderly women Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:02 AM PST Elderly women should take in more vitamin D than previously recommended during the winter months, suggests a team of researchers in a new report.

Male, female mice respond differently to inflammation Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:02 AM PST New research shows that male and female mice respond differently to inflammation at the cellular level, and suggesting that the inflammatory response in female mice differs from males mice in type and number of white blood cells recruited to the site of inflammation.

Swedish diagnostic method for Alzheimer's becomes international standard Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Researchers have developed a reference method for standardized measurements that diagnose Alzheimer's disease decades before symptoms appear. The method has now formally been classified as the international reference method, which means that it will be used as the standard in Alzheimer's diagnostics worldwide.

Tissue cartography Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Today's state-of-the-art optical microscopes produce voluminous three-dimensional data sets that are difficult to analyze. Now, two postdoctoral scholars have developed a means of reducing data size and processing by orders of magnitude.

Off-label prescription drug use and adverse drug events Posted: 02 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST Off-label use of prescription drugs was associated with adverse drug events in a study of patients in Canada, especially off-label use lacking strong scientific evidence, according to an article.

Teen sex talks with parents, especially moms, associated with safer sex Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:57 AM PST Risky sexual behavior among adolescents is a serious public health problem because of the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. Now researchers reveal that talking about sex with parents, especially mothers, had an effect on safer sex behavior among adolescents, especially girls.

Study reveals the architecture of the molecular machine that copies DNA Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:57 AM PST Until now, the exact configuration of the replisome, a protein complex that unzips and copies DNA, has been unknown. After taking the first pictures of this complex, researchers were surprised to find it possesses an unexpected, counterintuitive architecture, raising new questions about how it functions.

Cancer cells hijack glucose, alter immune cells Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:57 AM PST When cancer cells compete with immune cells for glucose, the cancer wins. As a result, the immune T cells are not healthy and don't have the weapons to kill the cancer. New research findings, report scientists, have potential as a tool to predict ovarian cancer survival, or a marker to predict effectiveness of immune therapy including checkpoint blockade or immune vaccination.

Innate immune system modulates severity of multiple sclerosis Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:57 AM PST Multiple sclerosis, a debilitating neurological disease, is triggered by self-reactive T cells that successfully infiltrate the brain and spinal cord where they launch an aggressive autoimmune attack against myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers. In their latest study, researchers report that these disease-causing autoimmune T cells are lured into the nervous system by monocytes and macrophages, a subset of immune cells better known as the immune system's cleanup crew.

Online cognitive behavioral therapy benefits people with depression, anxiety Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:54 AM PST Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with clinical care has been shown to benefit people with depression, anxiety and emotional distress from illness, according to an evidence-based review.

Substantial differences in obstetric care for First Nations women in Canada Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:54 AM PST There are substantial differences in obstetric care provided to First Nations women compared with women in the general population, and these differences may contribute to higher infant mortality in First Nations populations, according to new Canadian research.

Apgar score may be tool for predicting whether mother will become critically ill Posted: 02 Nov 2015 09:54 AM PST The Apgar score that evaluates a baby's condition at birth may also be a useful tool for predicting whether a mother is critically ill, new research suggests. The Apgar score is a universal measure done by physicians, midwives and nurses. It is obtained at one minute after birth and again at five minutes. It was designed to quickly evaluate a newborn's condition to determine if the baby needs immediate medical or emergency care.

New study, showing cancer-like forms of parasites, may lead to new approaches to curing diseases Posted: 02 Nov 2015 07:03 AM PST Some forms of the single celled parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and Toxoplasma gondii behave like cancer cells, a new study suggests, potentially leading researchers toward new approaches to treat disease.

Lifestyle a risk factor for celiac disease Posted: 02 Nov 2015 07:03 AM PST Celiac disease incidence has increased among Swedish children between 2 to 15 years. The significant escalation in celiac disease can be associated with planned caesarean sections, urinary tract infections during pregnancy, season of birth and being born in south Sweden, concludes a new study.

Sleepwalkers feel no pain, remain asleep despite suffering injuries Posted: 02 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST A new study of sleepwalkers found an intriguing paradox: Although sleepwalkers have an increased risk for headaches and migraines while awake, during sleepwalking episodes they are unlikely to feel pain even while suffering an injury.

Abdominal fat in early pregnancy can predict development of gestational diabetes Posted: 02 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST Women who have high levels of abdominal fat during their first trimester of pregnancy have a higher risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a new study.

Find way to focus on dietary supplement safety, experts say Posted: 02 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST A former principal deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration is proposing a solution to the current gridlock over the regulation of dietary supplements: focus less on whether these vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts actually do what they claim and instead take important steps to improve their safety.

Immunity from H1N1 flu vaccine wears off rapidly Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:46 AM PST Individuals who get the flu vaccine lose their immunity to the H1N1 influenza virus in about two years, according to a new analysis.

DNA sequencing shows divergent genomes in malaria vectors of Brazilian rainforest Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:37 AM PST Researchers have assessed the extent to which geographical barriers affected genetic variation among Anopheles darlingi populations. Such barriers may greatly influence the approaches used by scientists and physicians to control the spread of malaria throughout Brazil.

Devastating effect war, violence has on children's mental health Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST Violence and conflict in areas affected by war, such as Gaza, can have a devastating effect on the mental health of the children exposed to it, according to research.

Scientists identify 'checkpoint' to prevent birth defects, spontaneous miscarriage Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST Eggs have a protective 'checkpoint' that helps to prevent DNA damaged eggs being fertilized, new research suggests. Damage to an egg's DNA can result in infertility, birth defects and miscarriages. This damage can occur as a result of the natural aging process and also as a result of women taking certain types of medication following chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. The researchers found that damage to DNA during meiosis, the process that results in the formation of sperm cells and egg cells, activates the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) in the maturing egg, known as an oocyte, which prevents it from fully developing and stops it from being fertilized.

Studying cancer DNA in blood may help personalize treatment in liver cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST Fragments of cancer DNA circulating in a patient's bloodstream could help doctors deliver more personalized treatment for liver cancer, researchers report. The new research may help address a particular challenge posed by liver cancers, which can be difficult to analyze safely, they say.

Herpes viruses with an unusual broad host range Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST In general, herpes viruses are considered to be specific to a single species or group of related animals. Recent research findings contradict this assumption by showing that two equine herpes viruses (type 1 and type 9) have evolved an unusual broad host range. Despite favoring African herbivores these viruses can jump beyond their natural hosts, infecting polar bears and other distantly related species and causing fatalities. Interestingly, herpes virus type 9 (EHV-9) may use the African rhinoceroses as a possible natural host or reservoir.

Hypersexual disorder linked to overactive stress systems Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST Hypersexual disorder – known popularly as sex addiction – can be linked to hyperactive stress systems, new research shows. In a stress regulation test using the cortisone drug dexamethasone, men with hypersexual disorder showed higher levels of stress hormones than controls, a finding that the researchers hope will contribute to improved therapy for this patient group.

New applications for tried and tested medicines Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST The effectiveness of tried and tested medicines for the treatment of some of the heaviest burdens of our modern society including diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. One molecule that these disorders have in common is a receptor known as the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), which is the molecular starting point of this project. Abnormal CaSR function can not only trigger familial benign hypercalcaemia and hyperparathyroidism but it is also involved in various other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. A four-year EU project is now investigating whether these medicines that modulate the function of CaSR, could be used for the treatment of the above-mentioned diseases.

In 2030, we will have local protein on our plate Posted: 02 Nov 2015 05:32 AM PST In 2030, new sources that will not accelerate climate change and that are located near the consumer will make available both food and fodder. New foodstuffs are being developed by breeding insects, cultivating mushrooms and processing vegetable raw materials.

Could self-disseminating vaccines cut off emerging infectious diseases at source? Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:54 AM PST An expert review identifies state-of-the-art of self-disseminating vaccines as a new and potentially powerful strategy to circumvent diseases such as Ebola at the animal source before their establishment as the next human pandemic.

New treatment targets cancers with particular genetic signature Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:54 AM PST Cancer cells with a mutated SETD2 gene were killed by a drug called AZD1775 that inhibits a protein called WEE1 in a recent study. It is well known that mutations drive cancer cell growth and resistance to treatment. However, these mutations can also become a weak point for a tumor. The research team found that that was the case for cancer cells with mutations in a key cancer gene called SETD2.

Around a fifth of unvaccinated ethnic school girls in UK think they don't need HPV jab Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:54 AM PST Around 20 per cent of girls from ethnic minority backgrounds are not being vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus because they feel they don't need to have it.

Soybean foods may protect menopausal women against osteoporosis Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:53 AM PST Eating a diet rich in both soy protein and isoflavones can protect menopausal women from bone weakening and osteoporosis, according to the results of a preliminary study.

Selective media coverage may cause us to forget certain health facts Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:53 AM PST The health facts presented by mass media in the midst of a disease outbreak are likely to influence what we remember about the disease. New research suggests that the same mass media coverage may also influence the facts that we forget. The findings indicate that personal anxiety and mass media coverage interact to determine what people remember about a disease.

Anti-smoking messages can backfire, research suggests Posted: 02 Nov 2015 04:53 AM PST Public health policies targeted at smokers may actually have the opposite effect for some people trying to quit, according to new evidence that indicates that stigmatizing smoking can, in some cases, make it harder for people to quit because they become angry and defensive and the negative messages lead to a drop in self-esteem.

Skin cancer causing fusion gene identified Posted: 01 Nov 2015 07:24 AM PST Fusion genes are hybrid genes formed as a result of gene rearrangement or mutation. They can be used to develop more effective treatments for cancers that express their own particular type of fusion gene. Researchers now have revealed a new fusion gene related to cutaneous angiosarcoma, a malignant form of skin cancer with a very poor survival rate. Its discovery will help to improve diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.

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