ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Unassuming 'Swiss Army knife'-like protein key to new cancer drug's therapeutic action
• Retinal nerve cells grown in the lab
• Tracing a path toward neuronal cell death
• Newly evolved, uniquely human gene variants protect older adults from cognitive decline
• First outcomes report from novel heart surgery registry shows excellent results for TAVR
• Shining light on microbial growth and death inside our guts
• Immune cells make appendix 'silent hero' of digestive health
• Promising new antimicrobials could fight drug-resistant MRSA infection
• Moonlighting molecules: Finding new uses for old enzymes
• Method to prevent lethal bone marrow transplant complication discovered
• Folding your genes: New discovery sheds light on disease risk
• Wearable equipment supports human motion where and when needed: Easier, faster, stronger, and more enjoyable
• Threats against children during the separation process for women in abusive relationships
• Aspirin targets key protein in neurodegenerative diseases
• DNA repair protein BRCA1 implicated in cognitive function and dementia
• Medicaid expansion improves breast cancer screening for low-income women
• Imaging identifies cartilage regeneration in long-distance runners
• MRI reveals weight loss protects knees
• Reduced blood flow seen in brain after clinical recovery of acute concussion
• A common mechanism for human and bird sound production
• Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: Increased risk for women with diabetes
• Patient deaths do not increase during doctor strikes
• Mosquito-borne virus may lead to severe brain infection
• Low sugar diet makes foods taste sweeter but does not change preferred level of sweetness

Unassuming 'Swiss Army knife'-like protein key to new cancer drug's therapeutic action Posted: 30 Nov 2015 01:34 PM PST When preliminary tests show that a new drug has remarkable effectiveness against a lethal illness, everyone wants to know how it works. A team reports a surprising mechanism through which an important new drug against leukemia, JQ1, exerts its therapeutic effect.

Retinal nerve cells grown in the lab Posted: 30 Nov 2015 01:34 PM PST A method to efficiently turn human stem cells into retinal ganglion cells, the type of nerve cells located within the retina that transmit visual signals from the eye to the brain, has been discovered by researchers.

Tracing a path toward neuronal cell death Posted: 30 Nov 2015 01:34 PM PST A new genetic model has been developed that is yielding new insights into what happens when astrocytes go awry. Damage to astrocytes -- star-shaped cells found in the brain and spinal cord -- is found in many neurodegenerative conditions, but it's been unclear exactly what role astrocyte dysfunction plays in the development of disease.

Newly evolved, uniquely human gene variants protect older adults from cognitive decline Posted: 30 Nov 2015 12:22 PM PST Many human gene variants have evolved specifically to protect older adults against neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, thus preserving their contributions to society, report researchers.

First outcomes report from novel heart surgery registry shows excellent results for TAVR Posted: 30 Nov 2015 12:20 PM PST Four years after its approval in the United States, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) continues to evolve and demonstrate positive outcomes for patients with aortic stenosis, a common heart problem, according to a new report.

Shining light on microbial growth and death inside our guts Posted: 30 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST Population growth rates of the microbes that live inside mammalian gastrointestinal tracts can now be accurately measured, according to a new method reported by a team of scientists for the first time.

Immune cells make appendix 'silent hero' of digestive health Posted: 30 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are crucial for protecting against bacterial infection in people with compromised immune systems, report investigators. Their work shows that a network of immune cells helps the appendix to play a pivotal role in maintaining health of the digestive system, supporting the theory that the appendix isn't redundant.

Promising new antimicrobials could fight drug-resistant MRSA infection Posted: 30 Nov 2015 08:37 AM PST A novel class of antimicrobials that inhibits the function of a key disease-causing component of bacteria could be effective in fighting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the major drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.

Moonlighting molecules: Finding new uses for old enzymes Posted: 30 Nov 2015 08:11 AM PST Researchers have identified a potentially significant new application for a well-known human enzyme, which may have implications for treating respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Method to prevent lethal bone marrow transplant complication discovered Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:49 AM PST Researchers discover method to prevent graft-versus-host disease, a dangerous and common complication of bone marrow transplants.

Folding your genes: New discovery sheds light on disease risk Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:45 AM PST New research has revealed how gaps between genes interact to influence the risk of acquiring diseases such as arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

Wearable equipment supports human motion where and when needed: Easier, faster, stronger, and more enjoyable Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:45 AM PST A new model of pneumatic muscle and an active type of assistive equipment incorporating this pneumatic muscle has been developed. This wearable equipment, called the Unplugged Powered Suit (UPS), supports human movement without requiring any electronic devices and tanks because it employs a newly developed pneumatic muscle named Pneumatic Gel Muscle (PGM) as an actuator. The UPS improves the quality of life of not only elderly individuals but also healthy people who enjoy sports activities.

Threats against children during the separation process for women in abusive relationships Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST Mothers who separate from their abusive partners are four times more likely to report threats to take or to harm their children than those who stay in the relationship, a new study has found.

Aspirin targets key protein in neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST The active ingredient in aspirin blocks an enzyme that triggers cell death in several neurodegenerative diseases. More potent forms of salicylic aspirin exist, which may provide treatments for these diseases.

DNA repair protein BRCA1 implicated in cognitive function and dementia Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST Researchers have shown for the first time that the protein BRCA1 is required for normal learning and memory and is depleted by Alzheimer's disease. BRCA1 is a key protein involved in DNA repair, and mutations that impair its function increase the risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The new study demonstrates that Alzheimer's disease is associated with a depletion of BRCA1 in neurons and that BRCA1 depletion can cause cognitive deficits.

Medicaid expansion improves breast cancer screening for low-income women Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST Low-income women in Medicaid expansion states in the US are more likely to have a breast screening performed than those in non-expansion states, according to new research.

Imaging identifies cartilage regeneration in long-distance runners Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST Using a mobile MRI truck, researchers followed runners for 4,500 kilometers through Europe to study the physical limits and adaptation of athletes over a 64-day period, according to new research.

MRI reveals weight loss protects knees Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST Obese people who lose a substantial amount of weight can significantly slow the degeneration of their knee cartilage, according to new research.

Reduced blood flow seen in brain after clinical recovery of acute concussion Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST Some athletes who experience sports-related concussions have reduced blood flow in parts of their brains even after clinical recovery, according to new research. The results suggest a role for MRI in determining when to allow concussed athletes to return to competition.

A common mechanism for human and bird sound production Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:23 AM PST When birds and humans sing it sounds completely different, but now new research shows that the very same physical mechanisms are at play when a bird sings and a human speaks.

Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: Increased risk for women with diabetes Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:30 PM PST Air pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and some people may be more susceptible to its effects than others. Investigators used data from a nationwide study of nurses to look for factors that made people more vulnerable to the effects of long-term air pollution exposure. One factor in particular stood out to the researchers: type 2 diabetes.

Patient deaths do not increase during doctor strikes Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:30 PM PST As doctors in England prepare for strike action next month, researchers show that, in high-income countries, 'patients do not come to serious harm during industrial action provided that provisions are made for emergency care.'

Mosquito-borne virus may lead to severe brain infection Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:30 PM PST The mosquito-borne virus chikungunya may lead to severe brain infection and even death in infants and people over 65, according to a new study that reviewed a chikungunya outbreak on Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar in 2005-2006.

Low sugar diet makes foods taste sweeter but does not change preferred level of sweetness Posted: 25 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST New research reveals that while foods such as vanilla pudding taste sweeter following three months on a low-sugar diet, the level of sweetness most preferred in foods and beverages does not change. People on the low-sugar diet quickly returned to their previous levels of sugar intake when allowed a diet of their choice. Together, the findings may inform public health efforts to reduce the amount of added sugars that people consume in their diets.

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