ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Thanks, actin, for the memories
• Nanoparticle acts like Trojan horse to halt asthma
• Investigating plasma levels as biomarker for Alzheimer's disease
• New computer program can help uncover hidden genomic alterations that drive cancers
• 98 percent cure rate for prostate cancer using stereotactic body radiation therapy, research shows
• Reasons for hospital-level variations in bleeding post-angioplasty are unclear
• Turn off Per2, turn on healthy aging
• Asynchronous cell cycle phase key to critical stage of animal embryonic development
• Researchers find method that could resurrect an abandoned pancreatic cancer targeted drug
• Monitoring sugar metabolism in liver may be a key to cancer diagnosis
• Newly discovered vulnerability in breast tumor cells points to new cancer treatment path
• Researchers transmit data through animal tissues at HD video rates via ultrasound
• Possible treatment found for suppressed immunity from spine injuries
• Mechanics of the cell
• Shining light on brain tumors
• Tuberculosis bacteria build 'edible' havens in immune cells
• Cellular trojan horse yields potential cancer treatment
• Vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater expose consumers to drugs
• Immune study offers treatment hope for arthritis patients
• Reader of epigenetic marks could be 'game changer' for certain cancers
• Technique could help identify patients who would suffer chemo-induced heart damage
• Protein found to play key role in the spread of pancreatic cancer
• Brain scans link physical changes to cognitive risks of widely used class of drugs
• Patients triaged as nonurgent in ED get diagnostics, procedures, admitted
• New study examines the effect of ecstasy on the brain
• Role for oxidized mitochondrial DNA in lupus revealed
• Scientists reveal how osteopontin ablation ameliorates muscular dystrophy
• First comprehensive estimation of particle number concentrations carried out in five European cities and for the whole of Europe
• Lowered birth rates one reason why women outlive men
• Natural disasters since 1900: Over 8 million deaths, 7 trillion US dollars
• Exposure to violence during pregnancy increases risk of prematurity and low birthweight
• Demand for radiotherapy will rise substantially over next ten years
• Smoking and schizophrenia: Understanding, breaking the cycle of addiction
• Discovery of enzyme in the sleeping sickness parasite streamlines drug development
• Bubble technology invented that can shoot drugs deep into tumors
• SPF30 sunscreens delay melanoma incidence in preclinical model
• Most US adults say today's children have worse health than in past generations
• Derailed train of thought? Brain's stopping system may be at fault
• Chips or cookies? Toddlers with sweet tooth more likely to experience weight gain

Thanks, actin, for the memories Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:10 PM PDT New research suggests a complex dance between actin filaments and aggregating proteins is key to the molecular machinery that forms and stores long-term memories.

Nanoparticle acts like Trojan horse to halt asthma Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:10 PM PDT In a new approach to treating asthma and allergies, a biodegradable nanoparticle acts like a Trojan horse, hiding an allergen in a friendly shell, to convince the immune system not to attack it, according to new research. As a result, the allergic reaction in the airways is shut down long- term and an asthma attack prevented. The technology can be applied to food allergies as well and is currently being tested in a mouse model of peanut allergy, similar to food allergy in humans.

Investigating plasma levels as biomarker for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:55 AM PDT The first detailed study of relationship between plasma levels of two amyloid beta peptides, cognitive function and the measures studying the size of brain, which shrinks with Alzheimer's disease.

New computer program can help uncover hidden genomic alterations that drive cancers Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:55 AM PDT Cancer is rarely the result of a single mutation in a single gene. Rather, tumors arise from the complex interplay between any number of mutually exclusive abnormal changes in the genome, the combinations of which can be unique to each individual patient. To better characterize the functional context of genomic variations in cancer, researchers have developed a new computer algorithm they call REVEALER.

98 percent cure rate for prostate cancer using stereotactic body radiation therapy, research shows Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT A new study -- the first trial to publish five-year results from SBRT treatment for prostate cancer -- found a 98.6 percent cure rate with SBRT, a noninvasive form of radiation treatment that involves high-dose radiation beams entering the body through various angles and intersecting at the desired target.

Reasons for hospital-level variations in bleeding post-angioplasty are unclear Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT The use of bleeding avoidance strategies has only a modest effect on the variation in bleeding rates post-angioplasty among hospitals performing this procedure, leaving about 70 percent of the causes for this variation unexplained, according to a study.

Turn off Per2, turn on healthy aging Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:11 AM PDT Due to a loss of functionality in hematopoietic stem cells, immune defects occur during aging. Now, researchers have identified gene Per2, whose deletion leads to a stabilization of the number of immune cells in the blood of aged mice and prolongs their lifespan.

Asynchronous cell cycle phase key to critical stage of animal embryonic development Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT The synchronous mitosis of early embryonic development switches to a patterned form at the 11th cell division following removal of a cell cycle compensatory mechanism, new research shows. An asynchronous S-phase length is masked by a compensatory asynchronous G2-phase length up to the 11th mitosis, after which the transition to spatial patterning occurs. These findings help in understanding the link between mitotic timing and embryonic development.

Researchers find method that could resurrect an abandoned pancreatic cancer targeted drug Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:27 AM PDT Pancreatic cancer is on track to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2020. These statistics are due, in part, to pancreatic cancer's resistance to most targeted cancer therapies. Working with pancreatic cancer cells, researchers have now found a mechanism that could be responsible for the cancer's resistance to at least one targeted approach. If the results hold true in animal models and eventually clinical trials, the approach could help researchers develop more effective combination therapies and breathe new life into forgotten and failed cancer drugs.

Monitoring sugar metabolism in liver may be a key to cancer diagnosis Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Scientists may have discovered a significant new diagnostic marker for liver cancer, according to a new study.

Newly discovered vulnerability in breast tumor cells points to new cancer treatment path Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Cancer cells often devise ways to survive even in the presence of toxic chemotherapy. Now, a research team has found a way to attack a process that tumor cells use to escape the effects of standard cancer drugs.

Researchers transmit data through animal tissues at HD video rates via ultrasound Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Using animal tissue samples, researchers have demonstrated the possibility of real-time video-rate data transmission through tissue for in-body ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices.

Possible treatment found for suppressed immunity from spine injuries Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT An underlying cause of dangerous immune suppression in people with high level spinal cord injuries has been identified by researchers who now propose a possible treatment. They report that spinal cord injuries higher than thoracic level 5 (T5) cause nervous system circuitry to become highly adaptable and develop abnormal connections that suppress immune response.

Mechanics of the cell Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT Living cells must alter their external form actively, otherwise functions like cell division would not be possible. Now researchers have developed a synthetic cell model to investigate the fundamental principles of the underlying cellular mechanics.

Shining light on brain tumors Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT When operating on cancer, surgeons want to remove tumors and not healthy tissue. This is especially important and challenging when dealing with brain tumors, which are often spread out and mixed in with the healthy tissue. Researchers have shown that a well-established optics technique can reveal exactly where brain tumors are, producing images in less than a minute -- unlike conventional methods that can take a whole day.

Tuberculosis bacteria build 'edible' havens in immune cells Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT Bacteria that cause tuberculosis trick immune cells meant to destroy them into hiding and feeding them instead, report scientists. The study results revolve around the ancient battle between the human immune system and bacterial invaders, where immune cells strive to recognize bacteria as the microbes work to evade them. Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains the leading bacterial cause of death globally because, like other successful pathogens (e.g. HIV), it goes beyond evasion to take over functions of immune cells.

Cellular trojan horse yields potential cancer treatment Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A collaborative study has found proof-of-concept evidence for a potential cancer treatment that leverages microparticles and mesenchymal stem cells.

Vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater expose consumers to drugs Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A new study shows that eating vegetables and fruits grown in soils irrigated with reclaimed wastewater exposes consumers to minute quantities of carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic drug commonly detected in wastewater effluents.

Immune study offers treatment hope for arthritis patients Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions could be helped by new insights into how the immune response is switched off. Scientists have discovered how compounds produced by the body's immune system help to dampen inflammation and prevent damage to healthy tissues.

Reader of epigenetic marks could be 'game changer' for certain cancers Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A new article outlines the essential role of YEATS domain proteins in reading epigenetic marks that regulate gene expression, DNA damage response, and other vital DNA-dependent cellular processes.

Technique could help identify patients who would suffer chemo-induced heart damage Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug used to treat many cancers, but it causes serious heart damage in some patients. Heart muscle cells made from the skin cells of breast cancer patients can be used to study this phenomenon.

Protein found to play key role in the spread of pancreatic cancer Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT An explanation for how pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver has been revealed by researchers. These findings potentially hold the key to stopping this disease from spreading.

Brain scans link physical changes to cognitive risks of widely used class of drugs Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:01 AM PDT Older adults might want to avoid a using class of drugs commonly used in over-the-counter products such as nighttime cold medicines due to their links to cognitive impairment, a research team has recommended.

Patients triaged as nonurgent in ED get diagnostics, procedures, admitted Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT Some patients triaged as nonurgent in emergency departments still received diagnostic services, had procedures performed and were admitted, including to critical care units, all of which could signal overuse, a lack of primary care physicians or a degree of uncertainty by patients and physicians, according to a new study.

New study examines the effect of ecstasy on the brain Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT The effect ecstasy has on different parts of the brain has been the focus of recent study. Researchers found that ecstasy users showed significant reductions in the way serotonin is transported in the brain. This can have a particular impact on regulating appropriate emotional reactions to situations.

Role for oxidized mitochondrial DNA in lupus revealed Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT The neutrophils of systemic lupus erythematosus patients release oxidized DNA from their mitochondria that can stimulate an unwanted immune response, researchers have discovered. The study suggests that targeting the pathways that lead to the accumulation of this DNA and/or facilitate its removal could be new ways to treat this chronic autoimmune disease.

Scientists reveal how osteopontin ablation ameliorates muscular dystrophy Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT Removing an immunomodulatory protein called osteopontin improves the symptoms of mice with muscular dystrophy by changing the type of macrophages acting on damaged muscle tissue, according to a new paper. The study adds support to the idea that osteopontin inhibitors could be used to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

First comprehensive estimation of particle number concentrations carried out in five European cities and for the whole of Europe Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:20 AM PDT Particle numbers across the whole of Europe and especially in five European cities have been estimated with help of modelling. On the basis of the comprehensive overall picture produced by the results, it is possible to assess the harmful effects of particles on health considerably better than before.

Lowered birth rates one reason why women outlive men Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:20 AM PDT Using unique demographic records on 140,600 reproducing individuals from the Utah Population Database (USA), a research team has come to the conclusion that lowered birth rates are one reason why women outlive men in today's societies.

Natural disasters since 1900: Over 8 million deaths, 7 trillion US dollars Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:20 AM PDT More than seven trillion US dollars economic damage and eight million deaths via natural disasters since the start of the 20th century. These figures have been calculated using a database called CATDAT, which looks at examining socioeconomic indicators as well as collecting and evaluating socioeconomic loss data through time. The database has built a massive base for his post-disaster risk model which helps governments and aid organizations with catastrophe management and assessing rapidly the scale of a disaster.

Exposure to violence during pregnancy increases risk of prematurity and low birthweight Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:15 AM PDT New research focused on evidence from the exposure of day-to-day violence in Brazil by analyzing the birth outcomes of children whose mothers were exposed to local violence, as measured by homicide rates in small Brazilian municipalities and the neighborhoods of the city of Fortaleza.

Demand for radiotherapy will rise substantially over next ten years Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:14 AM PDT The demand for radiotherapy across all European countries will increase by an average of 16% between 2012 and 2025, with the highest expected increase being for prostate cancer cases (24%), according to a new study.

Smoking and schizophrenia: Understanding, breaking the cycle of addiction Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:13 AM PDT Smoking addiction in schizophrenia can be explained by significantly increased activation of the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a region involved in the brain reward system. These new data confirm the tendency to smoke and low smoking cessation rates of people with schizophrenia.

Discovery of enzyme in the sleeping sickness parasite streamlines drug development Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:13 AM PDT The single-celled parasite causing African sleeping sickness has a defense mechanism against potential pharmaceuticals under development against the disease, new research indicates. The deadly parasite has an enzyme that can cleave and hence disarm adenosine analogue pharmaceuticals.

Bubble technology invented that can shoot drugs deep into tumors Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:13 AM PDT Using ultrasound, drug particles can be directed to a specific area, including tumors, researchers report. They have created micro-sized gas bubbles coated with cancer drug particles and iron oxide nanoparticles, and then use magnets to direct these bubbles to gather around a specific tumor.

SPF30 sunscreens delay melanoma incidence in preclinical model Posted: 18 Apr 2016 05:53 AM PDT Application of sun protection factor 30 sunscreen prior to exposure to ultraviolet-B light delayed melanoma onset in a mouse model of the disease, according to new data. This data suggest that the mouse model can be used to identify new, more effective melanoma-preventing agents.

Most US adults say today's children have worse health than in past generations Posted: 18 Apr 2016 05:53 AM PDT More than half of adults believe children today are more stressed, experience less quality family time and have worse mental and emotional health than children in past generations.

Derailed train of thought? Brain's stopping system may be at fault Posted: 18 Apr 2016 05:53 AM PDT Study suggests that the same neural mechanism that interrupts body movement also interrupts cognition. The findings may give insights into Parkinson's disease. The brain circuitry implicated in 'over-stopping' motor activity in these patients might also be keeping them over-focused. More speculatively, it may be worth investigating if this circuitry plays a role in conditions characterized by distractibility, such as ADHD.

Chips or cookies? Toddlers with sweet tooth more likely to experience weight gain Posted: 18 Apr 2016 05:53 AM PDT Toddlers who reached for cookies over chips when their bellies were full had a higher risk of body fat increases. Those who picked the salty foods did not, a study concludes.

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