ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Copper is key in burning fat
• Just a few more bites: Defining moderation varies by individual, study finds
• War and peace in the human gut: Probing the microbiome
• New approach could make bone marrow transplants safer
• Phase 1 study results of selinexor combination therapy; multiple myeloma
• Personalized medicine leads to better outcomes for patients with cancer
• Stress-diabetes link detailed in new study
• Cancer drug trial success
• Immunotherapy improves survival, quality of life in rapidly progressing head and neck cancer
• New compound shows promise against malaria
• Pembrolizumab elicits significant antitumor activity in head and neck cancer patients
• Wide geographic differences in treatment of diabetes, hypertension, depression
• Electroacupuncture may help relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, shows randomized controlled trial
• Study may help reassure women taking tamoxifen for breast cancer
• Family-based weight management program improved self-perception among obese children
• Advanced cancer patients receive aggressive care at high rates at the end of life
• Scientists find new roles for old RNAs
• Intervention reduces rates of overweight tots by half
• Longer life, disability free: Increases in life expectancy accompanied by increase in disability-free life expectancy, study shows
• Babies don't just look cute, scientists find
• New gene shown to cause Parkinson's disease
• Two kinds of Medicare, two kinds of patients? Findings may mean a lot for health policy
• Speeding up drug discovery to fight tuberculosis
• Novel imaging model helps reveal new therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
• Late-term birth associated with better school-based cognitive functioning
• Pictures warning of smoking dangers on cigarette packs increased quit attempts
• Intensive treatment of glucose levels can lead to serious complications
• New tool in CRISPR genome editing, Cpf1, proved its marked specificity, produced a targeted mutant mouse
• Epigenomic alterations contribute to obesity-associated diabetes
• Shorter patient consent forms, video formats improve comprehension
• Progression-free survival triples in select metastatic lung cancer patients with surgery or radiation after standard chemotherapy
• Aspects of the regulation of the anti-tumor protein p53
• Best way to improve muscle strength
• Immunotherapy effective against some types of sarcoma
• Dual stem-cell transplant improves outlook for children with high-risk neuroblastoma
• Inbred Neanderthals left humans a genetic burden
• Molecular probe emits light at critical stages while destroying tumor cells
• Superfilter nanomask protects from invisible killers
• Blood-born molecules could predict those who will develop liver cancer
• Investigational immunotherapy drug well tolerated in those with rare form of melanoma
• Expansion of kidney progenitor cells toward regenerative medicine
• Novel protein inhibitors engineered as alternative approach to potentially treat cancer
• Combination therapy cures tick-borne illness in mice
• New mode of action for HUMIRA in rheumatoid arthritis patients
• Reduce cyberslacking, increase physical activity with a tap, a click or a kick
• Anabolic steroid abuse may increase risk of abnormal heart rhythm and stroke
• Action required to minimize heart failure in breast cancer survivors
• T-cell receptor sequencing reveals novel biomarkers for ovarian cancer
• Cancer Diagnosed More Often in Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases
• Increase in obesity among pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma patients may be linked to disease relapse
• Weak evidence for prescribed alcohol drug, say scientists
• Genome engineering of quantifiable protein tags: Western blot on the way down?
• New synthetic models with electromagnetic properties of human tissues
• How the brain merges the senses
• More precise diagnosis, treatment of brain tumors
• Women and people under the age of 35 at greatest risk of anxiety
• Evidence of hearing damage in teens prompts researchers' warning
• Almost all food, beverage products marketed by music stars are unhealthy

Copper is key in burning fat Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:04 PM PDT For the first time copper's role in fat metabolism has been established by research, further burnishing the metal's reputation as an essential nutrient for human physiology.

Just a few more bites: Defining moderation varies by individual, study finds Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:04 PM PDT Though eating in moderation might be considered practical advice for healthy nutrition, a new study suggests the term's wide range of interpretations may make it an ineffective guide for losing or maintaining weight. The more people like a food, the more forgiving their definitions of moderation are, said the study's lead author.

War and peace in the human gut: Probing the microbiome Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:04 PM PDT The role of microbes in the gut has been the focus of recent research that explores how dietary choices promote cooperation or might fuel conflict between gut microbes and the humans they interact with, maintaining health or encouraging the onset of disease.

New approach could make bone marrow transplants safer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:04 PM PDT Bone marrow transplantation is the only curative therapy for the millions of people living with blood disorders like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and AIDS. However, the faulty stem cells must first be 'evicted' or killed, which requires chemotherapy and radiation -- a vicious assault on the body. Now researchers have developed a non-toxic transplantation procedure using antibodies to target blood stem cells in mice, an approach they hope will make bone marrow transplants far less toxic.

Phase 1 study results of selinexor combination therapy; multiple myeloma Posted: 06 Jun 2016 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have completed a phase 1 study of selinexor in combination with liposomal doxorubicin and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

Personalized medicine leads to better outcomes for patients with cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 11:02 AM PDT In a meta-analysis of hundreds of clinical trials involving thousands of patients, researchers report that therapeutic approaches using precision medicine, which emphasizes the use of individual genetics to refine cancer treatment, showed improved response and longer periods of disease remission, even in phase I trials.

Stress-diabetes link detailed in new study Posted: 06 Jun 2016 11:00 AM PDT A positive link between emotional stress and diabetes has been found by researchers who report that this connection has roots in the brain's ability to control anxiety.

Cancer drug trial success Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:56 AM PDT Scientists have developed new therapeutic approaches to cancer. The drug trial (APR-246) aimed to test the effects of a novel compound on a specific protein, p53, found to be mutated in over 50% of all cancers. The p53 gene is from a class of genes called tumor suppressors which are mutated in all cases of one form of ovarian cancer (high grade serous), but have proved difficult to target in the past.

Immunotherapy improves survival, quality of life in rapidly progressing head and neck cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:56 AM PDT Immunotherapy doubles overall survival and improves quality of life, with fewer side effects, in a treatment-resistant and rapidly progressing form of head and neck carcinoma, reports a large, randomized international trial co-led by investigators. The new trial was considered so successful that it was stopped early to allow patients in the chemotherapy group to receive the new drug.

New compound shows promise against malaria Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:55 AM PDT In recent years the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has become increasingly resistant to the main anti-malarial drugs. Now, an international team of researchers shows that some members of a class of compounds called oxaboroles, which contain the element, boron, have potent activity against malaria parasites.

Pembrolizumab elicits significant antitumor activity in head and neck cancer patients Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:55 AM PDT Treating head and neck cancer patients with recurrent or metastatic disease with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab resulted in significant clinical responses in a fifth of the patients from a phase II clinical trial.

Wide geographic differences in treatment of diabetes, hypertension, depression Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:55 AM PDT Widespread differences have been found in the treatment of patients with common chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and depression, reports a new study.

Electroacupuncture may help relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, shows randomized controlled trial Posted: 06 Jun 2016 10:55 AM PDT Electroacupuncture combined with nighttime splinting may help alleviate pain from chronic carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a recent randomized controlled trial.

Study may help reassure women taking tamoxifen for breast cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:28 AM PDT A new study may help reassure patients who worry the breast cancer drug tamoxifen could increase their risk of uterine cancer.

Family-based weight management program improved self-perception among obese children Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:27 AM PDT Battling the childhood obesity epidemic is a priority for many researchers, as obesity during adolescence increases the risk of chronic diseases throughout life. Including a mental health component as part of a childhood weight management program showed promising results, according to a new study.

Advanced cancer patients receive aggressive care at high rates at the end of life Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:26 AM PDT A national health claims analysis of cancer patients who were younger than age 65 and had metastatic disease revealed that nearly two-thirds were admitted to the hospital or visited the emergency room in the last 30 days of their lives. Researchers who led the study also found that nearly a third of patients died in the hospital.

Scientists find new roles for old RNAs Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have discovered unexpected functions of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that explain the cause of some diseases. The loss of small nucleolar RNAs is associated with a number of diseases, including Prader-Willi syndrome and several forms of cancers; and genetic duplications of some snoRNAs could play a role in autism. However, it is not clear how the change in snoRNA expression could lead to these diseases. Using RNA sequencing and molecular biology techniques, the researchers found that snoRNAs not only modify ribosomes, but can also regulate alternative splicing. Through this second function, they regulate protein function and inhibit the generation of wrong protein variants. This explains the role of snoRNAs in human diseases, as upon their loss the formation of wrong protein variants can no longer be prevented.

Intervention reduces rates of overweight tots by half Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:00 AM PDT Mothers who practiced responsive parenting -- including reacting promptly and appropriately to hunger and fullness cues -- were less likely to have overweight babies at their one-year checkup than those who did not, say health researchers.

Longer life, disability free: Increases in life expectancy accompanied by increase in disability-free life expectancy, study shows Posted: 06 Jun 2016 09:00 AM PDT The increase in life expectancy in the past two decades has been accompanied by an even greater increase in life years free of disability, thanks in large measure to improvements in cardiovascular health and declines in vision problems, a new study shows.

Babies don't just look cute, scientists find Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT What is it about the sight of an infant that makes almost everyone crack a smile? Big eyes, chubby cheeks, and a button nose? An infectious laugh, soft skin, and a captivating smell? While we have long known that babies look cute, researchers have found that cuteness is designed to appeal to all our senses to trigger vital caregiving behaviors.

New gene shown to cause Parkinson's disease Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new cause of Parkinson's disease -- mutations in a gene called TMEM230. This appears to be the third gene definitively linked to confirmed cases of the common movement disorder.

Two kinds of Medicare, two kinds of patients? Findings may mean a lot for health policy Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT Nearly one in three American senior citizens choose to get their government-funded Medicare health coverage through plans run by health insurance companies. The rest get it straight from the federal government. But if health policy decision-makers assume the two groups are pretty much the same, they're mistaken, a new study finds.

Speeding up drug discovery to fight tuberculosis Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT Researchers have deciphered how the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is able to tolerate the recently approved FDA drug bedaquiline.

Novel imaging model helps reveal new therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common of pancreatic cancers, is extraordinarily lethal, with a five-year survival rate of just 6 percent. In a new study, researchers describe an innovative new model that not only allowed them to track drug resistance in vivo, but also revealed a new therapeutic target.

Late-term birth associated with better school-based cognitive functioning Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT Better measures of school-based cognitive function were associated with late-term infants born at 41 weeks but those children performed worse on a measure of physical functioning compared with infants born full term at 39 or 40 weeks, according to an article.

Pictures warning of smoking dangers on cigarette packs increased quit attempts Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT Affixing pictures on cigarette packets to illustrate the danger of smoking increased attempts by smokers to quit, according to the results of a clinical trial.

Intensive treatment of glucose levels can lead to serious complications Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT With a more-is-better mindset common in society, frequent commercials encouraging checks of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels, and ads for new diabetes medications to lower HbA1C in adults with Type 2 diabetes, researchers were not too surprised to find overtesting occurring.

New tool in CRISPR genome editing, Cpf1, proved its marked specificity, produced a targeted mutant mouse Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:15 AM PDT Two studies outline Cpf1's superiority as a precise genome editing tool with no unintended mutations. It requires only a single RNA that CRISPR RNA assembly is simpler; its staggered cleavage patterns may facilitate substituting existing DNA with desired sequences; and it recognizes thymidine-rich DNA sequences, which has been less explored than the guanosine-rich sequences recognized by Cas9.

Epigenomic alterations contribute to obesity-associated diabetes Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:15 AM PDT Obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, yet not all obese humans develop the disease. In a new study, researchers have identified epigenomic alterations that are associated with inflammation and type 2 diabetes. The findings help to explain how alterations of the epigenome during the progression of obesity can trigger insulin resistance and diabetes.

Shorter patient consent forms, video formats improve comprehension Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:13 AM PDT To improve patient consent form comprehension, researchers have developed approaches to simplify the process by focusing on the information that patients need most when deciding whether to enroll in a trial. They let potential trial participants determine what information is most relevant and then created written and video versions of a shortened consent form focused on that information.

Progression-free survival triples in select metastatic lung cancer patients with surgery or radiation after standard chemotherapy Posted: 06 Jun 2016 08:12 AM PDT Lung cancer patients with oliogometastases, defined as three or fewer sites of metastasis, may benefit from aggressive local therapy, surgery or radiation, after standard chemotherapy, according to research.

Aspects of the regulation of the anti-tumor protein p53 Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:37 AM PDT Researchers reveal essential aspects of the regulation of the anti-tumor protein p53.

Best way to improve muscle strength Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:37 AM PDT Engaging in short, explosive leg contractions is the most effective way of strengthening muscles, new research reveals.

Immunotherapy effective against some types of sarcoma Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:37 AM PDT An existing cancer immunotherapy drug reduces tumor size in some types of rare connective tissue cancers, called sarcomas. Additional analyses of tumor biopsies and blood samples, which will help the researchers better understand which sarcoma subtypes will benefit most from the new treatment, are underway.

Dual stem-cell transplant improves outlook for children with high-risk neuroblastoma Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:37 AM PDT Children with high-risk neuroblastoma whose treatment included two autologous stem-cell transplants were more likely to be free of cancer three years later than patients who underwent a single transplant, a Phase 3 clinical trial has found. The tandem transplant technique produced even better results when followed by treatment with immunotherapy agents.

Inbred Neanderthals left humans a genetic burden Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:36 AM PDT The Neanderthal genome included harmful mutations that made the hominids around 40 percent less reproductively fit than modern humans, according to new estimates. Non-African humans inherited some of this genetic burden when they interbred with Neanderthals, though much of it has been lost over time. The results suggest that these harmful gene variants continue to reduce the fitness of some populations today. The study also has implications for management of endangered species.

Molecular probe emits light at critical stages while destroying tumor cells Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:15 AM PDT A molecular probe has been developed that emits light at critical stages while destroying tumor cells.

Superfilter nanomask protects from invisible killers Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:12 AM PDT Scientists have invented an easily breathable nanomask that can filter incredibly tiny particles, such as viruses and air pollutants.

Blood-born molecules could predict those who will develop liver cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:08 AM PDT A panel of microRNAs from blood samples may predict patients at high risk of developing a common liver cancer from hepatitis B virus infection.

Investigational immunotherapy drug well tolerated in those with rare form of melanoma Posted: 06 Jun 2016 07:08 AM PDT An investigational immunotherapy drug being tested in the treatment of a rare form of skin cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma has been found to be well tolerated with a clinical benefit seen in up to 42 percent of patients who failed prior treatment and were observed for at least six months.

Expansion of kidney progenitor cells toward regenerative medicine Posted: 06 Jun 2016 06:55 AM PDT The kidney is a difficult organ to regenerate. However, in a big step forward for kidney regeneration research, a collaboration between scientists from Japan and the US has successfully demonstrated a method of increasing kidney progenitor cell proliferation in vitro. This finding will allow researchers to improve the artificially generated number of these cells, which normally disappear before or soon after birth. It is expected to help future research in renal pathogenesis and regenerative medicine.

Novel protein inhibitors engineered as alternative approach to potentially treat cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 06:55 AM PDT Researchers have engineered endogenous protein inhibitors of protein-degrading enzymes as an alternative approach to synthetic inhibitors for potentially treating cancer and other diseases. Pharmaceutical companies have previously investigated the possible use of synthetic MMP inhibitors for treating cancer and other diseases, but they failed in clinical trials due to side effects, most likely because they were insufficiently specific and inhibited MMPs needed for normal physiological processes.

Combination therapy cures tick-borne illness in mice Posted: 06 Jun 2016 06:55 AM PDT A novel combination therapy cures an emerging infectious disease, babesiosis, which is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit the agents of Lyme disease, report researchers. This 'radical' therapy not only clears the infection but also prevents the recurrence that often occurs with existing treatments.

New mode of action for HUMIRA in rheumatoid arthritis patients Posted: 06 Jun 2016 06:55 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that the widely used antiinflammatory drug HUMIRA doesn't just work by inhibiting its target protein, TNF, but by enhancing a particular function of TNF in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The study may help explain the divergent efficacies of different TNF-targeting drugs.

Reduce cyberslacking, increase physical activity with a tap, a click or a kick Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:46 AM PDT An innovative wearable technology for standing desks that creates a new way of interacting with your computer could reduce cyberslacking and increase healthy movement. Researchers are hoping to make computing a bit more fun and physically active all while helping computer users kick cyberslacking habits by introducing a foot interaction method for computer users with a standing desk.

Anabolic steroid abuse may increase risk of abnormal heart rhythm and stroke Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:26 AM PDT Research has already shown that taking anabolic steroids is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of developing heart conditions such as left ventricular hypertrophy. Now research has shown that for some people misusing steroids can be particularly dangerous.

Action required to minimize heart failure in breast cancer survivors Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:26 AM PDT Despite the known toxic effects of chemotherapy on the heart, the majority of women undergoing breast cancer treatment are not getting the recommended follow-up heart scans, according to new research.

T-cell receptor sequencing reveals novel biomarkers for ovarian cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:26 AM PDT Researchers used deep T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing to evaluate the clonal composition of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs, and identify novel prognostic biomarkers in ovarian cancer.

Cancer Diagnosed More Often in Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:25 AM PDT Researchers evaluated the overall and site-specific incidence of cancer among patients registered in USIDNET, and found increased cancer incidence rates, especially in lymphomas, among patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Increase in obesity among pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma patients may be linked to disease relapse Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:25 AM PDT A new study used advanced imaging methods to evaluate obesity, and suggests a relationship between obesity and disease relapse.

Weak evidence for prescribed alcohol drug, say scientists Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:23 AM PDT A drug being used to treat alcohol problems in the UK was licensed for use despite insufficient evidence to prove its effectiveness, new research has found.

Genome engineering of quantifiable protein tags: Western blot on the way down? Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:23 AM PDT Cell biologists' most notorious approach to detect and semi-quantify proteins, western blotting, could well be on its way down. Researchers have developed a set of universal protein tags that warrant protein quantification via targeted proteomics techniques.

New synthetic models with electromagnetic properties of human tissues Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:23 AM PDT New synthetic models of human tissues have been developed that simulate the electromagnetic properties of different tissues and organs. Known as phantoms, these models may be of interest for the development of new technologies for use in medical screening, as well as for the evaluation of 5G mobile communication devices. The researchers have also devised a methodology for creating these phantoms.

How the brain merges the senses Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:23 AM PDT Utilizing information from all the senses is critical for building a robust and rich representation of our surroundings. Given the wealth of multisensory information constantly bombarding us, however, how does our brain know which signals go together and thus need to be combined? And how does it integrate such related signals? Scientists have proposed a computational model that explains multisensory integration in humans utilizing a surprisingly simple processing unit.

More precise diagnosis, treatment of brain tumors Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:21 AM PDT Thanks to new methods of precision diagnostics, such as DNA sequencing and epigenetic analyses, it is becoming increasingly possible to identify specific central nervous system (CNS) tumors accurately and to provide targeted treatment. Researchers have now been actively involved as authors in the latest edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of CNS tumors.

Women and people under the age of 35 at greatest risk of anxiety Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:17 AM PDT Women are almost twice as likely to experience anxiety as men, according to a review of existing scientific literature. The study also found that people from Western Europe and North America are more likely to suffer from anxiety than people from other cultures.

Evidence of hearing damage in teens prompts researchers' warning Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:17 AM PDT New research into the ringing-ear condition known as tinnitus indicates an alarming level of early, permanent hearing damage in young people who are exposed to loud music, prompting a warning from a leading researcher in the field.

Almost all food, beverage products marketed by music stars are unhealthy Posted: 06 Jun 2016 05:16 AM PDT The first study to quantify nutritional quality of food and drinks endorsed by music celebrities popular among teens has concluded that almost all such products are unhealthy. None of the music stars identified in the study endorsed fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Only one endorsed a natural food deemed healthy--pistachios.

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