ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

---

• Why naked mole rats feel no pain
• High-protein diet curbs metabolic benefits of weight loss
• Research findings may lead to promising Zika virus drug targets
• Research points to ways to improve the therapeutic potential of stem cells
• Scientists uncover how spreading cancer adapts to its environment
• Major racial bias found in leading genomics databases
• New study finds 'amplifier' helps make connections in the fetal brain
• Successful trial shows tablet lowers risk of disease returning for kidney cancer patients
• New immune cell subset associated with progression to type 1 diabetes
• Healing effect of fecal microbiota transplantation lasts for long
• Viral particles support prophylactic vaccination against breast cancer
• Roadmap to get new cancer scans into clinic
• New molecular mechanism revealed for genetic mutations in aggressive cancer cells
• Brain modulyzer provides interactive window into the brain
• Altering the 'flavor' of humans could help fight malaria
• How cells move
• Diabetes: New hope for better wound healing
• Personalized medicine: Smart drug clears fat from liver, blood
• Protein with multiple duties
• Obesity-linked conditions are projected to rise sharply in children
• Are natural alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy safe?
• Significant cost differences found between breast cancer chemotherapy regimens
• Stem cells from jaw bone help repair damaged cartilage
• Mars-bound astronauts face chronic dementia risk from galactic cosmic ray exposure
• Cortisol-free rheumatoid arthritis medication also works for rare eye disease
• Intestinal diversity protects against asthma
• Longer disease-free survival in phase III trial of sunitinib as adjuvant treatment for kidney cancer
• Significant survival gains from neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma
• Cabozantinib improves progression-free survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Why naked mole rats feel no pain Posted: 11 Oct 2016 10:36 AM PDT The African naked mole rat is an odd, homely creature with the closest thing to real-life super powers on earth. These small rodents can live for 32 years, they are cancer-resistant, and they are impervious to some types of pain.

High-protein diet curbs metabolic benefits of weight loss Posted: 11 Oct 2016 10:00 AM PDT Dieters sometimes consume extra protein to stave off hunger and prevent loss of muscle tissue that often comes with weight loss. But in a study of 34 postmenopausal women with obesity, researchers found that eating too much protein eliminates an important health benefit of weight loss: improvement in insulin sensitivity, which is critical to lowering diabetes risk.

Research findings may lead to promising Zika virus drug targets Posted: 11 Oct 2016 09:57 AM PDT Following recent outbreaks of Zika virus and the potential health dangers of infection, especially during pregnancy, scientists are striving to rapidly develop effective antiviral drugs that can halt transmission. Investigators who recently performed detailed analyses of the targets of a key enzyme of the Zika virus have uncovered peculiarities of the viral enzyme, called the NS3 protease.

Research points to ways to improve the therapeutic potential of stem cells Posted: 11 Oct 2016 09:56 AM PDT Stem cells hold great promise for transforming medical care related to a diverse range of conditions, but the cells often lose some of their therapeutic potential when scientists try to grow and expand them in the laboratory. A new study, however, provides insights on the cellular mechanisms that might be targeted to help certain stem cells-called human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs)-maintain properties needed to make them clinically useful.

Scientists uncover how spreading cancer adapts to its environment Posted: 11 Oct 2016 09:56 AM PDT Spreading tumor cells are able to adapt their metabolism to the specific organs they are invading. Researchers examined lung cancer metastases that originated from breast tumors, discovering that the two tumors have different ways of converting nutrients into biomass building blocks. Thanks to these findings, scientists may be able to develop new therapies that target the metabolism of cancer cells, thereby halting a tumor's growth.

Major racial bias found in leading genomics databases Posted: 11 Oct 2016 06:01 AM PDT Researchers have confirmed for the first time that two of the top genomic databases, which are in wide use today by clinical geneticists, reflect a measurable bias toward genetic data based on European ancestry over that of African ancestry.

New study finds 'amplifier' helps make connections in the fetal brain Posted: 11 Oct 2016 06:01 AM PDT Early neural connections are sparse, weak, and unreliable. Now researchers have discovered that fetal brains use a special amplifier in order to transmit signals.

Successful trial shows tablet lowers risk of disease returning for kidney cancer patients Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:54 AM PDT Potentially practice-changing results have come out of an international study on how clinicians can reduce the risk of disease returning for kidney cancer patients. A trial demonstrates that taking oral tablet Sunitinib for one year reduces the likelihood of cancer returning for kidney cancer patients following removal of the kidney.

New immune cell subset associated with progression to type 1 diabetes Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:53 AM PDT A recently described T cell subset may have a central role in the development of type 1 diabetes, research suggests. These so called follicular T helper cells were found to be increased at the onset of type 1 diabetes, and the phenomenon was linked with the presence of autoantibodies commonly associated with the disease.

Healing effect of fecal microbiota transplantation lasts for long Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:53 AM PDT Researchers have studied in detail the intestinal microbiota of 14 patients treated with a fecal microbiota transplant. The patients suffered from recurrent Clostridium difficile -- infection, also known as antibiotic associated diarrhea -- and they had not responded to antibiotic treatment. After the fecal microbiota transplantation therapy, the patient's microbiota was followed for a year.

Viral particles support prophylactic vaccination against breast cancer Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:53 AM PDT Artificial structures of tumor antigens, so-called mimotopes, applied in vaccinations of cancer patients can trigger a long-term immune response. For the vaccine, however, a carrier is required that triggers an immune response itself. A team of researchers showed in laboratory tests that virus-like particles of harmless adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are particularly suitable as carriers. The scientists were able to produce mimotopes for the growth factor HER2, a tumour antigen of about 30 percent of breast tumors, without chemical after-treatment at these AAV carrier particles and use them directly as a specific vaccine.

Roadmap to get new cancer scans into clinic Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:53 AM PDT Key recommendations for a global standard for scanning biomarkers in cancer have been introduced by experts to bridge the gap between research and the clinic, according to a new paper,

New molecular mechanism revealed for genetic mutations in aggressive cancer cells Posted: 11 Oct 2016 05:53 AM PDT Scientists have described a previously-unknown molecular mechanism that could lead to the genetic mutations seen in certain types of aggressive cancer cells, involving a cell's own transcription machinery.

Brain modulyzer provides interactive window into the brain Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:38 AM PDT A new tool allows researchers to interactively explore the hierarchical processes that happen in the brain when it is resting or performing tasks. Scientists also hope that the tool can shed some light on how neurological diseases like Alzheimer's spread throughout the brain.

Altering the 'flavor' of humans could help fight malaria Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:38 AM PDT A specialized area of the mosquito brain mixes tastes with smells to create unique and preferred flavors. These findings advance the possibility of identifying a substance that makes "human flavor" repulsive to the malaria-bearing species of the mosquitoes, so instead of feasting on us, they keep the disease to themselves, potentially saving an estimated 450,000 lives a year worldwide.

How cells move Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:36 AM PDT It's a known fact that cells can move around the body, but how they do it has been unknown – until now.

Diabetes: New hope for better wound healing Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:36 AM PDT A sluggish insulin metabolism results in the slow and incomplete healing of injuries. That is why diabetics often have to contend with wounds that heal poorly. Researchers have now gained new insights into the underlying cellular mechanisms. Their findings could lead to the development of new treatment methods.

Personalized medicine: Smart drug clears fat from liver, blood Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:35 AM PDT Scientists have developed a 'smart' drug that safely clears the liver of fat and prevents blood vessels from clogging up. Similar to a trojan horse, the drug enters the liver with a trick: It uses the pancreatic hormone glucagon as vehicle to shuttle thyroid hormone T3 the live while keeping it away from other organs, thereby improving cholesterol and lipid metabolism while avoiding typical side effects of thyroid hormone.

Protein with multiple duties Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:35 AM PDT Researchers demonstrate how a molecular barrel structure serves various functions in the mitochondria, and explain the process in a new article.

Obesity-linked conditions are projected to rise sharply in children Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:35 AM PDT Researchers' global estimates indicate that by 2025, some 268 million children aged 5 to 17 years may be overweight, including 91 million obese, assuming no policy interventions have proven effective at changing current trends. Investigators have also released data anticipating that obesity-related conditions will rise among children. In 2025, up to 12 million children will have impaired glucose tolerance, 4 million will have type 2 diabetes, 27 million will have hypertension, and 38 million will have hepatic steatosis, or buildup of fat in the liver, they say.

Are natural alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy safe? Posted: 10 Oct 2016 07:35 AM PDT Although individuals often consume natural products because of their potential health benefits, a new review indicates that it is not clear whether the benefits of plant-derived compounds that mimic estrogen outweigh the possible health risks.

Significant cost differences found between breast cancer chemotherapy regimens Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:28 AM PDT Costs associated with different breast cancer chemotherapy regimens can vary significantly, regardless of effectiveness, according to new research. Understanding cost differences can help guide informed discussions between patients and physicians when considering chemotherapy options.

Stem cells from jaw bone help repair damaged cartilage Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:28 AM PDT Researchers have identified stem cells in the jaw bone that can make new cartilage and repair damaged joints. The cells reside within the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which articulates the jaw bone to the skull. When the stem cells were manipulated in animals with TMJ degeneration, the cells repaired cartilage in the joint. A single cell transplanted in a mouse spontaneously generated cartilage and bone and even began to form a bone marrow niche.

Mars-bound astronauts face chronic dementia risk from galactic cosmic ray exposure Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:28 AM PDT Will astronauts traveling to Mars remember much of it? That's the question concerning scientists probing a phenomenon called "space brain." Scientists have found that exposure to highly energetic charged particles -- much like those found in the galactic cosmic rays that will bombard astronauts during extended spaceflights -- causes significant long-term brain damage in test rodents, resulting in cognitive impairments and dementia.

Cortisol-free rheumatoid arthritis medication also works for rare eye disease Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:27 AM PDT A well-known rheumatoid arthritis medication containing the active agent adalimumab, a therapeutic human monoclonal antibody, is also effective for treating non-infectious uveitis, a rare eye disease, report scientists.

Intestinal diversity protects against asthma Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:26 AM PDT Children who develop asthma or allergies have an altered immune response to intestinal bacteria in the mucous membranes even when infants, according to a new study. The results also suggests that the mother's immune defense plays a role in the development of asthma and allergies in children.

Longer disease-free survival in phase III trial of sunitinib as adjuvant treatment for kidney cancer Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:26 AM PDT A phase III trial of sunitinib has met its primary endpoint of disease-free survival for adjuvant treatment of high-risk renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy, researchers report.

Significant survival gains from neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:26 AM PDT Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with an anthracycline plus ifosfamide was associated with significant survival gains in patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the trunk or extremities who are at high-risk of recurrence, in an interim analysis that led to the early discontinuation of a trial.

Cabozantinib improves progression-free survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma Posted: 10 Oct 2016 02:26 AM PDT Cabozantinib significantly improves progression-free survival and response rate in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma compared to sunitinib, according to research.

You are subscribed to email updates from Health & Medicine News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States