ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Biocompatible fibers to use light to stimulate cells or sense signs of disease
• Oncoproteins interact to promote cancer cell growth in retinoblastoma
• In crafting new treatments for hemophilia, a 'less is more' approach
• Human sex reversal as a protein numbers game
• Estrogen signaling impacted immune response in cancer
• Leukemia cell movement gives clues to tackling treatment-resistant disease
• Ancient hominid 'hanky panky' also influenced spread of STIs
• Risk-taking behavior in teens caused by imbalanced brain activity
• Fruit-rich Mediterranean diet with antioxidants may cut age-related macular degeneration risk by more than a third
• Developing a sensor for vitamin B12 deficiency
• Wearable tattoo sends alcohol levels to your cell phone
• Reducing risk of lung distress in preterm babies
• Gut bacteria can aid recovery from spinal cord injury, study suggests
• Foster care children at much greater risk of physical, mental health problems
• Could assisted reproduction reduce birth defects for older women?
• 'That pizza was #Delish!' What do tweets say about our health?
• Scientists uncover new facets of Zika-related birth defects to help develop treatment
• Worked to death? Study says lack of control over high-stress jobs can lead to early grave
• Pregabalin may lessen pain from irritable bowel syndrome, study finds
• Close proximity of slum dwellers could be answer to health problems
• Two studies describe the function of PrPc, the 'good' alter ego of prions
• Embryonic white blood cells needed in adulthood
• How an untested drugs scandal could lead to better clinical practice
• Bad relationships increase risk of infection in both mother and child
• Cold medicine could stop cancer spread, study shows
• Towards increasingly personalized fracture risk assessment
• Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds
• Better insights into drivers of avian flu outbreak

Biocompatible fibers to use light to stimulate cells or sense signs of disease Posted: 17 Oct 2016 12:12 PM PDT A biocompatible and highly stretchable optical fiber has now been created from hydrogel -- an elastic, rubbery material composed mostly of water. The fiber, which is as bendable as a rope of licorice, may one day be implanted in the body to deliver therapeutic pulses of light or light up at the first sign of disease.

Oncoproteins interact to promote cancer cell growth in retinoblastoma Posted: 17 Oct 2016 11:05 AM PDT An unsuspected and critical role of the MDM2 oncogene has been uncovered in promoting expression of the MYCN oncogene that is required for growth and survival of retinoblastoma cells.

In crafting new treatments for hemophilia, a 'less is more' approach Posted: 17 Oct 2016 11:05 AM PDT Hematology researchers have found that blocking the role of a common protein may offer unexpected benefits for patients with the inherited bleeding disorder hemophilia A. The finding offers potential for developing both gene therapy and more effective protein replacement treatments for hemophilia A, the most common form of hemophilia.

Human sex reversal as a protein numbers game Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT A group of researchers has completed a comprehensive molecular analysis of a toddler who developed as a female despite having a male genetic background, termed XY sex reversal. The study identifies for the first time how the machinery for destruction of proteins can render a person poised at the borderline between male and female patterns of development.

Estrogen signaling impacted immune response in cancer Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:42 AM PDT Estrogen signaling was responsible for immunosuppressive effects in the tumor microenvironment across cancer types, a new study has concluded. These findings pave the way for combining immunotherapeutic treatments with anti-estrogen drugs that may significantly extend survival.

Leukemia cell movement gives clues to tackling treatment-resistant disease Posted: 17 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT New research is shedding light on how leukemia cells can survive cancer treatment, suggesting new possibilities for stopping them in their tracks.

Ancient hominid 'hanky panky' also influenced spread of STIs Posted: 17 Oct 2016 08:03 AM PDT With recent studies proving that almost everyone has a little bit of Neanderthal DNA in them ---- up to 5 percent of the human genome --- it's become clear our ancestors not only had some serious hominid 'hanky panky' going on, but with it, a potential downside: the spread of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs.

Risk-taking behavior in teens caused by imbalanced brain activity Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:55 AM PDT Adolescents among humans and non-human animals alike are more inclined to engage in heightened risk-taking behavior, exploration and novelty seeking. Although these attributes provide adaptive value in enabling individuals to gain importance in the world, including independence from parents, if taken too far, this tendency could lead to potentially dangerous behavior, including drug use, harmful drinking, addiction, unsafe sex, and risky driving, which may result in unintended injuries, violence and/or even premature death. A new study demonstrates for the first time, the causal relationship between behavioral control and a specific imbalance in brain function that exists during adolescence.

Fruit-rich Mediterranean diet with antioxidants may cut age-related macular degeneration risk by more than a third Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet – especially by eating fruit – may be more than a third less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, according to a study.

Developing a sensor for vitamin B12 deficiency Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT A world-first optical sensor has been developed that can detect vitamin B12 in diluted human blood – a first step towards a low-cost, portable, broadscale vitamin B12 deficiency test. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Wearable tattoo sends alcohol levels to your cell phone Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT Engineers have developed a small device, worn on the skin, that detects alcohol levels in perspiration and sends the information to the users smart phone in just 8 minutes. It was designed as a convenient method for individuals to monitor their alcohol intake.

Reducing risk of lung distress in preterm babies Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:32 AM PDT Steroids for women at risk of preterm birth improve lung development and reduces risk of severe respiratory distress in babies, shows new research.

Gut bacteria can aid recovery from spinal cord injury, study suggests Posted: 17 Oct 2016 07:28 AM PDT Spinal cord injury alters the type of bacteria living in the gut and that these changes can exacerbate the extent of neurological damage and impair recovery of function, new research suggests. The study demonstrates that counteracting these changes with probiotics could aid patients' recovery from spinal cord injuries.

Foster care children at much greater risk of physical, mental health problems Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT Children who have been in the U.S. foster care system are at a significantly higher risk of mental and physical health problems – ranging from learning disabilities, developmental delays and depression to behavioral issues, asthma and obesity – than children who haven't been in foster care, according to a sociologist.

Could assisted reproduction reduce birth defects for older women? Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT Babies born to women aged 40 and over from assisted reproduction have fewer birth defects compared with those from women who conceive naturally at the same age, according to new research.

'That pizza was #Delish!' What do tweets say about our health? Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT "Coffee" was the most tweeted food in the continental U.S. between mid-2014 to mid-2015 followed by "beer" then "pizza". Besides hinting at which foods are popular, scientists are finding that tweets reveal something about our health. Communities that tweeted more often about physical activities, or expressed positive sentiments about healthy foods, had better overall health.

Scientists uncover new facets of Zika-related birth defects to help develop treatment Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT In a study that could one day help eliminate the tragic birth defects caused by Zika virus, scientists have elucidated how the virus attacks the brains of newborns, information that could accelerate the development of treatments.

Worked to death? Study says lack of control over high-stress jobs can lead to early grave Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT Those in high-stress jobs with little control over their workflow die younger or are less healthy than those who have more flexibility and discretion in their jobs and are able to set their own goals as part of their employment, a new study concludes.

Pregabalin may lessen pain from irritable bowel syndrome, study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:41 AM PDT Patients suffering from pain related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may benefit from taking pregabalin, a neuro-pain inhibitor commonly used to treat fibromyalgia, a pilot study has found.

Close proximity of slum dwellers could be answer to health problems Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT The 'neighborhood effect' of slums could help to alleviate some of their associated health problems, a new, international study suggests.

Two studies describe the function of PrPc, the 'good' alter ego of prions Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Two new studies reveal important details about the physiological function of the prion protein, the non-pathological form of the notorious prion, the degenerate protein responsible for several diseases including "mad cow disease." According to the new findings, the protein in its physiological form serves the important function of promoting the growth of neurites, the neural projections along which nerve impulses travel.

Embryonic white blood cells needed in adulthood Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Leukocytes that arise during the embryonic period regulate iron metabolism and the growth of the mammary gland in adults, scientists have discovered.

How an untested drugs scandal could lead to better clinical practice Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:39 AM PDT Cancer researchers and patients from all over the world can learn valuable lessons from a recent Brazilian scientific scandal, according to a new policy paper. In Brazil, the distribution by "researchers" to patients of an untested compound called phosphoethanolamine (PHOS) led to a widely publicized scientific debacle.

Bad relationships increase risk of infection in both mother and child Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT Pregnant women dissatisfied in their relationship have an increased risk of infectious diseases. This also affects their children, reports a research team.

Cold medicine could stop cancer spread, study shows Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT A nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug used for treating colds suppresses the spread of bladder cancers and reduces their chemoresistance in mice, raising hopes of a future cure for advanced bladder cancers, report researchers.

Towards increasingly personalized fracture risk assessment Posted: 17 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT In people over 50 years of age, fractures are so common that for example one in three women will suffer a wrist, ankle or hip fracture during their life. Low-energy fractures caused by bone weakening are one manifestation of osteoporosis. These fractures are painful and considerably weaken the patient's quality of life and, in the worst case scenario, can even lead to death.

Knowingly taking placebo pills eases pain, study finds Posted: 14 Oct 2016 06:49 PM PDT A new study is the first to demonstrate beneficial placebo effect for lower back pain sufferers who knew they were taking 'fake pills.' Patients who knowingly took placebos reported 30 percent less pain and 29 percent reduction in disability compared to control group. 'Open-labeling' addresses longtime ethical dilemma, allowing patients to choose placebo treatments with informed consent.

Better insights into drivers of avian flu outbreak Posted: 13 Oct 2016 12:27 PM PDT The 2014-15 outbreak of avian flu was likely driven by long-distant migrant birds, a new study reveals. The finding could help inform future efforts to thwart outbreaks. Beginning in 2014, a highly infectious strain of avian influenza, H5N8, caused disease outbreaks in domesticated chickens, first in South Korea, before spreading to other countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.

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