ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, May 1, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, May 1, 2011

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Researchers discover mechanism that could convert certain cells into insulin-making cells (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers may have discovered the underlying mechanism that could convert other cell types into pancreatic beta cells. ... > full story

Plant extract may be new therapy for hay fever, study suggests (April 30, 2011) -- Fighting hay fever with a plant extract? It works, as was shown in a new clinical study. Allergic symptoms were alleviated significantly better than with the usual histamine receptor antagonists. ... > full story

Second gene associated with specific congenital heart defects identified (April 30, 2011) -- A gene known to be important in cardiac development has been newly associated with congenital heart malformations that result in obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. ... > full story

Finding molecular targets of an HIV drug used in cancer therapy (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers have identified potential human molecular targets of the anti-HIV drug Nelfinavir, which may explain why the drug is also effective as a cancer therapy. ... > full story

New test shows promise for detecting warning signs of joint replacement failure (April 30, 2011) -- A new test shows promise for detecting the early stages of a major cause of failure in joint replacement implants, so that patients can be treated and perhaps avoid additional surgery. More than 1.5 million total joint replacement operations are performed worldwide each year. While the success rate is 90 per cent, almost 10 per cent of implants fail and require additional surgery. ... > full story

US Appeals Court opens federal funding for stem cell research (April 30, 2011) -- The US Federal Court of Appeals has overturned an August 2010 ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, paving the way for broader exploration of how stem cells function and how they can be harnessed to treat a wide range of currently incurable diseases. ... > full story

Risk of accelerated aging seen in PTSD patients with childhood trauma (April 29, 2011) -- Adults with post-traumatic stress disorder and a history of childhood trauma had significantly shorter telomere length than those with PTSD but without childhood trauma, a recent study found. ... > full story

A better imaging agent for heart disease and breast cancer (April 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a process for producing large quantities of a much-needed new imaging agent for computed tomography scans in heart disease, breast cancer and other diseases, and the first evidence that the material is safe for clinical use. The imaging agent is a tantalum oxide nanoparticle, which is inexpensive, and stays in the body long enough to image many different organs. ... > full story

When a salad is not a salad: Why are dieters easily misled by food names? (April 29, 2011) -- Dieters are so involved with trying to eat virtuously that they are more likely than non-dieters to choose unhealthy foods that are labeled as healthy, according to a new study. It seems dieter focus on food names can work to their disadvantage. ... > full story

New genetic model of premature aging diseases (April 29, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new genetic model of premature aging disorders that could shed light on these rare conditions in humans and provide a novel platform for large-scale screening of compounds to combat these and other age-related diseases. ... > full story

Mystery solved: How sickle hemoglobin protects against malaria (April 29, 2011) -- A new article is likely to help solve one of the long-standing mysteries of biomedicine. In a study that challenges currently held views, researchers unravel the molecular mechanism whereby sickle cell hemoglobin confers a survival advantage against malaria, the disease caused by Plasmodium infection. These findings open the way to new therapeutic interventions against malaria, a disease that continues to inflict tremendous medical, social and economic burdens to a large proportion of the human population. ... > full story

Measles outbreak underscores need for continued vigilance in health care settings (April 29, 2011) -- In 2008, the largest reported health care-associated measles outbreak in the United States since 1989 occurred in Tucson, Ariz., costing approximately 0,000 in response and containment efforts. Researchers have now identified preventive measures hospitals and health care facilities can implement to reduce the likelihood and decrease the economic impact of a future measles outbreak in these settings. ... > full story