ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, July 21, 2011
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Gene therapy to reverse heart failure ready for clinical trials; Therapeutic effectiveness and safety of 'next great thing in heart failure' demonstrated (July 21, 2011) -- A promising gene therapy developed to prevent and reverse congestive heart failure is on the verge of clinical trials, after years of proving itself highly effective in the lab and a large animal study. ... > full story
Animal model sheds light on rare genetic disorder, signaling pathway (July 21, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a mouse model of focal dermal hypoplasia, a rare human birth defect that causes serious skin abnormalities and other medical problems. This animal model not only provides insight into studying the cause of focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH), but also offers a novel way to study a signaling pathway that is crucial for embryonic development. ... > full story
Fast prediction of axon behavior: Computer modeling method may lead to more accurate and capable electrodes to stimulate nerves (July 21, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a computer modeling method to accurately predict how a peripheral nerve axon responds to electrical stimuli, slashing the complex work from an inhibitory weeks-long process to just a few seconds. ... > full story
Health gains from multiple sclerosis drugs come at a high price, study finds (July 21, 2011) -- A new study shows that the health gains associated with a category of medications commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) -- know as disease modifying drugs -- come at a very high cost when compared to therapies that address the symptoms of MS and treatments for other chronic diseases. ... > full story
Genetic map of African-Americans to aid study of diseases, human evolution (July 21, 2011) -- A group of researchers has constructed the world's most detailed genetic map, a tool scientists can use to better understand the roots of disease and how DNA is passed generationally to create diversity in the human species. Almost every prior genetic map was developed in people of European ancestry. The new map is the first built in African-Americans. ... > full story
New breast cancer drug: Promising results of PI3K inhibitor study (July 21, 2011) -- A new drug targeting the PI3K gene in patients with advanced breast cancer shows promising results in an early phase I investigational study, according to a recent presentation. ... > full story
E-cigarette or drug delivery device? Questions about safety, usage and future implications of new nicotine delivery products (July 21, 2011) -- Devices marketed as "electronic cigarettes" are in reality crude drug delivery systems for refined nicotine, posing unknown risks with little new benefits to smokers, according to tobacco control experts. In a new article, researchers explore the current regulatory climate around "e-cigarettes" and their safety. They also question future implications for physicians, policy makers and e-cigarette users. ... > full story
As new data wave begins, a gene study in one disease reveals mutations in an unrelated disease (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers seeking rare gene variants in just a few individuals with ADHD discovered that one patient had a novel combination of two mutations. Those mutations caused an unrelated disease, the blood disorder idiopathic hemolytic anemia. That unexpected result may herald an oncoming wave of new findings from improved gene-searching tools, with implications for researchers about how to best return such information to their research subjects. ... > full story
EHEC 2011 outbreak: Scientists publish prospective genomic characterization (July 20, 2011) -- Scientists have released a draft genome sequence of a German enterohemorrhagic E. coli 2011 outbreak strain, and now report on an in-depth genomic characterization of this outbreak. ... > full story
Work engagement, job satisfaction, and productivity: They're a virtuous cycle (July 20, 2011) -- Engaged workers -- those who approach their work with energy, dedication, and focus -- are more open to new information, more productive, and more willing to go the extra mile. Moreover, engaged workers take the initiative to change their work environments in order to stay engaged. ... > full story
Cancer drugs may help treatment of schizophrenia (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed the molecular pathway that is affected during the onset of schizophrenia and successfully alleviated symptoms of the illness in mice, using a commonly used cancer drug. ... > full story
Gene required to maintain male sex throughout life discovered: Loss of gene Dmrt1 leads to male cells becoming female (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have made a key discovery showing that male sex must be maintained throughout life. Removing an important male development gene, called Dmrt1, causes male cells in mouse testis to become female cells. ... > full story
Team sports: For kids, it's more than just a game (July 20, 2011) -- A cohesive team environment, assessing one's own performance rather than comparing with others, and involvement in enjoyably challenging practices are the main conditions needed for children to have a positive developmental experience playing team sports. ... > full story
Newly designed molecule blocks chlamydia bacteria (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to block the damaging actions of Chlamydia, the bacteria responsible for the largest number of sexually transmitted infections in the United States. ... > full story
Improved method to create induced pluripotent stem cells (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new strategy to improve the development of induced pluripotent stem cells. Researchers found that by fusing two proteins – a master stem cell regulator (Oct4) and a fragment of a muscle cell inducer (MyoD) – they succeeded in "powering up" the stem cell regulator, which can dramatically improve the efficiency and purity of reprogrammed iPS cells. ... > full story
Inherited Alzheimer's detectable 20 years before dementia (July 20, 2011) -- Inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists report. ... > full story
Household smoke increases severity of bronchiolitis in babies (July 20, 2011) -- A new study has found that babies admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis from a household where a parent smokes are twice as likely to need oxygen therapy and five times as likely to need mechanical ventilation as babies whose parents do not smoke. ... > full story
Environmental pollutants lurk long after they 'disappear' (July 20, 2011) -- Scientists say that current environmental tests look for specific drugs -- but these drugs break down into other chemicals through sun exposure or oxidation. In their new and equally lethal forms, they don't show up in tests, so they pose a hidden threat. ... > full story
Experimental drug raises 'good' cholesterol, may help control diabetes (July 20, 2011) -- An experimental cholesterol drug improved blood sugar control in diabetic patients on statins, a new study shows. The drug raises levels of "good" cholesterol and may help lower cardiovascular disease risk in people with diabetes. ... > full story
Possible drug targets for common non-Hodgkin's lymphoma discovered (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a novel interaction between two proteins involved in regulating cell growth that could provide possible new drug targets for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to a new study. The scientists report that they have found a complex relationship between ERK, a protein that helps to regulate cell survival, and CHK2, a protein involved in the cellular DNA damage response. ... > full story
Time and numbers mix together in the brain (July 20, 2011) -- Clocks tell time in numbers -- and so do our minds, according to a new study. In two experiments, scientists found that people associate small numbers with short time intervals and large numbers with longer intervals -- suggesting that these two systems are linked in the brain. ... > full story
Vegetarian diet may protect against common bowel disorder (July 20, 2011) -- Vegetarians are a third less likely to get a common bowel disorder (diverticular disease) than their meat eating counterparts, finds a new study. ... > full story
Standard three-drug H. pylori therapy beats newer four-drug regimens in Latin America study (July 20, 2011) -- Clinical trials in Europe and Asia were thought to have pinpointed the best treatment regimen to eradicate the H. pylori bug, an important cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. New results from a large study in Latin America turn those findings on their head, suggesting different populations need different therapies. ... > full story
Informed-consent forms should be shortened, simplified, bioethicists say (July 20, 2011) -- An in-depth review of consent forms provided to volunteers for HIV/AIDS research in the United States and abroad about study procedures, risks and benefits has found that the forms were extremely long and used wording that may have been complex enough to hinder full understanding, according to bioethicists. ... > full story
Gene therapy delivered once to blood vessel wall protects against atherosclerosis in rabbit studies (July 20, 2011) -- A one-dose method for delivering gene therapy into an arterial wall effectively protects the artery from developing atherosclerosis despite ongoing high blood cholesterol, according to new research in rabbits. ... > full story
Cardiac disorder may affect broader range of patients than previously reported (July 20, 2011) -- Stress cardiomyopathy (a transient form of acute heart failure triggered by stressful events) appears to have clinical characteristics that are broader than reported previously, including younger patients, men, and patients without an identifiable stressful trigger, according to a new study. ... > full story
E-health records should play bigger role in patient safety initiatives, researchers advocate (July 20, 2011) -- Patient safety researchers are calling for the expanded use of electronic health records to address the disquieting number of medical errors in the health care system that can lead to readmissions and even death. ... > full story
Heartburn treatment may extend survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients (July 20, 2011) -- Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who report treatment for gastroespophageal reflux (GER) appear to have longer survival than IPF patients who are not treated for GERD, according to a new study. ... > full story
Therapy appears to reduce rate of chemotherapy-induced early menopause for women with breast cancer (July 20, 2011) -- Temporarily suppressing ovarian function with use of the hormone analogue triptorelin reduced the occurrence of early menopause induced by chemotherapy among women with breast cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
It's simple: Increasing complexity of models does not necessarily increase their accuracy (July 20, 2011) -- Mathematical modeling of infectious diseases is an important tool in the understanding and prediction of epidemics. Knowledge of social interactions is used to understand how infectious diseases spread through populations and how to control epidemics. New research shows that a model, which included dynamic information about the heterogeneity of contact length and rate of making new contacts, was as effective as a more complex model which included the order of contacts. ... > full story
Add unwanted pregnancy to travails of women in war-torn lands (July 20, 2011) -- Violent conflict disrupts all aspects of society, including the delivery of the most basic reproductive health services: prenatal and maternal care, family planning, prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, abortions and emergency caesarian care. A new study demonstrates and quantifies the alarming gap between the desire of women in war-torn areas to limit their childbearing and the availability of resources and knowledge to enable them to do so. ... > full story
Schools failing pupils with sickle cell disease, U.K. study suggests (July 20, 2011) -- A new study suggests young people with a serious genetic blood disorder are not getting the right help at school, especially pupils who miss lessons due to sickness. ... > full story
Falls may be early sign of Alzheimer's (July 19, 2011) -- Falls and balance problems may be early indicators of Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found. ... > full story
Testosterone deficiency and replacement therapy in men (July 19, 2011) -- Testosterone deficiency (TD), often referred to as hypogonadism, is associated with aging and affects approximately 30 percent of men ages 40-79. To highlight some of the challenges and controversies encountered in diagnosis and treatment of men with TD, a new review article illustrates the implication of TD on men's overall health and analyzes a number of studies in men receiving testosterone replacement therapy to treat TD. ... > full story
Stated calories on menus of certain restaurants appear to be accurate overall (July 19, 2011) -- An examination of the calorie content of food from about 40 fast-food and sit-down restaurants in 3 states finds that overall the stated calories of items on the menus of the restaurants are accurate, although there was substantial inaccuracy for some individual foods, with understated calorie figures for those items with lower calorie contents, according to a new study. ... > full story
Physical activity linked to lower rates of cognitive impairment (July 19, 2011) -- Engaging in regular physical activity is associated with less decline in cognitive function in older adults, according to two new studies. ... > full story
Gradual bone reduction seen in some birth control pill users (July 19, 2011) -- Birth control pills may reduce a woman's bone density, according to a new study. Impacts on bone were small, depended on the woman's age and the pill's hormone dose, and did not appear until about two years of use. The researchers also reported how on bone density levels when a woman stops using the pill. ... > full story
Painful legacy of teen sports (July 19, 2011) -- A new study links high rates of osteoarthritis in athletes to femur damage during adolescence, as a result of participation in high-intensity sports. ... > full story
Patients who use anti-depressants are more likely to suffer relapse, researcher finds (July 19, 2011) -- Patients who use anti-depressants are much more likely to suffer relapses of major depression than those who use no medication at all, according to new research. In an article that is likely to ignite new controversy in the hotly debated field of depression and medication, an evolutionary psychologist concludes that patients who have used anti-depressant medications can be nearly twice as susceptible to future episodes of major depression. ... > full story
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