ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Saturday, September 3, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Saturday, September 3, 2011

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New treatments for baldness? Scientists find stem cells that tell hair it's time to grow (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth, an insight that may lead to new treatments for baldness. ... > full story

Powerful antioxidant resveratrol prevents metabolic syndrome in lab tests, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers in Canada have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a syndrome in some offspring that could lead to later health issues such as diabetes. Resveratrol is found in fruits, nuts and red wine, and has been shown to extend the lifespan of many species. ... > full story

New insight in how cells' powerhouse divides (September 2, 2011) -- New research puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria, the energy-generating structures within cells, divide. The work could have implications for a wide range of diseases and conditions. ... > full story

People think the 'typical' member of a group looks like them (September 2, 2011) -- What does a typical European face look like according to Europeans? It all depends on which European you ask. Germans think the typical European looks more German; Portuguese people think the typical European looks more Portuguese, according to a new study. ... > full story

Researchers identify gene that leads to myopia (nearsightedness) (September 2, 2011) -- Despite decades of intensive research, the specific genes whose defects lead to nearsightedness have remained elusive. A defective gene was identified in a thorough study of severe early-onset myopia that is common in a specific Bedouin tribe in southern Israel. ... > full story

How to get ahead in the nervous system: Scientists discover a highly conserved mechanism governing brain development (September 2, 2011) -- If you think today's political rhetoric is overheated, imagine what goes on inside a vertebrate embryo. There, two armies whose agendas are poles apart, engage in a battle with consequences much more dire than whether the economy will recover -- they are battling for whether you (or frogs or chickens) will have a forebrain. A new study reveals that a foot soldier of one army -- the ventralizers -- deploys a weapon that disarms the other -- the dorsalizers -- leaving the embryo free to develop a proper brain. Those findings define how the embryonic nervous system develops and could shed light on mechanisms underlying colon cancer. ... > full story

To treat rare immune deficiency disease, scientists repurpose bone marrow transplant drug (September 2, 2011) -- A new study reports that a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant may also have promise for treating people who have a rare immune deficiency known as WHIM syndrome. People with the syndrome are more susceptible to potentially life-threatening bacterial and viral infections, particularly human papillomavirus infections, which cause skin and genital warts and can lead to cancer. ... > full story

Visual test effective in diagnosing concussions in collegiate athletes, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- A sideline visual test effectively detected concussions in collegiate athletes, according to researchers. This quick visual test, easily administered on the playing field, holds promise as a complement to other diagnostic tools for sports-related concussion. ... > full story

Starving inflammatory immune cells slows damage caused by multiple sclerosis, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers report that inhibiting the ability of immune cells to use fatty acids as fuel measurably slows disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). ... > full story

Cryptococcus infections misdiagnosed in many AIDS patients, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- Most AIDS patients, when diagnosed with a fungal infection known simply as cryptococcosis, are assumed to have an infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but a new study suggests that a sibling species, Cryptococcus gattii, is a more common cause than was previously known. The difference between these strains could make a difference in treatment, clinical course, and outcome. ... > full story

New microscope might see beneath skin in 4-D (September 2, 2011) -- Other devices can take 3-D pictures of tissue below the surface of skin, but a new microscope adds an extra dimension: a spectroscopic "fingerprint" that measures the wavelength (or color) of light reflected off each point within a sample in a single snapshot. Researchers hope this innovation may one day be used for early detection of skin cancer. ... > full story

Alcohol dulls brain 'alarm' that monitors mistakes, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Most people have witnessed otherwise intelligent people doing embarrassing or stupid things when they are intoxicated, but what specifically happens in the brain to cause such drunken actions? A new study testing alcohol's effects on brain activity finds that alcohol dulls the brain "signal" that warns people when they are making a mistake, ultimately reducing self control. ... > full story