ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Friday, November 18, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Friday, November 18, 2011

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New class of antimalarial compounds discovered (November 17, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a family of chemical compounds that could lead to a new generation of antimalarial drugs capable of not only alleviating symptoms but also preventing the deadly disease. ... > full story

Discovery may help fight late-stage ovarian cancer (November 17, 2011) -- A potential breakthrough in treating late-stage ovarian cancer has come from researchers who have discovered a peptide that shrinks advanced tumors and improves survival rates for this deadly but often undetected disease. ... > full story

Predicting how individuals differ from their genome sequences (November 17, 2011) -- Researchers have predicted how individuals vary from the complete sequences of their genomes, using yeast as a model. The study has important implications for personalized medicine. The authors show that when we have a good understanding of the genes important for a process, it is possible to make accurate predictions about the biology of individuals. ... > full story

Future-Directed Therapy helps depression patients cultivate optimistic outlook (November 17, 2011) -- Patients with major depression do better by learning to create a more positive outlook about the future, rather than by focusing on negative thoughts about their past experiences, researchers say after developing a new treatment that helps patients do this. ... > full story

Molecules on branched-polymer surfaces can capture rare tumor cells in blood (November 17, 2011) -- The removal of rare tumor cells circulating in the blood might be possible with the use of biomolecules bound to dendrimers, highly branched synthetic polymers, which could efficiently sift and capture the diseased cells, according to new research. ... > full story

The fat-burning zone: News on burning fat (November 17, 2011) -- Obesity-related diseases are an increasing health problem. Researchers have now uncovered a central component of fat metabolism. ... > full story

Brain study reveals how successful students overcome math anxiety (November 17, 2011) -- Using brain-imaging technology for the first time with people experiencing mathematics anxiety, scientists have gained new insights into how some students are able to overcome their fears and succeed in math. For the highly math anxious, researchers found a strong link between math success and activity in a network of brain areas in the frontal and parietal lobes involved in controlling attention and regulating negative emotional reactions. ... > full story

Cancer's sweet tooth may be its weak link (November 17, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that cancer cells tap into a natural recycling system to obtain the energy they need to keep dividing. In a study with potential implications for cancer treatments, researchers used genetic manipulation to turn off this recycling system within the walls of cells and stop both tumor growth and metastasis (cancer spread). ... > full story

Neurological and executive function impairment associated with breast cancer (November 17, 2011) -- Women who survive breast cancer show significant neurological impairment, and outcomes appear to be significantly poorer for those treated with chemotherapy, according to a new report. ... > full story

Serotonin system in women's brains is damaged more readily by alcohol than that in men’s brains, study finds (November 17, 2011) -- After only four years of problem drinking, a significant decrease in the function of the serotonin system in women’s brains can be seen. This is the system that regulates such functions as impulse control and mood. It takes 12 years before a corresponding decrease is seen in men. ... > full story

Alcohol consumption by adolescents may increase breast cancer risk in those with a family history of the disease (November 17, 2011) -- Breast cancer patients often wonder what their daughters might do to reduce their risk of also developing cancer. Are there dietary intakes or behaviors that can be modified by their daughters to lower their own chances of getting the disease? A new study sought information relevant to this question. ... > full story

Vascular risk linked to long-term antiepileptic drug therapy (November 17, 2011) -- New research reveals that patients with epilepsy who were treated for extended periods with older generation antiepileptic drugs may be at increased risk for developing atherosclerosis, a common disorder known as hardening of the arteries. According to the findings, the vascular risk is significantly associated with the duration of AED monotherapy. ... > full story

U.S. population on track to getting even fatter (November 17, 2011) -- In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to new projections. ... > full story

New drug combo targets multiple cancers: Sugar molecule primes cancer cells for early death from second compound (November 17, 2011) -- Researchers say a novel combination of a specific sugar molecule with a pair of cell-killing drugs prompts a wide variety of cancer cell types to kill themselves, a process called apoptosis or programmed cell death. ... > full story

Chimps play like humans: Playful behavior of young chimps develops like that of children (November 17, 2011) -- Playful behavior is widespread in mammals, and has important developmental consequences. A recent study of young chimpanzees shows that these animals play and develop much the same way as human children. The work can therefore also shed light on the role of human play behavior. ... > full story

Fleas collected from Norway rats in downtown Los Angeles carry human pathogen (November 17, 2011) -- Most fleas collected from rats trapped in downtown Los Angeles, California carried microbes from the genus Bartonella, many of which are human pathogens, according to a new study. ... > full story

Everybody can become a better a reader, Swedish research suggests (November 17, 2011) -- Students with cognitive impairments may learn to comprehend written texts much better than commonly thought, according to researchers in Sweden. ... > full story

Stop signal discovered for skin cancer (November 17, 2011) -- An extraordinary breakthrough in understanding what stops a common form of skin cancer from developing could make new cancer treatments and prevention available to the public in five years. ... > full story

External capsule protects gum disease-causing bacteria from immune response (November 17, 2011) -- The capsule of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium that causes gum disease, provides stealth, boosting the bacterium's virulence, according to new study. Call it a sugar coating, if you will, for in fact, the capsule is made from sugar molecules, which do not ordinarily elicit immunity. Thus it hides the bacterium's proteins within, preventing immune response. ... > full story

Poor sleep habits linked to increased risk of fibromyalgia in women (November 17, 2011) -- Researchers from Norway have uncovered an association between sleep problems and increased risk of fibromyalgia in women. The risk of fibromyalgia increased with severity of sleep problems, and the association was stronger among middle-aged and older women than among younger women. ... > full story

Stem cell researchers uncover mechanism that regulates human pluripotent stem cell metabolism (November 17, 2011) -- Human pluripotent stem cells, which can develop into any cell type in the body, rely heavily on glycolysis, or sugar fermentation, to drive their metabolic activities. ... > full story

Increasing dosage of clopidogrel for patients with genetic variation improves response to medication (November 17, 2011) -- Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a new study. ... > full story

Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism, Swedish research finds (November 17, 2011) -- People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death, according to research from Sweden. ... > full story

Researchers uncover steps in synapse building, pruning (November 17, 2011) -- The brain is constantly building networks of synapses, while pruning out redundant or unneeded synapses. Researchers have discovered a factor in synapse-building, also showing that the building and pruning processes occur independent of each other. ... > full story

Mycophenolate is superior to azathioprine as treatment for lupus nephritis, study finds (November 17, 2011) -- A new large, international study finds that the immunosuppressant drug mycophenolate mofetil is superior to azathioprine, an older immunosuppressant, as a maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis. ... > full story

Telephone-based therapy and exercise appear effective for reducing chronic widespread pain (November 17, 2011) -- Telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy and an exercise program, both separately and combined, are associated with short-term positive outcomes for patients with chronic widespread pain, and may offer benefits for patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, according to a new report. ... > full story

Even the cleanest wastewater contributes to more 'super bacteria', study finds (November 16, 2011) -- A new study reveals that the release of treated municipal wastewater -- even wastewater treated by the highest-quality treatment technology -- can have a significant effect on the quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as "superbacteria," in surface waters. ... > full story

Annual childhood flu vaccines may interfere with development of crossresistance (November 16, 2011) -- Vaccinating children annually against influenza virus interferes with their development of cross-reactive killer T cells to flu viruses generally, according to a new study. The research points up potentially conflicting policy outcomes. Annual flu vaccines are effective against seasonal flu, but could leave people more vulnerable to novel pandemics. ... > full story

Niacin does not reduce heart attack, stroke risk in stable CV patients (November 16, 2011) -- In patients whose bad cholesterol is very well-controlled by statins for a long time period, the addition of high-dose, extended release niacin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, according to new research. ... > full story

Illegal drug use is associated with abnormal weight in teens (November 16, 2011) -- A survey of more than 33,000 Italian high school students reveals that both underweight and overweight teens consume 20 to 40 percent more illegal drugs than their normal-weight peers. ... > full story

Probiotics appear to mitigate pancreatitis: Surprising hypothetical mechanism warrants further investigation (November 16, 2011) -- A probiotic treatment appears to mitigate pancreatitis in an animal model, leading to a new hypothesis of how probiotics may act, according to a new study. The bacterial species most closely associated with improvement in health was discovered for the first time in the course of this research. ... > full story

Preliminary report on radiation levels in Fukushima reveals relative safety of residents (November 16, 2011) -- Researchers have released a preliminary report on the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the surrounding areas, following radiation levels for approximately three months following the event and surveying more than 5,000 people in the region. ... > full story

Fast new method for mapping blood vessels may aid cancer research (November 16, 2011) -- Computational neuroscientists have developed a new system, tested in mouse brain samples, that substantially reduces blood vessel mapping time. ... > full story

Today's teens will die younger of heart disease, study finds (November 16, 2011) -- A new study of adolescent cardiovascular health in the US reveals a bleak picture of teens likely to die of heart disease at a younger age than adults do today. The alarming health profiles of 5,547 children and adolescents, ages 12 to 19, reveal high blood sugar, obesity, lousy diets, little physical activity and smoking. ... > full story

Low vitamin D levels may be associated with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease (November 16, 2011) -- Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in patients with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury (November 16, 2011) -- Scientists have shown that taking a probiotic before radiation therapy can protect the intestine from damage -- at least in mice. Their study suggests that taking a probiotic also may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers. ... > full story

New medication increases HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL cholesterol levels (November 16, 2011) -- Among patients with sub-optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, use of the drug evacetrapib alone or in combination with statin medications was associated with significant increases in HDL-C levels and decreases in LDL-C levels, according to a new study. ... > full story

A realistic look at the promises and perils of nanomedicine (November 16, 2011) -- Is the emerging field of nanomedicine a breathtaking technological revolution that promises remarkable new ways of diagnosing and treating diseases? Or does it portend the release of dangerous nanoparticles, nanorobots or nanoelectronic devices that will wreak havoc in the body? A new review of more than 500 studies on the topic concludes that neither scenario is likely. ... > full story

False confessions may lead to more errors in evidence, study shows (November 16, 2011) -- A man with a low IQ confesses to a gruesome crime. Confession in hand, the police send his blood to a lab to confirm that his blood type matches the semen found at the scene. It does not. The forensic examiner testifies later that one blood type can change to another with disintegration. This is untrue. The newspaper reports the story, including the time the man says the murder took place. Two witnesses tell the police they saw the woman alive after that. The police send them home, saying they "must have seen a ghost." After 16 years in prison, the falsely convicted man is exonerated by DNA evidence. How could this happen? A new study examines how false confessions can corrupt evidence. ... > full story

New mouthwash targeting harmful bacteria may render tooth decay a thing of the past (November 16, 2011) -- A new mouthwash developed by a microbiologist is highly successful in targeting the harmful Streptococcus mutans bacteria that is the principal cause tooth decay and cavities, research shows. ... > full story

New molecular mechanism in breast cancer development (November 16, 2011) -- About 10 percent of breast cancers are due to mutations in genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. However, the molecular mechanism by which alteration of these genes greatly increases the risk of cancer is not fully understood. In a new study, an international team has made an important step towards revealing the underlying pathways. ... > full story

Alcoholics' 'injured brains' work harder to complete simple tasks: Finger tapping study shows alcoholics may recruit other brain regions (November 16, 2011) -- Alcoholic brains can perform a simple finger-tapping exercise as well as their sober counterparts but their brain must work a lot harder to do it, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mental illness: Early-life depression and anxiety changes structure of developing brain (November 16, 2011) -- New research identifies the brain chemicals and circuits involved in mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, giving potential new directions to their treatment. In addition, research with children shows that early-life depression and anxiety changes the structure of the developing brain. ... > full story

Contrasting patterns of malaria drug resistance found between humans and mosquitoes (November 16, 2011) -- A study detected contrasting patterns of drug resistance in malaria-causing parasites taken from both humans and mosquitoes. Parasites found in human blood samples showed a high prevalence for pyrimethamine-resistance, which was consistent with the class of drugs widely used to treat malaria. However, parasites taken from mosquitoes themselves had very low prevalence of pyrimethamine-resistance and a high prevalence of cycloguanil-resistant mutants indicating resistance to a newer class of antimalaria drug not widely used in Zambia. ... > full story

Surgery on toy animals lessens anxiety of veterinary students (November 16, 2011) -- Training basic surgical techniques on toy animals before having to perform operations on living animals makes veterinary students much less anxious. At the same time, the use of laboratory animals is minimized, according to recent research in Denmark. ... > full story

Engineered, drug-secreting blood vessels reverse anemia in mice (November 16, 2011) -- Patients who rely on recombinant, protein-based drugs must often endure frequent injections, often several times a week, or intravenous therapy. Researchers have demonstrated the possibility that blood vessels, made from genetically engineered cells, could secrete the drug on demand directly into the bloodstream. In a new study, they provide proof-of-concept, reversing anemia in mice with engineered vessels secreting erythropoietin (EPO). ... > full story

The leading edge of stress: New genomic, optogenetic and epigenetic findings (November 16, 2011) -- New research uses the latest genetic tools to explore how stress alters brain function, leading to anxiety, depression, and other stress-related mood disorders. ... > full story

Delayed cord clamping protects newborn babies from iron deficiency, research finds (November 16, 2011) -- Waiting for at least three minutes before clamping the umbilical cord in healthy newborns improves their iron levels at four months, according to new research. ... > full story