ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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New research may lead to a whole new class of vaccines (January 11, 2012) -- New research may lead to a whole new class of vaccines. Scientists have discovered new properties of a potential vaccine adjuvant that suggest it could be useful for enhancing protection against a number of different infections. ... > full story
Breaking oncogene's hold on cancer cell provides new treatment direction (January 11, 2012) -- Just as people's bodies and minds can become addicted to substances their cancers can become addicted to certain genes that insure their continued growth and dominance. Researchers have now developed ways to exploit the addictions of cancers to kill them without harming normal tissues. ... > full story
World Trade Center responders: PTSD and respiratory illness linked (January 11, 2012) -- More than 10 years after 9/11, when thousands of rescue and recovery workers descended on the area surrounding the World Trade Center in the wake of the terrorist attacks, a research team has published results of a study examining the relationship between the two signature health problems among WTC first responders—respiratory illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ... > full story
Kindergarten friendships matter, especially for boys (January 11, 2012) -- High-quality friendships in kindergarten may mean that boys will have fewer behavior problems and better social skills in first and third grades, according to an expert in human development. ... > full story
New research suggests superior drug combo for difficult-to-control epilepsy (January 11, 2012) -- About one-third of Americans with epilepsy do not have good seizure control. Researchers now have dispelled the myth that all drug treatments are equally ineffective for such patients. By examining 30 years of patient records at two Washington state institutions for the developmentally disabled, researchers found a combination of two common drugs, lamotrigine and valproate, reduced seizure frequency by half, on average, compared to 32 other drug combinations. Adding a third drug provided no additional benefit. ... > full story
Endurance exercise linked to damage in right ventricle of heart (January 11, 2012) -- Researchers have found the first evidence that some athletes who take part in extreme endurance exercise such as marathons, endurance triathlons, alpine cycling or ultra triathlons may incur damage to the right ventricles of their hearts – one of the four chambers in the heart involved in pumping blood around the body. ... > full story
'Google Flu Trends' is a powerful early warning system for emergency departments (January 11, 2012) -- Monitoring Internet search traffic about influenza may prove to be a better way for hospital emergency rooms to prepare for a surge in sick patients compared to waiting for outdated government flu case reports. ... > full story
Steroids increase viability of preemies as young as 22 weeks, study suggests (January 10, 2012) -- Giving antenatal corticosteroids in extremely preterm infants -- those born between 22 and 25 weeks gestation and weighing less than two pounds -- is associated with significant reductions in death and long-term complications such as neurodevelopmental impairments, including cerebral palsy, poor motor skills and lower intelligence. ... > full story
Parkinson's disease risk greater in those exposed to common chemical, trichloroethylene, study shows (January 10, 2012) -- A new study demonstrates a connection between a common solvent chemical and Parkinson's disease. The study looked at a cohort of human twins wherein one twin had been occupationally exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chemicals believed to be linked to development of Parkinson's. ... > full story
Fusion plasma research helps neurologists to hear above the noise (January 10, 2012) -- Fusion plasma researchers and neuroscientists are significantly improving our understanding of the data obtained from noninvasive study of the fast dynamics of networks in the human brain. ... > full story
Acupuncture reduces protein linked to stress in first of its kind animal study (January 10, 2012) -- Acupuncture significantly reduces levels of a protein in rats linked to chronic stress, researchers have found. They say their animal study may help explain the sense of well-being that many people receive from this ancient Chinese therapy. ... > full story
Stem cell therapy reverses diabetes: Stem cells from cord blood used to re-educate diabetic's own T cells (January 10, 2012) -- Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body's own immune system attacking its pancreatic islet beta cells and requires daily injections of insulin to regulate the patient's blood glucose levels. A new method uses stem cells from cord blood to re-educate a diabetic's own T cells and consequently restart pancreatic function reducing the need for insulin. ... > full story
Diabetes study shines spotlight on lifestyle interventions (January 10, 2012) -- A new study assesses real-world lifestyle interventions to help delay or prevent the costly chronic disease that affects nearly 26 million Americans. ... > full story
Who's wealthy? Beyond net worth, asset and debt levels change our perceptions (January 10, 2012) -- Will borrowing money to buy a new car make you feel richer? It depends on your net worth, says a new study. "People's perceptions of wealth vary not only as a function of their net worth, but also of the amount of assets and debt they have," says a psychology graduate student. ... > full story
Cancer cells feed on sugar-free diet (January 10, 2012) -- Cancer cells have been long known to have a “sweet tooth,” using vast amounts of glucose for energy and for building blocks for cell replication. Now, a study shows that lymph gland cancer cells called B cells can use glutamine in the absence of glucose for cell replication and survival, particularly under low-oxygen conditions, which are common in tumors. ... > full story
An apple a day isn't enough: Many people not eating enough fruits and vegetables (January 10, 2012) -- Adults from 30 to 60 years old, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, aren't consuming the daily recommended levels of fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Microbial communities on skin affect humans' attractiveness to mosquitoes (January 10, 2012) -- The microbes on your skin determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes, which may have important implications for malaria transmission and prevention, according to a new study. ... > full story
Protein changes identified in early-onset Alzheimer's (January 10, 2012) -- Researchers have identified chemical changes taking place in the brains of persons destined to develop Alzheimer's disease at least 10 years before symptoms or diagnosis occur. This knowledge will provide potential new targets for drug interventions, and possibly tailor treatments to individuals, depending on the "type" of Alzheimer's they have. ... > full story
Predicting which lung cancer drugs are most likely to work (January 10, 2012) -- Researchers have shown that DNA changes in a gene that drives the growth of a form of lung cancer can make the cancer’s cells resistant to cancer drugs. The findings show that some classes of drugs won’t work, and certain types of so-called kinase inhibitors like erlotinib—may be the most effective at treating non-small cell lung cancers with those DNA changes. Some kinase inhibitors block a protein known as EGFR from directing cells to multiply. ... > full story
9-1-1 dispatchers can save more lives by coaching bystanders in CPR (January 10, 2012) -- Dispatchers should help 9-1-1 callers identify cardiac arrest victims and coach callers to provide immediate CPR. If more dispatchers followed these processes, thousands of lives could be saved every year. Communities should regularly evaluate 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers' performance and the overall emergency response system, according to a new American Heart Association statement. ... > full story
'Couch potato pill' might stop heat stroke too (January 10, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered what they believe is one of the first drugs to combat heat stroke. An experimental therapy once dubbed the "couch potato pill" for its ability to mimic the effects of exercise in sedentary mice protected animals genetically predisposed to the disorder and may hold promise for the treatment of people with enhanced susceptibility to heat-induced sudden death. ... > full story
Nervous system activity may predict successful weight loss (January 10, 2012) -- A recent study of obese volunteers participating in a 12-week dietary weight-loss program found that successful weight losers had significantly higher resting nerve activity compared to weight-loss resistant individuals. ... > full story
Grief over losing loved one linked to higher heart attack risks (January 10, 2012) -- Heart attack risks are extremely high for the bereaved in the days and weeks after losing a loved one. The first day after a loved one died, heart attack risk was 21 times higher than normal, which declined progressively over the first month. Friends and family of a bereaved person should watch for heart attack signs and help him or her maintain their medication regimen. ... > full story
Blood stem cells engineered to fight melanoma (January 10, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that blood stem cells can be engineered to create cancer-killing T-cells that seek out and attack a human melanoma. ... > full story
Regeneration of specialized cells offers hope for treating chronic kidney disease (January 10, 2012) -- Damage to podocytes -- a specialized type of epithelial cell in the kidney -- occurs in more than 90 percent of all chronic kidney disease. Now researchers have uncovered an unexpected pathway that reveals for the first time how these cells may regenerate and renew themselves during normal kidney function. ... > full story
Senses of sophistication: Mosquitoes detect subtle cues finding food, spreading diseases (January 10, 2012) -- Researchers have unraveled the mystery as to how the malaria mosquito uses its sensory powers to find food and spread disease. ... > full story
Robotic therapy may provide lasting gains for immobilized stroke survivors (January 10, 2012) -- Adding robotic assistance to standard rehab was more effective than traditional methods in helping severely impaired stroke survivors regain the ability to walk. The additional therapy was not beneficial for those with less impairment. ... > full story
Low vitamin D levels may contribute to development of Type 2 diabetes (January 10, 2012) -- A recent study of obese and non-obese children found that low vitamin D levels are significantly more prevalent in obese children and are associated with risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Bariatric surgery associated with reduction in cardiovascular events and death (January 10, 2012) -- Among obese individuals, having bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced long-term incidence of cardiovascular deaths and events such as heart attack and stroke, according to a new study. ... > full story
Good or bad: Surprises drive learning in same neural circuits (January 10, 2012) -- Neurosurgeons hoping to find ways to accelerate re-learning after a stroke or brain injury are trying to tease out the circuitry that governs learning. A new study of how the brain processes unexpected events found that neurons in two important structures handle both positive and negative surprises. That was a surprise in its own right. ... > full story
Early-stage breast cancer patients lack knowledge; may not receive treatment they prefer (January 10, 2012) -- Many early-stage breast cancer survivors lacked knowledge about their disease and were not meaningfully involved in treatment discussions or asked their preferences regarding the approach to treatment, according to new research. As a result, the study's investigators determined that there is a need for improvements in the quality of the surgical decision-making process for these patients. ... > full story
Fibroblasts contribute to melanoma tumor growth (January 9, 2012) -- Fibroblasts, cells that play a role in the structural framework of tissues, play an apparent role in melanoma tumor growth. Fibroblasts also contribute to melanoma drug resistance and may also facilitate the "flare" response when a tumor's metabolism is enhanced following a patient being removed from a targeted therapy, said researchers. ... > full story
Quitting smoking: Starting Chantix earlier may make it easier to quit (January 9, 2012) -- Smokers planning to kick the habit may have more success if they begin using a cessation medication several weeks before they actually try to quit. ... > full story
The perils of 'bite-size' science (January 9, 2012) -- Short, fast, and frequent: Those 21st-century demands on publication have radically changed the news, politics, and culture -- for the worse, many say. Now a new article aims a critique at a similar trend in psychological research. ... > full story
Cell membrane proteins could provide targets for broader vaccines (January 9, 2012) -- Vaccines with broader reach might be made by stimulating specialized immune cells to recognize foreign cell membrane proteins that are shared across bacterial species, say researchers. The approach could be particularly beneficial in preventing infection by multi-drug resistant organisms. ... > full story
PET effectively detects dementia, decade of research shows (January 9, 2012) -- Scientists find that a method of positron emission tomography safely and accurately detects dementia, including the most common and devastating form among the elderly, Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Listening to music can be effective for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons (January 9, 2012) -- Distraction is an effective pain reliever, and a new study concludes that listening to music can be effective for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons who can easily become absorbed in cognitive activities. ... > full story
Proton therapy effective prostate cancer treatment, study suggests (January 9, 2012) -- Proton therapy, a type of external beam radiation therapy, is a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer, according to two new studies. ... > full story
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