ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Saturday, March 24, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Saturday, March 24, 2012

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Shiny new tool for imaging biomolecules (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a technique for lacing artificial membranes with billions of gold nanoantennas that can boost optical signals from a protein tens of thousands of times without the protein ever being touched. This technique could provide a critical tool in the fight against a wide range of health problems including cancer. ... > full story

Highly flexible despite hard-wiring: Even slight stimuli change the information flow in the brain (March 23, 2012) -- When looking at an optical illusion that can appear as either one cup or two faces, which do you see first? What we believe we see in one of the most famous optical illusions changes in a split second; and so does the path that the information takes in the brain. Changes in the information processing can be triggered even by a slight stimulus, such as a scent or sound, at the right time. ... > full story

New epilepsy gene located in dogs (March 23, 2012) -- A new epilepsy gene for idiopathic epilepsy in Belgian Shepherds has been found in the canine chromosome 37. This research opens new avenues for the understanding of the genetic background of the most common canine epilepsies. The research also has an impact on the understanding of common epilepsies in humans. ... > full story

'Bed-of-nails' breast implant deters cancer cells (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have created an implant that appears to deter breast cancer cell regrowth. Made from a common federally approved polymer, the implant is the first to be modified at the nanoscale in a way that causes a reduction in the blood-vessel architecture that breast cancer tumors depend upon, while also attracting healthy breast cells. ... > full story

Brain insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (March 23, 2012) -- Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Who knew? Fruit flies get kidney stones too (March 23, 2012) -- Research on kidney stones in fruit flies may hold the key to developing a treatment that could someday stop the formation of kidney stones in humans, scientists have found. ... > full story

Biomarkers for autism discovered (March 23, 2012) -- There are no acknowledged biomarkers for autism today. An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has now been take. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample. ... > full story

Humans began walking upright to carry scarce resources, chimp study suggests (March 23, 2012) -- Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us don't question. But scientists have discovered that human bipedalism, or walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high-quality resources. ... > full story

Scientists reprogram cancer cells with low doses of epigenetic drugs (March 23, 2012) -- Experimenting with cells in culture, researchers have breathed possible new life into two drugs once considered too toxic for human cancer treatment. The drugs, azacitidine (AZA) and decitabine (DAC), are epigenetic-targeted drugs and work to correct cancer-causing alterations that modify DNA. ... > full story

Gene expression abnormalities in autism identified (March 23, 2012) -- A new study has for the first time identified in young autism patients genetic mechanisms involved in abnormal early brain development and overgrowth that occurs in the disorder. The findings suggest novel genetic and molecular targets that could lead to discoveries of new prevention strategies and treatment for the disorder. ... > full story

High-throughput screening finds surprising properties for antioxidants: Some compounds can damage DNA, but may treat cancer (March 22, 2012) -- Antioxidants have long been thought to have anti-aging properties, primarily by protecting a person's genetic material from damaging chemicals. The story, however, now appears to be much more complicated. Researchers have demonstrated that some antioxidants damage DNA and kill cells instead of protecting them. The findings also suggest that this surprising capability may be good for treating cancer, but may prove cautionary when using antioxidant-based medicines to treat other disorders, such as diabetes. ... > full story

Can our genes be making us fat? (March 22, 2012) -- While high-fat foods are thought to be of universal appeal, there is actually a lot of variation in the extent to which people like and consume fat. A new study reported that two specific genes (TAS2R38–a bitter taste receptor and CD36–a possible fat receptor), may play a role in some people’s ability to taste and enjoy dietary fat. By understanding the role of these two genes, food scientists may be able to help people who have trouble controlling how much fat they eat. ... > full story