Month: May 2017

Microscopic image of rat neurons showing that targeting of drugs to the inside of cells helps them localize to pain receptors. Credit: D.D. Jensen et al., Science Translational Medicine (2017) Researchers from Monash University have developed a new drug delivery strategy able to block pain within the nerve cells, in what could be a major development of an immediate and long lasting treatment for pain. More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain and

Long before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease become apparent to patients and their families, biological changes are occurring within the brain. Amyloid plaques, which are clusters of protein fragments, along with tangles of …

MIT researchers are developing a new surgical approach that would allow amputees to receive sensory feedback from their prosthetic limbs and improve their ability to control them. Credit: Jose-Luis Olivares A new surgical technique devised by MIT researchers could allow prosthetic limbs to feel much more like natural limbs. Through coordination of the patient’s prosthetic limb, existing nerves, and muscle grafts, amputees would be able to sense where their limbs are in space and to

Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. Credit: Marvin 101/Wikipedia For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an impaired ability to understand how others feel and think may be linked to subtle brain changes, according to a study published in the May 31, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Understanding how MS affects the ‘social brain‘

A prototype of the speculum-free “pocket colposcope” being developed by Duke University produces images on a smart phone or laptop and can make cervical cancer screening more accessible to women living in low-resource areas. Credit: Duke University Duke University researchers have developed a handheld device for cervical cancer screening that promises to do away with uncomfortable speculums and high-cost colposcopes. The “pocket colposcope” is a slender wand that can connect to many devices, including laptops

Ask Elizabeth Bowen about the intersection of homelessness and HIV/AIDS in the United States and she’ll respond without hesitation, “Housing equals health.” That conclusion seemed clear to Bowen, assistant professor in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work, during the four years she worked in a supportive housing program in Chicago, Illinois. Now as a UB researcher she has published a study that empirically supports what she experienced on the ground. “Supportive housing, a

Penn State College of Medicine researchers have shown, for the first time, a possible correlation between the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station and thyroid cancers in the counties surrounding the plant. Three Mile Island (TMI), located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had a partial meltdown accident on March 28, 1979. During the accident, radiation was released into the environment, which the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission said was in small amounts with

As children with single-ventricle disease, a complex and severe heart defect, undergo a series of three reconstructive surgeries, pediatric researchers have detected higher rates of brain abnormalities at each stage. The …

A phase 2 clinical trial in young adults with Down syndrome of a drug being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease supports further investigation of its potential. Results of the four-week trial of scyllo-inositol, also known as ELND005, have been published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. “Through this study, members of the Down syndrome community have demonstrated loudly and clearly that they are eager to participate in clinical trials, particularly studies that provide

We all want to improve our memory, but research unveiled by the University of Toronto’s Dr. Katherine Duncan today shows that we need to switch our strategies. Memory isn’t a single entity, and separate memory processes, …

Children who participated in the PROSPER (PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience) program over seven years ago showed lower rates of substance abuse after high school graduation, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Pennsylvania State and Iowa State Universities and published in a recent issue of Psychological Medicine. PROSPER, a community-based preventive intervention delivery system, is offered to young adolescents during middle school—a pivotal period when exposure to and uptake of substances

By adding an experimental drug to a standard chemotherapy regimen, a subset of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer had a significantly longer period before the cancer progressed as compared with those who received the standard treatment, according to a Phase 2 clinical trial led by Dr. Sunil Hingorani, an investigator at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The randomized, controlled trial found that when the experimental therapy was given to participants whose tumors had a lot

Top promoted drugs are less likely than top selling and top prescribed drugs to be effective, safe, affordable, novel, and represent a genuine advance in treating a disease, argue US researchers in The BMJ today.

Beta blockers, a group of medicines generally prescribed to heart attack patients, may not increase the chances of survival in patients who have not suffered subsequent heart failure, suggests British research studying 179,810 patients. Researchers at the UK’s University of Leeds investigated whether beta blockers — drugs which regulate heart activity — were beneficial to heart attack patients who did not suffer from heart failure, a heart attack complication whereby the heart muscle is damaged and no

A new UK study has found that obesity in childhood has long-term health implications that could last well into adulthood. Carried out by a team from the University of Surrey, the researchers collected data from 18 studies which included over 300,000 children in total with an average age of 10. The team looked at the measurements of the children’s body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and skin fold thickness, and compared them to results from

If you’re a new father, spending plenty of time with your baby could boost his or her mental development, a new study suggests. British researchers looked at how 128 fathers interacted with their infants at 3 months of age. When the kids turned 2, the researchers measured their mental development. Infants whose fathers were more engaged and active when playing with them in their first few months of life did better on thinking skills tests

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd said on Wednesday its experimental drug to prevent migraine met the main goal in a late-stage study. Patients treated with the drug, fremanezumab, experienced a statistically significant reduction in the number of monthly headache days over the 12-week period for both monthly and quarterly dosing regimens, the company said.

Women who are at least 35 years old when they give birth are much more likely than younger mothers to experience a variety of major pregnancy complications, a recent study confirms. While previous research has linked what’s known as advanced maternal age to problems like high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy and a higher risk of death and severe complications for babies, the current study offers fresh insight into the severe health issues faced

Irritating problems such as hot flashes and night sweats cause distress in many women at menopause, and a new study published in the journal Menopause found that hot flashes are associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) The study of 749 Brazilian women aged 45 to 60 years showed that obese women suffered more severe hot flashes than women of normal weight. The hot flashes caused them to stop certain activities and also decreased

You have all the best apps on your cellphone, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google. But what about emergency apps — apps that can actually save your life? When emergencies strike, seconds matter. You cellphone can be your lifeline. You may not even know it, but chances are great you have a native Health app — one already installed on your phone. Both of the most popular phones — iPhone and Android —come with their own

Imagine having the clear, supple, healthy blood vessels of a 20-year-old in your 70s. It’s possible, but “challenging,” a new study suggests. Still, if you eat right, exercise and stay trim, you have a shot at offsetting age-related blood vessel degeneration, according to this study of more than 3,000 adults. Genetics played less of a role than lifestyle in keeping blood vessels young, the researchers found. Over time, blood vessels stiffen and blood pressure rises,

Todd Vogel, M.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the MU School of Medicine, and lead author of the study, performs corrective surgery for peripheral artery disease. Credit: Justin Kelley, University of Missouri Health High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to turn blood glucose into energy. Although high blood sugar usually only affects diabetics, hyperglycemia has been associated with poorer

UM Professor Amishi Jha asks in a recent study if college football players can be trained to be mentally tough and resilient. The research reveals that mindfulness training but not relaxation training, improves college athletes’ attention. Practice and adherence are key. Credit: University of Miami By the end of each academic semester, most college students struggle with a drop in attention spans and increased stress, especially student-athletes. Athletes know dedicated practice and physical training lead

A blood clot forming in the carotid artery. Credit: copyright American Heart Association Brain changes after stroke may lead to increase in alcohol-seeking behavior, at least in animal models, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Scientific Reports. Although it is known that excessive alcohol intake (more than two drinks per day) is a risk factor for stroke, there hasn’t been much scientific study about how alcohol-related behavior might change after a stroke has

Credit: George Hodan/Public Domain Scientists and clinicians from Swansea and Milan have found that some people who use the internet a lot experience significant physiological changes such as increased heart rate and blood pressure when they finish using the internet. The study involved 144 participants, aged 18 to 33 years, having their heart rate and blood pressure measured before and after a brief internet session. Their anxiety and self-reported internet-addiction were also assessed. The results

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers A new study of Muslim women in the U.S. found a significant association between heightened vigilance, as a measure of internalized stigma, and increased risk for depression. The study, which also examined the link between depression and the women’s experiences with physical and sexual abuse, is published in Journal of Women’s Health. Henna Budhwani, PhD, MPH and Kristine Hearld, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, report that the study

Neural crest cells (NCC) are multi-potent cells of ectodermal origin that colonize diverse organs, including the gastrointestinal tract to form the enteric nervous system (ENS) and hematopoietic organs (bone marrow, thymus) where they participate in lymphocyte trafficking. Recent studies have implicated the spleen as an anatomic site for integration of inflammatory signals from the intestine with efferent neural inputs. We have previously observed alterations in splenic lymphocyte subsets in animals with defective migration of NCC

Navigating the U.S. health care system can be frustrating for anyone, but for adults with chronic medical conditions, the frustration can become overwhelming as they juggle multiple providers, medications and treatments.

Diagram of the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s Disease. Credit: Wikipedia/public domain. Long before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease become apparent to patients and their families, biological changes are occurring within the brain. Amyloid plaques, which are clusters of protein fragments, along with tangles of protein known as tau, form in the brain and grow in number, eventually getting in the way of the brain’s ability to function. These biological changes can be detected early

We all want to improve our memory, but research unveiled by the University of Toronto’s Dr. Katherine Duncan today shows that we need to switch our strategies. Memory isn’t a single entity, and separate memory processes, …

Eating more whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes and apples, is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with greater fruit juice consumption having an adverse effect, a paper published today in BMJ suggests.

(HealthDay)—For white, black, and Hispanic women, receipt of a prescription subsidy is associated with improved persistence to breast cancer hormone therapy, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in the Journal …

(HealthDay)—Multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as E. coli, can be found in more than one-quarter of people living in nursing homes, a research review finds. Reviewing eight prior studies, researchers reported rates ranged from 11 percent of residents to an alarming 59 percent, with 27 percent the average. “Nursing home residents are at higher risk to become colonized with these bacteria,” said study author Sainfer Aliyu, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University School of Nursing in New

Despite lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as “bad” cholesterol, while markedly increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, a large clinical trial to investigate the cholesterol …

Medicine, Health Care Does Stress Lead to Lengthier… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Deutsches Aerzteblatt International COLOGNE. The duration of a person’s unfitness for work is determined by more than his/her primary diagnosis. Patients often report psychological problems and a feeling of being burnt out. Antonius Schneider and colleagues analyzed whether an association exists between such psychological symptoms and the length of sick leave, even if patients received their sick note because of purely physical

Medicine, Health Care Assessing And Addressing the Impact… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Frontiers Childhood trauma is the experience of a highly distressing event or situation during one’s youth, which is beyond a minor’s capacity for coping or control. Trauma encompasses many possible events, from enduring sexual or physical violence to facing the death of a parent. While such events would be painful for anyone, some children who experience trauma become particularly susceptible to psychosis.

Medicine, Health Care Many Cancer Patients’ Emergency Department… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center   SEATTLE – May 30, 2017 – As many as 53 percent of cancer patients’ Emergency Department visits that do not require admission could be avoided with better symptom management and greater availability of outpatient care tailored to their needs, according to a new study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Although a number of studies have addressed

Medicine, Health Care Triple Immunotherapy for Rare Skin… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center   SEATTLE — May 30, 2017 — Three out of four patients treated with an experimental combination of three different therapies for the rare skin cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma are in complete remission following the treatment, according to study results from a small clinical trial led at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Fred Hutch immunotherapy researcher

Medicine, Health Care Blocking Cancer-specific Mutations in Leukemia… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) Many malignancies develop as a result of genetic alterations in individual cells. These gene mutations often cause altered proteins that give new, growth-promoting properties to the cell. A prime example for this principle is a cancer-related altered form of the IDH1 enzyme that was initially discovered in certain malignant brain tumors. Scientists had noticed that

Medicine, Health Care Diabetes Linked to Bacteria Invading… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Georgia State University   ATLANTA–In humans, developing metabolic disease, particularly type 2 diabetes, is correlated with having bacteria that penetrate the mucus lining of the colon, according to a study led by Drs. Benoit Chassaing and Andrew Gewirtz at Georgia State University. Dr. Andrew Gewirtz, professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. Credit: Georgia State University The findings, which

Medicine, Health Care Higher Odds of Late Breast… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Georgia State University   Living in a segregated white community has been associated with higher odds of being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, according to a recent study led by a researcher in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. Although white women generally are at relatively low risk of such diagnoses nationwide, the study’s findings “suggest there may be a

Medicine, Health Care Emergency Room Patients Routinely Overcharged,… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Johns Hopkins Medicine   An analysis of billing records for more than 12,000 emergency medicine doctors across the United States shows that charges varied widely, but that on average, adult patients are charged 340 percent more than what Medicare pays for services ranging from suturing a wound to interpreting a head CT scan. A report of the study’s findings, published in JAMA Internal

Medicine, Health Care Reservoirs of Latent HIV Can… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Johns Hopkins Medicine   Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report new evidence that immune cells infected with a latent form of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are able to proliferate, replenishing the reservoir of virus that is resistant to antiretroviral drug therapy. Although HIV can be controlled with therapy in most cases, the proliferation of such reservoir cells pose a persistent barrier to developing

Medicine, Health Care High-sensitivity Assay Gives More Reassurance… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Karolinska Institutet For some time now, patients in Sweden’s emergency clinics complaining of chest pain have been evaluated using the “high-sensitivity troponin T” assay. In a large-scale registry study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology scientists at Karolinska Institutet show how this more sensitive analytical method has improved evaluation for these patients. Since its introduction, fewer patients diagnosed

Medicine, Health Care Study Documents Opioid Abuse Following… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Loyola University Health System MAYWOOD, IL – About 1 in 1,111 patients who undergo urologic surgery for conditions such as prostate cancer and kidney stones experience opioid dependence or overdose (ODO), a Loyola Medicine study has found. Patients at highest risk for ODO were younger, underwent inpatient surgery, had longer hospital stays, were on Medicaid or Medicare or had a history of

Medicine, Health Care Flash Glucose Monitoring Offers Accuracy,… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News New Rochelle, NY, May 30, 2017–Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) sensors are now so accurate that two CGM devices, including the first approved “Flash Glucose Monitoring” system, have received regulatory approval for nonadjunctive use by individuals with type 1 diabetes to guide insulin dosing. The critical factors related to CGM accuracy, clinical implications of accurate CGM and

Immunotherapy drugs to combat cancer have stimulated tremendous excitement among patients and physicians alike. They debuted in 2011, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ipilimumab (Yervoy) to treat metastatic melanoma, a usually fatal disease. Since then, other immunotherapies have reached the market, including pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab (Opdivo), atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and avelumab (Bavencio). These first-generation immunotherapy drugs are all monoclonal antibodies which enable the immune system’s T cells to attack tumors. However, their promise

Most of us have likely taken aspirin at some point in our lives for a common minor ailment like headaches, fever or muscle cramps. Research has also shown this drug to be an effective part of treatment for heart attacks and strokes. But more recent research on aspirin suggests it may be beneficial in yet another way—by reducing the risk of developing and dying from several types of cancer, including colorectal, lung, breast and prostate

Tiffany Osborn, MD, (left) a professor of surgery and of emergency medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, reviews data with Shawn Reynolds, a physician’s assistant in anesthesiology. Osborn is a noted expert on sepsis, the leading cause of death in hospitals. She contributed to a major study advocating quick identification and treatment for sepsis. Credit: Robert Boston/Washington University School of Medicine As a resident in emergency medicine nearly two decades ago,

In a new study, young children showed signs of kidney damage if their mothers smoked while pregnant. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), add …

Figures released today by the AIDS Epidemiology Group at the University of Otago show that in 2016, 244 people were diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand – the highest number ever diagnosed in any one year since monitoring of the epidemic began in 1985. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) were the group most affected. Of the 244 people diagnosed, 159 (65 per cent) were MSM, and 42 (17 per

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have found evidence of a new principle for how epigenetic changes can occur. The principle is based on an enzyme, tryptase, that has epigenetic effects that cause cells to …

To illustrate how this process works, look at the image on the left for 5 seconds, then look at the small x on the right. You’ll likely see the positive image of the photograph. Credit: Washington University in St. Louis Is there an opposite for the smell of a rose? Is silence simply the absence of sound? The results of a recent study by a team of biomedical engineers in the School of Engineering Applied

Sour taste cells may not behave as biologists previously believed. Credit: Oka Laboratory/Caltech New research from Caltech shows that sour-sensing taste cells play an important role in detecting water on the tongue. The work, appearing in a paper in the May 29 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, was done in the laboratory of Yuki Oka, assistant professor of biology. “The tongue can detect various key nutrient factors, called tastants— such as sodium, sugar, and

Researchers have clarified the role of a gene critical for the development of a type of white blood cells, known as B cells, which produce antibodies and serve as a “memory” for the immune system. This finding may open up a new therapeutic avenue for leukemia and autoimmune diseases. Led by Kong-Peng Lam of the Bioprocessing Technology Institute at A*STAR, the research team used mutated mice to investigate the role of c-Abl, a proto-oncogene which

The anxiety over antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which are responsible for 23,000 deaths a year in the United States, is likely to grow in California, following the recent discovery by UCLA researchers of high levels of antibiotic-resistant …

Researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and the National Cancer Centre Singapore who discovered the approach of using patients’ stem cells to test for side effects of drugs. From left: Hanry Yu, Min-Han Tan and Ravindran Kanesvaran. Credit: A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Severe illnesses sometimes require treatment regimens carrying grave risks, including organ failure. Now, a non-invasive technique developed at A*STAR could help predict patient vulnerability to potentially toxic drugs.  Therapeutics

It’s in the genes why some people find broccoli unpleasantly bitter, but others barely flinch when eating it. Credit: www.shutterstock.com Most people say that if there is a healthy choice on a menu they will take it. But observations and research show this is generally not the case. Instead, people tend to make choices based on how food tastes. Typically, the more sugar, salt and fat in the food, the more we will like it.

Credit: CC0 Public Domain (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit and the U.K. Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies has found evidence of impaired emotional face reading by people when they are feeling anxious. In their paper published in Royal Society Open Science, the group describes a series of experiments they carried out with different groups of volunteers and what they the found. Most people know that anxiety makes people

A 34-year-old woman tried to have a baby for 15 years before she turned to a pioneering doctor in Ukraine and a groundbreaking but ethically disputed “three-parent” procedure. She became the mother of a healthy baby boy in January at a private clinic in Kiev using a process called pronuclear transfer that inserts the couple’s genes into a donor’s egg. The procedure had been previously used to treat serious genetic diseases. But doctor Valeriy Zukin

Pedro Dumper says he’s thankful for his close relationship with his dad. He talked to his father about a health concern that could have left him infertile if not caught early. Post-surgery, he’s completely healthy. Credit: Orlando Health Knowing your family history and hereditary risks is extremely important in preventing future health problems. But it’s a topic that men tend to avoid, especially when it comes to sexual health. A new national survey commissioned by

Hot flashes, one of the most common symptoms of menopause, have already been shown to interfere with a woman’s overall quality of life. A new study shows that, particularly for younger midlife women (age 40-53 years), frequent …

Medicine, Health Care Gender And Homicide: Important Trends… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News New Rochelle, NY, May 30, 2017-A comprehensive review of four decades of national homicide data show important gender differences and trends among homicide victims and offenders in the U.S., related to prevalence and the characteristics of the crimes and the men and women involved. The article “Gender Differences in Patterns and Trends in U.S. Homicide, 1976-2015”

Medicine, Health Care NIH Scientists Find Real-time Imaging… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Real-time imaging of influenza infection in mice is a promising new method to quickly monitor disease progression and to evaluate whether candidate vaccines and treatments are effective in this animal model, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists. A group from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) evaluated the live

Medicine, Health Care Mosquitoes Infected with Virus-suppressing Bacteria… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by PLOS Mosquitos infected with the bacteria Wolbachia are significantly worse vectors for dengue virus, but how to establish and spread Wolbachia in an urban mosquito population is unclear. A study publishing on 30th May 2017 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Michael Turelli from University of California, Davis, and colleagues from Scott O’Neill’s “Eliminate Dengue Program” demonstrates that over time,

Medicine, Health Care Older Mothers Have Higher Rates… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by PLOS The risk of potentially life-threatening morbidity around childbirth, such as renal failure, obstetric shock, and amniotic fluid embolism, increases in older mothers, according to a study published by Sarka Lisonkova from the University of British Columbia, Canada and colleagues in PLOS Medicine. The researchers examined data on all singleton births to women residing in Washington State, US, 2003 to 2013 (n

Medicine, Health Care Understanding T Cell Activation Could… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Penn State   Scientists could be one step closer to developing vaccines against viruses such as Zika, West Nile or HIV, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Most current vaccines work by stimulating a class of white blood cells called B cells to make antibodies that circulate and control infections in the blood. For decades, scientists have been seeking a new

Medicine, Health Care LGBQQ College Students Face Barriers… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by RAND Corporation   College students who belong to sexual minority groups are more likely to seek help for mental health problems than their straight peers, but they still face many barriers to using on-campus mental health services, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Researchers found that students who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning were more likely to use

Medicine, Health Care Handwashing: Cool Water as Effective… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Rutgers University We all know that washing our hands can keep us from spreading germs and getting sick. But a new Rutgers-New Brunswick study found that cool water removes the same amount of harmful bacteria as hot. “People need to feel comfortable when they are washing their hands but as far as effectiveness, this study shows us that the temperature of the

Medicine, Health Care Just Ask: Documenting Sexual Orientation… Published: May 30, 2017.Released by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine   DES PLAINES, IL–Transgender patients feel it is more important for health care providers to know their gender identity (GI) than their sexual orientation (SI), but are willing to disclose SO/GI in general. That is the primary finding of a study to be published in the June 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the