ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Monday, September 19, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Monday, September 19, 2011

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Scientists generate first detailed map of human neuroreceptor (September 19, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists have mapped out a neuroreceptor. This scientific breakthrough promises to revolutionize the engineering of drugs used to treat ailments such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. ... > full story

Study finds protein critical to breast cancer cell proliferation, migration (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a protein linked to cell division and migration and tied to increased cell proliferation in ovarian tumors is also present at high levels in breast cancer specimens and cell lines. The protein, dubbed "UNC-45A," was also determined to be more active in breast cancer cells than in normal breast cells. ... > full story

People born after World War II are more likely to binge drink, develop alcohol disorders, study finds (September 19, 2011) -- Drinking can be influenced by both personal and societal factors, the latter leading to "drinking cultures." Researchers have completed a review of 31 studies on birth-cohort and gender differences in drinking. Analysis shows that people born after World War II are more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol use disorders, and that women are "catching up" to men in terms of alcohol problems. ... > full story

Newest cancer therapies multi-task to eliminate tumors (September 18, 2011) -- Some of the newest therapies in the war on cancer remove the brakes cancer puts on the immune system, researchers report. ... > full story

New light on detection of bacterial infection: Polymers fluoresce in the presence of bacteria (September 18, 2011) -- Researchers have developed polymers that fluoresce in the presence of bacteria, paving the way for the rapid detection and assessment of wound infection using ultra-violet light. ... > full story

Low-fat yogurt intake when pregnant linked to increased risk of child asthma and hay fever, study suggests (September 18, 2011) -- Eating low-fat yogurt while pregnant can increase the risk of your child developing asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever), according to recent findings. Researchers suggest that non-fat related nutrient components in the yogurt may play a part in increasing this risk. They are also looking at the possibility that low-fat yogurt intake may serve as a marker for other dietary and lifestyle factors. ... > full story

Cycling fast: Vigorous daily exercise recommended for a longer life (September 18, 2011) -- A study conducted among cyclists in Copenhagen, Denmark showed that it is the relative intensity and not the duration of cycling which is of most importance in relation to all-cause mortality and even more pronounced for coronary heart disease mortality. ... > full story

Children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms have altered digestive genes (September 18, 2011) -- Researchers report that children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances have altered expression of genes involved in digestion. These variations may contribute to changes in the types of bacteria in their intestines. ... > full story

Targeting PTEN may prevent skin cancer (September 18, 2011) -- The tumor suppressor PTEN played key role in radiation damage repair. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. ... > full story

When it comes to pursuing your goals, let your unconscious be your guide (September 18, 2011) -- A new study says when it comes to goal setting, your unconscious mind can be a great motivator. Researchers say that unconscious feelings about objects in the environment influence the pursuit of long-term goals. Their study explores how the unconscious mind responds to objects in relation to an individual's goals -- and how the unconscious continues to influence feelings about these objects once the goals are reached -- whether or not the outcome has been successful. ... > full story

Mother tongue comes from your prehistoric father (September 17, 2011) -- Language change among our prehistoric ancestors came about via the arrival of immigrant men -- rather than women -- into new settlements, according to new research. ... > full story

Drug may increase cognition for people with Down syndrome (September 17, 2011) -- A researcher is conducting a clinical trial with a drug that may increase cognition in those with Down syndrome. ... > full story

T cells making brain chemicals may lead to better treatments for inflammation, autoimmune diseases (September 17, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a surprising new role for a new type of T cell in the immune system: some of them can be activated by nerves to make a neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) that blocks inflammation. The discovery of these T cells is novel and suggests that it may be possible to treat inflammation and autoimmune diseases by targeting the nerves and the T cells. ... > full story

New insight into impulse control (September 17, 2011) -- How the brain controls impulsive behavior may be significantly different than psychologists have thought for the last 40 years. ... > full story

Potential molecular target to prevent growth of cancer cells identified (September 17, 2011) -- Researchers have shown for the first time that the protein fortilin promotes growth of cancer cells by binding to and rendering inert protein p53, a known tumor suppressor. ... > full story

MRI research demonstrates ALS attacks multiple parts of the brain (September 17, 2011) -- Medical researchers demonstrate that ALS -- known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- damages neurons in parts of the brain responsible for cognition and behavior. The scientists provide evidence that ALS affects more than just the motor cortex, the part of the brain responsible for motor function. ... > full story

Moms who eat high-fat diet before, during pregnancy 'program' babies to be fat, at risk, mouse study shows (September 17, 2011) -- New research in mice indicates that babies born to moms who eat a high-fat diet before and during pregnancy have a higher fat mass and smaller livers than babies whose moms consume low-fat fare, according to scientists. ... > full story

Switch that controls stem cell pluripotency discovered (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists have found a control switch that regulates stem cell "pluripotency," the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The discovery reveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process called alternative splicing. ... > full story

Yellow patches around eyelids predict risk of heart problems, study finds (September 16, 2011) -- Raised yellow patches of skin (xanthelasmata) around the upper or lower eyelids are markers of an individual's increased risk of having a heart attack or suffering from heart disease, a new study finds. ... > full story

Biochemical cell signals quantified: Data capacity much lower than expected, scientists find (September 16, 2011) -- Just as cell phones and computers transmit data through electronic networks, the cells of your body send and receive chemical messages through molecular pathways. The term "cell signaling" was coined more than 30 years ago to describe this process. For the first time, scientists have quantified the data capacity of a biochemical signaling pathway and found a surprise -- it's lower than a dial-up modem. ... > full story

Number of children poisoned by medication rising dramatically, study says (September 16, 2011) -- The number of young children admitted to hospitals or seen in emergency departments because they unintentionally took a potentially toxic dose of medication has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a new study. The rise in exposure to prescription products has been so striking that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established the PROTECT Initiative, intended to prevent unintended medication overdoses in children. ... > full story

New class of stem cell-like cells discovered offers possibility for spinal cord repair (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists have announced the discovery of a new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells, offering a fresh avenue in the search for therapies to treat spinal cord injury and disease. ... > full story

Resistance to antibiotics is ancient (September 16, 2011) -- New research findings show antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that predates the modern clinical antibiotic use. The breakthrough will have important impact on the understanding of antibiotic resistance. ... > full story

Prenatal exposure to stress linked to accelerated cell aging (September 16, 2011) -- Young adults whose mothers experienced psychological trauma during their pregnancies show signs of accelerated aging, a new study has found. The researchers discovered that this prenatal exposure to stress affected the development of chromosome regions that control cell aging processes. ... > full story

Targeting cholesterol to fight deadly brain cancers (September 16, 2011) -- Blocking the uptake of large amounts of cholesterol into brain cancer cells could provide a new strategy to battle glioblastoma, one of the most deadly malignancies, researchers have found. ... > full story

Genetic differences distinguish stomach cancers, treatment response (September 16, 2011) -- Stomach cancer is actually two distinct disease variations based on its genetic makeup, and each responds differently to chemotherapy, according to an international team of scientists. ... > full story

Carbon nanoparticles break barriers -- and that may not be good (September 16, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers studied cellular alterations in the urine-blood barrier in the kidney caused by repeated exposure to low concentrations of carbon nanoparticles. Among the first to study concentrations of these tiny particles that are low enough to mimic the actual exposure of an ordinary individual, researchers say this is the initial step to understanding the assault on the human body of accidental exposure to CNPs. ... > full story

New approach to tracking the dangers of designer drug meow meow (September 16, 2011) -- Experts from the UK have devised a new questionnaire to detect behavior such as mephedrone use. The aim is to pinpoint exactly how widespread the abuse of substances like mephedrone, commonly called meow meow, is by using a method of data collection that aims to filter out respondents who might not be telling the truth. ... > full story

An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away (September 16, 2011) -- Eating apples and pears may help prevent stroke, according to a new study. While high consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower stroke risk, a Dutch study found that eating fruit and vegetables with white edible portions was associated with a 52 percent lower stroke risk. Apples and pears were the majority of the white fruits and vegetables consumed in the study. ... > full story

New method for detecting lung cancer unveiled (September 16, 2011) -- When lung cancer strikes, it often spreads silently into more advanced stages before being detected. In a new article, biological engineers and medical scientists reveal how their discovery could provide a much earlier warning signal. ... > full story

Unconventional hunt for new cancer targets leads to a powerful drug candidate for leukemia (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists have used an unconventional approach to cancer drug discovery to identify a new potential treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that is currently incurable in 70 percent of patients. The researchers have pinpointed a protein called Brd4 as a novel drug target for AML. Using a drug compound that inhibits the activity of Brd4, the scientists were able to suppress the disease in experimental models. ... > full story

Estrogen treatment may help reverse severe pulmonary hypertension (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have found that the hormone estrogen may help reverse advanced pulmonary hypertension, a rare and serious condition that affects 2 to 3 million individuals in the US, mostly women, and can lead to heart failure. The preclinical study shows that in rats, estrogen treatment can reverse the progression of pulmonary hypertension to heart failure and can restore lung and ventricle structure and function. ... > full story

World-first viral therapy trial in cancer patients (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have reported promising results of a world-first cancer therapy trial. The trial is the first to show that an intravenously-delivered viral therapy can consistently infect and spread within tumors without harming normal tissues in humans. It is also the first to show tumor-selective expression of a foreign gene after intravenous delivery. ... > full story

New rapid test tells difference between bacterial and viral infections (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a rapid and accurate test to tell the difference between bacterial and viral infections. Those common afflictions often have similar symptoms but vastly different treatments -- antibiotics work for bacterial infections but not for viruses. ... > full story

Archivist in the sound library: New model for speech and sound recognition (September 16, 2011) -- A new mathematical model mimics the process of speech and noise recognition in the human brain efficiently. It may explain experimental findings that remained unclear so far. ... > full story

Molecular evidence of brain changes in depressed females (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered molecular-level changes in the brains of women with major depressive disorder that link two hypotheses of the biological mechanisms that lead to the illness. Their results also allowed them to recreate the changes in a mouse model that could enhance future research on depression. ... > full story

Genomic catastrophe causes developmental delay, cognitive disorders (September 15, 2011) -- Using a diversity of DNA sequencing and human genome analytic techniques, researchers have identified some cases of developmental delay or cognitive disorders associated with a sudden chromosomal catastrophe that occurred early in development, perhaps during cell division when DNA is replicated. ... > full story

Mobile phone electromagnetic field affects local glucose metabolism in the human brain, Finnish study finds (September 15, 2011) -- Recent PET-measurements in Turku, Finland, show that the GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field suppresses glucose metabolism in temporoparietal and anterior temporal areas of the hemisphere next to the antenna. ... > full story

When ticks transmit dangerous pathogens: Local antibiotic therapy stops Lyme disease (September 15, 2011) -- Blood-sucking ticks are not just a nuisance, they can also transmit dangerous diseases. One of them is Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, and requires a course of treatment with antibiotics lasting several weeks. Researchers have come up with a quicker alternative. ... > full story

Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable, study finds (September 15, 2011) -- It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers have found differently, according to a new study. ... > full story

New model for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Mouse model that replicates human OCD can point to more effective treatments (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new model of obsessive-compulsive disorder that mirrors both symptoms of the disease and the timing of its treatment in humans. ... > full story

Mom, dad and kids undergo novel genome analyses for medical risks in new study (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have predicted the inherited health risks of a four-person family by analyzing their whole genome sequences. With the DNA sequences of both parents and children, the team was able to better check for sequencing errors and more accurately predict how individual genetic variants affect each family member's risk for disease. ... > full story

Team discovers treatable mechanism responsible for often deadly response to flu (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have found a novel mechanism by which certain viruses such as influenza trigger a type of immune reaction that can severely sicken or kill those infected. ... > full story

Serotonin levels affect the brain's response to anger (September 15, 2011) -- Fluctuations of serotonin levels in the brain, which often occur when someone hasn't eaten or is stressed, affects brain regions that enable people to regulate anger, new research has shown. ... > full story

Fail-safe system may lead to cures for inherited disorders (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown fail-safe (compensatory) pathway that potentially protects the brain and other organs from genetic and environmental threats. The discovery could provide new ways to diminish the negative consequences of genetic mutations and environmental toxins that cause neurological diseases and other maladies. ... > full story

Inner workings of virus responsible for rare skin cancer (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists have begun to uncover how the virus that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma -- a rare and aggressive skin cancer -- operates, meaning that a rational chemotherapeutic target for this cancer could be developed in the near future. ... > full story

Human-chimp evolutionary divergence: Methylation and gene sequence co-evolved, study suggests (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists published the first quantitative evidence supporting the notion that genome-wide "bookmarking" of DNA with methyl molecules -- a process called methylation -- and underlying DNA sequences have co-evolved in a kind of molecular slow-dance over the 6 million years since humans and chimps diverged from a common ancestor. ... > full story

Arctic ground squirrels muscle up to hunker down (September 15, 2011) -- When Arctic ground squirrels are getting ready to hibernate they don't just get fat -- they pack on muscle at a rate that would make a bodybuilder jealous. And they do it without suffering the harmful effects that high levels of testosterone and other anabolic steroids usually cause. Researchers have started to untangle how the squirrels manage it, and their results could someday have implications for human health. ... > full story

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