Disease Research
Researchers Test Caffeine's Effect on Cancer
April 18, 2013 11:04 am | News | CommentsResearchers are abuzz after using fruit flies to find new ways of taking advantage of caffeine’s lethal effects on cancer cells—results that could one day be used to advance cancer therapies for people. Previous research has established that caffeine interferes with processes in cancer cells that control DNA repair, a finding that has generated interest in using the stimulant as a chemotherapy treatment.
Protein Discovery Prevents HIV Reservoirs
April 17, 2013 1:11 pm | by Einstein | News | CommentsResearchers have discovered how the protein that blocks HIV-1 from multiplying in white blood cells is regulated. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS, and the discovery could lead to novel approaches for addressing HIV-1 "in hiding"– namely eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1 that persist in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
Rat Brain ‘GPS’ Maps Routes to Rewards
April 17, 2013 12:46 pm | News | CommentsWhile studying rats’ ability to navigate familiar territory, scientists found that one particular brain structure uses remembered spatial information to imagine routes the rats then follow. Their discovery has implications for understanding why damage to that structure, called the hippocampus, disrupts specific types of memory and learning in people with Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.
Acute Stress is Good for the Brain
April 17, 2013 11:42 am | News | CommentsOverworked and stressed out? Look on the bright side: Some stress is good for you. New research has uncovered exactly how acute stress– short-lived, not chronic– primes the brain for improved performance. In studies on rats, researchers found that significant, but brief stressful events caused stem cells in their brains to proliferate into new nerve cells.
Molecule Treats Leukemia by Blocking DNA Repair
April 17, 2013 10:44 am | News | CommentsResearchers have identified a molecule that prevents repair of some cancer cells, providing a potential new "genetic chemotherapy" approach to cancer treatment that could significantly reduce side effects and the development of treatment resistance compared with traditional chemotherapy.
Colic May be Early Form of Migraines
April 16, 2013 4:49 pm | by LINDSEY TANNER - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe distressing nonstop crying in babies with colic is often blamed on tummy trouble, but a new study says the problem could be linked with migraine headaches in at least some infants. Children and teens treated for migraine headaches at three hospitals in Italy and France were much more likely than other kids to have had colic in infancy.
Junk DNA Isn’t Really Junk
April 16, 2013 12:24 pm | News | CommentsSpecific DNA once dismissed as junk plays an important role in brain development and might be involved in several devastating neurological diseases, scientists have found. Their discovery in mice is likely to further fuel a recent scramble by researchers to identify roles for long-neglected bits of DNA within the genomes of mice and humans alike.
New Organizational Brain Model Can Benefit Stroke Rehab
April 16, 2013 11:44 am | News | CommentsA new model of brain lateralization for movement could dramatically improve the future of rehabilitation for stroke patients, according to researchers who proposed and confirmed the model through novel virtual reality and brain lesion experiments.
Anxious About Life? Tylenol May do the Trick
April 16, 2013 11:38 am | News | CommentsResearchers have found a new potential use for the over-the-counter pain drug Tylenol. Typically known to relieve physical pain, the study suggests the drug may also reduce the psychological effects of fear and anxiety over the human condition, or existential dread.
3 Cancer Scientists Awarded $500K NY Medical Prize
April 16, 2013 11:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThree scientists at universities in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Oregon whose research has helped transform cancer treatment will share one of the richest prizes in medicine and biomedical research. Dr. Peter Nowell of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Janet Rowley of the University of Chicago...
Breast Cancer Treatment Improved by Nanodiamonds
April 16, 2013 10:55 am | News | CommentsRecently, doctors have begun to categorize breast cancers into four main groups according to the genetic makeup of the cancer cells. Which category a cancer falls into generally determines the best method of treatment. But cancers in one of the four groups— called "basal-like" or "triple-negative" breast cancer (TNBC)— have been particularly tricky to treat because they usually don't respond to the "receptor-targeted" treatments.
Melanoma-prone Fish Get DNA Decoded
April 16, 2013 10:37 am | News | CommentsScientists have decoded the genome of the platyfish, a cousin of the guppy and a popular choice for home aquariums. Among scientists, the fish are meticulously studied for their tendency to develop melanoma and for other attributes more common to mammals, like courting prospective mates and giving birth to live young.
New Type of Bowel Cancer Discovered
April 15, 2013 11:41 am | News | CommentsA unique sub-type of bowel cancer has been discovered which has a worse outcome than other types of colon cancer and is resistant to certain targeted treatments, according to new research. Researchers analyzed tumors from 90 separate patients with stage II colon cancer and found that they could group the samples into three distinct sub-types.
Next-gen Sequencing Finds Brain Tumor Mutations
April 15, 2013 11:02 am | News | CommentsResearchers have identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. Researchers also found evidence the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development. The study focused on a family of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs).
Louisiana Company Recalls 468K Pounds of Meat
April 13, 2013 4:28 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture says a Louisiana-based meat packing company has expanded a recall of meat products because of possible bacterial contamination. No illnesses have been reported. The Manda Packing Company recall announced this past week now includes 468,000 pounds of meat.
MRSA-killing Antibiotic Developed
April 12, 2013 12:03 pm | News | CommentsA new broad range antibiotic has been found to kill a wide range of bacteria, including drug-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) bacteria that do not respond to traditional drugs. The antibiotic, Epimerox, targets weaknesses in bacteria that have long been exploited by viruses that attack themeria.
TB Fighter, Promoter Reveals Split Identity
April 12, 2013 11:17 am | News | CommentsTumor necrosis factor– normally an infection-fighting substance produced by the body– can actually heighten susceptibility to tuberculosis if its levels are too high. A new study shows how excess production of this disease-cell destroyer at first acts as a TB germ killer. But later the opposite occurs: Too much tumor necrosis factor encourages TB pathogens to multiply in the body.
3-D Structure of Telomerase Enzyme Mapped
April 12, 2013 10:58 am | News | CommentsLike finally seeing all the gears of a watch and how they work together, researchers have, for the first time ever, solved the puzzle of how the various components of an entire telomerase enzyme complex fit together and function in a three-dimensional structure.
Scientists Find ‘Second Fiddle’ Diabetes Protein
April 12, 2013 10:34 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers has found that a protein long believed to have a minor role in type 2 diabetes is, in fact, a central player in the development of the condition that affects nearly 26 million people in the United States alone and counts as one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke and kidney, eye and nerve damage.
Implanted ‘Bracelet’ Treats Chronic Heartburn
April 11, 2013 10:31 am | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Chief Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsA tiny magnetic bracelet implanted at the base of the throat is greatly improving life for some people with chronic heartburn who get limited relief from medicines. It's a novel way to treat severe acid reflux, which plagues millions of Americans and can raise their risk for more serious health problems.
‘Protein Switch’ Can Pinpoint Cancer’s Key Players
April 11, 2013 10:28 am | News | CommentsResearchers have “rationally rewired” some of the cell’s smallest components to create proteins that can be switched on or off by command. These “protein switches” can be used to interrogate the inner workings of each cell, helping scientists uncover the molecular mechanisms of human health and disease.
Doctors Can ‘See’ Pain
April 10, 2013 5:02 pm | by MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Chief Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a provocative new study, scientists reported Wednesday that they were able to “see” pain on brain scans and, for the first time, measure its intensity and tell whether a drug was relieving it. Though the research is in its early stages, it opens the door to a host of possibilities.
Medication Nation: Study Shows Antibiotic Overuse
April 10, 2013 4:59 pm | by MIKE STOBBE - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. doctors are prescribing enough antibiotics to give them to 4 out of 5 Americans every year, an alarming pace that suggests they are being overused, a new government study finds. Overuse is one reason antibiotics are losing their punch, making infections harder to treat.
Mouse Brains Made Transparent
April 10, 2013 1:29 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsTalk about clearing your head: Stanford University scientists have found a way to make see-through mouse brains. You take the brain out of the mouse, soak it in chemicals for a couple of days, and voila: It becomes transparent. That's not just a parlor trick.
Researchers Create Next-gen Alzheimer’s Model
April 10, 2013 10:18 am | News | CommentsA new genetically engineered lab rat that has the full array of brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease supports the idea that increases in a molecule called beta-amyloid in the brain causes the disease, according to a new study.
