Human Studies
‘Brainbow’ Imaging Gets Upgraded
May 16, 2013 11:31 am | News | CommentsThe breakthrough technique that allowed scientists to obtain one-of-a-kind, colorful images of the myriad connections in the brain and nervous system is about to get a significant upgrade. A group of Harvard researchers has made a host of technical improvements in the “Brainbow” imaging technique.
Maturing Teenage Brain Explored
May 16, 2013 11:08 am | News | CommentsDespite adolescence being a high-risk time for developing major psychiatric and drug dependence disorders, very little is known about the teenage brain. A new research project aims to shed light on what happens to the brain as young people mature.
Skin Cancer Linked to Reduced Alzheimer's Risk
May 15, 2013 5:01 pm | by Einstein | News | CommentsPeople who have non-melanoma skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study showed that individuals with skin cancer were nearly 80 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared with people who did not have skin cancer. No such association was found with other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia.
Stem Cells Recovered from Embryo Clones
May 15, 2013 12:39 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsScientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.
Using Clay to Grow Bone
May 15, 2013 11:57 am | News | CommentsNew research reports that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Synthetic silicates are made up of simple or complex salts of silicic acids.
Brains Re-wire to Compensate After Damage
May 15, 2013 10:56 am | News | CommentsScientists have advanced our understanding of brain plasticity by showing that the brain forms complex new circuits after damage, often far from the damaged site, to compensate for lost function. The study identified the exact regions of the brain that take over when a learning and memory center, known as the hippocampus, is damaged.
Endothelium Healing Mechanism Revealed
May 14, 2013 2:31 pm | by Harvard Medical School | News | CommentsThe endothelium, the cellular layer lining the body’s blood vessels, is extremely resilient. Measuring just a few hundred nanometers in thickness, this super-tenuous structure routinely withstands blood flow, hydrostatic pressure, stretch and tissue compression to create a unique and highly dynamic barrier that maintains the organization necessary to partition tissues from the body’s circulatory system.
One Master Regulator Drives Majority of Lymphoma
May 14, 2013 11:44 am | News | CommentsA soon-to-be-tested class of drug inhibitors were predicted to help a limited number of patients with B-cell lymphomas with mutations affecting the EZH2 protein. However, a research team now reports that these agents may, in fact, help a much broader cross section of lymphoma patients.
Gel Implant Restores Paralyzed Nerves
May 14, 2013 11:33 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers has invented a method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves. Through a biodegradable implant in combination with a newly-developed Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) that increases nerve growth and healing, the functionality of a torn or damaged nerve could ultimately be restored.
Protein Triggers Cell Death
May 14, 2013 11:12 am | News | CommentsWhen cells suffer too much DNA damage, they are usually forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, cancer cells often ignore these signals, flourishing even after chemotherapy drugs have ravaged their DNA. A new finding may offer a way to overcome that resistance.
Inflammation Gene Controls OA Risk
May 14, 2013 11:02 am | News | CommentsIndividuals with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) who had a specific pattern of gene variations in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1RN), which is involved in controlling inflammation, were more likely to progress to severe disease than those without the gene variations.
India to Offer $1 Rotavirus Vaccine
May 14, 2013 7:43 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Indian government announced the development of a new low-cost vaccine proven effective against a diarrhea-causing virus that is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths across the developing world. The Indian manufacturer of the new rotavirus vaccine pledged to sell it for $1 a dose, a significant discount from the cost of the current vaccines on the market.
Chemistry Breakthrough Yields New Imaging Dye
May 13, 2013 1:30 pm | News | CommentsFrom microscopes to nuclear imaging scanners, imaging technology is growing ever more vital for the world's hospitals, whether for the diagnosis of illness or for research into new cures. Imaging technology requires dyes or contrast agents of some sort. Current contrast agents and dyes are expensive, difficult to work with and far from ideal. Now, chemists have discovered a new dye and proved its worth against the dyes currently available.
New Genetic Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer Found
May 13, 2013 1:10 pm | News | CommentsA new, first-of-its-kind meta-analysis looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The discovery of these genetic variations could ultimately help researchers better understand which men are at high risk and allow for early detection or prevention of the disease.
Potential Flu Pandemic Lurks in Birds, Pigs
May 13, 2013 1:01 pm | News | CommentsIn the summer of 1968, a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong Kong. This strain, known as H3N2, spread around the globe and eventually killed an estimated 1 million people. A new study from MIT reveals that there are many strains of H3N2 circulating in birds and pigs that are genetically similar to the 1968 strain and have the potential to generate a pandemic if they leap to humans.
Spontaneous Mutations Crucial in Congenital Heart Disease
May 13, 2013 12:48 pm | News | CommentsEvery year, thousands of babies are born with severely malformed hearts, disorders known collectively as congenital heart disease. Many of these defects can be repaired though surgery, but researchers don’t understand what causes them or how to prevent them. New research shows that about 10 percent of these defects are caused by genetic mutations that are absent in the parents of affected children.
New Respiratory Viruses Could Spark Global Outbreaks
May 13, 2013 10:48 am | by MARIA CHENG - AP Medical Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsTwo respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials — a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China. Last week, the coronavirus related to SARS spread to France, where one patient who probably caught the the disease in Dubai infected his hospital roommate.
Cilia Research Heats Up
May 13, 2013 9:11 am | News | CommentsExperiments have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like “antennae,” called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments. Researchers found that the size limit for entry is much greater than previously thought, allowing most of a cell's proteins into cilia.
Bacteria Interferes with Malaria Transmission
May 10, 2013 11:58 am | News | CommentsMosquitoes are deadly efficient disease transmitters. Research, however, demonstrates that they also can be equally adept in curing diseases such as malaria. A new study shows that the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes to humans can be interrupted by using a strain of the bacteria Wolbachia in the insects.
Dynamic Brain Cells Crucial to CNS
May 10, 2013 11:41 am | News | CommentsBy monitoring the behavior of a class of cells in the brains of living mice, neuroscientists discovered that these cells remain highly dynamic in the adult brain, where they transform into cells that insulate nerve fibers and help form scars that aid in tissue repair.
Imaging Technology Predicts Long-term Brain Damage
May 9, 2013 11:47 am | News | CommentsA new application of an existing medical imaging technology could help predict long-term damage in patients with traumatic brain injury, according to a recent study. The authors analyzed brain scans using applied rapid automated resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) imaging, a technique used to map brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by natural electrical currents in the brain.
Diabetes Cured in Mice
May 9, 2013 11:03 am | News | CommentsResearchers have made a significant first step with newly engineered biomaterials for cell transplantation that could help lead to a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans. Engineers and clinicians have successfully engrafted insulin-producing cells into a diabetic mouse model, reversing diabetic symptoms in the animal in as little as 10 days.
Epigenetic Factor Can Control Carcinoma Spread
May 9, 2013 10:31 am | News | CommentsVery little has been known about the epigenetic events that occur prior to the invasive growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and their spread to other parts of the body, or metastasis. Researchers discovered what could be a crucial step toward understanding the process that activates the cancer cells.
Wrigley Pulls Caffeinated Gum After Investigation
May 9, 2013 2:51 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Food and Drug Administration investigation into the safety of caffeine-added foods has prompted Wrigley to take its new caffeinated gum off the market for the time being. Wrigley says Wednesday that it will temporarily halt sales and marketing of Alert caffeinated gum after discussions with the FDA.
France Confirms Initial Case of SARS-related Virus
May 8, 2013 6:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA 65-year-old Frenchman is hospitalized after contracting France's first case of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, and French health authorities say they are trying to find anyone who might have been in contact with him to prevent it from spreading.
