'Femtomolar Optical Tweezers' May Enable Sensitive Blood Tests (November 17, 2008) -- Cutting-edge "tweezers" are so sensitive that they can feel the tell-tale tug of tiny concentrations of pathogens in blood samples, yet don't ever need to be sterilized--or even held--as they are ephemeral and weightless. ... > full story
Cancer Treatment May Result In Bone Loss, Study Finds (November 17, 2008) -- A new cross-Canada study has found that breast and prostate cancer treatment can foster bone loss. Scientists explain how loss of bone mass might affect 46,000 people diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer each year and place them at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures. ... > full story
Early Development Of Antibodies To Cockroach And Mouse Proteins Associated With Greater Risk For Asthma And Allergies In Preschool Children (November 17, 2008) -- A new study shows that developing antibodies to cockroach and mouse proteins is associated with a greater risk for wheeze, hay fever, and eczema in preschool urban children as young as three years of age. The study is the first to focus on the links between antibody responses to cockroach and mouse proteins and respiratory and allergic symptoms in such a young age group. ... > full story
Radical Changes Needed To Increase Number Of Sperm Donors In The UK, Fertility Experts Urge (November 17, 2008) -- A radical overhaul of sperm donation services is needed to address the critical shortage of sperm donors in the UK, say two fertility experts. ... > full story
Using Adult, Embryonic Stem Cells For Tissue Regeneration: New Advances (November 17, 2008) -- A major issue in the development of regenerative medicine is the cell sources used to rebuild damaged tissues. In a review of the issue published in Developmental Dynamics, researchers state that inducing regeneration in humans from the body's own tissues by chemical means is feasible, though many questions must be answered before the process can reach clinical status. ... > full story
Telemedicine: Researchers Broadcast Live Surgery Using Internet2 (November 17, 2008) -- Imagine a scenario where doctors from different hospitals can collaborate on a surgery without having to actually be in the operating room. What if doctors in remote locations could receive immediate expert support from top specialists in hospitals around the world? Rochester Institute of Technology is collaborating with a team led by the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine that recently tested technology, which allows for the transmission of high quality, real time video to multiple locations. ... > full story
Damage To Optic Nerve In Glaucoma Patients May Indicate Significant Carotid Artery Narrowing (November 17, 2008) -- Glaucoma is often associated with elevated pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP) which can damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss and even blindness. Medication and/or surgery allow patients to control their IOP, thus preventing the development of vision loss. ... > full story
Vision Screening Law For Older Floridians Associated With Lower Fatality Rates In Car Crashes (November 17, 2008) -- A vision screening law targeting Florida drivers age 80 and older appears to be associated with lower death rates from motor vehicle collisions in this age group, despite little evidence of an association between vision and car crashes, according to a new article. ... > full story
Key Contributor To Alzheimer's Disease Process Identified (November 16, 2008) -- A professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology led new research identifying a specific function of a fragment of ribonucleic acid, once thought to be no more than a byproduct, in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
No Clear Answer On Why HIV Vaccine Candidates Did Not Lower Risk Of Acquiring HIV (November 16, 2008) -- In the comprehensive analyses of immune responses to the vaccine, researchers analyzed study participants' blood samples to try to assess why the vaccine did not prevent infection and why some study participants who received the vaccine were more likely than others to develop HIV infection. The vaccine was effective at producing an immune response: 77 percent of those vaccinated who later developed HIV infection while in the study had generated HIV-specific T-cells prior to infection. ... > full story
Does Anxiety Increase Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease? (November 16, 2008) -- Psychological stress and anxiety have been shown to produce an activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis. Resulting hypercoagulability is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and could therefore contribute to an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease in anxiety patients. ... > full story
Low Risk For Heart Attack? Could An Ultrasound Hold The Answer? (November 16, 2008) -- By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk. ... > full story
New Biomarker For Heart Failure Identified (November 16, 2008) -- Blood levels of resistin, a hormone produced by fat cells, can independently predict an individual's risk of heart failure, according to research results from the Health ABC (Aging and Body Composition) study, which followed 3000 elderly people in the Pittsburgh and Memphis areas over seven years starting in 1998. ... > full story
Brisk Walk Could Help Chocoholics Stop Snacking (November 16, 2008) -- A walk of just fifteen minutes can reduce chocolate cravings. The benefits of exercise in helping people manage dependencies on nicotine and other drugs have previously been recognized. Now, for the first time, newly-published research shows that the same may be true for food cravings. ... > full story
New Theory May Lead To Effective Heart Failure Treatments (November 16, 2008) -- A family of proteins called matrix metalloprotienase may play a crucial role in why the supporting tissue surrounding the heart, called the myocardium, goes through significant and deleterious effects in heart failure patients. ... > full story
Dual Treatment For Stroke Leads To Improved Recovery Rates, Reduced Mortality (November 16, 2008) -- It appears that stroke patients who receive both intravenous thrombolysis, a minimally invasive treatment that dissolves abnormal blood clots, and endovascular interventions, such as drugs and implanting medical devices, are much more likely to recover and have lower chances of dying, according to new research. ... > full story
Doctors' Questions About End-of-life Legalities May Result In Patient Pain (November 16, 2008) -- When treatment options dwindle or are exhausted, terminally ill-patients often opt for pain management and comfort over life-extending therapies. However, researchers report that a lack of thorough understanding about the laws governing end-of-life care may be leaving many medical providers with an ethical dilemma and causing some terminally-ill patients considerable, unnecessary pain. ... > full story
Major Advance In Cancer Radiotherapy (November 15, 2008) -- Radical improvements in outcome for many cancer sufferers are in prospect following one of the most significant advances in radiotherapy since x-rays were first used to treat a tumor in 1904. The use of charged particles as an alternative to x-ray or gamma ray radiation can extend the scope of radiotherapy to tumors previously requiring invasive surgery, while speeding up diagnosis and reducing collateral damage to surrounding tissue. ... > full story
Repairing DNA Damage: Researchers Discover Critical Process In Cancer Treatment (November 15, 2008) -- From the sun's UVA rays to tobacco smoke, our environment is chock-full of DNA-damaging agents that can lead to cancer. Thanks to our body's DNA repair mechanisms, however, the effects of many carcinogens can be reversed thereby preventing the formation of tumours. Now, scientists have identified a new biochemical pathway which controls DNA repair. ... > full story
Predictive Tests And Early Treatment Delay Progression Of Blood Cell Cancer, Researchers Find (November 15, 2008) -- Mayo Clinic researchers say they have moved closer to their goal of providing personalized care for a common blood cell cancer. They have found that the use of predictive biomarkers along with two targeted treatments significantly delays the need for conventional chemotherapy in patients with early-stage, but high-risk, chronic lymphoid leukemia. ... > full story
Doctors Must Look After Their Health, Too, Study Recommends (November 15, 2008) -- Short term counseling followed by a modest cut in work hours may help reduce emotional exhaustion and sick leave in doctors, according to a new study. ... > full story
Unraveling Mystery Of Brain Aneurysms (November 15, 2008) -- Researchers have taken the first critical steps in unraveling the mysteries of brain aneurysms, the often fatal rupturing of blood vessels that afflicts 500,000 people worldwide each year and nearly killed Vice President-elect Joseph Biden two decades ago. ... > full story
Improving Diagnosis Of Genetic Disorders (November 15, 2008) -- An Australian-led global initiative to improve the diagnosis of genetic disorders and reduce errors in the reporting of genetic variations has just been published in the scientific journal Science. ... > full story
Caring For The Caregiver: Redefining The Definition Of Patient (November 15, 2008) -- One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. ... > full story
Protecting Neurons Could Halt Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Diseases (November 15, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a group of chemical compounds that slow the degeneration of neurons, a condition behind old-age diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ... > full story
Herpes Drug Inhibits HIV Replication, But With A Price (November 15, 2008) -- The anti-herpes drug acyclovir can also directly slow down HIV infection by targeting the reverse transcriptase enzyme, researchers report. This beneficial effect does pose a risk though, as HIV-infected cells treated with acyclovir promote the emergence of multi-drug resistant HIV variants. ... > full story
Therapy May Block Expansion Of Breast Cancer Cells (November 15, 2008) -- Breast cancer stem cells are known to be involved in therapy resistance and the recurrence of cancerous tumors. A new study shows the mechanisms governing stem cell expansion in breast cancer (called Notch activity), and finds that therapy targeting a protein called cyclin D1 may block the expansion of cancerous stem cells. ... > full story
With GPS, They Know Where You Are (November 15, 2008) -- How can we keep our personal location private in a society where GPS-enabled devices and internet-connected computing is ubiquitous? That is the question posed by a computing and legal specialist in Belgium. ... > full story
Vitamin C Lowers Levels Of Inflammation Biomarker Considered Predictor Of Heart Disease (November 14, 2008) -- For people who have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a predictor of heart disease, taking vitamin C supplements can help lower levels of the inflammation biomarker, according to a new study. The new findings come just days after a major, eight-year clinical trial failed to show that vitamins C or E could cut the risk of heart attacks or strokes. ... > full story
Gender Is Key Factor In Determining Overall Survival Of Lung Cancer Patients (November 14, 2008) -- Even though some combinations of gender, race and/or marital status can factor into the overall survival of nonoperative non-small cell lung cancer patients, gender is the most significant factor impacting overall survival, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago. ... > full story
Disease Modeling: Mathematical Models Resolve Controversy Over Nicotine Addiction (November 14, 2008) -- Human disease research produces an enormous amount of data from different sources such as animal models, high throughput genetic screening of human tissue, and in vitro laboratory experiments. This data operates at different levels and scales including genes, molecules, cells, tissues and whole organs, embodying a huge amount of potentially valuable insight that current computer modeling approaches often fail to exploit properly. ... > full story
By Combining Technologies, Researchers Rapidly Hunt Down And Find New Genes That Lead To Cancer (November 14, 2008) -- Using a new approach that combines scientific technologies to hunt down genetic changes involved in cancer, researchers have discovered 13 tumor suppressor genes that, when mutated, can lead to liver cancers. Twelve of those genes had never been linked to cancer before, according to a new study. ... > full story
Breakthrough In Cell-type Analysis Offers New Ways To Study Development And Disease (November 14, 2008) -- Many diseases are very particular about the types of cells they attack, laying waste to one population while sparing its nearly identical neighbors for no apparent reason. New research for the first time enables scientists to carefully study the biomolecular differences among types of cells in order to learn what makes some susceptible to attack and others resistant. ... > full story
Luminescence Shines New Light On Proteins (November 14, 2008) -- A chance discovery by a team of scientists using optical probes means that changes in cells in the human body could now be seen in a completely different light. ... > full story
How Our Senses Combine To Give Us A Better View Of The World (November 14, 2008) -- Although each of our five senses seem to be their own entity, recent studies have indicated that our senses blend together, to help us better perceive our environment. New findings reveal that if a stimulation of the leg is not initially detected, this sensation may be perceived by the addition of a visual or auditory signal. Additionally, a tactile stimulus combined with a specific level of auditory stimulation results in optimal detection of that sensation. ... > full story
Sleep Apnea May Be Risk Factor For Sudden Cardiac Death (November 14, 2008) -- After studying the sleep characteristics of nearly 11,000 adults in an overnight sleep laboratory, researchers suggest that obstructive sleep apnea -- and, in particular, the low nighttime oxygen saturation of the blood it causes -- may be a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. ... > full story
Multiple Sclerosis: In The War Against Diseases, Nerve Cells Need Their Armor (November 14, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered an essential mechanism for the maintenance of the normal structure of myelin, the protective covering that insulates and supports nerve cells (neurons). ... > full story
Plastic Surgeons Warn Of Malnutrition In Body Contouring Patients (November 14, 2008) -- Optimizing nutrition with the addition of supplements, such as powder drinks and multivitamin tablets formulated for massive weight loss patients, is vital to successful body contouring surgery, according to new research. ... > full story
How Eating Red Meat Can Spur Cancer Progression: New Mechanism Identified (November 14, 2008) -- Researchers have shown a new mechanism for how human consumption of red meat and milk products could contribute to the increased risk of cancerous tumors. Their findings suggest that inflammation resulting from a molecule introduced through consumption of these foods could promote tumor growth. ... > full story
Alzheimer's Gene Slows Brain's Ability To Export Toxic Protein (November 14, 2008) -- The only known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease slows down the brain's ability to export a toxic protein known as amyloid-beta that is central to the damage the disease causes, scientists have found. The research provides new clues into the workings of a protein known as apolipoprotein E4, or ApoE4, which increases the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Common Anesthetic Induces Alzheimer's-associated Changes In Mouse Brains (November 14, 2008) -- For the first time researchers have shown that a commonly used anesthetic can produce changes associated with Alzheimer's disease in the brains of living mammals, confirming previous laboratory studies. Scientists have shown how administration of the gas isoflurane can lead to generation of the toxic amyloid-beta protein in the brains of mice. ... > full story
Raising Alcohol Taxes Reduces Deaths, Study Finds (November 14, 2008) -- Raising taxes on beer, wine and liquor immediately reduces the number of deaths from alcohol-related diseases such as liver disease, oral or breast cancers, and alcohol poisoning, according to a new study published in the online edition of the American Journal of Public Health. ... > full story
Cigarette Smoke Could Alter Shape Of Heart (November 14, 2008) -- Prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke can increase levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine and enzymes in the heart that have the potential to reshape the left ventricle, according to new research. ... > full story
Novel Four-drug Combination Proves Safe For Lung Cancer Treatment (November 14, 2008) -- The four-drug combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, with the targeted therapies bevacizumab and cetuximab, is safe and may improve survival for patients with advanced lung cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
Violent Video Games Affect Boys' Biological Systems, Study Finds (November 14, 2008) -- Both heart rate and sleep in boys are affected by violent video games. In the study boys (12-15) were asked to play two different video games at home in the evening. The boys' heart rate was registered, among other parameters. It turned out that the heart rate variability was affected to a higher degree when the boys were playing games focusing on violence compared with games without violent features. ... > full story
'Two-headed' Antibody Poses A Double Threat To Breast Cancer Cells, Say Researchers (November 14, 2008) -- A small, antibody-like molecule created by researchers can successfully attack two separate molecules on the surface of cancer cells at the same time, halting the growth of breast cancer cells in laboratory tests, the researchers say. The molecule, nickname "ALM," might be a means of slowing cancer spread or, as the researchers believe, a guidance system for imaging the spread of cancer or delivering more aggressive drugs. ... > full story
Space Researchers Developing Tool To Help Disoriented Pilots (November 14, 2008) -- Confusion of the senses can lead to serious consequences for airplane pilots. This perception problem, known as spatial disorientation, is also a major concern for astronaut pilots, especially those who will perform lunar landings. Scientists and engineers are developing a tool that will provide real-time assistance to pilots during spatial disorientation events in Earth's atmosphere and in space. ... > full story
High-normal Phosphate Levels Linked To Early Atherosclerosis (November 14, 2008) -- Healthy adults with higher levels of phosphate in the blood are more likely to have increased levels of calcium in the coronary arteries, a key indicator of atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular disease risk, reports a new study. ... > full story
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