Fewer Deaths With Preventive Antibiotic Use (January 4, 2009) -- Administering antibiotics as a preventive measure to patients in intensive care units increases their chances of survival. This has emerged from a study involving nearly six thousand Dutch patients in thirteen hospitals. ... > full story
Immune Molecule Decreases Severity Of Multiple Sclerosis-like Disease In Mice (January 4, 2009) -- Scientists have explored the expression of an immune molecule (CXCL1) that interacts with myelin-producing cells, finding that CXCL1 decreases the severity of disease in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). ... > full story
Expectant Brains Help Predict Anxiety Treatment Success (January 4, 2009) -- A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment. ... > full story
Cancer Drug Effectively Treats Transplant Rejections (January 4, 2009) -- Researchers have discovered a new therapy for transplant patients, targeting the antibody-producing plasma cells that can cause organ rejection. ... > full story
Sulfurous Ping-pong In The Urinary Tract (January 4, 2009) -- Entirely new protein structures are very rarely found to drive known biochemical processes. But molecular biologists have just succeeded in finding an example. They studied the protein ASST, present in pathogenic E. coli bacteria, which cause urinary tract infections. In addition to an entirely new structure, the researchers found a transfer mechanism similar to ping-pong, whereby the "ball" is held a previously unknown manner. ... > full story
Vitamins C And E And Beta Carotene Again Fail To Reduce Cancer Risk In Randomized Controlled Trial (January 4, 2009) -- Women who took beta carotene or vitamin C or E or a combination of the supplements had a similar risk of cancer as women who did not take the supplements, according to data from a randomized controlled trial. ... > full story
Societal, Economic Burden Of Insomnia Is High (January 4, 2009) -- The indirect costs of untreated insomnia are significantly greater than the direct costs associated with its treatment. The study estimates that the total annual cost of insomnia in the province of Quebec is 6.5 billion Canadian dollars, representing about one percent of the province's 8.5 billion in gross domestic product for 2002. The largest proportions of all insomnia-related expenses are attributed to lost job productivity, absences from work and alcohol used as a sleep aid. ... > full story
Single Letter In Human Genome Points To Risk For High Cholesterol (January 3, 2009) -- Write out every letter in the human genome, one A, C, T or G per millimeter, and the text would be 1,800 miles long, roughly the distance from New York to Colorado. Now, in the search for genes that affect how humans synthesize, process and break down cholesterol, scientists have found a single letter among this expanse of code that is associated with elevated LDL cholesterol levels, one of the leading health concerns that has come to dominate the 21st century. ... > full story
Scientists Pull Protein's Tail To Curtail Cancer (January 3, 2009) -- When researchers look inside human cancer cells for the whereabouts of an important tumor-suppressor, they often catch the protein playing hooky, lolling around in cellular broth instead of muscling its way out to the cells' membranes and foiling cancer growth. ... > full story
Hope For Treating Kidney Cancer (January 3, 2009) -- Kidney cancer is typically without symptoms until it has spread to other organs, when it is also the most difficult to treat. ... > full story
Physical Disability Brings Marital Happiness (January 3, 2009) -- A new study finds that the onset of physical disability boosts marital happiness more often than not. ... > full story
Impaired Energy Metabolism Linked With Initiation Of Plaques In Alzheimer's Brain (January 3, 2009) -- Scientists have identified an initiating molecular mechanism in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study provides new information about generation of damaging amyloid beta (A-beta) plaques within the AD brain and underscores the importance of developing new preventative and disease-modifying therapies for AD, especially those aimed at interrupting pathological A-beta-production. ... > full story
Novel Pathway Involved In Therapy-resistant Cancers Discovered (January 3, 2009) -- Scientists have begun to unpick the complex mechanisms underpinning the development of drug resistant cancers. They have identified a novel target that may help to combat the growing problem of therapy resistant cancers and pave the way for innovative therapeutic approaches. ... > full story
Trying To Eat Less Becomes More Important To Fend Off Middle-Age Weight Gain (January 3, 2009) -- Lots of experts disagree over the seemingly obvious notion of keeping weight off by trying to eat less -- a debate that centers on whether the practice backfires, leading to binging and weight gain. ... > full story
Common Oral Osteoporosis Drugs Linked To Serious Jaw Necrosis (January 2, 2009) -- Clinical data links oral bisphosphonates to increased jaw necrosis. The study is among the first to acknowledge that even short-term use of common oral osteoporosis drugs may leave the jaw vulnerable to devastating necrosis. Fosomax is the most widely prescribed oral bisphosphonate. ... > full story
Nothing To Sneeze At: Real-time Pollen Forecasts (January 2, 2009) -- Researchers in Germany are reporting an advance toward development of technology that could make life easier for millions of people allergic to plant pollen. It could underpin the first automated, real-time systems for identifying specific kinds of allergy-inducing plant pollen circulating in the air. ... > full story
Obesity Increases Lymphedema Risk For Breast Cancer Survivors (January 2, 2009) -- Throughout the world, 10 million breast cancer survivors have a lifetime risk for developing lymphedema, a chronic condition that involves swelling of the limbs and impacts physical and psychosocial health. In a new study, researchers found that the risk of developing lymphedema is 40 percent to 60 percent higher in women with body mass index classified as overweight or obese compared to normal weight women. The researchers recommend increased health education for breast cancer survivors. ... > full story
Structure Of New Botulism Nerve Toxin Subtype Revealed (January 2, 2009) -- Scientists have determined the structure of a third subtype of botulinum neurotoxin -- a deadly toxin that causes the disease botulism, and is also used in cosmetic and therapeutic applications. The structure reveals a unique arrangement of the active components that may help explain why subtype E is faster-acting than others -- and may have implications for improving vaccines and/or therapeutic agents. ... > full story
Toxicity Mechanism Identified For Parkinson's Disease (January 2, 2009) -- Alpha-synuclein is the main component of Lewy bodies, the clumps of aggregated proteins that form in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. The alpha-synuclein gene is mutated or triplicated in some cases of inherited Parkinson's. A process called chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) plays an important role in recycling of specific proteins in brain cells. Alpha-synuclein disrupts a key survival circuit in brain cells by interfering with CMA and the recycling of the protein MEF2D. ... > full story
Weakened RNA Interference Reduces Survival In Ovarian Cancer (January 2, 2009) -- Levels of two proteins in a woman's ovarian cancer are strongly associated with her likelihood of survival, a research team reports ... > full story
Doctors Not Properly Diagnosing Overweight And Obesity In Children (January 2, 2009) -- Despite recent widespread media attention given to studies that have indicated one-third of American children have a weight problem, a new study shows just one-third of children who are overweight or obese actually receive that diagnosis by a pediatrician. The study also stresses that this failure to diagnose appears to mostly impact children who may most greatly benefit from early intervention. ... > full story
Potential Therapy For Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (January 1, 2009) -- Current research suggests laminin, a protein that helps cells stick together, may lead to enhanced muscle repair in muscular dystrophy. ... > full story
Religion May Have Evolved Because Of Its Ability To Help People Exercise Self-control (January 1, 2009) -- Psychologists reveal that religion facilitates the exercise of self-control and attainment of long-term goals. A psychology professor has found a strong correlation between religion and self-control, or self-regulation. He explains that religious people may have at their disposal a set of unique resources that makes them better suited to adhering to long term goals. ... > full story
How Chromosomes Meet In The Dark: Switch That Turns On X Chromosome Matchmaking (January 1, 2009) -- A research group lead by scientists at the University of Warwick has discovered the trigger that pulls together X chromosomes in female cells at a crucial stage of embryo development. This is an important mechanism as the binding together of too many of too few of a particular chromosome can cause a number of medical conditions such as Down Syndrome. ... > full story
Grape-seed Extract Kills Laboratory Leukemia Cells, Proving Value Of Natural Compounds (January 1, 2009) -- An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide. Researchers found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract. ... > full story
Evidence For Protective Effect Of Fish Oil Not Conclusive (January 1, 2009) -- Fish oil protects against deaths from heart problems, but doesn't provide a clear benefit in heart rhythm problems, according a new study. ... > full story
Errors Involving Medications Common In Outpatient Cancer Treatment (January 1, 2009) -- Seven percent of adults and 19 percent of children taking chemotherapy drugs in outpatient clinics or at home were given the wrong dose or experienced other mistakes involving their medications, according to a new study. ... > full story
Type 1 Diabetes: Pancreatic Cell Transplants Engineered To Evade Immune Response (January 1, 2009) -- In a finding that could significantly influence the way type 1 diabetes is treated, researchers have developed a technique for transplanting insulin-producing pancreatic cells that causes only a minimal immune response in recipients. ... > full story
Link To Severe Staph Infections Found (January 1, 2009) -- Researchers recently described studies that support the link between the severity of community-acquired antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and the Panton Valentine leukocidin. ... > full story
Epileptics In Stressful Jobs Can Handle The Pressure, Study Suggests (January 1, 2009) -- Subject to sudden unexpected seizures, epileptics are often a subject of discrimination in the workforce. Many employers are hesitant to hire epileptics, fearing that stressful workplace situations might bring on an attack. But a new study suggests these fears are groundless. Researchers find epileptics in stressful jobs can handle the pressure. ... > full story
Gene Therapy Reversed Heart Damage In Rats With Heart Failure (December 31, 2008) -- Long-term gene therapy resulted in improved cardiac function and reversed deterioration of the heart in rats with heart failure, according to a recent study. ... > full story
Mouse Trap? Immunologist Calls For More Research On Humans, Not Mice (December 31, 2008) -- The fabled laboratory mouse -- from which we have learned so much about how the immune system works -- can teach us only so much about how we humans get sick and what to do about it, says a leading researcher. ... > full story
Don't Scratch That Itch: Blocking The Protein IL-21R Helps Prevent A Form Of Eczema (December 31, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a role for the protein IL-21R in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis, a common allergic inflammatory skin disease often known as eczema. ... > full story
Family Rejection Of Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Children Linked To Poor Health In Childhood (December 31, 2008) -- A predictive link has been established between negative family reactions to their child's sexual orientation and serious health problems. Negative parental behaviors toward LGB children dramatically compromises their health. ... > full story
Genes That Made 1918 Flu Lethal Isolated (December 31, 2008) -- By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the "Spanish flu" -- a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history's most devastating outbreak of infectious disease -- researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus. ... > full story
Small Molecules, Large Effect: How Cancer Cells Ensure Their Survival (December 31, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism used by cancer cells to "defend" themselves against chemotherapeutics in an attempt to ensure their own survival. Both the messenger substance nitrogen monoxide (NO) and the protein survivin play a role in this. ... > full story
Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine (December 31, 2008) -- For risk-takers and impulsive people, New Year's resolutions often include being more careful, spending more frugally and cutting back on dangerous behavior, such as drug use. But new research finds that these individuals -- labeled as novelty seekers by psychologists -- face an uphill battle in keeping their New Year's resolutions due to the way their brains process dopamine. ... > full story
Better Antifreezes To Preserve Donor Organs For Transplantation (December 31, 2008) -- Chemists in Canada have developed a new approach for producing more effective medical antifreeze fluids for preserving kidneys, hearts, and other organs donated for transplantation. These next-generation antifreezes can decrease damage to organs caused by ice crystals, and thus prolong the time a donated organ will remain viable prior to transplantation. This could increase the number of available organs for potential recipients. ... > full story
Blood Sugar Linked To Normal Cognitive Aging (December 31, 2008) -- Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a new study. The findings suggest that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal cognitive decline that comes with age. ... > full story
MRI Scans Can Predict Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis Flare-ups On Optic Nerve (December 31, 2008) -- One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis -- its sheer unpredictability -- may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques. ... > full story
Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason To Quit Smoking (December 31, 2008) -- Researchers have described how tobacco smoke contamination lingers even after a cigarette is extinguished -- a phenomenon they define as "third-hand" smoke. They examine, for the first time, adult attitudes about the health risks to children of third-hand smoke and how those beliefs may relate to rules about smoking in their homes. ... > full story
Another Reason To Avoid High-fat Diet: It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock, Say Researchers (December 31, 2008) -- Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms -- everyone's 24-hour biological clock, researchers have shown. ... > full story
Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Risks Of Alzheimer's Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Analysis Suggests (December 31, 2008) -- Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies. In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. ... > full story
Women Double Fruit, Veggie Intake With Switch To Mediterranean Diet Plan (December 31, 2008) -- Women more than doubled their fruit and vegetable intakes and dramatically increased their consumption of 'good' fats when they were counseled by registered dietitians and provided with a list of guidelines on the amount of certain foods they should eat each day. ... > full story
Professor Helps Control Infectious Diseases With Models And Math (December 31, 2008) -- Can an algebraic equation hold the secret to eradicating malaria or schistosomiasis? A mathematics professor is utilizing the combination of algorithms and models in an effort to assist his medical colleagues in the fight against infectious diseases. ... > full story
Skipping Sleep May Signal Problems For Coronary Arteries (December 31, 2008) -- One extra hour of sleep per night appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery calcification, an early step down the path to cardiovascular disease. Calcified arteries were found in 27 percent of those who slept less than five hours a night, 11 percent of those who slept five to seven hours and six percent of those who slept more than seven hours a night. ... > full story
Common Food Additive Found To Increase Risk And Speed Spread Of Lung Cancer (December 30, 2008) -- New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease. ... > full story
Flowering Plants Speed Post-surgery Recovery (December 30, 2008) -- Contact with nature has long been suspected to increase positive feelings, reduce stress, and provide distraction from the pain associated with recovery from surgery. Now, research has confirmed the beneficial effects of plants and flowers for patients recovering from abdominal surgery. ... > full story
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