FDA is unable to keep dangerous
drugs off the market
Dr. William Maisel of Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center explains how financial conflicts and problems at the FDA in keeping
dangerous drugs off the market may jeopardize the public health.
Findings on bladder-brain link may
point to better treatments for problems in sleep, attention
Bladder problems may leave a mark on the brain, by changing patterns of brain activity,
possibly contributing to disrupted sleep and problems with attention. For one in six
Americans who have overactive bladder, the involuntary bladder contractions that often
trigger more frequent urges to urinate, such mind-body connections may be of more than
academic interest.
Alcohol is associated with risk of
perennial allergic rhinitis
There is a link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of perennial allergic
rhinitis, according to a recent Danish study of 5,870 young adult women. The study,
published in the July issue of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, found that the risk
increased 3 percent for every additional alcoholic drink per week. In contrast, the
authors did not observe any increase in risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis according to
alcohol intake.
U of M researchers find cerebral
malaria may be a major cause of brain injury in African children
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that cerebral malaria is related to
long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published
in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.
N.Y. research team discovers how
antidepressants and cocaine interact with brain cell targets
In a first, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical
Center have described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs,
cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of
more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the
area of addiction.
Obesity predisposition traced to
the brain's reward system
New research links overeating and obesity with the brain system implicated in pleasure and
addictive behaviors strengthening the argument that obesity could be approached as an
addictive disorder. This is the first study to demonstrate that obesity predisposition is
associated with impairments in all mid-brain dopamine systems that are in place early in
postnatal life.
UT Southwestern digestive
specialists freeze out esophagus cancer with new therapy
UT Southwestern Medical Center gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze
damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.
Medical physicists at the University of Virginia have created a novel way to kill tumor
cells using nanoparticles and light. The technique, devised by Wensha Yang, an instructor
in radiation oncology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues Ke Sheng, Paul W.
Read, James M. Larner, and Brian P. Helmke, employs quantum dots. Quantum dots are
semiconductor nanostructures, 25 billionths of a meter in diameter, which can confine
electrons in three dimensions and emit light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Breathing is a major complication for radiation treatment of lung cancer. The latest
technology plans to tackle the problem by moving the radiation beam in unison with the
breath. To help in the tracking, researchers have devised a new algorithm -- similar to
one used by the post office -- that can predict where a tumor will be one second
beforehand.Breathing is a problem in radiation treatment not only for lung cancer, but
also for cancers in other parts of the abdomen. Medical physicists have traditionally
dealt with this motion by shooting a beam that broadly covers the area in which the tumor
is located. Because there will be plenty of healthy tissue inside this big margin of
error, the beam strength has to be turned down low.A better way to treat cancer is to use
intense, highly-focused beams that only strike the tumor. This is why the next generation
of radiation treatments have robotic arms or special shutters that can move the beam up
and down to stay centered on a moving target. But these new techniques will require a
precise way to track where the tumor is inside the chest.
New study finds smoking predicts
increased stroke risk for your spouse
Although secondhand smoke is widely accepted as a risk factor for coronary heart disease,
there have been few studies investigating the association of SHS and stroke risk. In a new
study, published in the September 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, researchers report on evidence of increased risk of stroke for spouses of
smokers.
New study finds healthy children of
Alzheimer patients show early brain changes
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have reported that children of
Alzheimer's patients who are carriers of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease
have neurological changes that are detectable long before clinical symptoms may appear.
Long-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise
benefit, according to research led by UNSW. In a paper presented at an international
symposium in Sydney, the researchers have shown that people with one of these atopic
diseases are up to 25 percent less likely to get the most common type of Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma (NHL). The InterLymph Symposium was co-hosted by the Leukaemia Foundation, the
Cancer Institute NSW, UNSW and the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical
Research.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a novel approach to treating
advanced prostate cancer that could be more effective with fewer side effects.
Novel study finds proton channels
inhibit the release of histamine during allergic reactions
Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the
release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according
to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns
Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore.
Testosterone predominance increases
prevalence of metabolic syndrome during menopause
As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal
transition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases according to a new study by
researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study suggests this may be a pathway by
which cardiovascular disease increases during menopause.
UCSF study shows sharp national
rise in skin infections, MRSA suspected
At UCSF, a national analysis of physician office and emergency department records shows
that the types of skin infections caused by community-acquired MRSA doubled in the
eight-year study period, with the highest rates seen among children and in urban emergency
rooms.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia leads
research into robotic surgery for kidney cancer
Clinical research at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is
helping bring the advantages of robotic surgery, including reduced pain and quicker
recovery, to kidney cancer patients.
Packing on the pounds by drinking too many sugary drinks and not eating enough fruits and
veggies appears to be associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, while a low-fat
diet doesn't alter your risk of developing the blood sugar disease.
Thyroid Hormone May Boost Women's
Alzheimer's Risk
High or low levels of the hormone thyrotropin may be associated with an increased risk of
Alzheimer's disease in women. Thyrotropin affects thyroid gland function and thyroid
hormone levels.
Study suggests 86 percent of
Americans could be overweight or obese by 2030
Most adults in the US will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care
spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Compound that helps rice grow
reduces nerve, vascular damage from diabetes
Researchers have found that a compound that helps rice seed grow, springs back into action
when brown rice is placed in water overnight before cooking, significantly reducing the
nerve and vascular damage that often result from diabetes.
Inheritance of hormonal disorder
marked by excessive insulin in daughters
Elevated levels of insulin could be an early sign that girls whose mothers suffer from
polycystic ovary syndrome -- or PCOS -- may also be susceptible to the disease, according
to gynecologists who have found evidence of insulin resistance in young children.
Despite high levels of smoking, Japanese men are far less likely to have dangerous plaque
build-up in their blood vessels than white or Japanese-American men, a difference that
researchers believe stems from a lifelong, near-daily consumption of fish.
OSU study shows exposure to bad air
raises blood pressure
The air people breathe while walking in the park, working in the garden or shopping
downtown may be unhealthy enough to seriously spike their blood pressure, a new study
suggests. Cardiovascular researchers at The Ohio State University Medical Center are the
first to report a direct link between air pollution and its impact on high blood pressure,
or hypertension. If the results from these animal studies hold up, this could be important
for human health.
Foods high in conjugated linoleic
acids can enrich breast milk
Eating special cookies enriched with conjugated linoleic acid can increase the level of
these potentially healthful fatty acids in breast milk, reports a recent study in the
journal Nutrition Research.
Newly discovered proteins in
seminal fluid transferred during mating may affect odds of producing offspring
crickets to primates. In fruit flies, for instance, seminal fluid proteins influence the
competitive ability of a male's sperm, and alter the female's post-mating behavior by
dampening her interest in other males and cueing her to lay eggs. There is also some
speculation, not yet proven, that having the wrong seminal fluid proteins might be one of
several barriers to cross-breeding between closely related species. Although several
seminal fluid proteins have been characterized, little has been known about the exact
kinds of transferred male proteins present in the female shortly after mating -- how many
there are, their relative abundance, their structure, specific functions, and interactions
with proteins from either the female or the seminal fluid of other males who mate with the
same female. Gathering such information involves proteomics, the large-scale study of the
nature and actions of proteins in living systems.
Cell Phone Use and Cancer
Pittsburgh study 3000 people warned
Controversial data A 2008 University of
Utah analysis looked at nine studies - including some Herberman cites - with thousands of
brain tumor patients, and concluded "we found no overall increased risk of brain
tumors among cellular phone users. The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after
long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies." Studies last
year in France and Norway concluded the same thing. "If there is a risk from these
products - and at this point we do not know that there is - it is probably very
small," the Food and Drug Administration says on an agency Web site. Still, Herberman
cites a "growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible
adverse health effects including cancer." "Although the evidence is still
controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an
advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," he wrote in his memo.
A driving force behind the memo was Devra Lee Davis, the director of the university's
center for environmental oncology. "The question is, do you want to play Russian
roulette with your brain," she said in an interview from her cell phone while using
the hands-free speaker phone as recommended. "I don't know that cell phones are
dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe." Of concern are the still-unknown
effects of more than a decade of cell phone use, with some studies raising alarms, said
Davis, a former health adviser in the Clinton administration.
Sleep Apnea relieved by Didgeridoo
A serious study published in The British
Medical Journal says that playing a didgeridoo can help patients suffering with sleep
apnea. Yep, that's what I thought, until I read the report and saw this video. For more
details and other weird science videos go to my YouTube channel "Crazy Cures"
Study links soft drinks and fruit
drinks with risk for diabetes in African-American women
Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that regular
consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks is associated with an
increased risk for type 2 diabetes in African-American women. These findings appear in the
July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers Find Use of Angiotensin
Receptor Blockers are Associated with Lower Incidence, Progression of Alzheimer’s
Disease
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have, for the first time, found
that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)—a particular class of anti-hypertensive
medicines—are associated with a striking decrease in the occurrence and progression
of dementia. Data from this study will be presented this weekend (July 27) at the 2008
International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease in Chicago.
Protein plays Jekyll and Hyde role
in Lou Gehrig's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal
neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal
cord that control muscle movements from walking and swallowing to breathing. In a
groundbreaking study this week in PLoS Biology, Brandeis and Harvard Medical School
scientists report key findings about the cause and occurrence of the familial form of ALS.
A dividing cell tags more than 14,000 different sites on its proteins with phosphate, a
molecule that typically serves as a signal for a variety of biological processes. This
preponderance of signals -- more than twice the number identified by past studies --
suggests that the cell may become a control freak during the division process, regulating
each of its parts, no matter how obscure. Understanding how cell division works is
essential for understanding a host of diseases and conditions, from cancer to pediatric
heart defects.
A new biomarker for early cancer
detection? Research reveals that 'microRNA' may fit the bill
Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have discovered that microRNAs --
molecular workhorses that regulate gene expression -- are released by cancer cells and
circulate in the blood, which gives them the potential to become a new class of biomarkers
to detect cancer at its earliest stages.
Women with gestational diabetes at
risk of type 2 diabetes
Women with gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with
almost 20 percent of women developing the condition within 9 years of pregnancy, found a
large, population-based study of 659,000 women published in CMAJ.
Study provides clues to preventing
and treating cancer spread
Researchers from the University of North carolina at Chapel Hill demonstrated for the
first time that normal cells, possibly fibrocytes, may travel to distant organs to create
pre-metastic niches for the spread of cancer.
Lung inflammation from influenza
and other infections could be turned off
A new discovery could lead to treatments which turn off the inflammation in the lungs
caused by influenza and other infections, according to a study published today in the
journal Nature Immunology.The symptoms of flu are made worse by the immune system
responding in an exaggerated way to the virus. The symptoms of influenza, such as
breathlessness, weight loss and fever, are made much worse by the immune system responding
in an exaggerated way to the virus, rather than by the virus itself. The virus is often
cleared from the body by the time symptoms appear and yet symptoms can last for many days,
because the immune system continues to fight the damaged lung.
Biochemists at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston say they are the first to
provide pre-clinical evidence that pregnancy-induced high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia
may be an autoimmune disease. Their research could provide novel diagnostic and
therapeutic possibilities for this intractable disease.
A fruitful collaboration between chemists and biologists has made it possible to identify
the effects of a new class of molecules, polyoxometalates(1), primarily composed of metals
and oxygen. These molecules are very powerful inhibitors of a specific protein kinase,
CK2, an enzyme that is overactive in a number of cancers. The enzyme's instrumental role
in controlling cell proliferation and survival makes it an important target in the search
for new medications. These results have just been published in the journal Chemistry and
Biology by chemists from the Institut de chimie moléculaire (CNRS / UPMC) and biologists
from the Institut de recherche en technologies et sciences pour le vivant (iRTSV, CEA de
Grenoble / CNRS / Inserm).
Effects of stress hormone on
neuronal communication
CNRS and Inserm(1) researchers, working at the future NeuroCampus in Bordeaux, have just
shown how one of the stress hormones regulates brain neurotransmission on the short and
long term and enables neuronal connections to adapt. This work, directed by Laurent Groc
and Francis Chaouloff, may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for
psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. The results
were published in the July 11, 2008 issue of Nature Neuroscience.
A new discovery has been made in cancer research. Researchers from the Laboratoire des
collisions atomiques et moléculaires (CNRS/Université Paris 11) and the Laboratoire
Génotoxicologie et cycle cellulaire (CNRS/Institut Curie) were the first to show that it
is possible to improve hadrontherapy's(1) targeting and destruction of tumor cells by
loading the cells with heavy atoms like platinum.
Last week, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute warned 3,000
members of his faculty and staff to limit cell phone use - especially among children
— because of possible cancer risks.
U.S. surgical errors cost $1.5
billion a year report
Preventable medical errors during or after surgery cause 10 percent of surgery-related
deaths and may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to a U.S. government
report released on Monday.
One of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. is teaching the food industry
the truth of the adage, "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it."
The obesity epidemic may be linked to high worldwide rates of gum disease, according to a
new study conducted by researchers at Boston University and published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Mothers from affluent neighborhoods
near highways increase odds of low weight babies by 81 percent
Living near city expressways is associated with adverse birth effects on expectant mothers
and their newborns, according to a novel study with global implications. In the August
edition of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists from the
Université de Montréal and the University of South Australia reveal that women living
closest to expressways are more vulnerable to highway pollution -- especially affluent
mothers.
Potential new drug target to fight
tuberculosis identified
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, tuberculosis is emerging as a bigger global health
threat than ever before. But now, innovative research at Weill Cornell Medical College
suggests that Mycobacterium tuberculosis has an as yet unsuspected weakness -- one that
could be a prime target for drug development.
Experts continue to cite Bifantis
as promising probiotic treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Two new review articles that cover therapeutic approaches to irritable bowel syndrome in
the July issue of Nutrition in Clinical Practice, cite growing evidence that probiotics,
and specifically Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 (Bifantis), are effective in helping
manage IBS. Both articles point to data that suggest Bifantis (available in the US only in
supplement form, marketed as Align) -- has anti-inflammatory properties that help
normalize gut function at a cellular level.
Protein made by fat cells may
increase risk of heart attack in older adults
Adiponectin, a protein produced by fat cells, may play a pivotal and counterintuitive role
in cardiovascular health for older Americans according to a new study accepted for
publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Improved estrogen reception may
sharpen fuzzy memory
Finding ways to boost the brain's estrogen receptors may be an alternative to adding
estrogen to the body in efforts to improve cognition in postmenopausal women and younger
women with low estrogen levels, according to neuroscientists at the University of
Florida's McKnight Brain Institute.
Alzheimer's disease patients show
improvement in trial of new drug
A new drug has been shown to improve the brain function of people with early stage
Alzheimer's disease and reduce a key protein associated with the disease in the spinal
fluid, in a small study published today in the journal Lancet Neurology and presented at
the 2008 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.
Biofuels as currently rendered in the U.S. are doing great things for some farmers and for
agricultural giants like Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, but little for the
environment.
Big Pharma Pushes Drugs That Cause
Conditions They Are Supposed to Prevent
Using the bone density measurements or "T scores" of a 30-year-old woman as a
standard, the new condition, osteopenia, had "boundaries so broad they include more
than half of all women over 50," writes Kelleher. And it didn't hurt that 10,000 bone
density measuring machines appeared in doctors' offices to detect the new disease -- only
750 existed in 1995 -- many owned and financed by Merck, whose anti-bone-thinning drug
Fosamax came online in 1995.
Other adjustable risk factors for pancreatic cancer include diet high in red meat,
obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis, helicobacter pylori infection,
occupational exposure to certain pesticide, dyes and some other chemicals.
Defender of the seeds - Q&A
with Claire Hope Cummings, author of “Uncertain Peril”
Because GMOs (genetically modified organisms) don’t seem like an immediate personal
threat, their risks to our health and the environment are fairly subtle. They’re
real; they’re just not the kind you see on the evening news. There’s a lot of
information about those risks already available. I
There are five solid reasons that genetic engineering is not right for agriculture. One:
it's bad science. It was developed on the basis of flawed assumptions, which have since
been discredited by the scientific community. Two: it's bad biology. It was deployed
without regard for its potential for genetic contamination and its risks to human health.
Three: it's bad social policy. It puts control over seeds and the fundamentals of our food
and farms into the hands of a few corporations who have their own, not our, best interests
in mind. Four: it's bad economics. After billions of dollars and thirty years, only a few
products have been commercialized, and they offer nothing new. No one asked for
genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and given a choice, consumers would reject them.
Five: it's bad farming. GMOs don't address the real issues plaguing agriculture; they're
designed to substitute for or increase the use of proprietary weed and pest control
chemicals. Patented and genetically altered seeds perpetuate the very worst problems of
the industrial food system, and they are undermining the autonomy of the farmers who use
them.
Both water intake and thirst sensation decline with age, and so does mental function. When
your pituitary gland begins to dry up, vasopressin, a hormone it secretes, is likewise
handicapped. Vaso refers to the blood vessels, and pressin refers to constriction or
pressing. Vasopressin regulates the flow of water to the cells and intracellular spaces in
your body. When this hormone reaches a cell membrane, it presses water through a
filtration receptor so that only water reaches and hydrates the cell. This is crucial
because vital organs begin to fail without proper hydration.
Inherited form of hearing loss
stems from gene mutation
Inherited form of hearing loss stems from gene mutationResearchers have pinpointed a gene
mutation that accounts for a previously unidentified form of hearing loss. University of
Michigan and other scientists found the same mutation in two unrelated families,
indicating the mutation may be ancient and not particularly rare. Future research may find
that it affects others who have an unexplained family history of hearing loss. Genes are
likely involved in as many as 50 percent of people with hearing loss.
Common vaginal infection may
increase risk of HIV infection
A common vaginal infection may make women more susceptible to contracting HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health
researchers have found.
Physicians ask EPA, 'Antibiotics to
cure sick apples, or sick children?
Arlington, VA—A federal decision to permit the State of Michigan to spray the state's
apple orchards with gentamicin risks undermining the value of this important antibiotic to
treat blood infections in newborns and other serious human infections, according to the
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
on Wednesday granted the state of Michigan "emergency" permission to use
gentamicin to fight a tree disease called fire blight.
Syracuse University scientists
discover how some bacteria may steal iron from their human hosts
While humans obtain iron primarily through the food they eat, bacteria have evolved
complex and diverse mechanisms to allow them access to iron. A Syracuse University
research team led by Robert Doyle, discovered that some bacteria are equipped with a gene
that enables them to harvest iron from their environment or human host in a unique and
energy efficient manner. Doyle's discovery could provide researchers with new ways to
target such diseases as tuberculosis.
Antiviral therapy helps children at
risk for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease
The antiviral drug, valganciclovir, can lower the levels of Epstein-Barr virus in children
with liver transplants, according to a new study. About half of young transplant
recipients with detectable levels of the virus in their blood responded to a long course
of the therapy, with 60 percent maintaining their response when they stopped taking the
drug.
Alcohol binges early in pregnancy
increase risk of infant oral clefts
A new study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
part of the National Institutes of Health, shows that pregnant women who binge drink early
in their pregnancy increase the likelihood that their babies will be born with oral
clefts.
New Study Shows Compounds From Soy
Affect Brain and Reproductive Development
Two hormone-like compounds linked to the consumption of soy-based foods can cause
irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, resulting in early-onset puberty and
symptoms of advanced menopause in research animals, according to a new study by
researchers at North Carolina State University. The study is a breakthrough in determining
how these compounds can cause reproductive health problems, as well as in providing a key
building block for how to treat these problems.The study is the first to show that the
actual physical organization of a region of the brain that is important for female
reproduction can be significantly altered by exposure to phytoestrogens – or
plant-produced chemicals that mimic hormones – during development. Specifically, the
study finds that the compounds alter the sex-specific organization of the hypothalamus
– a brain region that is essential to the regulation of puberty and ovulation. The
study also shows that the phytoestrogens could cause long-term effects on the female
reproductive system.
New discovery may lead to
immunization against cardiovascular disease
Low levels of naturally occurring antibodies may represent an increased risk of developing
cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke in men. This discovery, published in the
academic journal Atherosclerosis, has now led to attempts to develop an immunization
against cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is an
inflammatory disease in which the walls of the blood vessels are thickened and become less
elastic. It can cause blood clots and other cardiovascular diseases. It is not known
precisely what causes atherosclerosis, but the immune system probably plays an important
role. Research scientists suspect that various oxidised forms of what is known as bad
cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein), contribute to the development of the disease.
A research team from Karolinska Institutet, in cooperation with Lund University, has now
shown that a particular type of naturally occurring antibodies, anti-PC, which are
targeted against the lipid portion of the LDL molecule, play an important role in the
development of cardiovascular disease. The findings show that individuals who have low
levels of anti-PC are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk is
particularly high in men who develop stroke, with an almost fourfold increase. This newly
discovered risk factor, low levels of anti-PC, is independent of previously known risk
factors such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes and smoking. "Our
findings suggest that anti-PC can be used as a complement to the traditional risk factors
to improve diagnosis and treatment. In addition we are currently developing anti-PC as a
vaccine for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease," says Professor Johan
Frostegård, who directed the study.
Unusual chromosomal changes
increase the risk of schizophrenia
People with schizophrenia have an increased number of unusual chromosomal changes,
particularly structural changes that have the potential to alter the function of the
genes. These results were published today in the scientific journal Nature. Research
scientists found changes in the structure of the genes in patients with schizophrenia when
they studied what are known as copy number variants. Genetic diseases are caused by a
large number of different possible changes in human DNA. The type of mutation or change
referred to as CNV means that large pieces of DNA may exist in several copies, have
disappeared or have been transposed. In some diseases such changes in the genome may be
protective, for example in HIV infection and malaria. "The results strongly support
the notion that schizophrenia may be partly caused by the effects of such structural
changes in genes, both across the whole genome and in specific chromosomes," says
Christina Hultman, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet.
Monash University scientists have revolutionised the design of fuel cells used in the
latest generation of hybrid cars which could make the vehicles more reliable and cheaper
to build. The breakthrough, published today in the journal Science, revolves around the
design of a fuel cell in which a specially-coated form of popular hi tech outdoor and
sporting clothing material Goretex® is the key component. The team of Monash scientists
have designed and tested an air-electrode, where a fine layer - just 0.4 of a micron
thick, or about 100 times thinner than a human hair – of highly conductive plastic is
deposited on the breathable fabric. The conductive plastic acts as both the fuel cell
electrode and catalyst. Monash University's Dr Bjorn Winther-Jensen said just as Goretex®
had revolutionised the outdoor clothing industry, it could hold similar promise for
motorists.
'Major discovery' from MIT primed
to unleash solar revolution
In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique
alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier
to large-scale solar power - storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.
Harvard-Columbia team creates
neurons from ALS patient's skin cells
Harvard and Columbia scientists have for the first time used a new technique to transform
an ALS patient's skin cells into motor neurons, a process that may be used in the future
to create tailor-made cells to treat the debilitating disease. The research will be
published July 31 in the online version of the journal Science.
A Group Health study in the Aug. 2 Lancet fuels the growing controversy over how well the
flu vaccine protects seniors. The study of more than 3,500 Group Health patients age 65
found no link between flu vaccination and risk of pneumonia during three flu seasons. This
largest case-control study of flu vaccine in the elderly suggests the flu vaccine doesn't
protect seniors as much as has been thought.
Study identifies changes to DNA in
major depression and suicide
Autopsies usually point to a cause of death but now a study of brain tissue collected
during these procedures, may explain an underlying cause of major depression and suicide.
The international research group, led by Dr. Michael O. Poulter of Robarts Research
Institute at The University of Western Ontario and Dr. Hymie Anisman of the Neuroscience
Research Institute at Carleton University, is the first to show that proteins that modify
DNA directly are more highly expressed in the brains of people who commit suicide. These
proteins are involved in chemically modifying DNA in a process called epigenomic
regulation. The paper is published in Biological Psychiatry.
A University of Western Ontario professor studying cystic fibrosis (CF) has successfully
corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice. This
discovery by Richard Rozmahel, an associate professor of Biochemistry, Pediatrics and
Oncology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and scientist with the Lawson
Health Research Institute, has clear implications to understanding and treating this facet
of the disease in humans.
Genetic defect in skin cells leads
to neurodermatitis, hay fever and asthma
New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key
protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies. In a large
study on more than 3000 school-children scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and
the Technische Universität München found that about 8% of the German population carry
variations of the filaggrin gene, which raise the risk to develop atopic dermatitis more
than threefold. In addition, these genetic variations predispose to hay fever and asthma
in those with atopic dermatitis. Allergic diseases have increased considerably in the past
decades in most industrial countries. A combination of genetic and environmentally related
factors is said to be the cause. In recent years, several genes were examined for a role
in allergic diseases, and one of them actually turned out to be a key player. This gene
encodes filaggrin, an essential protein in the horny layer of the skin. If this protein is
reduced or lacking due to a genetic defect, the natural cornification is impeded and the
natural barrier function of the skin is limited.
Multiple Sclerosis - new MRI
contrast medium enables early diagnosis in animal model
In an animal model of multiple sclerosis, neuroradiologists and neurologists of the
University hospitals of Heidelberg and Würzburg have been able to visualize inflammatory
tissue damage, most of which had remained unrecognized up to now, with the aid of a new
contrast medium, Gadofluorine M, in magnetic resonance imaging. The scientists have
published their results in the online edition of the renowned medical journal Brain.
New analysis of the Heidelberg “Collaborative Transplant Study”: Men and Women
benefit from gender specific transplants / Publication in “The Lancet”The gender
of donor and recipient plays a larger role in kidney transplants than previously assumed.
Female donor kidneys do not function as well in men – due to their smaller size.
Women have a higher risk of rejecting a male donor kidney. Therefore, in the future,
gender should be considered more in the allocation of donor kidneys, say researchers from
Basel and Heidelberg.These results are based on an analysis of the “Collaborative
Transplant Study”, the world’s largest database with long-term results of organ
transplants under the leadership of Professor Dr. Gerhard Opelz, Medical Director of the
Department of Transplantation Immunology at the Institute of Immunology of Heidelberg
University Hospital.
After a stroke, waves of electrical discharge in the human brain cause more nerve cells to
die / Researchers from Heidelberg an Cologne publish a study in the “Annals of
Neurology” After a stroke, even unaffected areas of the brain are at risk –
depolarization waves arise at the edges of the dead tissue and spread through the adjacent
areas of the brain. If these waves are repeated, more cells die. This has previously been
observed only in animal studies. A clinical study at the university hospitals of
Heidelberg and Cologne along with the Max Planck Institute of Neurological Research in
Cologne has shown for the first time that this phenomenon occurs after a stroke in humans
and is a warning sign that more nerve cells will die. The study, published in June 2008 in
the renowned journal “Annals of Neurology,” may allow to translate more than 60
years of experimental research for the diagnosis and therapy of stroke patients. More than
150,000 people a year in Germany suffer a cerebral stoke, the third most frequent cause of
death in industrialized countries. When deposits clog vessels to the brain, some areas of
the brain do not receive sufficient oxygen and the tissue dies. Depending on the size of
the area affected, the patients may die or suffer permanent damage such as paralysis.
Sleep-disordered breathing (also known as sleep apnea) is associated with an increased
risk of death, according to new results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, an 18-year
observational study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of
the National Institutes of Health. Researchers found that adults (ages 30 to 60) with
sleep-disordered breathing at the start of the study were two to three times more likely
to die from any cause compared to those who did not have sleep-disordered breathing. The
risk of death was linked to the severity of sleep-disordered breathing and was not
attributable to age, gender, body mass index (an indicator of overweight or obesity), or
cardiovascular health status. “Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Mortality:
Eighteen-Year Follow-Up of the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort,” is published August 1 in the
journal Sleep. Researchers followed 1522 generally healthy men and women for an average of
13.8 years after testing them for sleep-disordered breathing using a standard overnight
sleep test. Participants with severe sleep-disordered breathing were three times more
likely to die during the study than those without breathing problems during sleep. Those
who were not treated were at even greater risk. Participants with untreated severe
sleep-disordered breathing were four times more likely to die from any cause and five
times more likely to die from cardiovascular conditions.
Immunotherapy in High-Risk
Pediatric Sarcomas Shows Promising Response
Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers at the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms
of this cancer. The researchers tested a novel dendritic vaccine as well as a standard flu
vaccine to potentially strengthen the immune system post chemotherapy. Their findings,
published in the August 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American
Association for Cancer Research, show that although the dendritic vaccine they tested did
not perform as well as hoped, children participating in the study responded well to the
standard flu vaccine- suggesting that a strategy to bolster immune function in these
patients holds promise for fighting their cancer.
Researchers from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute are set to conduct a world-first trial
into the link between prenatal vitamin D levels and schizophrenia prevalence. Funded by
the NHMRC and led by QBI's Dr Darryl Eyles, a team of four researchers will study blood
spots taken from newborn babies who have gone on to develop schizophrenia in early
adulthood. "Undeniably, low maternal vitamin D affects the way the brain
develops," Dr Eyles said. "Over the past four years we've been able to show that
low vitamin D intake in animals during pregnancy results in offspring with brain
abnormalities similar to those seen in patients with schizophrenia." The next step of
the research process involves testing the hypothesis on human samples. By analysing the
blood spots of newborns the team will have a good indication of the baby's vitamin D
status at the time of birth.
Eradicating a common bug in people with stomach cancer can prevent the disease from
recurring, research suggests. Helicobacter pylori, proved to be the cause of most stomach
ulcers, has also been linked with stomach cancer.
Decades after the surgeon general first warned that cigarettes were a health hazard, the
House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday that would for
the first time give the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco
products.
Male college students more likely
than less-educated peers to commit property crimes
Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college
years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the
annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Family Type Has Less-Than-Expected
Impact on Parental Involvement
Children in step-families and in other non-traditional families get just as much quality
time with their parents as those in traditional families, with only a few exceptions,
according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological
Association today. Using the amount of time parents spent with their young children as a
measure, sociologist Hiromi Ono found that children spent comparable amounts of time with
their biological mothers regardless of the family structure in which the children were
living (i.e., dual-parent homes that included their biological father, a stepfather or
their mother’s live-in partner).
