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Stress And Alzheimer's Disease

Stress hormones appear to rapidly exacerbate the formation of brain lesions that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at UC Irvine. The findings suggest that managing stress and reducing certain medications prescribed for the elderly could slow down the progression of this devastating disease.

In a study with genetically modified mice, Frank LaFerla, professor of neurobiology and behavior, and a team of UCI........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/29/2006 9:16:01 PM)

Why You Have No Hair?

Scientists looking at mice may have discovered why certain people are hairier than others in what could provide clues as to the reason some men go bald prematurely.

The University of Manchester team has laid bare the molecular processes that determine which embryonic skin cells will form into hair follicles and determine the body's hair pattern.

The findings will be of interest to scientists looking at male-pattern baldness but have more........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/28/2006 9:04:56 PM)

Bisphenol A And Breast Cancer

Bisphenol A, a common industrial chemical claimed to speed the growth of human breast and ovarian cancers, retains its carcinogenic properties even after being modified by body processes, report Indiana University and University of California at Berkeley scientists in the Aug. 28th issue of Chemistry and Biology, a Cell Press journal.

Defenders of bisphenol A's use have argued that its natural modification inside the human body renders the........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/28/2006 4:40:57 AM)

Diabetes Control Poorer In Blacks Compared To Whites

A recently performed meta-analysis (a systematic analysis of several studies) combining 11 separate research studies found that blacks with diabetes have poorer control of blood sugar than whites. These research findings come from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

"This lower level of control may partly explain why blacks have disproportionately higher rates of death and complications from diabetes," said Julienne........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/28/2006 4:26:59 AM)

Gene nfluence for alcoholism

Not only do both genes and environment have an impact on the development of alcohol-use disorders, but now researchers have found that certain genes may influence scientists' ability to interpret other genes' effects. One variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene the ADH1B genotype appears to be able to influence level of response (LR) to alcohol among non-Asians.

Results are published in the recent issue of Alcoholism: Clinical........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/27/2006 7:48:48 PM)

How Organs Monitor Themselves During Development

How are you? In biological terms this question could involve a feedback loop that lets the body check in on itself and then act on that information. Eventhough feedback loops are essential and they abound in biology, they aren't well understood. Feedback loops enable an organ such as the liver to detect if it is injured, ascertain if it is growing and developing normally, and if it needs to regenerate itself. When such loops derail, cancer and........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/27/2006 6:58:12 PM)

Genetic Link To Cot Death Identified

Babies born with specific variants of three key genes are 14 times more likely to die from cot death, new research has found.

The findings - published in Human Immunology - build on earlier research by The University of Manchester team that had already associated one of these genes with the condition.

The discovery of two further risk genes, say the paper's authors, is a major step forward in understanding the causes of cot death or........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 10:37:27 PM)

Toxic Molecule And Muscular Dystrophy

Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System have demonstrated for the first time that getting rid of poisonous RNA (ribonucleic acid) in muscle cells can reverse myotonic dystrophy, the most common type of muscular dystrophy in adults.

About 40,000 people in the United States have myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD). The disease can cause a slow, progressive wasting of the muscles, irregular heartbeat, cataracts and insulin resistance.........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 10:05:50 PM)

Mechanism Of Learning

Finally confirming a fact that remained unproven for more than 30 years, scientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report in the Aug. 25 issue of Science that certain key connections among neurons get stronger when we learn.

"We show what everyone has always believed: LTP (long-term potentiation) is indeed induced in the hippocampus when learning occurs," said Mark F. Bear, Picower Professor of Neuroscience. "This is a........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/24/2006 9:14:33 PM)

Increase In Sickness Absence With Psychiatric Diagnosis

The aim of this study was to assess the occurence rate of sickness absence with psychiatric diagnoses from 1994-2000, and the distribution across gender, age groups, diagnostic groups and regions in a general population.

Methods.

The population at risk was defined as all individuals aged 16-66 years who were entitled to sickness benefits in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 (n=2,282,761 in 2000). All individuals with a full-time disability........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/24/2006 7:20:45 PM)

Critical Step in DNA Mutation

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have made an important step toward solving a critical puzzle relating to a chemical reaction that leads to DNA mutation, which underlies many forms of cancer. The research, which uncovers knowledge that could be critical to the development of strategies for cancer prevention and treatment, appears in the August 2006 edition (Volume 128, issue 33) of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. ........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 4:40:22 AM)

No More Than One Strokes

Having a stroke is bad enough. But having another one after surviving the first one is particularly bad, more than doubling a person's risk of dying in the next two years, a new study finds.

The risk of a second stroke is particularly high among members of the largest and fastest-growing subgroup of Latinos in the United States: Mexican-Americans. The new study finds that they are more likely than their non-Latino white neighbors to suffer........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/22/2006 6:55:19 PM)

Reversing Friedreich's Ataxia Defect

The results of the research are being published on August 20 in an advanced, online version of the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

In the new study, the scientists tested a variety of compounds that inhibited a class of enzymes known as histone deacetylases in a cell line derived from blood cells from a Fredreich's ataxia sufferer. One of these inhibitors had the effect of reactivating the frataxin gene, which is silenced in those with the........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/21/2006 10:17:54 PM)

Protein That Protect Breast Cancer Tumors

About half of women whose breast cancer is treated with standard chemotherapy have their cancer return within five years. Most chemotherapeutic drugs have undesirable side effects, but there has been no way to predict who would benefit and who wouldn't. Fortunately, new research findings at the University of Southern California could change that.

Researchers at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a new biological........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/21/2006 10:08:17 PM)

Many Teens Injured On The Job

A new survey of 6,810 teens showed that more than half of them work, and 514 of them had been injured on the job.

"The findings from this study clearly indicate that work-related injuries among youth are a significant health problem," report Kristina M. Zierold, Ph.D., assistant professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Henry A. Anderson, M.D., chief medical officer of the Wisconsin Division........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/21/2006 9:22:03 PM)

Conjunctival FOXP3 Expression in Trachoma

Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading infectious cause of blindness and the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. In the United Kingdom, the Health Protection Agency found that in 45- to 64-y-old women, rates of chlamydial sexually transmitted infection increased by 177% between 1995 and 2003 [1]. Trachoma, which is caused by repeated ocular infection with C. trachomatis, is a progressive disease, occurring in several stages over........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/20/2006 7:36:19 AM)

Skin Cancer Fear Grows As Ozone Layer Gets Thinner

THE ozone layer above Scotland is thinner than at any point in the last ten years, according to new research which has prompted fresh concerns over skin cancer rates.

Levels of ozone, which play a crucial role in helping to filter out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, were thought to be rising after the systematic banning of the CFC chemicals which were damaging it.

But now experts believe global warming is changing conditions in the........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/19/2006 7:37:30 AM)

Top Sprinter Lost In The Fog Has Cancer

Lost in the Fog, the 2005 Eclipse Award winner as sprinter of the year, has cancer in his spleen and abdomen, and his trainer said Friday that the 4-year-old colt will have to be put down soon.

The horse underwent an exploratory procedure Friday which determined the cancer in his spleen had spread, said veterinarian, Don Smith, in a conference call with trainer Greg Gilchrist.

"Unfortunately, we found two other tumors in his abdomen,"........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/19/2006 7:19:25 AM)

All Tobacco Bad For The Heart

A major Canadian-led global study has found all forms of tobacco exposure, whether that be smoking, chewing or inhaling second hand smoke, increase the risk of heart attack.

The study by professors Salim Yusuf and Koon Teo of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, is published in this week's issue of The Lancet.

In collaboration with colleagues from 52 countries, they........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/17/2006 11:37:21 PM)

West Nile Virus Antibody Binding Site

Researchers have learned the precise location where an antibody binds to the West Nile virus, and they have suggested a mechanism for how this antibody neutralizes the virus to prevent infection.

"Science doesn't yet fully understand exactly how neutralizing antibodies work," said Michael Rossmann, the Hanley Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences in Purdue's College of Science. "This work has shown precisely where the antibody binds........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/14/2006 11:40:09 PM)

Brisbane teens receive first cancer vaccine shots

UQ Professor Ian Frazer administered the first shots of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil in Queensland this afternoon at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Rochedale sisters Emma and Rachel McMillan were the first teenage recipients of the Australian-made vaccine which Professor Frazer and his late research partner Dr Jian Zhou.

helped create.

The vaccine prevents four of dozens of strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) which........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/29/2006 4:48:01 AM)

How The Body's T Cells React To Parasitic Diseases

In the 1980s, the phrase "T cell count" burst into the world's medical vocabulary as thousands and then millions of patients died of AIDS. The public began to understand the crucial importance of T cells-cellular Pac-Men that roam the bloodstream gobbling up infection and guarding against future attacks.

While researchers understood how T cells worked in certain kinds of diseases, one area has remained murky: disorders caused by protozoan........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/28/2006 9:54:32 PM)

Obesity Leads To More Aggressive Ovarian Cancer

Whether or not a woman is obese will likely affect her outcome once she has been diagnosed with ovary cancer, as per a new study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The study, published online on Aug. 28 in the American Cancer Society's journal Cancer, showed that obesity affected survival rates, shortened the length of time to recurrence of the disease, and led to earlier death from the cancer than for women diagnosed at their ideal body........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/28/2006 4:59:58 AM)

Mitochondrial DNA sequencing tool updated

High-tech laboratory tools, like computers, are often updated publicly as their analytical capabilities expand. In the recent issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, NIH grantees report they have developed a second generation "lab on a silicon chip" called the MitoChip v2.0 that for the first time rapidly and reliably sequences all mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles that power our cells, are unique because........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/27/2006 7:54:20 PM)

A Pint Of Cider To Keep The Doctor Away

The saying goes that an apple a day keeps the doctor away but now researchers at the University of Glasgow are looking into whether a pint of cider could have the same effect. Scientists have discovered that English cider apples have high levels of phenolics antioxidants associated with protection against stroke, heart disease and cancer and are working with volunteers to see whether these health benefits could be passed onto cider drinkers. ........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/27/2006 7:16:05 PM)

A Murine Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Rajendra S. Apte*, Jennifer Richter, John Herndon, Thomas A. Ferguson*

1 Department of Ophthalmology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America

BackgroundAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 y of age in at least three continents. Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the process by which abnormal blood vessels develop........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/27/2006 7:45:14 AM)

Topical Microbicides for Blocking HIV

A topical microbicide can be used vaginally or rectally by a woman or a man to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV-1 infection during sexual intercourse [1–4]. An effective microbicide could make a significant contribution to reducing the global spread of HIV-1. What will it take to make one? What types of inhibitory compounds could be developed as a practical product, and what obstacles must be faced? In this article, our emphasis will be on........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/27/2006 7:16:36 AM)

Fungus A Potential Cancer Fighter

For the first time, researchers have developed a way to synthesize a cancer-killing compound called rasfonin in enough quantity to learn how it works.

Derived from a fungus discovered clinging to the walls of a New Zealand cave, the chemical tricks certain cancer cells into suicide while leaving healthy cells untouched.

"In 2000, scientists in Japan discovered that this compound might have some tremendous potential as a prototype........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 9:58:35 PM)

Key Player In Immune System Regulation

Studies led by Dartmouth Medical School scientists have revealed a crucial link in how the immune system works. As per a research findings published online on August 20 in the journal Nature, the scientists observed that mast cells, known for their role in allergy reactions such as watery eyes and runny noses, are connected to the activity of regulatory T cells, which suppress immune responses. The scientists say theirs is the first study to........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 9:24:58 PM)

Putting Gender Perspective On The Agenda

During the past few decades, research has reported gender bias in various areas of clinical and academic medicine. To prevent such bias, a gender perspective in medicine has been requested, but difficulties and resistance have been reported from implementation attempts. Our study aimed at analysing this resistance in relation to what is considered good medical research.

Method.

We used a theoretical model, based on scientific competition,........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/24/2006 7:25:48 PM)

Now You Can Be More Active

Do you think that because you are big you can barely do any activity at all?

Do you think you cannot exercise, play sports, or become fit?

It's true that very large people face special challenges in trying to be active. We have to agree that you may not be able to bend or move in the same way that other people can. Sometimes you might find it hard to find clothes and equipment for exercising. It is also possible that you may feel........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/24/2006 3:11:04 PM)

Self-inflicting injuries in teens

In a survey of more than 6,000 15 and 16-year-old school pupils, researchers found that girls are four times more likely to have engaged in deliberate self-harm compared to boys, with 11 per cent of girls and 3 per cent of boys reporting that they had self-harmed within the last year.

Previous estimates for the amount self-harm in the country were based on the 25,000 'presentations' at hospitals in England and Wales each year that are the........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/22/2006 8:09:23 PM)

Leadership Role In TMJ Research

Scientist Appointed as the Milton & Renee Glass Family Fellow in Jaw Joints & Allied Musculo-Skeletal Research.

Boston--The Forsyth Institute has announced the appointment of Lin Xu, MD, PhD, as the Milton & Renee Glass Family Fellow in Jaw Joints & Allied Musculo-Skeletal Research. Dr. Dominick DePaola, President and Chief Executive of Forsyth said, "I am delighted with the appointment and with the entry into this exciting new field of........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/22/2006 4:57:10 AM)

Cost Of Treating Chest Pain In The Average Woman

Treating chest pain linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) could cost a woman more than $1 million during her lifetime; and even the chest pain linked to mild artery blockage (nonobstructive CAD) could reach $750,000 for an average woman, as per a research studypublished in Circulation.

Chest pain symptoms may be the most important driver of women's cardiovascular healthcare costs, said lead study author Leslee J. Shaw, Ph.D.

"Lifetime........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/21/2006 9:57:10 PM)

Bulls-eye For Antibiotic Target

A Purdue University researcher has opened the door for possible antibiotic therapys for a variety of diseases by determining the structure of a protein that controls the starvation response of E. coli.

This research is applicable to the therapy of a number of diseases because that same protein is found in numerous harmful bacteria, including those that cause ulcers, leprosy, food poisoning, whooping cough, meningitis, sexually transmitted........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/21/2006 9:08:00 PM)

Immune cells protect retina from damage

Eventhough some recent studies have suggested that inflammation promotes retinal damage in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), new work from Washington University ophthalmology scientists has observed that a particular type of inflammation, regulated by cells called macrophages, actually protects the eye from damage due to AMD.

The scientists report in the Aug. 15 issue of Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine that in a mouse model........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/20/2006 2:22:01 PM)

New Treatment For Dangerous Staph Infections

Duke University Medical Center scientists have demonstrated in an international clinical trial the effectiveness and safety of a new drug for treating bloodstream and heart infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a major cause of sickness and death worldwide.

Based on the trial, the Food and Drug Administration already has approved the drug -- daptomycin -- for treating heart infections and bacteremia, also known as bloodstream........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/19/2006 9:25:45 PM)

Salads With Some Fat Are Healthier

Here's some diet advice you don't hear every day -- the next time you prepare a fresh, healthy salad, be sure to throw in some fattening food.

Far from being a dieter's worst enemy, scientists are discovering that a little fat can actually do a lot of good. The scientists aren't saying fry your salad in bacon grease! But they say don't cut all fat out of your diet either. Why? It takes some fat to help your body absorb the cancer fighting........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 8/19/2006 6:52:34 AM)

How Acid Reflux Leads To Esophageal Cancer

A particular enzyme is significantly higher in cancer cells that have been exposed to acid, leading to the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide, and offering a possible explanation for how acid reflux may lead to cancer of the esophagus, as per a recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The study observed that the enzyme NOX5-S is affected by exposure to acid and that it produces stress on cells, activating genes that lead to DNA........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 8/18/2006 6:53:11 AM)

High-Fat Copper-Rich Diets

Among elderly adults whose diets are high in saturated and trans fats, a high intake of copper may be linked to an accelerated rate of decline in thinking, learning and memory abilities, as per a report in the recent issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Eventhough copper, zinc and iron are essential for brain development and function, an imbalance of these metals may play a role in the development of brain........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 8/14/2006 11:44:13 PM)

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