ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• 'Backpacking' bacteria help ferry nano-medicines inside humans
• Emerging fungal infection in South West U.S. mimics cancer
• Informal awards contribute to higher Wikipedia participation
• HIV 'superinfection' boosts immune response: Findings may provide insight into HIV-vaccine development
• Greater traumatic stress linked with elevated inflammation in heart patients
• Once considered mainly 'brain glue,' astrocytes' power revealed
• Radioactive antibody fragment may help scientists identify artery deposits
• Autism more common than previously thought: CDC report shows one in 54 boys identified
• New breast cancer susceptibility gene
• Compounds dramatically alter biological clock and lead to weight loss, animal study suggests
• Plant research reveals new role for gene silencing protein
• Simple 3-D grid structure underlying complexity of primate brain
• How genes organize the surface of the brain
• On the path to age-defying therapies
• World's first bedside genetic test
• Artificial thymus tissue enables maturation of immune cells
• Mind-pops more likely with schizophrenia
• Genes for learning, remembering and forgetting
• Tiny electrical sensors could signal faster MRSA diagnosis
• 'Living' micro-robot could detect diseases in humans
• Key component in mother's egg critical for survivial of newly formed embryo
• Genetic regulators hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses identified
• Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified
• MicroRNAs offer new hope against obesity and diabetes
• Researchers close in on vaccine to protect babies
• Current chemical testing missing low-dosage effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• 'Resuscitating' antibiotics to overcome drug resistance
• Thyme may be better for acne than prescription creams
• Are parents price-sensitive about their children's medication?

'Backpacking' bacteria help ferry nano-medicines inside humans Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:52 PM PDT To the ranks of horses, donkeys and other animals that have served humanity as pack animals or beasts of burden, scientists are now enlisting bacteria to ferry nano-medicine cargos throughout the human body. Scientists have recently reported on progress in developing "backpacking" bacteria that are so small that a million would fit on the head of a pin.

Emerging fungal infection in South West U.S. mimics cancer Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:50 PM PDT An emerging fungal infection mimics cancer and IBD, accorading to medical researchers. Fungus, found in soil and GI tracts of fish, reptiles, amphibians and bats, appears to cause basidiobolomycosis. 44 cases around the world were studied, 17 from Arizona. Symptoms can be abdominal pain or a mass that mimics abdominal cancer. Early detection is key.

Informal awards contribute to higher Wikipedia participation Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:50 PM PDT When researchers decided to find out what makes Wikipedia work, they knew they faced quite a challenge. After all, neither monetary compensation nor formal work relations explain the success of this all-volunteer online encyclopedia. The team reasoned that expressions of appreciation by other Wikipedia contributors, including awards, helped to fuel what they called a "spirit of generosity."

HIV 'superinfection' boosts immune response: Findings may provide insight into HIV-vaccine development Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:50 PM PDT Women who have been infected by two different strains of HIV from two different sexual partners – a condition known as HIV superinfection – have more potent antibody responses that block the replication of the virus compared to women who've only been infected once.

Greater traumatic stress linked with elevated inflammation in heart patients Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:16 PM PDT Greater lifetime exposure to the stress of traumatic events was linked to higher levels of inflammation in a study of almost 1,000 patients with cardiovascular disease.

Once considered mainly 'brain glue,' astrocytes' power revealed Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:04 PM PDT A type of cell plentiful in the brain, long considered mainly the stuff that holds the brain together and oft-overlooked by scientists more interested in flashier cells known as neurons, wields more power in the brain than has been realized, playing a key role in reducing or stopping the electrical signals that are considered brain activity.

Radioactive antibody fragment may help scientists identify artery deposits Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:04 PM PDT Creating a tiny, radioactive antibody fragment may help scientists identify artery deposits most likely to burst and cause a heart attack. A non-invasive system uses miniature antibodies to detect a molecule that identifies the vulnerable deposits. Researchers plan clinical trials to determine the safety and efficacy of the new imaging technique.

Autism more common than previously thought: CDC report shows one in 54 boys identified Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:26 AM PDT The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a new study. Autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than girls -- with 1 in 54 boys identified.

New breast cancer susceptibility gene Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT Mutations in a gene called XRCC2 cause increased breast cancer risk, according to a new study. The study looked at families that have a history of the disease but do not have mutations in the currently known breast cancer susceptibility genes.

Compounds dramatically alter biological clock and lead to weight loss, animal study suggests Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT Scientists have synthesized a pair of small molecules that dramatically alter the core biological clock in animal models, highlighting the compounds' potential effectiveness in treating a remarkable range of disorders -- including obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and serious sleep disorders.

Plant research reveals new role for gene silencing protein Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:19 AM PDT A DICER protein, known to produce tiny RNAs in cells, also helps complete an important step in gene expression, according to research on Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression of a gene requires activation via a promoter or an external trigger. Plant research to be published in Science helps to show that later stages of transcription are just as important. This is likely to apply to other organisms, including humans.

Simple 3-D grid structure underlying complexity of primate brain Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:19 AM PDT How do you build a brain? Scientists how present a surprising answer, reporting their discovery of a remarkably simple organizational structure in the brains of humans and other primates. Employing sophisticated mathematical analysis of advanced imaging data, they found that the pathways carrying neural signals through the brain are arranged not in a disorganized tangle but in a curved, three-dimensional grid.

How genes organize the surface of the brain Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:15 AM PDT The first atlas of the surface of the human brain based upon genetic information has been produced by a team of scientists. The atlas reveals that the cerebral cortex -- the sheet of neural tissue enveloping the brain -- is roughly divided into genetic divisions that differ from other brain maps based on physiology or function.

On the path to age-defying therapies Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:15 AM PDT The drug rapamycin extends lifespan in lab animals, yet it's linked to two hallmarks of diabetes. By teasing apart its activity, researchers have determined that inhibiting only the protein cluster known as mTORC1 prolongs life in mice without adversely affecting glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity.

World's first bedside genetic test Posted: 29 Mar 2012 09:46 AM PDT The world's first bedside genetic test has been developed. Scientists reports on the use of a simple cheek swab test, the Spartan RX CYP2C19, performed by nurses at the patient's bedside. This revolutionary technology allows doctors to rapidly identify patients with a genetic variant known as CYP2C19*2.

Artificial thymus tissue enables maturation of immune cells Posted: 29 Mar 2012 09:46 AM PDT The thymus plays a key role in the body's immune response. It is here where the T lymphocytes or T cells, a major type of immune defence cells, mature. Different types of T cells, designated to perform specific tasks, arise from progenitor cells that migrate to the thymus from the bone marrow. Researchers have now generated artificial thymus tissue in a mouse embryo to enable the maturation of immune cells. In this process, they discovered which signalling molecules control the maturation of T cells. Their results represent the first step towards the production of artificial thymus glands that could be used to replace or augment the damaged organ.

Mind-pops more likely with schizophrenia Posted: 29 Mar 2012 09:45 AM PDT Almost everyone reports experiencing 'mind-pops' at some time or another, but some experience them more than others according to new research. New findings suggest that mind-pop experiences -- when unrelated thoughts pop into your head -- are related to hallucinations in those people suffering from schizophrenia.

Genes for learning, remembering and forgetting Posted: 29 Mar 2012 09:45 AM PDT Certain genes and proteins that promote growth and development of embryos also play a surprising role in sending chemical signals that help adults learn, remember, forget and perhaps become addicted, biologists have discovered.

Tiny electrical sensors could signal faster MRSA diagnosis Posted: 29 Mar 2012 08:21 AM PDT A simple test to identify MRSA in wounds could identify the superbug quickly and help prevent infection from spreading. Scientists have developed the test to show whether wounds or lesions are infected with bacteria and if MRSA is present.

'Living' micro-robot could detect diseases in humans Posted: 29 Mar 2012 08:21 AM PDT A tiny prototype robot that functions like a living creature is being developed which one day could be safely used to pinpoint diseases within the human body. Called 'Cyberplasm', it will combine advanced microelectronics with latest research in biomimicry. The aim is for Cyberplasm to have an electronic nervous system, 'eye' and 'nose' sensors derived from mammalian cells, as well as artificial muscles that use glucose as an energy source to propel it.

Key component in mother's egg critical for survivial of newly formed embryo Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:18 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a protein, called TRIM28, normally present in the mother's egg, is essential right after fertilization, to preserve certain chemical modifications or 'epigenetic marks' on a specific set of genes. This newly published study paves the way for more research to explore the role that epigenetics might play in infertility.

Genetic regulators hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses identified Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have identified a number of tiny but powerful "genetic regulators" that are hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses during human infection.

Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have unraveled a critical regulatory mechanism controlling blood vessel growth that might help solve drug resistance problems in the future.

MicroRNAs offer new hope against obesity and diabetes Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PDT Hunger has always threatened humankind. This makes it unsurprising that human bodies attempt to store all surplus nourishment in adipose tissue. In developed countries, this life-saving craving is turning into a problem and obesity -- adiposity -- is turning into a danger. Why, though, does excess fat the body ill? How does fat trigger diabetes? And can these superfluous fat reserves be turned into warmth and just as well burnt? Scientists have now discovered that microRNAs could be a new switch of adipose cell development in humans.

Researchers close in on vaccine to protect babies Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:13 AM PDT Researchers are closing in on a needle-free vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of respiratory illness in children under two years of age.

Current chemical testing missing low-dosage effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals Posted: 29 Mar 2012 07:09 AM PDT Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) —- such as BPA —- can show tangible effects on health endpoints at high dosage levels, yet those effects do not predict how EDCs will affect the endocrine system at low doses, according to a recent study.

'Resuscitating' antibiotics to overcome drug resistance Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:59 PM PDT Combining common antibiotics with additional compounds could make previously resistant bacteria more susceptible to the same antibiotics. 'Resuscitation' of existing antibiotics has the potential to make infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria easier to control, reducing antibiotic usage and levels of antimicrobial resistance, say scientists.

Thyme may be better for acne than prescription creams Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:59 PM PDT Herbal preparations of thyme could be more effective at treating skin acne than prescription creams, according to new research. Further clinical testing could lead to an effective, gentler treatment for the skin condition.

Are parents price-sensitive about their children's medication? Posted: 27 Mar 2012 02:07 PM PDT Health insurance policies that shift costs to patients through higher co-payments may have serious unintended consequences for children, including less use of effective treatments and an increased number of hospitalizations, according to a new study.

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