ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Nanoparticles reboot blood flow in brain
• 'Smart catheters' for the major problem of catheter-related infections
• Human melanoma stem cells identified
• Learning one of cancer's tricks: Chemists determine one way tumors meet their growing needs
• Advantage flu virus: Scientists discover one of the ways the influenza virus disarms host cells
• For mitochondria, bigger may not be better: Optimal length of mitochondria is essential to preventing Alzheimer's
• Field guide to the Epstein-Barr virus charts viral paths toward cancer
• Sensor detects glucose in saliva and tears for diabetes testing
• Novel microscopy method offers sharper view of brain's neural network
• Gene 'switch' may explain DiGeorge syndrome severity
• How does body temperature reset the biological clock?
• Human lungs brush out intruders
• New way to fight bacterial infections: 'Naked Darth Vader' approach could tame antibiotic resistant superbugs
• Human-chimp genetic differences: New insights into why humans are more susceptible to cancer and other diseases
• New insights into salt transport in the kidney
• Therapeutic avenues for Parkinson's investigated
• Study reveals human drive for fair play
• Sinus irrigation with tap water linked to two deaths
• Identifying aggressive breast cancers by interpreting the mathematical patterns in the cancer genome
• Researching the dream cure to insomnia
• Prostate cancer survival rates improved since introduction of PSA testing
• Study attempts to reverse autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes
• Global 'epidemic' of gullet cancer seems to have started in UK in 1950s
• Wide circle of friends key to mid-life wellbeing for both sexes
• First UK operation to tackle heart failure with novel nerve-stimulating implant
• Possible cause of immune deficiency cases in Asia
• Men should shed excess weight before fathering children, study suggests

Nanoparticles reboot blood flow in brain Posted: 23 Aug 2012 01:19 PM PDT Nanoparticles show promise in restoring blood flow to the brain when administered soon after a traumatic brain or other injury.

'Smart catheters' for the major problem of catheter-related infections Posted: 23 Aug 2012 01:19 PM PDT A new "smart catheter" that senses the start of an infection, and automatically releases an anti-bacterial substance, is being developed to combat the problem of catheter-related blood and urinary tract infections.

Human melanoma stem cells identified Posted: 23 Aug 2012 12:24 PM PDT Cancer stem cells are defined by three abilities: differentiation, self-renewal and their ability to seed a tumor. These stem cells resist chemotherapy and many researchers posit their role in relapse. A new study shows that melanoma cells with these abilities are marked by the enzyme ALDH, and imagines new therapies to target high-ALDH cells, potentially weeding the body of these most dangerous cancer creators.

Learning one of cancer's tricks: Chemists determine one way tumors meet their growing needs Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:38 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time that a specific sugar, known as GlcNAc ("glick-nack"), plays a key role in helping cancer cells grow rapidly and survive under harsh conditions. The finding suggests new potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Advantage flu virus: Scientists discover one of the ways the influenza virus disarms host cells Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:38 AM PDT Scientists have discovered one of the ways the influenza virus disarms our natural defense system. The virus decreases the production of key immune regulating proteins in human cells that help fight the invader. The virus does this by turning on the microRNAs -- little snippets of RNA -- that regulate these proteins. The researchers are among the first to show the influenza virus can change the expression of microRNA to control immune responses in human lung cells.

For mitochondria, bigger may not be better: Optimal length of mitochondria is essential to preventing Alzheimer's Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:37 AM PDT Abnormalities in mitochondrial length promote the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Field guide to the Epstein-Barr virus charts viral paths toward cancer Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have published the first annotated atlas of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome, providing the best look yet at how EBV interacts with human genes and proteins. EBV, which is thought to be responsible for one percent of all human cancers -- including B cell lymphomas, gastric carcinomas, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas -- establishes a latent infection in nearly 100 percent of infected adult humans.

Sensor detects glucose in saliva and tears for diabetes testing Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have created a new type of biosensor that can detect minute concentrations of glucose in saliva, tears and urine and might be manufactured at low cost because it does not require many processing steps to produce.

Novel microscopy method offers sharper view of brain's neural network Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:31 AM PDT An Italian research team has, for the first time, imaged a fluorescent mouse brain in its entirety with the highest resolution to date. The novel method, which uses a new microscopy technique, produced 100 percent sharper images of the neural pathways, and should be applicable to human brain samples in the future – opening the door to a better understanding of brain disorders such as autism and ischemic stroke.

Gene 'switch' may explain DiGeorge syndrome severity Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:31 AM PDT The discovery of a 'switch' that modifies a gene known to be essential for normal heart development could explain variations in the severity of birth defects in children with DiGeorge syndrome.

How does body temperature reset the biological clock? Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism by which body temperature rhythms influence the expression of 'clock genes' and synchronize local oscillators. This study also demonstrates how the production of DBP, a protein involved in detoxification and drug metabolism, is modulated by daily variations of temperature.

Human lungs brush out intruders Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT A new study helps to explain how human airways clear mucus out of the lungs. The findings may give researchers a better understanding of what goes wrong in many human lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

New way to fight bacterial infections: 'Naked Darth Vader' approach could tame antibiotic resistant superbugs Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:29 AM PDT Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body's own defense mechanisms to destroy them. "To understand this strategy one could imagine harmful bacteria being like Darth Vader, and the anti-virulence drug would take away his armor and lightsaber," explained the study's lead author.

Human-chimp genetic differences: New insights into why humans are more susceptible to cancer and other diseases Posted: 23 Aug 2012 11:27 AM PDT Ninety-six percent of a chimpanzee's genome is the same as a human's. It's the other 4 percent, and the vast differences, that has intrigued researchers. For instance, why do humans have a high risk of cancer, even though chimps rarely develop the disease? In a new study, scientists have looked at brain samples of each species. They found that differences in certain DNA modifications, called methylation, may contribute to phenotypic changes. The results also hint that DNA methylation plays an important role for some disease-related phenotypes in humans, including cancer and autism.

New insights into salt transport in the kidney Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT Sodium chloride, better known as salt, is vital for the organism, and the kidneys play a crucial role in the regulation of sodium balance. However, the underlying mechanisms of sodium balance are not yet completely understood. Researchers in Germany have now deciphered the function of a gene in the kidney and have thus gained new insights into this complex regulation process.

Therapeutic avenues for Parkinson's investigated Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT Scientists have discovered what may possibly be a key ingredient in the fight against Parkinson's disease. Researchers have demonstrated that the nuclear receptor liver X receptor beta may play a role in the prevention and treatment of this progressive neurodegenerative disease.

Study reveals human drive for fair play Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT People will reject an offer of water, even when they are severely thirsty, if they perceive the offer to be unfair, according to a new study. The findings have important implications for understanding how humans make decisions that must balance fairness and self-interest.

Sinus irrigation with tap water linked to two deaths Posted: 23 Aug 2012 06:10 AM PDT When water containing the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, a single-celled organism, enters the nose, the organisms may migrate to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a very rare -- but usually fatal -- disease. A new study has described the first reported cases in the United States implicating nasal irrigation using tap water in these infections. "N. fowleri was found in water samples from both homes," researchers said, but "not found in the treatment plants or distribution systems of the municipal water systems servicing the patients' homes."

Identifying aggressive breast cancers by interpreting the mathematical patterns in the cancer genome Posted: 23 Aug 2012 06:09 AM PDT It is now possible to identify aggressive breast cancers by interpreting the mathematical patterns in the cancer genome.

Researching the dream cure to insomnia Posted: 23 Aug 2012 06:09 AM PDT More than one third of people in the UK are likely to experience acute insomnia each year, say sleep experts.

Prostate cancer survival rates improved since introduction of PSA testing Posted: 23 Aug 2012 06:09 AM PDT The routine use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for screening and monitoring prostate cancer has led to early and more sensitive detection of the disease. A new study reports that in the "PSA era," survival has improved for patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer that has spread to the bones or other parts of the body and the disparity between African American and Caucasian men has been resolved.

Study attempts to reverse autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes Posted: 23 Aug 2012 05:46 AM PDT Results from a novel experimental therapy for type 1 diabetes that boosts parts of the healthy immune system were just reported.

Global 'epidemic' of gullet cancer seems to have started in UK in 1950s Posted: 22 Aug 2012 07:26 PM PDT The global "epidemic" of one type of gullet cancer (adenocarcinoma) seems to have started in the UK during the 1950s, sparked by some as yet unknown, but common, factor, suggests new research.

Wide circle of friends key to mid-life wellbeing for both sexes Posted: 22 Aug 2012 07:26 PM PDT The midlife wellbeing of both men and women seems to depend on having a wide circle of friends whom they see regularly, finds new research.

First UK operation to tackle heart failure with novel nerve-stimulating implant Posted: 22 Aug 2012 07:26 PM PDT Researchers have announced that the UK's first operation to tackle heart failure (HF) with a novel nerve-stimulating device was performed August 23.

Possible cause of immune deficiency cases in Asia Posted: 22 Aug 2012 03:13 PM PDT A clinical study has identified an antibody that compromises the immune systems of HIV-negative people, making them susceptible to infections with opportunistic microbes such as nontuberculous mycobacteria. In this study conducted at hospitals in Thailand and Taiwan, the researchers found that the majority of study participants with opportunistic infections made an antibody against interferon-gamma, a cell-signaling molecule thought to play a major role in clearing harmful infections.

Men should shed excess weight before fathering children, study suggests Posted: 22 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Australian scientists studying the impact obesity has on pregnancy, are urging men to get 'match fit' before conceiving to assist with fetal development.

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