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HPV Linked to Growing Number of Young Adults with Oropharyngeal Cancer
Protecting Specific Area of the Brain During Whole-Brain Radiation Substantially Reduces Rate of Memory Loss In Cancer Patients
Alzheimer’s progression tracked prior to dementia
Study Shows New Islet Cell Transplant Procedure Offers Improved Outcomes for Patients with Type 1 Diabetes
Identifying trauma risk in small children early after an accident
Researchers identify a switch that controls growth of most aggressive brain tumor cells
Can Mild Hypothermia Treatment Improve Neuron Survival After Traumatic Brain Injury?
A boost for cellular profiling
Researchers probe the optical properties of a novel kind of magnetism known as a spin-liquid state

HPV Linked to Growing Number of Young Adults with Oropharyngeal Cancer

Posted: 24 Sep 2013 07:06 AM PDT

The human papillomavirus (HPV) may be to blame for the alarming increase of young adults with oropharyngeal cancer, according to researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The study reveals an overall 60 percent increase from 1973 and 2009 in cancers of the base of tongue, tonsils, soft palate and pharynx in people younger than age 45.

Among Caucasians, there was a 113 percent increase, while among African-Americans the rate of these cancers declined by 52 percent during that period of time.

Protecting Specific Area of the Brain During Whole-Brain Radiation Substantially Reduces Rate of Memory Loss In Cancer Patients

Posted: 24 Sep 2013 05:13 AM PDT

Protecting the stem cells that reside in and around the hippocampus – a C-shaped area in the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain associated with the ability to form and store memories – substantially reduces the rate of cancer patients' memory loss during whole-brain radiotherapy without a significant risk of recurrence in that area of the brain, a new study shows. Results of the Phase II clinical trial of patients with brain metastases are being presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting.

Alzheimer’s progression tracked prior to dementia

Posted: 24 Sep 2013 05:10 AM PDT

For years, scientists have attempted to understand how Alzheimer’s disease harms the brain before memory loss and dementia are clinically detectable. Most researchers think this preclinical stage, which can last a decade or more before symptoms appear, is the critical phase when the disease might be controlled or stopped, possibly preventing the failure of memory and thinking abilities in the first place.

Study Shows New Islet Cell Transplant Procedure Offers Improved Outcomes for Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 02:38 PM PDT

The latest approach to islet transplantation, in which clusters of insulin-producing cells known as islets are transplanted from a donor pancreas into another person’s liver, has produced substantially improved results for patients with type 1 diabetes, and may offer a more durable alternative to a whole pancreas transplant.

Identifying trauma risk in small children early after an accident

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 10:05 AM PDT

Small children also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders after a serious accident. With the aid of a new test, children with an increased risk can already be identified in the space of a few days. The test devised by scientists from the University of Zurich and the University Children’s Hospital Zurich helps to treat traumatized small children at an early stage.

Researchers identify a switch that controls growth of most aggressive brain tumor cells

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 09:55 AM PDT

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a cellular switch that potentially can be turned off and on to slow down, and eventually inhibit the growth of the most commonly diagnosed and aggressive malignant brain tumor.

Can Mild Hypothermia Treatment Improve Neuron Survival After Traumatic Brain Injury?

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 08:51 AM PDT

Moderate reductions in body temperature can improve outcomes after a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). New research that identifies positive effects of mild hypothermia on brain tissue is presented in an article published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management website.

A boost for cellular profiling

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 08:44 AM PDT

A team of researchers affiliated with Ludwig Cancer Research and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report in the current issue of Nature Methods a dramatically improved technique for analyzing the genes expressed within a single cell - a capability of relevance from basic research to future cancer diagnostics.

Researchers probe the optical properties of a novel kind of magnetism known as a spin-liquid state

Posted: 23 Sep 2013 07:40 AM PDT

Using low-frequency laser pulses, a team of researchers has carried out the first measurements that reveal the detailed characteristics of a unique kind of magnetism found in a mineral called herbertsmithite.