ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Long held secret of bowel movement now understood, leads to improved nutrient absorption
• Synthetic version of heparin created for use in kidney patients
• Mysterious polio-like illness found in five California children
• Role of infliximab examined in treating Kawasaki disease
• Nanoparticles target anti-inflammatory drugs where needed
• Climate change won't reduce deaths in winter, British study concludes
• Lymphoid cells discovered in human spleen, essential for production of antibodies
• Acupuncture holds promise for treating inflammatory disease
• Brain region essential for social memory identified
• Reducing HIV transmission among drug injectors lowers AIDS mortality in heterosexuals
• Degradation of viral DNA in cell nucleus opening up new treatment for hepatitis B
• Lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disease explained
• Bioengineered growth factors lead to better wound healing

Long held secret of bowel movement now understood, leads to improved nutrient absorption Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:08 AM PST A research team has found a segmentation motion occurs when not one but two sets of pacemakers interact with each other to create a specific rhythm. Then they work together with nerves and muscle to generate the movement that allows for nutrient absorption inside the human digestive system. The discovery is important as it gives direction for development of drugs or nutrients which will combat disorders when people have diarrhea, constipation, bloating or malabsorption of nutrients from food.

Synthetic version of heparin created for use in kidney patients Posted: 23 Feb 2014 06:51 PM PST A synthetic form of low-molecular-weight heparin has been created that can be reversed in cases of overdose and would be safer for patients with poor kidney function. Heparin is an anticoagulant, and is most commonly extracted from pig intestines in two forms: unfractionated heparin, which is commonly used in procedures such as dialysis, and a more-refined low-molecular-weight (LMW) heparin, which is used around the world for preventing dangerous blood clots.

Mysterious polio-like illness found in five California children Posted: 23 Feb 2014 06:51 PM PST Researchers have identified a polio-like syndrome in a cluster of children from California over a one-year period, according to a case report released. Polio is a contagious disease that sometimes caused paralysis. The United States experienced a polio epidemic in the 1950s, until a vaccine was introduced. The five children experienced paralysis of one or more arms or legs that came on suddenly and reached the height of its severity within two days of onset. Three of the children had a respiratory illness before the symptoms began. All of the children had been previously vaccinated against poliovirus. The children were treated but their symptoms did not improve and they still had poor limb function after six months.

Role of infliximab examined in treating Kawasaki disease Posted: 23 Feb 2014 06:50 PM PST A new study has looked at intensification of initial therapy for all children with Kawasaki Disease in order to prevent IVIG-resistance and associated coronary artery abnormalities by assessing the addition of the medication infliximab to current standard therapy. Kawasaki Disease is a severe childhood disease that many parents, even some doctors, mistake for an inconsequential viral infection. If not diagnosed or treated in time, it can lead to irreversible heart damage.

Nanoparticles target anti-inflammatory drugs where needed Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST A system for precisely delivering anti-inflammatory drugs to immune cells gone out of control, has been developed that spares the well-behaved counterpart cells in the body. The system uses nanoparticles made of tiny bits of protein designed to bind to unique receptors found only on neutrophils, a type of immune cell engaged in detrimental acute and chronic inflammatory responses. In chronic inflammation, neutrophils can pile up at the site of injury, sticking to the blood vessel walls and to each other and contributing to tissue damage.

Climate change won't reduce deaths in winter, British study concludes Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST Climate change is unlikely to reduce the United Kingdom's excess winter death rate, which was a previous hypothesis. The study debunks the widely held view that warmer winters will cut the number of deaths normally seen at the coldest time of year. The study found that from 1951 to 1971, the number of cold winter days was strongly linked to death rates, while from 1971 to 1991, both the number of cold days and flu activity were responsible for increased death rates. However, their analysis showed that from 1991 to 2011, flu activity alone was the main cause in year to year variation in winter mortality.

Lymphoid cells discovered in human spleen, essential for production of antibodies Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST Researchers have discovered the presence of a novel subtype of innate lymphoid cells in human spleen essential for the production of antibodies. This discovery clears the path to the identification of novel strategies to develop more efficient vaccines against encapsulated bacteria, considered highly virulent. This research involved in vitro studies with isolated cells from human spleen samples and in vivo studies performed with different mice models.

Acupuncture holds promise for treating inflammatory disease Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:16 AM PST Electroacupuncture may reduce inflammation that causes sepsis death, a recent study has shown. This research shows physical evidence of acupuncture's value beyond any that has been demonstrated before, and also shows potential benefits not just for sepsis, but for treating other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and Crohn's disease. While investigating acupuncture mechanisms, the researchers also have determined that fenoldopam, a dopamine receptor agonist, also shows promise as a pharmaceutical sepsis treatment.

Brain region essential for social memory identified Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:16 AM PST A small region of the hippocampus known as CA2 is essential for social memory, the ability of an animal to recognize another of the same species, a new study concludes. In humans, the importance of the hippocampus for social memory was famously illustrated by the case of Henry Molaison, who had much of his hippocampus removed by surgeons in 1953 in an attempt to cure severe epilepsy. Molaison was subsequently unable to form new memories of people. A better grasp of the function of CA2 could prove useful in understanding and treating disorders characterized by altered social behaviors, such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

Reducing HIV transmission among drug injectors lowers AIDS mortality in heterosexuals Posted: 21 Feb 2014 09:57 AM PST A recent study sheds light on the pathways connecting HIV epidemics in different populations, concluding that programs for people who use drugs -- like syringe exchange, HIV counseling and testing, and drug abuse treatment -- are associated with subsequent lower rates of AIDS incidence and death among heterosexuals. The study also highlights a link between racial/ethnic residential segregation and rates of AIDS incidence and mortality among heterosexuals and points to evidence pairing social causations like income inequality with mortality.

Degradation of viral DNA in cell nucleus opening up new treatment for hepatitis B Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST Viruses such as HBV can persist by depositing their genetic information (DNA) in the cell nucleus, where the DNA is normally not degraded. This prevents antiviral drugs from eliminating these viruses. But a newly discovered mechanism could make this possible without damaging the infected cell in the liver, possibly opening up new therapeutic possibilities.

Lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disease explained Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:35 PM PST Epidemiological studies demonstrate that diseases of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and schizophrenia protect against cancer. The most remarkable example is Alzheimer's disease, which can reduce the risk of suffering from cancer by up to 50%. Various theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain this relationship between diseases at a first glance seem to be so different from the pharmacological, genetic and environmental perspectives. This week, the first evidence of a molecular relationship between cancer and central nervous system diseases has been published, identifying almost a hundred genes that could explain this relationship.

Bioengineered growth factors lead to better wound healing Posted: 20 Feb 2014 11:17 AM PST When we are wounded, our bodies naturally begin a process of repair of the damaged tissue. This process is mediated by biological molecules called growth factors, which are proteins that occur naturally in our cells and guide processes ranging from embryonic development to healing. Given their regenerative role in the body, growth factors have been investigated for use in drugs but with limited success. Scientists have now greatly improved the effectiveness of clinical growth factors in the context of soft tissue and bone repair, paving new strategies for regenerative medicine.

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