science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 17 Οκτωβρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Genetic Discovery Could Help Guide Doctors’ Treatment of Bladder Cancers
The pig, the fish and the jellyfish: Tracing nervous disorders in humans
Simple urine test developed to detect dangerous blood clotting
Brain scans show unusual activity in retired American football players

Genetic Discovery Could Help Guide Doctors’ Treatment of Bladder Cancers

Posted: 17 Oct 2013 07:06 AM PDT

A UC San Francisco-led team of scientists has discovered that a gene mutation found in some bladder cancers is indicative of low-risk tumors that are unlikely to recur or progress after surgery.

The study, reported online in the journal Nature Genetics on Oct. 13 offers a glimpse into the potential of precision medicine, which aims to use genetic information to make an accurate analysis of an individual’s disease and target it with precise therapy.

The fifth most common malignancy in the U.S., bladder cancers claim about 15,000 lives each year.

The pig, the fish and the jellyfish: Tracing nervous disorders in humans

Posted: 17 Oct 2013 06:56 AM PDT

What do pigs, jellyfish and zebrafish have in common? It might be hard to discern the connection, but the different species are all pieces in a puzzle. A puzzle which is itself part of a larger picture of solving the riddles of diseases in humans.

Simple urine test developed to detect dangerous blood clotting

Posted: 16 Oct 2013 08:52 AM PDT

Life-threatening blood clots can form in anyone who sits on a plane for a long time, is confined to bed while recovering from surgery, or takes certain medications.

There is no fast and easy way to diagnose these clots, which often remain undetected until they break free and cause a stroke or heart attack. However, new technology from MIT may soon change that: A team of engineers has developed a way to detect blood clots using a simple urine test.

Brain scans show unusual activity in retired American football players

Posted: 16 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT

A new study has discovered profound abnormalities in brain activity in a group of retired American football players.

Although the former players in the study were not diagnosed with any neurological condition, brain imaging tests revealed unusual activity that correlated with how many times they had left the field with a head injury during their careers.