Health News

Studies identify cell-signaling pathway alterations responsible for melanoma drug resistance

Date: Nov-21-2013
Genomic profiling of treatment-resistant, BRAF-mutated melanomas revealed multiple gene alterations, mostly involving a cell-signaling pathway called the MAPK pathway, and more potent forms of existing drugs and drugs targeting the protein ERK may provide durable control of the disease, according to two studies published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research."Currently there is not enough known about the genetic and molecular changes that may causedrug resistance in melanomas harboring BRAF mutations," said Levi A. Garraway, M.D., Ph.D.

Insight into melanoma drug resistance pathways identifies potential new treatment option

Date: Nov-21-2013
Although most of the melanomas that harbor BRAF mutations respond dramatically to treatment with BRAF inhibitors, nearly all develop resistance to the drugs in less than a year, and previous studies showed that melanomas alter a cell signaling pathway called the MAPK pathway to become resistant.

Child allergies may be prevented by introducing solid foods while continuing to breast feed

Date: Nov-21-2013
Introducing solid food with breast milk after the 17th week of birth could reduce food allergies in babies, according to University of Southampton research.The research, led by Dr Kate Grimshaw, dietitian and senior research fellow at the University, say that giving the baby solid food beside breast feeding helps it develop a better, stronger immune system to fight food allergies."Introducing solid foods alongside breastfeeding can benefit the immune system," Dr Grimshaw explains.

Blood vessel tangles in brain best left alone, study suggests

Date: Nov-21-2013
Patients with a condition that causes blood vessels in the brain to form an abnormal tangle could be helped by the findings of new research. An international patient trial suggests that the safest way of managing arteriovenous malformations (AVM) of the brain is to treat the patient's symptoms only, and not the AVM. People with an AVM - causing disrupted blood flow in the brain - are three times more likely to suffer stroke from the AVM bursting or die within three years if the tangled vessels are treated, researchers found.

Protein discovered that regulates the burning of body fat

Date: Nov-21-2013
Muscle movements generate body heat. However, body heat can also be generated in another way: body fat contains a small number of brown adipose cells - special fat cells that can generate heat without muscle activity. They do this using a protein known as UCP1 that enables babies or hibernating animals to keep warm without shivering. A research team at the University of Veterinary Medicine (Vetmeduni Vienna) has found that a specific chemical compound, an aldehyde, can activate UCP1 under certain conditions, and that could also trigger fat burning.

Western researchers explore links between learning disorders in children

Date: Nov-21-2013
New interdisciplinary research from Western University has uncovered fundamental links among three major learning difficulties in some school-age children. Although many children have specific problems with dyslexia, specific language impairment and dyscalculia, this study is the first to show a significant portion of these children have overlapping deficits. Importantly, the research team has also devised a 10-minute screening test that could be administered broadly in primary schools to identify children at risk for the different disorders.

UNMC study: Distracted driving killing more pedestrians, bicyclists

Date: Nov-21-2013
From texting and talking on cell phones to eating while driving, researchers say distracted driving is a serious public health threat. Though motor vehicle deaths have been declining nationally, a recent study by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center found that deaths in pedestrians and cyclists are increasing. From 2005 to 2010, the national number of pedestrians struck and killed by distracted drivers went up from 344 to 500 - an almost 50 percent increase. For cyclists, the numbers killed went from 56 to 73 - a 30 percent increase.

New research commissioned by the HCPC shows that one in five 'doubted fitness to practise' of a health or care professional, UK

Date: Nov-21-2013
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is launching new research which finds that a fifth of UK adults have encountered behaviour from a health or care professional that made them doubt their fitness to practise.More than a quarter said the health or care professional in question seriously or persistently failed to meet standards whilst 16 per cent said they felt the professional failed to respect the rights of a patient to make their own choices. Thirteen per cent felt they were 'hiding mistakes' and a further nine per cent felt they were exploiting vulnerable patients.

DNA vaccine for MERS induces robust immune response in preclinical trial

Date: Nov-21-2013
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: INO) has announced that preclinical testing of a DNA synthetic vaccine for the virulent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) induced robust and durable immune responses, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon® DNA vaccine to prevent and treat this deadly virus.Since 2012, when the virus was first identified, 153 cases from nine Middle Eastern countries have been reported and, alarmingly, 42% of these cases have been fatal. MERS is similar to the SARS virus which infected 8,000 people several years ago.

Electronic prescribing in NHS hospitals patchy at best

Date: Nov-21-2013
Patchy use of electronic prescribing in NHS hospitals - and the huge diversity of systems - creates huge challenges for both patient safety and staff training, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE.Of 101 hospitals in England that took part in a survey about their current use of electronic prescribing, just one has a system that is used in all clinical areas (including outpatients) with a further 12 hospitals using electronic prescribing in all adult medical and surgical wards.