Health News

Novel genomic approach reveals gene mutation isn't simple answer in familial Alzheimer's disease

Date: Nov-18-2013
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have used genetic engineering of human induced pluripotent stem cells to specifically and precisely parse the roles of a key mutated protein in causing familial Alzheimer's disease (AD), discovering that simple loss-of-function does not contribute to the inherited form of the neurodegenerative disorder.

Identifying 'sensome' of microglia could improve understanding, treatments for neurodegenerative disorders

Date: Nov-18-2013
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have used a new sequencing method to identify a group of genes used by the brain's immune cells - called microglia - to sense pathogenic organisms, toxins or damaged cells that require their response. Identifying these genes should lead to better understanding of the role of microglia both in normal brains and in neurodegenerative disorders and may lead to new ways to protect against the damage caused by conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Bacteria just keep on evolving

Date: Nov-18-2013
There's no peak in sight - fitness peak, that is - for the bacteria in Richard Lenski's Michigan State University lab.Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, has been running his evolutionary bacteria experiment for 25 years, generating more than 50,000 generations. In a paper published in the current issue of Science, Michael Wiser, lead author and MSU graduate student in Lenski's lab, compares it to hiking.

Children with inherited high cholesterol benefit from early statin therapy

Date: Nov-18-2013
Children with inherited high levels of cholesterol who receive cholesterol-lowering statins in their early years have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than their affected parents, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Researchers evaluated the effectiveness and safety of statin treatment in 214 children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The children, 8- to 18-years-old, continued to receive statins and were evaluated after 10 years.

Copper is essential for the energy production of malignant cells; reducing intake via food and water can slow down tumor growth

Date: Nov-18-2013
Copper imbalances have been associated with a number of pathological conditions, including cancer. Publishing in PNAS scientists at EPFL have found that copper in drinking water - given at the maximum levels permitted in public water supplies - accelerated the growth of tumors in mice. On the other hand, reducing copper levels reduced tumor growth. The study strongly suggests that copper is an essential factor for the growth of tumors in humans as well.Copper is a key player in cell growth.

Better education can address international issue of antibiotic resistance

Date: Nov-18-2013
Antibiotic resistance is an international reality whose solution includes better educating physicians about using bacteria-fighting tools, says an infectious disease physician."The big problem is the overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and communities because not only can they lead to side effects like rashes and colon damage, one of those side effects is development of multidrug-resistant organisms," said Dr. Josѐ A. Vazquez, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

Novel method to image worm brain activity and screen early stage compounds aimed at treating autism and anxiety

Date: Nov-18-2013
A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and The Rockefeller University in New York has developed a novel system to image brain activity in multiple awake and unconstrained worms. The technology, which makes it possible to study the genetics and neural circuitry associated with animal behavior, can also be used as a high-throughput screening tool for drug development targeting autism, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other brain disorders.

Limited protection from state child restraint laws

Date: Nov-18-2013
Child restraint laws across many states have gaps that leave unprotected passengers highly vulnerable to vehicle-crash injuries, a study by New York University has found.The findings, which appear in the journal Social Science and Medicine, show that many child restraint laws lag behind existing research on vehicular safety and fail to follow guidelines adopted by medical experts.In the U.S., nearly 250,000 children are injured every year in car crashes and approximately 2,000 die from their injuries. Moreover, the child passenger fatality rate in the U.S.

RSV, the leading cause of infant hospitalizations worldwide: genetic signature identified

Date: Nov-18-2013
Scientists have identified the genetic signature of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of infant hospitalizations around the world. The work is a key step toward a better understanding of the immune response to RSV, which will aid the development of a vaccine and a tool that could allow physicians to determine the severity of the infection when symptoms first develop. The study, from a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, was published this week in PLOS Medicine.

Caffeine consumed 6 hours before bedtime reduced sleep by more than 1 hour

Date: Nov-18-2013
A new study shows that caffeine consumption even six hours before bedtime can have significant, disruptive effects on sleep."Sleep specialists have always suspected that caffeine can disrupt sleep long after it is consumed," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President M. Safwan Badr, MD. "This study provides objective evidence supporting the general recommendation that avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and at night is beneficial for sleep.