Health News

Physical activity reduces risk of cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetes

Date: Nov-15-2013
The risk of cardiovascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes is directly related to the frequency and duration of physical exercise, according to results of a large follow-up study reported on World Diabetes Day. Notably, those with low levels of physical activity had a 70% greater risk of cardiovascular death than those with higher levels.Studies have shown indisputably that those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are up to five times more likely to develop heart disease or stroke than healthy subjects in the general population.

Mechanism identified in cell division relevant for closing wounds

Date: Nov-15-2013
How do cells spread to cover and close a wound? A team of researchers led by IST Austria Professor Carl-Philipp Heisenberg, including first author Pedro Campinho, PhD student in the Heisenberg group, publishes new insights into epithelial cell spreading in the current online edition of Nature Cell Biology.Spreading of the epithelial cell layer is fundamental for epithelial closure and wound healing, as well as for embryonic development. The challenge presented here is that the cell layer needs to increase in surface area, but nevertheless maintain its integrity.

Low-intensity therapy for Burkitt lymphoma found to be highly effective

Date: Nov-15-2013
Adult patients with a type of cancer known as Burkitt lymphoma had excellent long-term survival rates - upwards of 90 percent - following treatment with low-intensity chemotherapy regimens, according to a new clinical trial finding. Standard treatment for Burkitt lymphoma involves high-dose chemotherapy, which has a high rate of toxicity, including death, and cures only 60 percent of adult patients. This trial was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Common chemo drug thwarts graft rejection in bone marrow transplants

Date: Nov-15-2013
Results of a Johns Hopkins study may explain why a chemotherapy drug called cyclophosphamide prevents graft-versus-host (GVHD) disease in people who receive bone marrow transplants. The experiments point to an immune system cell that evades the toxic effects of cyclophosphamide and protects patients from a lethal form of GVHD.The findings, published online in Science Translational Medicine, could pave the way for improvements in preventing GVHD and rejection of transplanted bone marrow and new therapies to prevent or treat a relapse of the underlying cancer after a transplant.

Cancer, arthritis treatments could target same 'glue' molecule

Date: Nov-15-2013
Two very different diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers, share a common feature - an over-abundance of a "glue" molecule that helps cells stick together. Now, a new study suggests targeting this molecule could help treat both.Led by a team at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, the researchers also found drug candidates that could target the glue protein, cadherin-11. One of the drugs is already undergoing a clinical trial.

Social stability affects production of new brain cells; ability of brain to adapt is key to coping with hierarchies and stress

Date: Nov-15-2013
New studies released reveal links between social status and specific brain structures and activity, particularly in the context of social stress. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.Using human and animal models, these studies may help explain why position in social hierarchies strongly influences decision-making, motivation, and altruism, as well as physical and mental health.

Novel approach to prevent type 1 diabetes

Date: Nov-15-2013
New research led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) demonstrates a disease mechanism in type 1 diabetes (T1D) that can be targeted using simple, naturally occurring molecules to help prevent the disease. The work highlights a previously unrecognized molecular pathway that contributes to the malfunction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in T1D in human patients and in mice, and shows that a chemical intervention can help beta cells function properly and survive.

Gene therapy shrinks an enlarged heart, improves heart function and blood flow

Date: Nov-15-2013
Researchers at the Cardiovascular Research Center at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have successfully tested a powerful gene therapy, delivered directly into the heart, to reverse heart failure in large animal models.The new research study findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, is the final study phase before human clinical trials can begin testing SUMO-1 gene therapy. SUMO-1 is a gene that is "missing in action" in heart failure patients.

The latest research on coffee consumption in the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Date: Nov-15-2013
Regular, moderate coffee consumption may decrease an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to research highlighted in a report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC).More than 370 million people worldwide have diabetes making it one of the most significant health problems(1). To mark World Diabetes Day, ISIC has published an updated report outlining the latest research on coffee and type 2 diabetes.

Annual UK Flusurvey tracks the spread of flu and extends monitoring to schools

Date: Nov-15-2013
Are Northerners really more likely to get flu? Does regular exercise help you to recover faster? And what impact will the new childhood flu vaccinations have on the spread of the virus in schools? These are just some of the questions scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine want to explore as they launch the annual nationwide Flusurvey, collecting data from men, women and children of all ages around the country.