Health News

Prenatal support groups help pregnant woman with limited English speaking skills

Date: Nov-11-2013
Far away from home and family, pregnant Japanese women who met with each other for prenatal group visits felt less anxious and better prepared for childbirth and motherhood, says a new University of Michigan Health System study. The women, who spoke limited English, were able to connect with peers with similar due dates and cultural backgrounds to discuss such topics as nutrition, labor, breastfeeding and newborn care. A year later, several moms stayed friends and continued to share issues that came up with their babies. The study, led by Japan native Sahoko Little, M.D., Ph.D...

Artificial heart to pump human waste into future robots

Date: Nov-11-2013
A new device capable of pumping human waste into the "engine room" of a self-sustaining robot has been created by a group of researchers from Bristol. Modelled on the human heart, the artificial device incorporates smart materials called shape memory alloys and could be used to deliver human urine to future generations of EcoBot - a robot that can function completely on its own by collecting waste and converting it into electricity. The device has been tested and the results have been presented in IOP Publishing's journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics...

Epigenetic effects on cell signaling leads healthy stem cells to create benign fibromas in the jaw

Date: Nov-11-2013
A new study from the Ostrow School of Dentistry published in Cell Stem Cell illustrates how changes in cell signaling can cause ordinary stem cells in the jaw to start forming benign but potentially harmful tumors. Principal investigator Songtao Shi, professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, says ossifying fibromas, the tumors focused on in the study, are benign but can grow aggressively and cause progressive enlargement of the jaw...

Climate may play a role in the distribution and prevalence of trachoma

Date: Nov-11-2013
High temperatures and low rainfall are important factors which influence the occurrence and severity of the active stages of trachoma - the most common cause of infectious blindness - according to a new study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Sightsavers carried out the first systematic review to explore links between climate and trachoma...

Boosting production of drugs, biofuels by tricking algae's biological clock

Date: Nov-11-2013
Tricking algae's biological clock to remain in its daytime setting can dramatically boost the amount of valuable compounds that these simple marine plants can produce when they are grown in constant light. That is the conclusion of a "proof of concept" experiment described in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Current Biology. The study found that when the biological clocks of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) were stopped in their daylight setting, the amount of several biomolecules that they were genetically altered to produce increased by as much as 700 percent when grown in constant light...

Role of Cul4 molecule identified in genome instability and cancer

Date: Nov-11-2013
Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that a molecule called Cul4 helps to deposit DNA-packaging histone proteins onto DNA, an integral step in cramming yards of genetic code into compact coils that can fit into each cell. When DNA isn't packaged correctly, it can lead to the genomic instability characteristic of many forms of cancer. The research is published in the journal Cell...

Gene reactivated to rejuvenate tissue repair, promote stem cell self-renewal

Date: Nov-11-2013
Two groups of scientists at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have made complementary discoveries that break new ground on efforts to turn back the body's clock on cellular activity, paving the way for a better understanding of stem cells, tissue growth, and regeneration. A team led by Dr. Sean Morrison, Director of CRI and Professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has identified an RNA-binding protein called IMP1 that promotes stem cell self-renewal during fetal development...

Whole-genome sequencing study shows HPV can damage genes and chromosomes directly

Date: Nov-11-2013
The virus that causes cervical, head and neck, anal and other cancers can damage chromosomes and genes where it inserts its DNA into human DNA, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). It's long been known that cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV) produce two viral proteins, called E6 and E7, which are essential for the development of cancer. However, they are not sufficient to cause cancer...

Bacterial toxin sets the course for serious infection

Date: Nov-11-2013
Braunschweig have now discovered what makes a specific strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis - one of the main instigators for these infections - so dangerous: the bacteria produce a molecule called CNFy that facilitates the infection process for them. It changes the host cells in a manner that enables the injection apparatus of Yersinia, which injects toxins into the cells, to work more efficiently. This strengthens the infection and leads to inflammation of the tissue. Whether an immune cell divides, alarms other immune cells or dies is strictly controlled in our immune system...

Americans want doctors' guidance on genetic test results

Date: Nov-11-2013
In an era of commercialized medicine, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has been on a steady rise. Consumers can purchase a DNA sample kit, also known as a "spit kit," mail it to a testing company, and wait for an email that reveals their genetic risk for disorders like heart disease and colon cancer. However, a new Yale study reveals that members of the public, as well as physician groups, are concerned about individuals interpreting these risks without the help of a doctor...