Health News

Curbing breast cancer's craving for sugar

Date: Aug-03-2013
Researchers have discovered a way to potentially combat chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Chemical Science. Breast Cancer Campaign (BCC) scientists at the University of Southampton in the UK have come across a way of curbing breast cancer cells' craving for sugar. Research has shown that cancer cells thrive on sugar from the blood. The cells process sugar as a fuel supply that encourages C-terminal binding proteins (CtBPs) to bind together...

Extensively-drug resistant gonorrhoea invading Australian cities: a matter of when, not if

Date: Aug-02-2013
The inevitable arrival of extensively-drug resistant (XDR) gonorrhoea in Australian cities is the focus of a session on day two of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) Gram Negative 'Superbugs' Meeting on the Gold Coast.  Associate Professor David Whiley of the Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute (QCMRI), the University of Queensland, will tell delegates that, while no XDR strains have been detected in Australia so far, the general consensus among sexual health experts is that it will only be a matter of time...

Acetaminophen: serious skin reactions in rare cases

Date: Aug-02-2013
The popular painkiller acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) may cause rare but serious skin reactions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned. The analgesic is one of the most commonly and long-used drugs available, sold under numerous brandnames in the US, including Acephen, Actamin, Feverall, Q-Pap, Tactinal, Tempra, Tylenol, Uniserts and Vitapap. The US drug regulator says that although the reactions are rare, they can include: Rash Blisters Widespread damage to the surface of skin...

Omega-3 role in preventing oral and skin cancers

Date: Aug-02-2013
Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may help in the prevention of early- and late-stage oral and skin cancers, according to a study published in the journal Carcinogenesis. UK researchers from Queen Mary, University of London grew cell cultures in the laboratory from several different cell lines. These included both malignant oral and skin cancers, alongside pre-malignant cells and normal skin and oral cells. The focus was mainly on a type of cancer called squamous-cell carcinoma...

Gene discovery explains odor preferences

Date: Aug-02-2013
Ever wondered why some people love the stinky cheeses that many find odious? It's probably in our genes, say researchers from Plant and Food Research in New Zealand. They have discovered genetic differences to account for variations in people's perception of smells. A pair of studies recently published online in the journal Current Biology had researchers testing almost 200 people for their receptiveness to ten chemical compounds commonly found in food...

Preventing the 'Freshman 15' via the Web

Date: Aug-02-2013
A new study published in the July/August 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluated the motivational effects of Project WebHealth, a web-based health promotion intervention developed to prevent excessive weight gain in college students. Researchers found that specific procedures and components of Project WebHealth successfully motivated students to improve their weight-related health behaviors and that the level of motivation differed by gender...

Afatinib shows benefits for EGFR mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer patients across various efficacy endpoints

Date: Aug-02-2013
Data from the LUX-Lung clinical trial programme, investigating afatinib* in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These data include results from the pivotal LUX-Lung 3 Phase III registration trial which show that afatinib delays tumour growth and improves disease-related symptoms and quality of life compared to standard chemotherapy, when used to treat patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC...

New signal stabilizes atherosclerotic plaques

Date: Aug-02-2013
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease with accumulation of cholesterol in the vessel walls. The atherosclerotic plaque is built up throughout life and when it ruptures it leads to heart attack or stroke. T cells are important immune cells able to direct the immune response; they are present in the plaques at all stages and signal to other cells through contact or secretion of cytokines, a type of hormone-like signal molecules. In the present study the researchers have identified a cytokine produced by T cells that can stabilize atherosclerotic plaques and protect them from rupture...

Ancient viruses that function in early human development may play role in cancer

Date: Aug-02-2013
The St. Laurent Institute, a non-profit medical research institute focused on the systems biology of disease, today announced in a study published in the July edition of Genome Biology, that genetic matter, previously ignored by the scientific community, may play an important role in cancer...

Obesity doesn't reduce chance of getting pregnant with donor eggs

Date: Aug-02-2013
In women who use donor eggs to become pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF), those who are obese are just as likely to become pregnant as normal weight women, according to a new report. Studies have shown that obesity is associated with lower chances of pregnancy using IVF, but most of this work is limited to women using their own eggs. Research on outcomes for obese women using donor eggs has had mixed results. The new analysis by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St...