Health News

Compounds outsmart solid tumors' malfunctioning machinery

Date: Jul-22-2013
Molecular biologists in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio have found a novel way to fine-tune the activity of cells' protein-disposing machinery, with potentially cancer-fighting effects. This machinery, the proteasome, is deregulated in cancer. Agents called protease inhibitors are viewed as potential anti-cancer therapies, but they indiscriminately curb proteasome activity, which also includes protein recycling...

Breast cancer patients benefit from treatments tailored specifically for their tumor types

Date: Jul-22-2013
The Side-Out Foundation's breast cancer pilot study, led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Translational Drug Development (TD2) and Scottsdale Healthcare, has shown that cancer patients do better when their treatment is guided by molecular profiling. Specifically, 52 percent of patients with advanced breast cancer received clinical benefit - meaning their disease was controlled for a longer time - when their cancer was treated based on addressing the abnormal proteins in their tumor, according to the study conducted at the Virginia G...

Heart attack-causing plaque identified in living patients using near-infrared spectroscopy

Date: Jul-22-2013
We may be closer to predicting who is at risk for a heart attack, according to a recently published Spectrum Health study. Researchers with Spectrum Health's Frederik Meijer Heart & Vascular Institute used new imaging technology on patients being treated for heart attacks. The imaging technology allowed researchers to identify the characteristic makeup, or signature, of arterial plaque blocking an artery and causing a heart attack...

Study points to new approach for treating foodborne illnesses

Date: Jul-22-2013
UC Irvine microbiologists have learned how a probiotic bacterium used to treat irritable bowel syndrome can soothe gut bacterial infections caused by salmonella, paving the way for potential relief from foodborne illnesses that affect millions of people annually. Manuela Raffatellu, assistant professor of microbiology & molecular genetics, and colleagues at UC Irvine and the University of Washington identified how a probiotic strain of E...

Medication-resistant hypertension present in most people with moderate kidney disease

Date: Jul-22-2013
More than 50% of individuals with moderate kidney disease have hypertension that is resistant to medications, and those who are black or have a larger waist circumference, diabetes, or a history of heart attacks or strokes are at highest risk, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings could help identify kidney disease patients who need more intensive monitoring and treatments for hypertension. Approximately 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease (CKD)...

Sleep disruption during pregnancy affects the immune system and can cause birth-related complications

Date: Jul-22-2013
Poor sleep quality and quantity during pregnancy can disrupt normal immune processes and lead to lower birth weights and other complications, finds a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study published today in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Women with depression also are more likely than non-depressed women to suffer from disturbed sleep and to experience immune system disruption and adverse pregnancy outcomes...

Drug users who experienced childhood abuse at increased risk for suicide

Date: Jul-22-2013
A new five-year study that tracked more than 1,600 drug users found that severe abuse in their childhood - emotional, sexual, and to a lesser extent physical - significantly elevated their risk of attempting suicide. Screening for such abuse and offering treatment may help public officials and care providers reduce suicides. For health professionals, the message from a new study in the American Journal of Public Health is clear: Asking patients about a history of childhood abuse can directly help assess their risk of attempting suicide...

Oxytocin not found to offer symptom relief in autism

Date: Jul-22-2013
The so-called trust hormone, oxytocin, may not improve the symptoms of children with autism, a large study led by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has found. Professor Mark Dadds, of the UNSW School of Psychology, says previous research suggested that oxytocin - a hormone with powerful effects on brain activity linked to the formation of social bonds - could have benefits for children with the disorder...

Innovative technique can tell if drugs have hit their target in the human body

Date: Jul-22-2013
The search for new drugs, including those for cancer, is set to speed up thanks to a new research technique invented by scientists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Named the "Cellular Thermal Shift Assay" (CETSA), scientists can now know for sure if a drug had reached its target protein in the body, which is a critical step in determining the effectiveness of most medicines. Presently, scientists can only hypothesise if a drug has indeed reached its target protein, leading to expensive and prolonged drug development process...

Potential link between religious practice and obesity among Indian immigrants

Date: Jul-22-2013
Asian Indians are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, and roughly half a million people of Indian ancestry live in California - more than any other state. Individuals from this group are strongly predisposed to obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, due in large part to physical inactivity, diets low in fruit and vegetables, and insulin resistance...