Health News

Early Nutrient Restriction Affects Mammalian Brain Development

Date: Mar-10-2013
A new study explains how young brains are protected when nutrition is poor. The findings, published on in Cell Reports, a Cell Press publication, reveal a coping strategy for producing a fully functional, if smaller, brain. The discovery, which was made in larval flies, shows the brain as an incredibly adaptable organ and may have implications for understanding the developing human brain as well, the researchers say. The key is a carefully timed developmental system that ultimately ensures neural diversity at the expense of neural numbers...

Next Flu Drug Could Be Inspired By Fish Oils

Date: Mar-10-2013
Flu viruses are a major cause of death and sickness around the world, and antiviral drugs currently do not protect the most seriously ill patients. A study published by Cell Press in the journal Cell reveals that a compound derived from fats found in fish oils prevents death in influenza-virus-infected mice, even at advanced stages of disease. The study offers a promising strategy for the treatment of patients with severe influenza virus infections...

First-Of-Its-Kind Ultrafast Detection Of Microbe And Cancer Cell Mutations Could Lead To More Precise Investigations Of Therapeutic Treatments

Date: Mar-10-2013
Scientists at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) have developed a novel technique to precisely monitor and study the evolution of micro-organisms such as viruses and bacteria. This is an extremely important capability as it allows scientists to investigate if new drugs designed to kill them are working, and catch the development of resistance early on. Micro-organisms and cancer cells evolve more quickly than normal human cells as their rapid life-cycles enable faster selection of advantageous mutations...

First Evidence Of The Involvement Of A Histone Variant Protein As An Epigenetic Barrier To Induced Pluripotency

Date: Mar-10-2013
Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered that a particular protein prevents normal cells from being reprogrammed into cells that resemble stem cells, providing new insight into how they may lose their plasticity during normal development. This finding has broad-reaching implications for how cells change during both normal and disease development. The data are published in Nature Communications...

Link Between PTSD And Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Early Markers Of Heart Disease

Date: Mar-10-2013
Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significantly higher risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, placing them at greater risk for heart disease and diabetes, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session. Researchers say public health interventions are urgently needed to prevent PTSD-related metabolic disorder at its early, reversible stage...

More Than 140 Million Girls Were Victims Of Child Marriage Between 2011 And 2020

Date: Mar-10-2013
Between 2011 and 2020, more than 140 million girls will become child brides, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). If current levels of child marriages hold, 14.2 million girls annually or 39,000 daily will marry too young. Furthermore, of the 140 million girls who will marry before the age of 18, 50 million will be under the age of 15. Despite the physical damage and the persistent discrimination to young girls, little progress has been made toward ending the practice of child marriage...

Ending Violence Against Women Is Vital To Eradicate AIDS

Date: Mar-10-2013
The HIV/AIDS pandemic can only be addressed effectively if we manage to end violence against women, Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, said on International Women's Day (Friday, March 8th). Sidibé said "On this day when we honour women, let me speak directly to the men. As husbands and partners, brothers and sons, we must be part of the solution to build a world where women and men are equal...

FDA Warns Medical Manufacturers About Using "Latex Free" Labels

Date: Mar-10-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just issued a warning to medical device manufacturers stating that they should provide accurate information about their products that don't contain natural rubber latex (NRL) and stop labeling them as "latex free". NRL is natural milk-like substance found in plant sources, after repeated exposure to NRL some people can have severe allergies, and develop hives or rashes. In some cases the reactions can be so bad that the patient experiences wheezing and serious breathing difficulties...

Bee Venom Destroys HIV And Spares Surrounding Cells

Date: Mar-10-2013
Nanoparticles containing bee venom toxin melittin can destroy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while at the same time leaving surrounding cells unharmed, scientists from Washington University School of Medicine reported in the March 2013 issue of Antiviral Therapy. The researchers said that their finding is a major step toward creating a vaginal gel that can prevent HIV spread. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Joshua L...

Universal Mechanism Identified For Activating Anti-Aging Pathway

Date: Mar-10-2013
A new study demonstrates what researchers consider conclusive evidence that the red wine compound resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity in animal models. What's more, the researchers have uncovered the molecular mechanism for this interaction, and show that a class of more potent drugs currently in clinical trials act in a similar fashion. Pharmaceutical compounds similar to resveratrol may potentially treat and prevent diseases related to aging in people, the authors contend. These findings are published in the March 8 issue of Science...