Health News

Amniotic Fluid Yields Alternatives To Embryonic Stem Cells

Date: Jul-05-2012
Stem cells found in amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Therapy. Scientists from Imperial College London and the UCL Institute of Child Health succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes. The findings raise the possibility that stem cells derived from donated amniotic fluid could be stored in banks and used for therapies and in research, providing a viable alternative to the limited embryonic stem cells currently available...

Researchers Closer To Understanding How Proteins Regulate Immune System

Date: Jul-05-2012
Researchers in the biological sciences department in the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary have revealed how white blood cells move to infection or inflammation in the body; findings which could help lead to developing drug therapies for immune system disorders. The research is published this month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. It's long been known that two human proteins - L-selectin and calmodulin - are involved in moving white blood cells to the site of inflammation or infection in the body...

Children In Foster Care Do Much Better Under Approach Developed By CU School Of Medicine

Date: Jul-05-2012
Foster kids who receive mentoring and training in skills such as anger management, healthy communication, and problem solving are less likely to move foster homes or to be placed in a residential treatment center, and more likely to reunify with their biological families, according to a study by University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers. Many programs nationwide have tried to help foster children achieve better placement outcomes by working with parents and making system-wide changes. This study, published in Pediatrics, focused on something new - improving child well-being...

Adult Stem Cells From Bone Marrow

Date: Jul-05-2012
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Maryland report promising results from using adult stem cells from bone marrow in mice to help create tissue cells of other organs, such as the heart, brain and pancreas - a scientific step they hope may lead to potential new ways to replace cells lost in diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. The research in collaboration with the University of Paris Descartes is published online in Comptes Rendus Biologies, a publication of the French Academy of Sciences...

Following Bone Surgery Or A Fracture, Ibuprofen Improves Bone Repair

Date: Jul-05-2012
A study conducted at the University of Granada has demonstrated that ibuprofen ­- a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)­ - has beneficial effects on bone repair after a fracture or following bone surgery. In vitro tests demonstrated that - unlike other NSAIDs - when a therapeutic dose of ibuprofen is administered, it has no negative effects on the proliferation and synthesis of obsteoblast osteocalcin, a cell which is directly involved in the formation and regeneration of bones.Osteoblast cells are bone cells that synthesize the bone matrix...

X-Ray Improvements, Medical Imaging Inspired By Bugs And Moth Eyes

Date: Jul-05-2012
Using the compound eyes of the humble moth as their inspiration, an international team of physicists has developed new nanoscale materials that could someday reduce the radiation dosages received by patients getting X-rayed, while improving the resolution of the resulting images. The work, led by Yasha Yi-a professor of the City University of New York, who is also affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University-was published today in the Optical Society's (OSA) journal, Optics Letters...

Laws In Brazil That Protect Against "Big Food" And "Big Snack"

Date: Jul-05-2012
Under pressure from civil society organizations, the Brazilian government has introduced legislation to protect and improve its traditional food system, standing in contrast to the governments of many industrialized countries that have partly surrendered their prime duty to protect public health to transnational food companies, argue nutrition and public health experts writing in this week's PLoS Medicine...

Molecular Link Identified Between Metabolic Diseases And Cancer

Date: Jul-05-2012
In the complex chain of molecular events that underlie eating behaviors and body weight, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) enzyme has proven to be a critical link. Now, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have identified the mechanism responsible for inhibition of AMPK activity in the hypothalamus, a discovery that not only provides a deeper understanding of energy balance but also reveals a critical integration point where multiple signaling pathways, including PI3K-AKT and mTOR converge...

Molecular Clues To The Link Between Childhood Maltreatment And Later Suicide

Date: Jul-05-2012
Exposure to childhood maltreatment increases the risk for most psychiatric disorders as well as many negative consequences of these conditions. This new study, by Dr. Gustavo Turecki and colleagues at McGill University, Canada, provides important insight into one of the most extreme outcomes, suicide. "In this study, we expanded our previous work on the epigenetic regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene by investigating the impact of severe early-life adversity on DNA methylation," explained Dr. Turecki...

Seeking An Alternative For Antibiotics To Fight Bacterial Infections

Date: Jul-05-2012
VIB researcher Mohamed Lamkanfi, connected to the Ghent University, discovered that mice that do not produce the receptor protein NLRP6, are better protected against bacterial infections and can easier remove bacteria from the body. Therapeutic drugs that neutralize NLRP6 could be a possible treatment option, in addition to the use of antibiotics, for fighting bacterial infections. His research was published in the leading scientific magazine Nature...