Health News

In Mouse Model, Halting An Enzyme Can Slow Multiple Sclerosis

Date: May-02-2012
Researchers studying multiple sclerosis (MS) have long been looking for the specific molecules in the body that cause lesions in myelin, the fatty, insulating cells that sheathe the nerves. Nearly a decade ago, a group at Mayo Clinic found a new enzyme, called Kallikrein 6, that is present in abundance in MS lesions and blood samples and is associated with inflammation and demyelination in other neurodegenerative diseases. In a study published this month in Brain Pathology, the same group found that an antibody that neutralizes Kallikrein 6 is capable of staving off MS in mice. "We were able...

Scientists Demonstrate The Promise Of Synchrotron Infrared Spectroscopy Of Living Cells For Medical Applications

Date: May-02-2012
Knowing how a living cell works means knowing how the chemistry inside the cell changes as the functions of the cell change. Protein phosphorylation, for example, controls everything from cell proliferation to differentiation to metabolism to signaling, and even programmed cell death (apoptosis), in cells from bacteria to humans. It's a chemical process that has long been intensively studied, not least in hopes of treating or eliminating a wide range of diseases. But until now the close-up view - watching phosphorylation work at the molecular level as individual cells change over time - has...

Rapid Test Strips Detect Bacterial Contamination In Swimming Water

Date: May-02-2012
Urban beach closures due to coliform outbreaks have become disturbing signs of summer, yet water-testing technology has never been fast enough to keep up with changing conditions, nor accessible enough to check all waters. Now, researchers at McMaster University have developed a rapid testing method using a simple paper strip that can detect E. coli in recreational water within minutes. The new tool can close the gap between outbreak and detection, improving public safety. Scientists from the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network have created and validated the viability of the test strip, which can...

Protein Vital For Cell Survival And Immune Balance Has Another Form With A Different Function, Could Yield Additional Cancer Treatment Strategy

Date: May-02-2012
Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators suggests that safeguarding cell survival and maintaining a balanced immune system is just the start of the myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL1) protein's work. Nearly 20 years after MCL1 was discovered, scientists have identified a second form of the protein that works in a different location in cells and performs a different function. This newly identified version is shorter and toils inside rather than outside mitochondria where it assists in production of chemical energy that powers cells. The research appears in the...

Insecticide Exposure During Pregnancy Linked To Alterations In Brain Structure And Cognition

Date: May-02-2012
Even low to moderate levels of exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos during pregnancy may lead to long-term, potentially irreversible changes in the brain structure of the child, according to a new brain imaging study by researchers from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, Duke University Medical Center, Emory University, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. The changes in brain structure are consistent with cognitive deficits found in children exposed to this chemical. Results of the study appear online in PNAS. The new...

Timing Crucial In Appendectomies To Reduce Hospital Costs And Charges

Date: May-02-2012
Removing a child's ruptured appendix sooner rather than later significantly lowers hospital costs and charges, according to a recently published study. An estimated $10,000 in hospital charges was saved when pediatric general surgeons removed the ruptured appendix within the first 24 hours, compared to the alternative treatment, called an interval appendectomy, which involved removing the appendix six-eight weeks later. The study was published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons, and was led by Martin Blakely, M.D., MS, associate professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the Monroe...

Attacks By Viral Infections During The Winter May Be Averted By Vitamin D Supplements

Date: May-02-2012
Vitamin D may be known as the sunshine vitamin, but a new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that it is more than that. According to the report, insufficient levels of vitamin D are related to a deficiency in our innate immune defenses that protect us from infections, neoplasias or autoimmune diseases. Since vitamin D levels decrease during autumn and winter when days are shorter and sunlight is relatively weak, this may explain why people are more prone to viral infection during these times. It also suggests that vitamin D supplementation, especially in older...

Mexican-American Women Lose Weight With The Help Of Culturally Tailored Program

Date: May-02-2012
Mexican-American Women Lose Weight With The Help Of Culturally Tailored Program Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Nutrition / Diet Article Date: 02 May 2012 - 0:00 PDT  email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions    rate article  Current ratings for: 'Mexican-American Women Lose Weight With The Help Of Culturally Tailored Program' Patient / Public: Healthcare Prof: 5 (1 votes) Article opinions: 1 posts Mexican-American women who participated in a culturally tailored weight management program lost...

Enzyme Discovered That Could Slow Part Of The Aging Process In Astronauts - And The Elderly

Date: May-02-2012
New research published online in the FASEB Journal suggests that a specific enzyme, called 5-lipoxygenase, plays a key role in cell death induced by microgravity environments, and that inhibiting this enzyme will likely help prevent or lessen the severity of immune problems in astronauts caused by spaceflight. Additionally, since space conditions initiate health problems that mimic the aging process on Earth, this discovery may also lead to therapeutics that extend lives by bolstering the immune systems of the elderly. "The outcomes of this space research might be helpful to improve health in...

Improved Bone Repair With High-Strength Silk Scaffolds

Date: May-02-2012
Biomedical engineers at Tufts University's School of Engineering have demonstrated the first all-polymeric bone scaffold material that is fully biodegradable and capable of providing significant mechanical support during repair. The new technology uses micron-sized silk fibers to reinforce a silk matrix, much as steel rebar reinforces concrete. It could improve the way bones and other tissues are repaired following accident or disease. The discovery is reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of April 30-May 4, 2012. In the U.S. an estimated...