Health News

Researchers discover potential novel treatment against septic shock, one of the leading causes of mortality in intensive care unit

Date: Feb-10-2014
Septic shock is caused by excessive and systemic reaction of the entire body against infectious agents, in most cases of bacterial origin. The number of deaths by septic shock in intensive care units is very high and is still increasing, despite numerous large scale clinical trials. Scientists of VIB and UGent, supervised by Peter Vandenabeele, demonstrated in a mouse study that a potential novel treatment for sepsis may consist of the simultaneous neutralization of two harmful cytokines in the blood circulation, namely interleukin-1 and interleukin-18.

Beta blockers and perioperative care: European Heart Journal editorial addresses controversy

Date: Feb-10-2014
Since the end of 2011 when the scientific work of Professor Don Poldermans was first scrutinized there has been controversy in the medical world about the use of beta blockers in perioperative care.The recent publication - and retraction for proper peer reviewing and revision - in the European Heart Journal (EHJ) of a paper by Professors Cole and Francis from Imperial College, questioning whether beta blockers in perioperative care could lead to a mortality increase brought the topic back into the public eye.The EHJ has published an editorial (1) addressing these questions.

Scripps Florida scientists invent breakthrough approach to quickly identify new drug candidates from genome sequence

Date: Feb-10-2014
In research that could ultimately lead to many new medicines, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a potentially general approach to design drugs from genome sequence. As a proof of principle, they identified a highly potent compound that causes cancer cells to attack themselves and die."This is the first time therapeutic small molecules have been rationally designed from only an RNA sequence - something many doubted could be done," said Matthew Disney, PhD, an associate professor at TSRI who led the study.

Computer models help decode cells that sense light without seeing

Date: Feb-10-2014
Researchers have found that the melanopsin pigment in the eye is potentially more sensitive to light than its more famous counterpart, rhodopsin, the pigment that allows for night vision.For more than two years, the staff of the Laboratory for Computational Photochemistry and Photobiology (LCPP) at Ohio's Bowling Green State University (BGSU), have been investigating melanopsin, a retina pigment capable of sensing light changes in the environment, informing the nervous system and synchronizing it with the day/night rhythm.

HIV leaders urge comprehensive ART coverage for 50,000 patients

Date: Feb-10-2014
In 2014 an estimated 23,000 people with HIV infection will obtain private health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces and more than 26,000 will gain access to Medicaid coverage (a number that would nearly double to 50,000 if all states expanded Medicaid).[1] This represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve health outcomes for people with HIV and promote cost-effective care.

Researchers develop cochlear implant that can be wirelessly recharged

Date: Feb-10-2014
Cochlear implants - medical devices that electrically stimulate the auditory nerve - have granted at least limited hearing to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who otherwise would be totally deaf. Existing versions of the device, however, require that a disk-shaped transmitter about an inch in diameter be affixed to the skull, with a wire snaking down to a joint microphone and power source that looks like an oversized hearing aid around the patient's ear.

Tracking avian flu as it stalks Egypt

Date: Feb-10-2014
Since its first identification in Asia, highly pathogenic avian influenza - H5N1 - has caused significant alarm in the scientific community. While the virus' primary target is birds - tens of millions have already died from it - it is capable of infecting mammals, including humans, causing serious illness and a frightening rate of mortality. In a new study, Matthew Scotch, a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, tracks the spread of an H5N1 variant in Egypt - a country recently identified as a major epicenter for the virus.

Protein associated with canine hereditary ataxia pinpointed

Date: Feb-10-2014
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a link between a mutation in a gene called RAB 24 and an inherited neurodegenerative disease in Old English sheepdogs and Gordon setters. The findings may help further understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and identify new treatments for both canine and human sufferers.Hereditary ataxias are an important group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases in people. This group of diseases is the third most common neurodegenerative movement disorder after Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

Processing of sensory information improved by brain asymmetry

Date: Feb-10-2014
Fish that have symmetric brains show defects in processing information about sights and smells, according to the results of a new study into how asymmetry in the brain affects processing of sensory information.It's widely believed that the left and right sides of the brain have slightly different roles in cognition and in regulating behaviour. However, scientists don't know whether these asymmetries actually matter for the efficient functioning of the brain.

Production of an exceptionally large surface protein prevents bacteria from forming clumps and reduces their ability to cause disease

Date: Feb-10-2014
A genetic mechanism that controls the production of a large spike-like protein on the surface of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria alters the ability of the bacteria to form clumps and to cause disease, according to a new University of Iowa study.The new study is the first to link this genetic mechanism to the production of the giant surface protein and to clumping behavior in bacteria. It is also the first time that clumping behavior has been associated with endocarditis, a serious infection of heart valves that kills 20,000 Americans each year.