Health News

Faster method to catch unwanted microbes in food before they can make people sick

Date: Jan-31-2014
The regular appearance of food poisoning in the news, including a recent event that led to the recall of more than 33,000 pounds of chicken, drives home the need for better bacterial detection long before meats and produce make it to the dinner table. On the horizon is a new approach for pathogen screening that is far faster than current commercial methods. Scientists are reporting the technique in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

Lightwaves used by neuroscientists to improve brain tumor surgery

Date: Jan-31-2014
First-of-its-kind research by the Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Hospital shows promise for developing a method of clearly identifying cancerous tissue during surgery on one of the most common and deadliest types of brain tumor. When expanded upon by further research, the findings offer the potential of improved outcome for those undergoing surgery to remove glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a tumor that attacks tissue around nerve cells in the brain.The study is published in the February issue of Journal of Neuro-Oncology.

Treatment decisions significantly modified by Myriad's prolaris for prostate cancer

Date: Jan-31-2014
Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) has announced results from PROCEDE 500, a clinical utility study with its Prolaris test, at the 2014 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, Calif. The study demonstrated the significant clinical value of Prolaris to physicians who are treating men with prostate cancer. Prolaris is a prognostic test that accurately predicts prostate cancer-specific death and metastases and has been validated in 11 clinical studies with more than 5,000 patients.

Advances towards universal early screening for autism

Date: Jan-31-2014
A new study from researchers at Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, shows improvement towards universal early screening for autism. The report, published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, also found that few approaches to early detection, such as screening during well-child visits, were evaluated to understand their impact on early diagnosis and access to services.

Designer proteins provide new information about the body's signal processes

Date: Jan-31-2014
Proteins play a fundamental role in almost all biological processes. They consist of chains constructed of up to 20 different amino acids, and their composition, structure and function are controlled by the genetic code. Brilliant minds at the Center for Biopharmaceuticals are now attempting to rewrite the core function of proteins by making alterations in their molecular backbone, for example.

How an immune molecule makes cancer cells starve

Date: Jan-31-2014
The name of the Interferon-beta (IFN-β) molecule and the English word "interfere" go back to the same Latin roots. And interfering is exactly what this messenger molecule, whose formation is increased in infections and cancer diseases, does. Consequently, it is often administered therapeutically. Amongst other things, it prevents formation of new blood vessels within a tumour, thus inhibiting its growth. Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have now discovered that IFN-β does so by impeding the communication between cancer tissue and immune cells.

High-risk osteoporosis patients may be identified by automated system

Date: Jan-31-2014
An automated system that identifies high-risk osteoporosis patients being treated for fractures and can generate letters encouraging follow-up is an effective way to promote osteoporosis intervention and prevent future fractures, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.The researchers identified patients at least 50 years old with fractures who were seeking medical help at the emergency department of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Metabolic syndrome linked to poor breakfast habits in childhood

Date: Jan-31-2014
Researchers in Sweden report a link between incidence of metabolic syndrome in adults and the kind of breakfasts those adults ate as children.There is a lot of evidence that breakfast really is "the most important meal of the day." Studies that Medical News Today reported on in 2013 alone suggested that eating a large breakfast could boost fertility for women with PCOS and lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure.In addition, skipping breakfast has been said to increase the appeal of high-calorie foods later in the day.

How veterans are impacted by battlefield-related genitourinary injuries

Date: Jan-31-2014
Modern combat and the global war on terror, with increased use of improvised explosive devices, have led to a nearly 350% increased rate of genitourinary injuries. The often debilitating long-term sexual, psychological, fertility, and hormonal effects of these traumatic wounds and the need for new coordinated approaches to care are the focus of a Review article and Guest Editorial in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available on the Journal of Men's Health website.

Repeat colonoscopy examined in patients with polyps referred for surgery without biopsy-proven cancer

Date: Jan-31-2014
A new study reports that in the absence of biopsy-proven invasive cancer, a second colonoscopy done at an expert center may be appropriate to reevaluate patients referred for surgical resection. In the study, 71 percent of the lesions referred for surgery were noncancerous polyps (growths in the colon) and were treatable endoscopically. In 26 percent of cases, previous removal was attempted by the referring physician but was unsuccessful.