Health News

Growth in dormant hair follicles could be restarted by activating pathway

Date: Dec-09-2013
A pathway known for its role in regulating adult stem cells has been shown to be important for hair follicle proliferation, but contrary to previous studies, is not required within hair follicle stem cells for their survival, according to researchers with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A new study, published in Cell Stem Cell, identifies a molecular pathway that can be activated to prompt hair growth of dormant hair follicles, or blocked to prevent growth of unwanted hair.

Lower-dose IUDs prove safe and effective

Date: Dec-09-2013
In a finding that could expand the use of one of the most effective forms of birth control, two intrauterine contraceptive systems that had lower doses of the contraceptive hormone, levonorgestrel, were found to be safe and effective in preventing pregnancies, according to an international study that included researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed).

Lower-dose IUDs prove safe and effective

Date: Dec-09-2013
In a finding that could expand the use of one of the most effective forms of birth control, two intrauterine contraceptive systems that had lower doses of the contraceptive hormone, levonorgestrel, were found to be safe and effective in preventing pregnancies, according to an international study that included researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed).

Caffeine and alcohol can change a part of DNA linked to aging and cancer

Date: Dec-09-2013
Coffee and beer are polar opposites in the beverage world. Coffee picks you up, and beer winds you down.Now Prof. Martin Kupiec and his team at Tel Aviv University's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology have discovered that the beverages may also have opposite effects on your genome. Working with a kind of yeast that shares many important genetic similarities with humans, the researchers found that caffeine shortens and alcohol lengthens telomeres - the end points of chromosomal DNA, implicated in aging and cancer.

The presence of peers affects adolescents' reward-seeking behavior

Date: Dec-09-2013
It is well known that teenagers take risks - and when they do, they like to have company. Teens are five times likelier to be in a car accident when in a group than when driving alone, and likelier to commit a crime or drink alcohol when with a group of peers.Now, a new study from Temple psychologists Laurence Steinberg and Jason Chein, CLA '97, has found that an inclination toward risky behavior in groups also holds true for another teen mammal - namely, mice.

Almost 600 under-16s take up smoking each day in UK

Date: Dec-08-2013
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that each day, around 1,000 US teenagers under the age of 18 become daily cigarette smokers. Now, new research estimates that almost 600 children under the age of 16 begin smoking every day in the UK. This is according to a study published in the journal Thorax.There is no question that smoking can cause many health problems at any age. But taking up smoking at a younger age can pose even greater risks to health, compared with starting later in life, according to the researchers of this most recent study.

Compound in grape seed extract 'kills prostate cancer cells'

Date: Dec-08-2013
New research suggests that a component found in grape seed extract is effective in killing prostate cancer cells. This is according to a study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.Investigators from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have analyzed the potential of grape seed extract (GSE) for its anti-cancer properties over the last 10 years.But although previous research from the team has demonstrated its effectiveness against cancer cells and how it works, it was unknown as to which element of GSE produces these effects.

Proteins' passing phases revealed

Date: Dec-08-2013
A new method to identify previously hidden details about the structures of proteins may speed the process of novel drug design, according to scientists at Rice University.A unique combination of computational techniques and experimental data helped Rice theorists predict intermediate configurations of proteins that, until now, have been hard to detect.

Proteins' passing phases revealed

Date: Dec-08-2013
A new method to identify previously hidden details about the structures of proteins may speed the process of novel drug design, according to scientists at Rice University.A unique combination of computational techniques and experimental data helped Rice theorists predict intermediate configurations of proteins that, until now, have been hard to detect.

Drug induces morphologic, molecular and clinical remissions in myelofibrosis

Date: Dec-08-2013
Imetelstat, a novel telomerase inhibiting drug, has been found to induce morphologic, molecular and clinical remissions in some patients with myelofibrosis a Mayo Clinic study has found. The results were presented at the 2013 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in New Orleans."These are early results but they are promising, says the study's lead author, Ayalew Tefferi, M.D. a hematologist at Mayo Clinic.