Health News

Ecstasy-related hospital visits increase by 128% in under-21s

Date: Dec-08-2013
The number of hospital emergency department visits related to the hallucinogenic drug ecstasy increased 128% between 2005 and 2011 in patients under the age of 21, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Ecstasy, also known as MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, producing a feeling of increased energy and euphoria.The drug can alter the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain, which can lead to negative effects, such as confusion and anxiety.

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.

Prostate cancer biomarker may predict patient outcomes

Date: Dec-08-2013
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Alberta in Canada have identified a biomarker for a cellular switch that accurately predicts which prostate cancer patients are likely to have their cancer recur or spread.The study, posted online recently in advance of publication in Cancer Research, was led by co-investigators Andries Zijlstra, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and Cancer Biology at Vanderbilt, and John Lewis, Ph.D.

Effectiveness of Marinomed's antiviral nasal spray confirmed in clinical trial for common cold

Date: Dec-07-2013
Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH has announced that new clinical data confirmed the effectiveness of a Carragelose®-based nasal spray in the therapy of common cold. The data, generated in collaboration with researchers from the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical University of Vienna, were published in the international medical journal Respiratory Research.

Origin of inherited gene mutation causing early-onset Alzheimer's

Date: Dec-07-2013
The age and origin of the E280A gene mutation responsible for early-onset Alzheimer's in a Colombian family with an unusually high incidence of the disease has been traced to a single founder dating from the 16th century.Kenneth S. Kosik, Harriman Professor in Neuroscience at UC Santa Barbara and co-director of the campus's Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI), conducted the study. The findings appear in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia."Some mutations just increase your risk, but this mutation is not a risk," Kosik said.

Women accept sexually explicit ads, but only for pricey goods

Date: Dec-07-2013
There is big money to be made from advertising, and sex sells. But if women are the target, the advert must be classy, sophisticated and valued highly, according to a new study.Researchers from the University of Minnesota claim that women are often put off by adverts with sexual imagery, but they can be charmed into changing their minds if the advertised item is pricey enough.The results, published in Psychological Science, show that if women connect sexual images with high-value consumer goods, they respond more positively to it.

Identification of gene crucial for formation of certain brain circuitry

Date: Dec-07-2013
Using a powerful gene-hunting technique for the first time in mammalian brain cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have identified a gene involved in building the circuitry that relays signals through the brain. The gene is a likely player in the aging process in the brain, the researchers say. Additionally, in demonstrating the usefulness of the new method, the discovery paves the way for faster progress toward identifying genes involved in complex mental illnesses such as autism and schizophrenia - as well as potential drugs for such conditions.

Why combination drug treatment ineffective in cancer clinical trials

Date: Dec-07-2013
Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered that combination drug therapy didn't work well in clinical trials for cancer patients because one drug was making the other drug ineffective.Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry researcher Michael Sawyer and his colleagues, including first author Vijaya Damaraju, recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Cancer Research.In the '80s and '90s, cancer research focused on finding out which proteins "drove" cancers.

Fundamental differences identified between human cancers and genetically engineered mouse models of cancer

Date: Dec-07-2013
Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA have taken a closer look at existing mouse models of cancer, specifically comparing them to human cancer samples. These genetically engineered mouse models (which usually either overexpress a cancer-causing gene - or "oncogene" - or carry a deletion for a "tumor suppressor" gene) have been extensively used to understand human cancer biology in studies of drug resistance, early detection, metastasis, and cancer prevention, as well as for the preclinical development of novel targeted therapeutics.