Old Drugs Find New Target for Treating Brain Tumor

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with colleagues in Boston and South Korea, say they have identified a novel gene mutation that causes at least one form of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common type of malignant brain tumor.

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Retinal Microvascular Changes Associated With Disability in Daily Activities Among Older Adults

Retinal microvascular changes appear to be associated with development of disability in performing activities of daily living among older adults, and retinal signs may be useful in predicting outcomes among this population, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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New study links excessive amounts of vitamin D to onset of atrial fibrillation

While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, new research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute shows that too much vitamin D can lead to the onset of a dangerous heart condition known as atrial fibrillation.

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Stop Signal Discovered for Skin Cancer

An extraordinary breakthrough in understanding what stops a common form of skin cancer from developing could make new cancer treatments and prevention available to the public in five years.

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Osteoarthritis results from inflammatory processes, not just wear and tear, Stanford study suggests

In a study to be published online Nov. 6 in Nature Medicine, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the development of osteoarthritis is in great part driven by low-grade inflammatory processes. This is at odds with the prevailing view attributing the condition to a lifetime of wear and tear on long-suffering joints.

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New 'Scarless' Surgery Takes out Tumors Through Natural Skull Opening

A technique developed by Johns Hopkins surgeons is providing a new route to get to and remove tumors buried at the base of the skull: through the natural hole behind the molars, above the jawbone and beneath the cheekbone.

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New Oncolytic Virus Shows Improved Effectiveness in Preclinical Testing

A new fourth-generation oncolytic virus designed to both kill cancer cells and inhibit blood-vessel growth has shown greater effectiveness than earlier versions when tested in animal models of human brain cancer.

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Testing Micro-Electronic Stimulators for Spinal Cord Injuries

A new wireless device to help victims of spinal cord injury is receiving attention in the research community. Mesut Sahin, PhD, associate professor, in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, recently has published and presented news of his findings to develop micro-electrical stimulators for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acids Shown to Prevent or Slow Progression of Osteoarthritis

New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

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New Method Could Help Prevent Osteoarthritis

A new method is set to help doctors diagnose osteoarthritis at such an early stage that it will be possible to delay the progression of the disease by many years, or maybe even stop it entirely.

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'Trojan Horse' Particle Sneaks Chemotherapy in to Kill Ovarian Cancer Cells

A common chemotherapy drug has been successfully delivered to cancer cells inside tiny microparticles using a method inspired by our knowledge of how the human immune system works. The drug, delivered in this way, reduced ovarian cancer tumours in an animal model by 65 times more than using the standard method. This approach is now being developed for clinical use.

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Sensor Chip for Monitoring Tumors

A chip implant may soon be capable of monitoring tumors that are difficult to operate on or growing slowly. Medical engineers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have developed an electronic sensor chip that can determine the oxygen content in a patient's tissue fluid. This data can then be wirelessly transmitted to the patient's doctor to support the choice of therapy. A drop in oxygen content in tissue surrounding a tumor indicates that the tumor might be growing faster and becoming aggressive.

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New Device Helps the Blind to Move Independently

A team of engineers from the Research Center for Graphic Technologies (CITG) of the Universitat Politècnica de València, coordinated by Guillermo Peris Fajarnés, have developed a new device that helps the blind to move independently. This system, called EYE 21, has been awarded the Vodafone Prize for Innovation in Telecommunications.

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New Genetic Clue in Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Toronto, University Health Network and McGill University have obtained significant new insights into the causes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes, lupus and Graves disease.

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Natural Alzheimer's-Fighting Compound Created Inexpensively in Lab

Scientists at Yale University have developed the first practical method to create a compound called huperzine A in the lab. The compound, which occurs naturally in a species of moss found in China, is an enzyme inhibitor that has been used to treat Alzheimer's disease in China since the late 1990s and is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement to help maintain memory. Scientists believe it could also potentially combat the effects of chemical warfare agents.

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More evidence shows autism raises risk for later siblings

It's already known that children with older siblings who have autism spectrum disorder or ASD, have a higher risk of developing the condition themselves, and a new study in Pediatrics finds that risk is even higher than previously expected.

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Will you have a heart attack? These tests might tell

Most heart attacks strike with no warning, but doctors now have a clearer picture than ever before of who is most likely to have one, says Dr. Arthur Agatston, a Miami cardiologist and author of the best-selling South Beach diet books.

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Several Methods for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease Developed

PredictAD is an EU-funded research project that develops objective and efficient methods for enabling earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Diagnosis requires a holistic view of the patient combining information from several sources, such as, clinical tests, imaging and blood samples.

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Life Expectancy in Most US Counties Falls Behind World's Healthiest Nations

While people in Japan, Canada, and other nations are enjoying significant gains in life expectancy every year, most counties within the United States are falling behind, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

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Fighting cancer with cancer: Mayo Clinic finds promising use for thyroid cancer gene

A mutant gene long thought to accelerate tumor growth in thyroid cancer patients actually inhibits the spread of malignant cells, showing promise for novel cancer therapies, a Mayo Clinic study has found. The findings will be presented by Mayo Clinic researcher Honey Reddi, Ph.D., at the Endocrine Society meeting in Boston.

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Snoring and Sleep Disorders: A Dental Approach to a Major Public Health Issue

Over seven million people in Spain are at risk of developing sleep apnoea (SA), a health problem caused by obstructed air intake during sleep. The disorder has become a common issue in public health, affecting patients' quality of life and potentially leading to hypertension, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders, as well as increasing the likelihood of traffic, workplace and domestic accidents with personal, financial and healthcare repercussions. In children, SA is often associated with learning difficulties and behavioural and attention disorders.

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Vaccine May Help Treat Advanced Melanoma

A vaccine that marshals the body's own defenses to recognize and kill cancer cells may shrink tumors and delay the progression of late-stage melanoma more effectively than conventional therapy alone, a new study shows.

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Low-Carb, Higher-Fat Diets Add No Arterial Health Risks to Obese People Seeking to Lose Weight, Studies Suggest

Overweight and obese people looking to drop some pounds and considering one of the popular low-carbohydrate diets, along with moderate exercise, need not worry that the higher proportion of fat in such a program compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet may harm their arteries, suggests a pair of new studies by heart and vascular researchers at Johns Hopkins.

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Mobile app helps doctors diagnose strokes

When a patient suffers an acute stroke, the outcome often rests on how quickly they receive expert care.

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FDA approves two new drugs to treat hepatitis C

By the end of this week, adult hepatitis C patients will have access to two new drugs, to add to their arsenal in battling the viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver that can lead to liver failure.

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Following Cancer Prevention Guidelines Lowers Risk of Death from Cancer, Heart Disease, All Causes

A study of more than 100,000 men and women over 14 years finds nonsmokers who followed recommendations for cancer prevention had a lower risk of death from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all-causes. The study appears early online in Cancer Biomarkers, Epidemiology, and Prevention, and was led by American Cancer Society epidemiologists.

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Brain Enlargement in Autism Due to Brain Changes Occurring Before Age 2

In 2005, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that 2-year-old children with autism have brains up to 10 percent larger than children of the same age without autism.

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Gut Bacteria Falls Into Three Major Types

Just like eye color or blood type, the bacteria that flourish in the gut can also be used to categorize humans, new research finds.

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Drug Effective in Treating Kidney Disease in Diabetic Patients, Study Suggests

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Mayo Clinic have published promising results of a clinical study using an experimental anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory drug called pirfenidone to treat patients with diabetic nephropathy. Their study will be published in the April 21 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Scientists develop compound that effectively halts progression of multiple sclerosis

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have developed the first of a new class of highly selective compounds that effectively suppresses the severity of multiple sclerosis in animal models. The new compound could provide new and potentially more effective therapeutic approaches to multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases that affect patients worldwide.

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New Therapeutic Target for Asthma, COPD and Other Lung Disorders Identified

Michael Croft, Ph.D., a researcher at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, has discovered a molecule's previously unknown role as a major trigger for airway remodeling, which impairs lung function, making the molecule a promising therapeutic target for chronic asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and several other lung conditions. A scientific paper on Dr. Croft's finding was published online April 17 in the journal, Nature Medicine.

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Cholesterol Regulator Plays Key Role in Development of Liver Scarring, Cirrhosis

UCLA researchers have demonstrated that a key regulator of cholesterol and fat metabolism in the liver also plays an important role in the development of liver fibrosis -- the build-up of collagen scar tissue that can develop into cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, in turn, is a major cause of premature death and is incurable without a liver transplant.

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Four New Genes for Alzheimer's Disease Risk Identified

In the largest study of its kind, researchers from a consortium of 44 universities and research institutions in the United States, including Rush University Medical Center, identified four new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease. Each gene individually adds to the risk of having this common form of dementia later in life.

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People at Risk of Alzheimer's May Now Be Able to Delay the Onset of Their First Symptoms

The human brain loses 5 to 10% of its weight between the ages of 20 and 90 years old. While some cells are lost, the brain is equipped with two compensatory mechanisms: plasticity and redundancy. Based on the results of her most recent clinical study published March 23 in the online version of Brain: A Journal of Neurology, Dr. Sylvie Belleville, PhD in neuropsychology, the principal author of this study and Director of Research at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM), which is affiliated with the Université de Montréal, has found that for elderly subjects at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, hope may lie in brain plasticity.

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How Ovarian Cancer Resists Chemotherapy

York University researchers have zeroed in on a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy. Researchers in the university's Faculty of Science & Engineering studied a tiny strand of our genetic makeup known as a MicroRNA, involved in the regulation of gene expression. Cancer occurs when gene regulation goes haywire.

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New Hope for Lowering Cholesterol

A promising new way to inhibit cholesterol production in the body has been discovered, one that may yield treatments as effective as existing medications but with fewer side-effects.

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Increasing Triglyceride Levels Linked to Greater Stroke Risk; Study Finds Higher Cholesterol Levels Only Increase Risk of Stroke in Men

A study by researchers in Denmark revealed that increasing levels of non-fasting triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in men and women. Higher cholesterol levels were associated with greater stroke risk in men only. Details of this novel, 33-year study are now available online in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association.

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Statins May Prevent Diabetic-Related Blindness, Study Suggests

New University of Georgia research has found that a statin drug that is often known by the brand-name Lipitor may help prevent blindness in people with diabetes.

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Discovery May Lead to Turning Back the Clock on Ovarian Cancer

Cancer researchers have discovered that a type of regulatory RNA may be effective in fighting ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer isn't typically discovered until it's in the advanced stages, where it is already spreading to other organs and is very difficult to fight with chemotherapy. This new discovery may allow physicians to turn back the clock of the tumor's life cycle to a phase where traditional chemotherapy can better do its job.

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New Hybrid Drug, Derived from Common Spice, May Protect, Rebuild Brain Cells After Stroke

Whether or not you're fond of Indian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern food, stroke researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center think you may become a fan of one of their key spices.

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Healthy Gums, Healthy Lungs: Maintaining Healthy Teeth and Gums May Reduce Risk for Pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pumonary Disease

Maintaining periodontal health may contribute to a healthy respiratory system, according to research published in the Journal of Periodontology. A new study suggests that periodontal disease may increase the risk for respiratory infections, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. These infections, which are caused when bacteria from the upper throat are inhaled into the lower respiratory tract, can be severely debilitating and are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

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Statins: Benefits Questionable in Low-Risk Patients, Review Finds

There is not enough evidence to recommend the widespread use of statins in people with no previous history of heart disease, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. Researchers say statins should be prescribed with caution in those at low risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

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Surprising Heartburn Triggers

Heartburn is as American as apple pie—more than 60 million people experience it at least once a month. For some people—those with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD—heartburn can be a constant companion.

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Increased Consumption of Folic Acid Can Reduce Birth Defects but May Also Be Associated With Colorectal Cancer

Folic acid can reduce birth defects including neural tube defects, congenital heart disease and oral clefts but some speculate high intakes of folic acid may be associated with adverse events such as colorectal cancer, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

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