ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Female genital mutilation significantly reduces sexual quality of life, study finds
• Screening method aids RNA drug development research
• Most pregnancy-related infections are caused by four treatable conditions, study finds
• Hormone level linked with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, death
• Synthetic liver enzyme could result in more effective drugs with fewer side effects
• Vitamin C prevents bone loss in animal models
• New link between high-fat 'Western' diet and atherosclerosis identified
• How cancer cells break free from tumors: Study identifies adhesion molecules key to cancer’s spread through the body
• Caffeine may block inflammation linked to mild cognitive impairment
• Chronic kidney disease alters intestinal microbial flora
• RMND1 mutation: Scientists discover gene behind rare disorders
• Glowing DNA invention points towards high speed disease detection
• IspH -- a protein free to choose its partners
• Doubling up on advanced prostate cancer with PARP inhibitors
• MRSA researchers identify new class of drug effective against superbug
• Fast walking and jogging halve development of heart disease and stroke risk factors, research indicates
• Cannabis extract eases muscle stiffness typical of multiple sclerosis, study suggests
• Curb kids' screen time to stave off major health and developmental problems
• Putting a block on neuropathic pain before it starts: Tiny spheres filled with anesthetic from a shellfish toxin
• Building a better drug to treat type 2 diabetes
• Biochemists open path to molecular 'chaperone' therapy for metabolic disease
• Wearing a knee brace following anterior cruciate ligament surgery has no effect on recovery
• With a little exercise, your fat cells may coax liver to produce 'good' cholesterol
• Computational intelligence opens up new avenues in Alzheimer's research
• Combining chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy cancer vaccines results in an enhanced anti-tumor effect: Study
• Sperm's swimming skills: Discovery shed light on male infertility, yields clues to development of male contraceptive pill
• Bariatric surgery not silver bullet for sleep apnoea, study finds
• 'Barcode' blood test for aggressive prostate cancer developed
• Research on enhanced transmissibility in H5N1 influenza: Should the moratorium end?
• New MRI technique used to identify early-stage coronary disease
• Learning from past flu epidemics to model outbreaks as they happen
• Dual spotlights in the brain: How we manage to attend to multiple objects without being distracted by irrelevant information
• Inflammation-fighting mechanism may point to new treatments of rheumatoid arthritis, other autoimmune diseases
• Coffee speeds up return of bowel function after colon surgery, study finds
• Aspirin may decrease risk of aggressive form of ovarian cancer, study suggests
• Researchers stop neuromyelitis optica attacks with new therapy

Female genital mutilation significantly reduces sexual quality of life, study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:26 PM PDT Women who have undergone female genital mutilation have a significantly lower sexual quality of life, a new study finds.

Screening method aids RNA drug development research Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:14 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new method of screening more than three million combinations of interactions between RNA and small molecules to identify the best targets on RNA as well as the most promising potential drug compounds. This novel technology may lead to more efficient drug development.

Most pregnancy-related infections are caused by four treatable conditions, study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:14 PM PDT In low-and-middle income countries, pregnancy-related infections are a major cause of maternal death, can also be fatal to unborn and newborn babies, and are mostly caused by four types of conditions that are treatable and preventable, according to a review by U.S. researchers.

Hormone level linked with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, death Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:07 PM PDT Plasma levels of proneurotensin are associated with the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular and total mortality, and breast cancer in women during long-term follow-up.

Synthetic liver enzyme could result in more effective drugs with fewer side effects Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:21 PM PDT Medicines could be made to have fewer side effects and work in smaller doses with the help of a synthetic enzyme developed at Princeton University that makes drug molecules more resistant to breakdown by the human liver.

Vitamin C prevents bone loss in animal models Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:12 PM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time in an animal model that vitamin C actively protects against osteoporosis, a disease affecting large numbers of elderly women and men in which bones become brittle and can fracture.

New link between high-fat 'Western' diet and atherosclerosis identified Posted: 09 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT Researchers have found that a diet high in saturated fat raises levels of endothelial lipase, an enzyme associated with the development of atherosclerosis, and, conversely, that a diet high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fat lowers levels of this enzyme. The findings establish a "new" link between diet and athersoclerosis and suggest a novel way to prevent cardiovascular heart disease. In addition, the research may help to explain why the type 2 diabetes drug rosiglitazone has been linked to heart problems.

How cancer cells break free from tumors: Study identifies adhesion molecules key to cancer’s spread through the body Posted: 09 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT Although tumor metastasis causes about 90 percent of cancer deaths, the exact mechanism that allows cancer cells to spread from one part of the body to another is not well understood. One key question is how tumor cells detach from the structural elements that normally hold tissues in place, then reattach themselves in a new site. A new study reveals some of the cellular adhesion molecules that are critical to this process.

Caffeine may block inflammation linked to mild cognitive impairment Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:18 AM PDT A new study has discovered a novel signal that activates the brain-based inflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases, and caffeine appears to block its activity. This discovery may eventually lead to drugs that could reverse or inhibit mild cognitive impairment.

Chronic kidney disease alters intestinal microbial flora Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:17 AM PDT Chronic kidney disease changes the composition of intestinal bacterial microbes that normally play a crucial role in staving off disease-causing pathogens and maintaining micronutrient balance, according to new research.

RMND1 mutation: Scientists discover gene behind rare disorders Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:17 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered the genetic defect underlying a group of rare genetic disorders. Using a new technique that has revolutionized genetic studies, the teams determined that mutations in the RMND1 gene were responsible for severe neurodegenerative disorders, in two infants, ultimately leading to their early death. Although the teams' investigations dealt with an infant, their discovery also has implications for understanding the causes of later-onset neurological diseases.

Glowing DNA invention points towards high speed disease detection Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:17 AM PDT Many diseases, including cancers, leave genetic clues in the body just as criminals leave DNA at a crime scene. But tools to detect the DNA-like sickness clues known as miRNAs, tend to be slow and expensive. Now researchers have invented a DNA sensor, coupling genetic material to a luminous molecule which goes dark only in the presence of a specific target.

IspH -- a protein free to choose its partners Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:16 AM PDT The iron-sulfur protein IspH plays a central role in the terpene metabolism of several pathogens. The mechanism of the reaction provides an approach for developing new antibiotics, particularly against malaria and tuberculosis. While researching this enzyme, biochemists discovered a previously unknown reaction: IspH accepts two completely different classes of molecules as partners. This surprising insight opens up new perspectives in combating infectious diseases.

Doubling up on advanced prostate cancer with PARP inhibitors Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:12 AM PDT A newly discovered function of PARP-1 could be the key to more effective therapeutics to treat advanced prostate cancer patients, a recent preclinical study suggests.

MRSA researchers identify new class of drug effective against superbug Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:24 AM PDT In two separate published studies, researchers have discovered a new class of treatment against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as well as evidence of a growing need to quickly genotype individual strains of the organism most commonly referred to as the "superbug."

Fast walking and jogging halve development of heart disease and stroke risk factors, research indicates Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:24 AM PDT Daily activities, such as fast walking and jogging, can curb the development of risk factors for heart disease and stroke by as much as 50 percent, whereas an hour's daily walk makes little difference, indicates new research.

Cannabis extract eases muscle stiffness typical of multiple sclerosis, study suggests Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:24 AM PDT Cannabis seems to ease the painful muscle stiffness typical of multiple sclerosis, indicate phase III trial results.

Curb kids' screen time to stave off major health and developmental problems Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:21 AM PDT Curbs on children's daily screen time and delaying the age at which they start "the world's favorite pastime" are urgently needed to stave off the risk of serious health and developmental problems, argues a leading psychologist and child health expert.

Putting a block on neuropathic pain before it starts: Tiny spheres filled with anesthetic from a shellfish toxin Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:21 AM PDT Using tiny spheres filled with anesthetic from a shellfish toxin, researchers have developed a way to delay the rise of neuropathic pain, chronic pain from flawed signals transmitted by damaged nerves. The method may allow doctors to stop the cascade of events by which tissue or nerve injuries evolve into neuropathic pain, which affects 3.75 million children and adults in the US alone.

Building a better drug to treat type 2 diabetes Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:21 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new biological pathway in blood vessel cells, which may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering effects of TZD drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes. This finding may help to develop new therapies that retain the beneficial effect of TZDs but eliminate the adverse side effects.

Biochemists open path to molecular 'chaperone' therapy for metabolic disease Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:19 AM PDT Experts in revealing molecular structure by X-ray crystallography have identified two new small "chaperone" molecules that may be useful in treating the inherited metabolic disorder known as Schindler/Kanzaki disease. This offers hope for developing the first ever drug treatment for this very rare disease.

Wearing a knee brace following anterior cruciate ligament surgery has no effect on recovery Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:19 AM PDT Wearing a knee brace following anterior cruciate ligament surgery has no effect on a person's recovery.

With a little exercise, your fat cells may coax liver to produce 'good' cholesterol Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:12 AM PDT With a little exercise and dieting, overweight people with type 2 diabetes can still train their fat cells to produce a hormone believed to spur HDL cholesterol production, report medical researchers.

Computational intelligence opens up new avenues in Alzheimer's research Posted: 09 Oct 2012 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have used machine learning and data mining techniques to compare gene expresssion levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in two key regions of the hippocampus: the dentate gyrus, where the disease appears to have little or no effect, and the entorhinal cortex, where Alzheimer's disease produces major neuronal damage. The results corroborate previous findings by other studies and set forth new working hypotheses for AD research.

Combining chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy cancer vaccines results in an enhanced anti-tumor effect: Study Posted: 09 Oct 2012 07:13 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that combining chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy cancer vaccines results in an enhanced anti-tumor effect. The results, achieved by testing cancer cells in a laboratory, are surprising because chemotherapy generally reduces immunity and could cancel out the benefits of immunotherapy when given together.

Sperm's swimming skills: Discovery shed light on male infertility, yields clues to development of male contraceptive pill Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:32 AM PDT New insights into the swimming skills of sperm shed light on male infertility, which affects one in 20 men, and could provide a new avenue to the development of a male contraceptive pill.

Bariatric surgery not silver bullet for sleep apnoea, study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:32 AM PDT Although bariatric surgery results in greater weight loss than conventional measures, new research shows this does not translate into significantly greater improvement in obstructive sleep apnoea.

'Barcode' blood test for aggressive prostate cancer developed Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:32 AM PDT Scientists have designed a blood test that reads genetic changes like a barcode -- and can pick out aggressive prostate cancers by their particular pattern of gene activity. A research team found reading the pattern of genes switched on and off in blood cells could accurately detect which advanced prostate cancers had the worst survival.

Research on enhanced transmissibility in H5N1 influenza: Should the moratorium end? Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:30 AM PDT In a series of commentaries, prominent microbiologists and physicians argue the cases both for and against lifting a voluntary moratorium on experiments to enhance the ability of the H5N1 virus to move from mammal to mammal, so-called "gain-of-function" research, and discuss the level of biosecurity that would be appropriate for moving that research forward.

New MRI technique used to identify early-stage coronary disease Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:30 AM PDT With the results of an MRI study from the National Institutes of Health, researchers say they are closer to finding an imaging technique that can identify thickening of the coronary artery wall, an early stage of coronary heart disease.

Learning from past flu epidemics to model outbreaks as they happen Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT A new model of influenza transmission, using more detailed information about patterns and severity of infection than previous models, finds that cases and transmission rates of H1N1 during the 2009-2010 flu pandemic have been underestimated. This model can provide a more robust and accurate real-time estimate of infection during a pandemic, which will help health services prepare and respond to future outbreaks.

Dual spotlights in the brain: How we manage to attend to multiple objects without being distracted by irrelevant information Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:27 AM PDT The "tiki-taka"-style of the Spanish national football team is amazing to watch: Xavi passes to Andrès Iniesta, he just rebounds the ball once and it's right at Xabi Alonso's foot. The Spanish midfielders cross the field as if they run on rails, always maintaining attention on the ball and the teammates, the opponents chasing after them without a chance. Researchers have now uncovered how the human brain makes such excellence possible by dividing visual attention: The brain is capable of splitting its 'attentional spotlight' for an enhanced processing of multiple visual objects.

Inflammation-fighting mechanism may point to new treatments of rheumatoid arthritis, other autoimmune diseases Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:25 AM PDT Scientists in Belgium have discovered a mechanism used by the protein A20 to combat inflammation. This could be a very important point of focus in the search for a treatment for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which the patient suffers from chronic, uncontrolled inflammation.

Coffee speeds up return of bowel function after colon surgery, study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:25 AM PDT Patients who drank coffee, rather than water, after bowel surgery to remove a part of their colon experienced a quicker return to bowel movements and tolerance of solid food, according to a new study.

Aspirin may decrease risk of aggressive form of ovarian cancer, study suggests Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:25 AM PDT New research shows that women who regularly use pain relief medications, particularly aspirin, have a decreased risk of serous ovarian cancer—an aggressive carcinoma affecting the surface of the ovary. The study reports that non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), paracetamol (acetaminophen), or other analgesics did not decrease ovarian cancer risk.

Researchers stop neuromyelitis optica attacks with new therapy Posted: 09 Oct 2012 06:24 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new therapy for patients with neuromyelitis optica that appears to stop inflammation of the eye nerves and spinal cord. NMO is a debilitating central nervous system disorder that is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). In the study, patients with severe symptoms of the disease, also known as NMO, were given eculizumab, a drug typically used to treat blood disorders.

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