ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• First in-human trial of endoxifen shows promise as breast cancer treatment
• Medical mystery solved
• Sniffing out danger: Fearful memories can trigger heightened sense of smell
• Scientists discover double meaning in genetic code
• Diabetes drugs affect hearts of men, women differently
• Partially blocking blood vessels' energy source may stop cancer growth, blindness, other conditions
• Combining mutants results in 5-fold lifespan extension in C. elegans
• Neuroscience method of optogenetics as good as electrical stimulation
• First step of metastasis halted in mice with breast cancer
• Salmonella jams signals from bacteria-fighting mast cells
• Asia Pacific must prepare for catastrophic increase in fragility fractures
• Open Access Article on Biological Effects of the Popular Artificial Sweetener Sucralose
• Suicidality test being brought to market
• Blood can transmit Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• New study shows link between perfluorinated compounds, diabetes
• Brain structure shows affinity with numbers
• Report urges new innovation to address global traffic deaths
• Sleep-deprived mice show connection with diabetes, age
• One protein, two personalities: Team identifies new mechanism of cancer spread
• Picturing pain could help unlock its mysteries, improve treatments
• Groundbreaking discovery in deadly childhood cancer
• Choreographed stages of Salmonella infection revealed by scientists
• Staph can lurk deep within nose, study finds
• Herceptin plus taxol highly effective in low-risk breast cancer
• Dementia risk greatest for older Native-Americans, African-Americans with diabetes
• Personal care products possible sources of potentially harmful parabens for babies
• Cancer 'avalanche effect' refuted
• Evidence mounts for endometrial cancer tumor testing to identify women with Lynch syndrome
• CPAP for sleep apnea reduces blood pressure for patients with hypertension
• Quick palliative care consultations in emerg results in significantly shorter hospital stays
• New type of immune cell discovered that helps tumors to grow

First in-human trial of endoxifen shows promise as breast cancer treatment Posted: 12 Dec 2013 03:58 PM PST A Phase I trial of endoxifen, an active metabolite of the cancer drug tamoxifen, indicates that the experimental drug is safe, with early evidence for anti-tumor activity, a study has found. The findings indicate that Z-endoxifen may provide a new and better treatment for some women with estrogen positive breast cancer and, in particular, for those women who do not respond to tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.

Medical mystery solved Posted: 12 Dec 2013 01:03 PM PST An international team has identified a new disease related to NKH, a finding that resolves previously baffling cases, including the death of a Colorado girl.

Sniffing out danger: Fearful memories can trigger heightened sense of smell Posted: 12 Dec 2013 11:22 AM PST Neuroscientists studying the olfactory -- sense of smell -- system in mice have discovered that fear reaction can occur at the sensory level, even before the brain has the opportunity to interpret that the odor could mean trouble.

Scientists discover double meaning in genetic code Posted: 12 Dec 2013 11:21 AM PST Scientists have discovered a second code hiding within DNA. The second code contains information that changes how scientists read the instructions contained in DNA and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease. Genomes use the genetic code to write two separate languages. One describes how proteins are made, and the other instructs the cell on how genes are controlled. One language is written on top of the other.

Diabetes drugs affect hearts of men, women differently Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:33 AM PST Widely used treatments for type 2 diabetes have different effects on the hearts of men and women, even as the drugs control blood sugar equally well in both sexes, according to researchers. The investigators used PET scans to measure heart and whole-body metabolism in patients taking common diabetes drugs.

Partially blocking blood vessels' energy source may stop cancer growth, blindness, other conditions Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:33 AM PST Inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels is a common strategy for treating a range of conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and age-related macular degeneration. Unfortunately, drug inefficiency, resistance, and relapse have limited the success of this approach. Now new research reveals that targeting the metabolism of blood vessels may be a way around these shortcomings.

Combining mutants results in 5-fold lifespan extension in C. elegans Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:33 AM PST What are the limits to longevity? Scientists combined mutations in two pathways well-known for lifespan extension and report a synergistic five-fold lifespan extension in the nematode C. elegans. The worms lived to the human equivalent of 400 to 500 years. The research introduces the possibility of combination therapy for aging and could help explain why scientists are having a difficult time identifying single genes responsible for long lives in human centenarians.

Neuroscience method of optogenetics as good as electrical stimulation Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:33 AM PST Researchers have shown that optogenetics -- a technique that uses pulses of visible light to alter the behavior of brain cells -- can be as good as or possibly better than the older technique of using small bursts of electrical current. Optogenetics had been used in small rodent models. Research has shown that optogenetics works effectively in larger, more complex brains.

First step of metastasis halted in mice with breast cancer Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:32 AM PST Cell biologists have identified a unique class of breast cancer cells that lead the process of invasion into surrounding tissues. Because invasion is the first step in the deadly process of cancer metastasis, the researchers say they may have found a weak link in cancer's armor and a possible new target for therapy.

Salmonella jams signals from bacteria-fighting mast cells Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:32 AM PST A protein in Salmonella inactivates mast cells -- critical players in the body's fight against bacteria and other pathogens -- rendering them unable to protect against bacterial spread in the body, according to researchers.

Asia Pacific must prepare for catastrophic increase in fragility fractures Posted: 12 Dec 2013 07:01 AM PST A new report shows that osteoporosis is a serious problem throughout the Asia Pacific, with the number of fracture sufferers to rise dramatically in the coming decades. The report provides new and updated information and data about the status and epidemiology of osteoporosis in the region.

Open Access Article on Biological Effects of the Popular Artificial Sweetener Sucralose Posted: 12 Dec 2013 06:59 AM PST The artificial sweetener sucralose is a biologically active compound according to an extensive review.

Suicidality test being brought to market Posted: 12 Dec 2013 06:58 AM PST A new test should help doctors to decrease the risk of suicidality in patients treated with antidepressants who show certain gene markers. Researchers plan to launch the test immediately as a laboratory developed test. In addition, clinical studies in support of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration submission for market clearance, CE marking and reimbursement will be initiated.

Blood can transmit Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Posted: 12 Dec 2013 06:56 AM PST Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare but fatal disease in humans. For the first time, the presence of infectivity in the blood of patients affected by sporadic and the new variant of CJD has been established by scientists. Complementary investigations are underway, but the available results support the contention that CJD might be transmitted by blood transfusion and/or the use of blood derived products.

New study shows link between perfluorinated compounds, diabetes Posted: 12 Dec 2013 06:56 AM PST Perfluorinated compounds are environmental toxins that are found in fire extinguishing foam and water-repellent textiles, among other items. In a new study, a research team has seen links between high levels of perfluorinated compounds in the blood and diabetes. The research group has previously shown associations between high levels of environmental toxins, such as PCB, pesticides, and phthalates and diabetes.

Brain structure shows affinity with numbers Posted: 12 Dec 2013 06:55 AM PST The structure of the brain shows the way in which we process numbers. People either do this spatially or non-spatially. A study shows for the first time that these individual differences have a structural basis in the brain.

Report urges new innovation to address global traffic deaths Posted: 11 Dec 2013 03:52 PM PST New report has been developed to address global traffic deaths, and urges new innovation to address the problem.

Sleep-deprived mice show connection with diabetes, age Posted: 11 Dec 2013 03:52 PM PST For the first time, researchers describe the effect of sleep deprivation on the unfolded protein response in peripheral tissue. Stress in pancreatic cells due to sleep deprivation may contribute to the loss or dysfunction of cells important to maintaining proper blood sugar levels, and that these functions may be exacerbated by normal aging. The combined effect of aging and sleep deprivation resulted in a loss of control of blood sugar, somewhat like pre-diabetes in mice.

One protein, two personalities: Team identifies new mechanism of cancer spread Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:19 AM PST A new finding has identified key steps that trigger the disintegration of cellular regulation that leads to cancer. The discovery -- that a protein called Exo70 has a split personality, with one form keeping cells under tight control and another contributing to the ability of tumors to invade distant parts of the body -- points to new possibilities for diagnosing cancer metastasis.

Picturing pain could help unlock its mysteries, improve treatments Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:17 AM PST Understanding the science behind pain, from a simple "ouch" to the chronic and excruciating, has been an elusive goal for centuries. But now, researchers are reporting a promising step toward studying pain in action. In a study published, scientists describe the development of a new technique, which they tested in rats, that could result in better ways to relieve pain and monitor healing.

Groundbreaking discovery in deadly childhood cancer Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:16 AM PST A new study by Canadian researchers may pave the way for more effective treatment of an aggressive and deadly type of brain tumor, known as ETMR/ETANTR. The tumor, which is seen only in children under four, is almost always fatal, despite aggressive treatment. The study proposes a new model for how this brain tumor develops and suggests possible targets to investigate for novel therapies.

Choreographed stages of Salmonella infection revealed by scientists Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:16 AM PST Scientists have used a new method to map the response of every salmonella gene to conditions in the human body, providing new insight into how the bacteria triggers infection.

Staph can lurk deep within nose, study finds Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:16 AM PST Scientists have revealed that formerly overlooked sites deep inside the nose may be reservoirs for Staphylococcus aureus, a major bacterial cause of disease.

Herceptin plus taxol highly effective in low-risk breast cancer Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:12 AM PST A remarkable 98.7 percent of certain lower-risk breast cancer patients were cancer free for at least three years after taking a combination of the drugs Herceptin and Taxol, a study has found.

Dementia risk greatest for older Native-Americans, African-Americans with diabetes Posted: 11 Dec 2013 07:42 AM PST In the first study to look at racial and ethnic differences in dementia risk among older adults with Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that dementia was much higher among Native-Americans and African-Americans and lowest among Asian-Americans.

Personal care products possible sources of potentially harmful parabens for babies Posted: 11 Dec 2013 07:42 AM PST Through lotions, shampoos and other personal care products, infants and toddlers are likely becoming exposed to potentially harmful substances, called parabens, at an even higher level than adult women in the US, researchers have reported. Their findings on parabens have been linked to reproductive and other health issues.

Cancer 'avalanche effect' refuted Posted: 11 Dec 2013 07:41 AM PST First, the number of chromosomes in a cell changes, then an avalanche of further mutations occur that transform the cell into a cancer cell, according to a well-known - but untested - theory. A research group in Sweden has now shown that the theory is not correct and constitutes a dead end for research.

Evidence mounts for endometrial cancer tumor testing to identify women with Lynch syndrome Posted: 11 Dec 2013 06:36 AM PST Next to colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer is the most common form of cancer in women with Lynch syndrome. Mounting evidence suggests routine Lynch syndrome testing be done on every endometrial cancer specimen. Raising awareness of endometrial cancer's association with Lynch syndrome will identify more treatable cancers.

CPAP for sleep apnea reduces blood pressure for patients with hypertension Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:36 PM PST Among patients with obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension that requires 3 or more medications to control, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for 12 weeks resulted in a decrease in 24-hour average and diastolic blood pressure and an improvement in the nocturnal blood pressure pattern, compared to patients who did not receive CPAP, according to a study.

Quick palliative care consultations in emerg results in significantly shorter hospital stays Posted: 10 Dec 2013 09:07 AM PST Medical researchers found that initiating a palliative care consult in the emergency department reduced hospital length of stay when compared to patients who receive the palliative care consult after admission.

New type of immune cell discovered that helps tumors to grow Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:33 AM PST A cross-institutional, international team of scientists recently discovered a new, important step of the process that grows new blood vessels, a discovery that could lead to a new way to combat cancer.

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