ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Brain glia cells increase their DNA content to preserve vital blood-brain barrier
• Cancer sequencing project identifies potential approaches to combat aggressive leukemia
• Gene identified as a new target for treatment of aggressive childhood eye tumor
• Concept of 'overactive bladder' serves commercial interests rather than patient interests, experts say
• Opioids erase memory traces of pain
• Participating in marathons, half-marathons not found to increase risk of cardiac arrest
• Why coffee drinking reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes
• People mimic each other, but only when they have the same goal, study suggests
• Boost for health? Researchers isolate protein linking exercise to health benefits
• Precancer markers identified in airway epithelium cells of healthy smokers

Brain glia cells increase their DNA content to preserve vital blood-brain barrier Posted: 13 Jan 2012 06:10 PM PST Scientists report that as the developing larval fruit fly brain grows by cell division, it instructs subperineurial glia (SPG) cells that form the blood-brain barrier to enlarge by creating multiple copies of their genomes in a process known as polyploidization.

Cancer sequencing project identifies potential approaches to combat aggressive leukemia Posted: 13 Jan 2012 05:56 PM PST Researchers have discovered that a subtype of leukemia characterized by a poor prognosis is fueled by mutations in pathways distinctly different from a seemingly similar leukemia associated with a much better outcome. The findings highlight a possible new strategy for treating patients with this more aggressive cancer.

Gene identified as a new target for treatment of aggressive childhood eye tumor Posted: 13 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST New findings help solve mystery of retinoblastoma's rapid growth in work that also yields a new treatment target and possible therapy.

Concept of 'overactive bladder' serves commercial interests rather than patient interests, experts say Posted: 13 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST Experts question the concept of the 'overactive bladder syndrome'. According to researchers, the definition of this syndrome is mostly beneficial to those with commercial interests, while from the patient perspective and for the development of treatments, it may be detrimental.

Opioids erase memory traces of pain Posted: 13 Jan 2012 05:49 PM PST Medical researchers have discovered a previously unknown effect of opioids. The study shows that opioids not only temporarily relieve pain, but at the right dose can also erase memory traces of pain in the spinal cord and therefore eliminate a key cause of chronic pain.

Participating in marathons, half-marathons not found to increase risk of cardiac arrest Posted: 11 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST A new study finds that participating in marathons and half-marathons is associated with a relatively low risk of cardiac arrest, compared to other forms of athletics. The study also identifies bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a key factor in patient survival.

Why coffee drinking reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST Why do heavy coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a disease on the increase around the world that can lead to serious health problems? Scientists are now offering a new solution to that long-standing mystery,

People mimic each other, but only when they have the same goal, study suggests Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST It's easy to pick up on the movements that other people make -- scratching your head, crossing your legs. But a new study finds that people only feel the urge to mimic each other when they have the same goal.

Boost for health? Researchers isolate protein linking exercise to health benefits Posted: 11 Jan 2012 10:35 AM PST Scientists have isolated a natural hormone from muscle cells that triggers some of the key health benefits of exercise. The hormone, named irisin, switches on genes that convert white fat into "good" brown fat. The researchers call irisin a highly promising candidate for development as a novel treatment for diabetes, obesity and perhaps other disorders, including cancer.

Precancer markers identified in airway epithelium cells of healthy smokers Posted: 11 Jan 2012 06:06 AM PST Smokers are more likely to have molecular features of cancerization in the large airway epithelium. Smokers with COPD had significant changes in the small airway epithelium, new research has shown. New findings could lead to development of a diagnostic test.

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