ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Successful human tests for first wirelessly controlled drug-delivery chip
• New molecular map to guide development of new treatments for multiple sclerosis and other diseases
• Light shed on how body fends off bacteria
• To understand chromosome reshuffling, look to the genome's 3-D structure
• Common flame retardant linked to social, behavioral and learning deficits
• New ability to regrow blood vessels holds promise for treatment of heart disease
• Nanoparticles may enhance cancer therapy
• Researchers make living model of brain tumor
• The splice of life: Proteins cooperate to regulate gene splicing
• Augmented play helps children with autism
• BIg step toward vaccine for Hepatitis C
• Cellular aging increases risk of heart attack and early death
• Protein that functions in normal breast may also contribute to breast cancer metastasis
• New drug target found for lung cancer
• Video games lead to new paths to treat cancer, other diseases
• Could deep brain stimulation improve lung function?
• Molecular mechanism underlying severe anomalies of the forebrain

Successful human tests for first wirelessly controlled drug-delivery chip Posted: 16 Feb 2012 11:42 AM PST About 15 years ago, two professors had the idea to develop a programmable, wirelessly controlled microchip that would deliver drugs after implantation in a patient's body. This week, they reported that they have successfully used such a chip to administer daily doses of an osteoporosis drug normally given by injection. The results represent the first successful test of such a device.

New molecular map to guide development of new treatments for multiple sclerosis and other diseases Posted: 16 Feb 2012 11:39 AM PST Scientists have created the first high-resolution virtual image of cellular structures called S1P1 receptors, which are critical in controlling the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis and other diseases. This new molecular map is already pointing researchers toward promising new paths for drug discovery and aiding them in better understanding how certain existing drugs work.

Light shed on how body fends off bacteria Posted: 16 Feb 2012 11:39 AM PST Scientists have developed the first 3D look at the interaction between an immune sensor and a protein that helps bacteria move.

To understand chromosome reshuffling, look to the genome's 3-D structure Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:43 AM PST That our chromosomes can break and reshuffle pieces of themselves is nothing new; scientists have recognized this for decades, especially in cancer cells. The rules for where chromosomes are likely to break and how the broken pieces come together are only just now starting to come into view. Researchers have brought those rules into clearer focus by discovering that where each of the genome's thousands of genes lie within the cell's nucleus -- essentially, the genome's three-dimensional organization -- holds great influence over where broken chromosome ends rejoin. This knowledge could shed light on fundamental processes related to cancer and normal cellular functions -- for example, in immunity.

Common flame retardant linked to social, behavioral and learning deficits Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:43 AM PST Mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to autism-like behaviors that were exposed to a common flame retardant were less fertile and their offspring were smaller, less sociable and demonstrated marked deficits in learning and long-term memory when compared with the offspring of normal unexposed mice, a new study has found.

New ability to regrow blood vessels holds promise for treatment of heart disease Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:43 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs -- a research advancement that could have major implications for how we treat heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world.

Nanoparticles may enhance cancer therapy Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:43 AM PST A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research.

Researchers make living model of brain tumor Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:43 AM PST Researchers have created a living 3-D model of a brain tumor and its surrounding blood vessels. In experiments, the scientists report that iron-oxide nanoparticles carrying the agent tumstatin were taken by blood vessels, meaning they should block blood vessel growth. The living-tissue model could be used to test the effectiveness of nanoparticles in fighting other diseases.

The splice of life: Proteins cooperate to regulate gene splicing Posted: 16 Feb 2012 10:32 AM PST In a step toward deciphering the "splicing code" of the human genome, researchers have comprehensively analyzed six of the more highly expressed RNA binding proteins collectively known as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoparticle (hnRNP) proteins.

Augmented play helps children with autism Posted: 16 Feb 2012 08:12 AM PST Making play sets more interactive and giving children with autism greater opportunities to control and add content of their own to the game could improve cooperative play with other children as well as giving them greater confidence in understanding how objects interact.

BIg step toward vaccine for Hepatitis C Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:50 AM PST Researchers have made the discovery of a vaccine that will potentially help combat hepatitis C.

Cellular aging increases risk of heart attack and early death Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:49 AM PST Every cell in the body has chromosomes with so-called telomeres, which are shortened over time and also through lifestyle choices such as smoking and obesity. Researchers have long speculated that the shortening of telomeres increases the risk of heart attack and early death. Now a large-scale population study in Denmark involving nearly 20,000 people shows that there is in fact a direct link, and has also given physicians a future way to test the actual cellular health of a person.

Protein that functions in normal breast may also contribute to breast cancer metastasis Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:49 AM PST The trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) protein protects and maintains the integrity of the epithelial surface in the normal breast. New research has found that while TFF3 protein expression is higher in well-differentiated low grade tumors and therefore associated with features of a good prognosis, it has a more sinister role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis.

New drug target found for lung cancer Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:47 AM PST Drugs targeting an enzyme involved in inflammation might offer a new avenue for treating certain lung cancers, according to a new study.

Video games lead to new paths to treat cancer, other diseases Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:46 AM PST The cure for cancer comes down to this: video games. Scientists have made highly realistic video game images that simulate the inner workings of human cells. Playing these 'games' helps medical researchers see exactly how cells live, divide and die. The research opens new paths for tumor-killing drugs to treat cancer and other diseases.

Could deep brain stimulation improve lung function? Posted: 15 Feb 2012 09:35 AM PST Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a common treatment for patients with chronic pain or movement disorders. Now a unique set of experiments shows that electrical stimulation in some of the same brain areas can also affect respiratory function, according to a new study.

Molecular mechanism underlying severe anomalies of the forebrain Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST Researchers have identified a molecular mechanism underlying the most common malformation of the brain in humans. In holoprosencephaly, the forebrain is only incompletely formed. Here a binding site (receptor) for cholesterol plays a key role. If this receptor is defective, specific signals cannot be received, and the forebrain cannot separate into two hemispheres, as the researchers have now shown in mice.

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