ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Golden age of prostate cancer treatment hailed as fourth drug in two years extends life
• Gut bacteria linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome identified
• Exploring the two-way linkages between binge drinking and unemployment
• New nanoparticles shrink tumors in mice
• Potential hurdle to universal flu vaccine development may be overcome, study suggests
• Blocking destruction of defective proteins unexpectedly delays neurodegeneration in mice
• Previously unknown cleaning system in brain: Newer imaging technique brings 'glymphatic system' to light
• Link between hormone levels and risk for metabolic disease uncovered
• New device to replace aortic valve in patients who can't have open-heart surgery
• 'CYCLOPS' genes may serve as an Achilles' heel in tumor cells
• Genetic material in blood cells may affect malaria parasites
• Breastfeeding may protect infants from HIV transmission
• Better ways for developing, testing cancer therapies
• Potential new treatment target identified for melanoma skin cancer
• High potency and synthetic marijuana pose real dangers in first weeks of pregnancy
• Karate black belts' white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain
• Color-coded markers may help doctors diagnose neural diseases through the eyes
• Babies may not have a 'moral compass' after all
• Vaccine targets malignant brain cancer antigens, significantly lengthens survival
• Mechanisms of acquired chemoresistance in ovarian cancer identified
• Tripping the switches on brain growth to treat depression
• Acute stress alters control of gene activity: Researchers examine DNA methylation
• Long-term methadone treatment can affect nerve cells in brain
• Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil may protect bone
• Danger in the blood: How antibiotic-resisting bacterial infections form
• UK recession may be to blame for over 1,000 suicides in England

Golden age of prostate cancer treatment hailed as fourth drug in two years extends life Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:49 PM PDT Scientists have hailed a golden age in prostate cancer drug discovery as for the fourth time in two years a new drug has been found to significantly extend life. A study now shows the drug enzalutamide can significantly extend life and improve quality of life in men with advanced prostate cancer -- in findings that could further widen the treatment options for men with the disease.

Gut bacteria linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome identified Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:49 PM PDT Researchers have identified 26 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiota that appear to be linked to obesity and related metabolic complications. These include insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure and high cholesterol, known collectively as "the metabolic syndrome," which significantly increases an individual's risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Exploring the two-way linkages between binge drinking and unemployment Posted: 15 Aug 2012 01:16 PM PDT Many studies have found that problem drinking is related to subsequent unemployment; However, the reverse association is unclear. Some studies have found that unemployment can increase total drinking, alcohol disorders, and/or problem drinking while others have found that unemployment can decrease drinking or have no effect at all. An analysis of binge drinking as either a predictor or outcome of unemployment has found that binge drinking among women seems to have a significant association with long-term unemployment.

New nanoparticles shrink tumors in mice Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed RNA-delivering nanoparticles that allow for rapid screening of new drug targets in mice. In a study of mice with ovarian tumors, the researchers found that treatment with the RNAi nanoparticles eliminated most of the tumors.

Potential hurdle to universal flu vaccine development may be overcome, study suggests Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT In the quest for a universal influenza vaccine -- one that elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies that can protect against most or all strains of flu virus -- scientists have faced a sobering question: Does pre-existing immunity generated by prior exposure to influenza virus or vaccine hamper production of broadly neutralizing antibodies? If so, then a universal flu vaccine might work best (and perhaps only) in very young children who have had limited exposure to influenza viruses or vaccines.

Blocking destruction of defective proteins unexpectedly delays neurodegeneration in mice Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT One might expect that ridding a brain cell of damaged proteins would be a universally good thing, and that impairing the cell's ability to do this would allow the faulty proteins to accumulate within the cell, possibly to toxic levels. So a lot of scientific effort has gone into looking for ways to enhance the process by which cells dispose of banged-up proteins. But this thinking may need some revision, according to a new study.

Previously unknown cleaning system in brain: Newer imaging technique brings 'glymphatic system' to light Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:20 AM PDT A previously unrecognized system that drains waste from the brain at a rapid clip has been discovered by neuroscientists. The highly organized system acts like a series of pipes that piggyback on the brain's blood vessels, sort of a shadow plumbing system that seems to serve much the same function in the brain as the lymph system does in the rest of the body -- to drain away waste products.

Link between hormone levels and risk for metabolic disease uncovered Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:19 AM PDT A team of researchers has shown for the first time a link between low levels of a specific hormone and increased risk of metabolic disease in humans.

New device to replace aortic valve in patients who can't have open-heart surgery Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:19 AM PDT UCLA has performed its first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), using a new device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to replace an aortic valve in a patient who was not a candidate for open-heart surgery.

'CYCLOPS' genes may serve as an Achilles' heel in tumor cells Posted: 15 Aug 2012 10:11 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new class of genes, dubbed CYCLOPS, that may serve as an Achilles' heel for many forms of cancer.

Genetic material in blood cells may affect malaria parasites Posted: 15 Aug 2012 09:13 AM PDT Researchers may finally have discovered why people with sickle cell disease get milder cases of malaria than individuals who have normal red blood cells. In a finding that has eluded scientists for years, the researchers discovered that genetic material in red blood cells may help alter parasite activity via a novel mechanism that alters parasite gene regulation.

Breastfeeding may protect infants from HIV transmission Posted: 15 Aug 2012 09:11 AM PDT An international team of researchers has found that certain bioactive components found in human milk are associated with a reduced risk of HIV transmission from an HIV infected mother to her breast-fed infant.

Better ways for developing, testing cancer therapies Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT Scientists have made valuable findings in the search for cancer's cure. While researching ways to improve animal health, the scientists have made two important discoveries that can also improve human health. Not only have they found pigs with severe combined immunodeficiency but they are also the first to discover the connection with human cancer, particularly melanomas and pancreatic cancers.

Potential new treatment target identified for melanoma skin cancer Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT New research has identified a potential new target for the treatment of melanoma, the deadliest of all skin cancers. Scientists have discovered a new channel-forming protein called Pannexin (Panx1) that is expressed in normal levels on the surface of healthy skin cells. But they found, in melanoma, Panx1 is over-produced to a pathological level. The researchers also discovered that if you reduce it, the cell becomes more normal.

High potency and synthetic marijuana pose real dangers in first weeks of pregnancy Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT Experts say the argument that marijuana is a harmless drug is no longer valid due to the emergence of "high potency" marijuana and synthetic marijuana which pose a potential real threat for pregnant women and their unborn children.

Karate black belts' white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain Posted: 15 Aug 2012 07:28 AM PDT Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers found that differences in the structure of white matter -- the connections between brain regions -- were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

Color-coded markers may help doctors diagnose neural diseases through the eyes Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:33 AM PDT Scientists have devised several new fluorescent probes that change color depending on what type of amyloid they encounter. Because amyloids accumulate in the eye as well as the brain, their discovery offers hope that one day neurodegenerative diseases could be differentially diagnosed with simple eye drops or ointment and an eye exam.

Babies may not have a 'moral compass' after all Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT New research is casting doubt on a landmark US study that suggested infants as young as six months old possess an innate moral compass that allows them to evaluate individuals as "good" or "bad."

Vaccine targets malignant brain cancer antigens, significantly lengthens survival Posted: 15 Aug 2012 06:31 AM PDT An experimental immune-based therapy more than doubled median survival of patients diagnosed with the most aggressive malignant brain tumor, researchers report.

Mechanisms of acquired chemoresistance in ovarian cancer identified Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:32 AM PDT Disease has high heterogeneity. First-line chemosensitivity associated with subsequent chemoresistance. Gene identified that may predict chemoresistance.

Tripping the switches on brain growth to treat depression Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:27 AM PDT Depression takes a substantial toll on brain health. Brain imaging and post-mortem studies provide evidence that the wealth of connections in the brain are reduced in individuals with depression, with the result of impaired functional connections between key brain centers involved in mood regulation. Researchers now report that a relatively novel growth factor named fibroblast growth factor-2, or FGF2, can increase the number of glial cells and block the decrease caused by chronic stress exposure by promoting the generation of new glial cells.

Acute stress alters control of gene activity: Researchers examine DNA methylation Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:27 AM PDT Acute stress alters the methylation of the DNA and thus the activity of certain genes.

Long-term methadone treatment can affect nerve cells in brain Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:27 AM PDT Long-term methadone treatment can cause changes in the brain, according to recent studies. The results show that treatment may affect the nerve cells in the brain. The studies follow on from previous studies where methadone was seen to affect cognitive functioning, such as learning and memory.

Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil may protect bone Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:26 AM PDT Consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil for two years is associated with increased serum osteocalcin concentrations, suggesting a protective effect on bone.

Danger in the blood: How antibiotic-resisting bacterial infections form Posted: 15 Aug 2012 05:26 AM PDT New research may help explain why hundreds of thousands of Americans a year get sick – and tens of thousands die – after bacteria get into their blood. It also suggests why some of those bloodstream infections resist treatment with even the most powerful antibiotics.

UK recession may be to blame for over 1,000 suicides in England Posted: 14 Aug 2012 06:34 PM PDT A new paper suggests that over 1,000 people have committed suicide due to the 2008-2010 economic recession in the UK (846 men and 155 women).

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