ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Secrets of 'SuperAger' brains: Elderly super-agers have brains that look and act decades younger than their age
• Virus throws a wrench in the immune system
• Is too much brain activity connected to Alzheimer's disease?
• Pan-fried meat increases risk of prostate cancer, new study finds
• Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts: Inflammation from T. gondii produces brain-damaging metabolites
• Researchers develop DNA sequencing tests for hereditary diseases
• Combination peptide therapies might offer more effective, less toxic cancer treatment
• Interest in arts predicts social responsibility
• Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained: Part of a protein linked to rapid change in cognitive ability
• Clear links found between inflammation, bacterial communities and cancer
• Metabolic protein wields phosphate group to activate cancer-promoting genes
• Turmeric stopped potentially deadly Rift Valley fever virus from multiplying in infected cells
• Discovery of immune cells that protect against multiple sclerosis offers hope for new treatment
• Brain scans don't lie about age
• Finally, the promise of male birth control in a pill: Compound makes mice reversibly infertile
• Scientists find an important molecular trigger for wound-healing
• Why are elderly duped? Area in brain where doubt arises changes with age
• Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene
• Psychopaths get a break from biology: Judges reduce sentences if genetics, neurobiology are blamed
• Could Faststitch device be the future of suture?
• B cell survival holds key to chronic graft vs. host disease
• New research fuels greater understanding of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis in children and adolescents
• Children’s self-control is associated with their body mass index as adults
• High rates of sleep apnea in women
• Yoga: a cost-effective treatment for back pain sufferers?
• BPA link to narrowing of the arteries
• Resistance to dementia may run in the family

Secrets of 'SuperAger' brains: Elderly super-agers have brains that look and act decades younger than their age Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:16 PM PDT Scientists for the first time have identified an elite group of elderly people age 80 and older whose memories are as sharp as people 20 to 30 years younger than them. And on 3-D MRI scans, the brains of these "SuperAgers" appear as young -- and one brain region was even bigger -- than the brains of the middle-aged participants. The SuperAger's cortex was astoundingly vital and resembled the cortex of people ages 50 to 65.

Virus throws a wrench in the immune system Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:16 PM PDT The cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family. Although most people carry CMV for life, it hardly ever makes them sick. Researchers have now unveiled long term consequences of the ongoing presence of CMV: later in life, more and more cells of the immune system concentrate on CMV, and as a result, the response against other viruses is weakened.

Is too much brain activity connected to Alzheimer's disease? Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:16 PM PDT High baseline levels of neuronal activity in the best connected parts of the brain may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Pan-fried meat increases risk of prostate cancer, new study finds Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:04 PM PDT New research indicates that how red meat and chicken are cooked may influence risk of prostate cancer. Men who ate more than 1.5 servings of pan-fried red meat per week increased their risk of advanced prostate cancer by 30 percent. Men who ate more than 2.5 servings of red meat cooked at high temperatures were 40 percent more likely to have advanced prostate cancer.

Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts: Inflammation from T. gondii produces brain-damaging metabolites Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:04 PM PDT A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts. New research adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts.

Researchers develop DNA sequencing tests for hereditary diseases Posted: 16 Aug 2012 02:03 PM PDT Researchers have developed new DNA sequencing tests for hereditary diseases. The new work reduces costs and improves effectiveness and turn-around time for diagnosis.

Combination peptide therapies might offer more effective, less toxic cancer treatment Posted: 16 Aug 2012 12:18 PM PDT Two studies suggest that an experimental peptide vaccine and a peptide therapeutic used either together or individually with a low-dose of a standard chemotherapy drug, might offer more effective cancer therapy than current standard single-drug treatments. The studies, done in breast-cancer models, show that the peptide combinations dramatically delay tumor onset and progression by both inhibiting tumor growth and blocking the formation of new tumor blood vessels.

Interest in arts predicts social responsibility Posted: 16 Aug 2012 12:18 PM PDT If you sing, dance, draw, or act -- and especially if you watch others do so -- you probably have an altruistic streak, according to a new study.

Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained: Part of a protein linked to rapid change in cognitive ability Posted: 16 Aug 2012 11:15 AM PDT Researchers have found what they believe is the key to understanding why the human brain is larger and more complex than that of other animals. The human brain, with its unequaled cognitive capacity, evolved rapidly and dramatically. Why? research indicates that what drove the evolutionary expansion of the human brain may well be a specific unit within a protein -- called a protein domain -- that is far more numerous in humans than other species.

Clear links found between inflammation, bacterial communities and cancer Posted: 16 Aug 2012 11:15 AM PDT In a study with inflammation-prone mice, researchers have found a mechanism for the development of colorectal cancer wherein inflammation fosters a change in the gut microbiome including reduced bacterial diversity but also the increased presence of E. coli and related pathogens. Further mouse studies show genes carried by an E. coli variant can cause cancer development. The suspect bacterial genes are found in a high percentage of human colorectal cancer patients.

Metabolic protein wields phosphate group to activate cancer-promoting genes Posted: 16 Aug 2012 10:33 AM PDT A metabolic protein that nourishes cancer cells also activates tumor-promoting genes by loosening part of the packaging that entwines DNA to make up chromosomes, according to scientists.

Turmeric stopped potentially deadly Rift Valley fever virus from multiplying in infected cells Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:20 AM PDT Curcumin, found in the popular spice turmeric, stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells, a new study shows.

Discovery of immune cells that protect against multiple sclerosis offers hope for new treatment Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:20 AM PDT Immune cells called dendritic cells, which were previously thought to contribute to the onset and development of multiple sclerosis, actually protect against the disease in a mouse model, according to a new study. These new insights change our fundamental understanding of the origins of multiple sclerosis and could lead to the development of more effective treatments for the disease.

Brain scans don't lie about age Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:19 AM PDT It isn't uncommon for people to pass for ages much older or younger than their years, but researchers have now found that this feature doesn't apply to our brains. The findings show that sophisticated brain scans can be used to accurately predict age, give or take a year.

Finally, the promise of male birth control in a pill: Compound makes mice reversibly infertile Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:19 AM PDT Researchers have finally found a compound that may offer the first effective and hormone-free birth control pill for men. The study shows that the small molecule makes male mice reversibly infertile without putting a damper on their sex drive. When the animals stop taking this new form of birth control, their sperm rebound and they are again able to sire perfectly healthy offspring.

Scientists find an important molecular trigger for wound-healing Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:18 AM PDT Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding a class of cells that help wounds in skin and other epithelial tissues heal, uncovering a molecular mechanism that pushes the body into wound-repair mode.

Why are elderly duped? Area in brain where doubt arises changes with age Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:18 AM PDT Researchers have pinpointed for the first time the area in the human brain where doubt arises. The finding helps explain why older people, as well as others with damage to a specific brain region, are more prone to fall victim to deception and scams.

Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:18 AM PDT Poxviruses, which are responsible for smallpox and other diseases, can adapt to defeat different host antiviral defenses by quickly and temporarily producing multiple copies of a gene that helps the viruses to counter host immunity.

Psychopaths get a break from biology: Judges reduce sentences if genetics, neurobiology are blamed Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:18 AM PDT A survey of judges in 19 states found that if a convicted criminal is a psychopath, judges consider it an aggravating factor in sentencing, but if judges also hear biological explanations for the disorder, they reduce the sentence by about a year on average.

Could Faststitch device be the future of suture? Posted: 16 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT To cut down postoperative complications, engineers have invented a disposable suturing tool to guide the placement of stitches and guard against accidental puncture of internal organs.

B cell survival holds key to chronic graft vs. host disease Posted: 16 Aug 2012 07:10 AM PDT B cells, which produce proteins called antibodies, are one type of immune cell involved in GVHD. A new article shows in the laboratory that B cells from patients with chronic GVHD are much more active than cells from patients without the disease. Researchers also outlines the cell signaling pathways that contribute to this increased activity -- identifying a promising target for developing new therapies for the diseases.

New research fuels greater understanding of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis in children and adolescents Posted: 16 Aug 2012 06:23 AM PDT A new understanding of skin conditions in children and teens is helping to better manage and potentially prevent medical conditions associated with both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Children’s self-control is associated with their body mass index as adults Posted: 16 Aug 2012 04:54 AM PDT As adults, we know that self-control and delaying gratification are important for making healthful eating choices, portion control, and maintaining a healthy weight. However, exhibiting these skills at a young age actually may affect weight later in life. A new study finds that delaying gratification longer at 4 years of age is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI) 30 years later.

High rates of sleep apnea in women Posted: 16 Aug 2012 04:54 AM PDT New research has found high rates of sleep apnea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males.

Yoga: a cost-effective treatment for back pain sufferers? Posted: 16 Aug 2012 04:54 AM PDT Specialized group yoga classes could provide a cost-effective way of treating patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain, according to the UK's largest ever study of the benefits of yoga.

BPA link to narrowing of the arteries Posted: 15 Aug 2012 02:48 PM PDT Scientists have for the first time established a link between high levels of urinary bisphenol-A and severe coronary artery stenosis (narrowing of the arteries).

Resistance to dementia may run in the family Posted: 15 Aug 2012 01:16 PM PDT People who are free of dementia and have high levels of a protein that indicates the presence of inflammation have relatives who are more likely to avoid the disease as well, according to a new study.

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