ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Cheap and easy technique to snip DNA could revolutionize gene therapy
• Costly breast cancer screenings don't add up to better outcomes, study finds
• HPV-associated cancer incidence rates point to needed efforts to increase HPV vaccination coverage
• Red wine could mask testosterone levels, experts warn
• U.S. cancer death rates continue to drop, report shows
• Parkinson's disease itself does not increase risk of gambling, shopping addiction, study finds
• Can blood pressure drugs reduce the risk of dementia?
• New stem cell approach for blindness successful in mice
• Simulated mission to Mars reveals critical data about sleep needs for astronauts
• The reason we lose at games: Some games simply too complex for the human mind to understand
• Modified antibodies trigger immune response, point to novel vaccine design strategies
• Obese moms risk having babies with low vitamin D, study finds
• Molecular 'two-way radio' directs nerve cell branching and connectivity
• Mechanism of hearing is similar to car battery, researcher learns
• Detrimental effect of obesity on lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease
• Cognitive deficits from concussions still present after two months
• Studying rodents' habitats to prevent leptospirosis
• Modern parenting may hinder brain development, research suggests
• Targeting use of acid-suppressants in hospital patients
• New compound overcomes drug-resistant Staph infection in mice
• Cell loss in the brain relates to variations in individual symptoms in Huntington’s disease
• Sublingual immunotherapy shows promise as treatment for peanut allergy
• Protein key to fighting and preventing obesity discovered
• Even brief interruptions spawn errors
• Romper suit with sensors may protect against sudden infant death
• Ovarian cancer stem cell study puts targeted therapies within reach
• Human genes influence gut microbial composition, study suggests
• Genetic link between epilepsy and migraine
• Counting the cost of mercury pollution
• Out of sight, out of mind? How the brain codes its surroundings beyond the field of view
• Pollen exposure during pregnancy affects child's risk of early asthma, study finds

Cheap and easy technique to snip DNA could revolutionize gene therapy Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST A simple, precise and inexpensive method for cutting DNA to insert genes into human cells could transform genetic medicine, making routine what now are expensive, complicated and rare procedures for replacing defective genes in order to fix genetic disease or even cure AIDS.

Costly breast cancer screenings don't add up to better outcomes, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST Even though U.S. Medicare spends over $1 billion per year on breast cancer screenings such as a mammography, there is no evidence that higher spending benefits older women, researchers have found.

HPV-associated cancer incidence rates point to needed efforts to increase HPV vaccination coverage Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST Despite the decline in cancer death rates in the US, there is an increase in incidence rates for cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and more efforts are needed to increase HPV vaccination coverage levels to prevent the occurrence of these cancers in the future according to a study published Jan. 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Red wine could mask testosterone levels, experts warn Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:14 PM PST Red wine could give athletes and players a boost in the sports arena by increasing the amount of performance-enhancing hormone testosterone in their bodies, according to researchers in the UK.

U.S. cancer death rates continue to drop, report shows Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:13 PM PST The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2009, shows that overall cancer death rates continued to decline in the United States among both men and women, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and for all of the most common cancer sites, including lung, colon and rectum, female breast, and prostate. However, the report also shows that death rates continued to increase during the latest time period (2000 through 2009) for melanoma of the skin (among men only) and for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and uterus. The special feature section on human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers shows that incidence rates are increasing for HPV-associated oropharyngeal and anal cancers and that vaccination coverage levels in the U.S. during 2008 and 2010 remained low among adolescent girls.

Parkinson's disease itself does not increase risk of gambling, shopping addiction, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:13 PM PST Parkinson's disease itself does not increase the risk of impulse control problems such as compulsive gambling and shopping that have been seen in people taking certain drugs for Parkinson's disease, according to new research.

Can blood pressure drugs reduce the risk of dementia? Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:13 PM PST People taking the blood pressure drugs called beta blockers may be less likely to have changes in the brain that can be signs of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, according to a new study.

New stem cell approach for blindness successful in mice Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:04 PM PST Blind mice can see again, after Oxford University researchers transplanted developing cells into their eyes and found they could re-form the entire light-sensitive layer of the retina.

Simulated mission to Mars reveals critical data about sleep needs for astronauts Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:14 PM PST In the first study of its kind, researchers have analyzed data on the impact of prolonged operational confinement on sleep, performance, and mood in astronauts from a simulated 520-day space mission to Mars. The findings revealed alterations of life-sustaining sleep patterns and neurobehavioral consequences for crew members that must be addressed for successful human interplanetary spaceflight.

The reason we lose at games: Some games simply too complex for the human mind to understand Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST If you have ever wondered why you never seem to win at skill-based games such as poker or chess, there might be a very good reason. Scientists have discovered that some games are simply impossible to fully learn, or too complex for the human mind to understand.

Modified antibodies trigger immune response, point to novel vaccine design strategies Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST In an approach with the potential to aid therapeutic vaccine development, Whitehead Institute scientists have shown that enzymatically modified antibodies can be used to generate highly targeted, potent responses from cells of the immune system.

Obese moms risk having babies with low vitamin D, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST Women who are obese at the start of their pregnancy may be passing on insufficient levels of vitamin D to their babies, according to a new study. The study found that babies born to lean mothers had a third higher amount of vitamin D compared to babies born to obese moms.

Molecular 'two-way radio' directs nerve cell branching and connectivity Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST Working with fruit flies, scientists have decoded the activity of protein signals that let certain nerve cells know when and where to branch so that they reach and connect to their correct muscle targets. The proteins' mammalian counterparts are known to have signaling roles in immunity, nervous system and heart development, and tumor progression, suggesting broad implications for human disease research.

Mechanism of hearing is similar to car battery, researcher learns Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST Biologists have shown that one of the mechanisms involved in hearing is similar to the battery in your car. And if that isn't interesting enough, the scientists advanced their knowledge of human hearing by studying a similar auditory system in fruit flies -- and by making use of the fruit fly "love song."

Detrimental effect of obesity on lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Researchers have recently used a neurodegeneration model of Alzheimer's disease to provide experimental evidence of the relationship between obesity and disorders linked to the tau protein. This research corroborates the theory that metabolic anomalies contribute massively to the development of dementia.

Cognitive deficits from concussions still present after two months Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST The ability to focus and switch tasks readily amid distractions was compromised for up to two months following brain concussions suffered by high school athletes, according to a new study.

Studying rodents' habitats to prevent leptospirosis Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:13 AM PST Leptospirosis is a water-related bacterial disease with a high incidence in Southeast Asia. People usually become infected through exposure to water contaminated by the urine of infected animals, mainly rats and mice. Researchers have revealed the relationship between rodents' environment and infection by leptospirosis bacteria. They showed that, whereas people mainly get infected in rice fields, the bacteria are present in a variety of environments, and particularly at the frontiers of fields and forests.

Modern parenting may hinder brain development, research suggests Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:05 AM PST Social practices and cultural beliefs of modern life are preventing healthy brain and emotional development in children, according to an interdisciplinary body of research.

Targeting use of acid-suppressants in hospital patients Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:05 AM PST Gastrointestinal bleeds which occur in the hospital, although rare, are a significant source of morbidity and mortality when they occur. Currently, the prophylactic use of acid-suppressive medication in non-critically ill patients in the hospital is not widely recommended. Despite this, these medications continue to be widely utilized for this purpose.

New compound overcomes drug-resistant Staph infection in mice Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:05 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new compound that restores the health of mice infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an otherwise dangerous bacterial infection. The new compound targets an enzyme not found in human cells but which is essential to bacterial survival.

Cell loss in the brain relates to variations in individual symptoms in Huntington’s disease Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Scientists have wrestled to understand why Huntington's disease, which is caused by a single gene mutation, can produce such variable symptoms. An authoritative review by a group of leading experts summarizes the progress relating cell loss in the striatum and cerebral cortex to symptom profile in Huntington's disease, suggesting a possible direction for developing targeted therapies.

Sublingual immunotherapy shows promise as treatment for peanut allergy Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Daily doses of a liquid containing peanut powder, in gradually increasing amounts, enabled patients with peanut allergy to safely consume peanut in amounts at least 10 times greater than their baseline.

Protein key to fighting and preventing obesity discovered Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:01 AM PST Scientists have identified a protein that, when absent, helps the body burn fat and prevents insulin resistance and obesity.

Even brief interruptions spawn errors Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Short interruptions -- such as the few seconds it takes to silence that buzzing smartphone -- have a surprisingly large effect on one's ability to accurately complete a task, according to new research.

Romper suit with sensors may protect against sudden infant death Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:57 AM PST Breathing sensors built into romper suits could help prevent sudden cot deaths in the future. The basis for this is a stretchable printed circuit board that fits to the contours of the body and can be manufactured using routine industrial processes.

Ovarian cancer stem cell study puts targeted therapies within reach Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:26 AM PST Researchers have identified a key link between stem cell factors that fuel ovarian cancer's growth and patient prognosis. The study paves the way for developing novel targeted ovarian cancer therapies.

Human genes influence gut microbial composition, study suggests Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:26 AM PST New research has identified a link between a human gene and the composition of human gastrointestinal bacteria. In a new study, scientists outline new evidence suggesting that the human genome may play a role in determining the makeup of the billions of microbes in the human gastrointestinal tract collectively known as the gut microbiota.

Genetic link between epilepsy and migraine Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:23 AM PST New research reveals a shared genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and migraine. Findings indicate that having a strong family history of seizure disorders increases the chance of having migraine with aura (MA).

Counting the cost of mercury pollution Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:23 AM PST Cleaning up mercury pollution and reducing prenatal exposure to the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) could save the European Union 10,000 million euros per year, finds a new study. New estimates suggest that between 1.5 and 2 million children in the EU are born each year with MeHg exposures above the safe limit of 0.58 micrograms per gram and 200,000 above the WHO recommended maximum of 2.5 micrograms per gram.

Out of sight, out of mind? How the brain codes its surroundings beyond the field of view Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:22 AM PST Even when they are not directly in sight, we are aware of our surroundings: so it is that when our eyes are fixed on an interesting book, for example, we know that the door is to the right, the bookshelf is to the left and the window is behind us. However, research into the brain has so far concerned itself predominantly with how information from our field of vision is coded in the visual cortex. To date it has not been known how the brain codes our surroundings beyond the field of view from an egocentric perspective (that is, from the point of view of the observer). In a new article, scientists present for the first time direct evidence of this kind of spatial information in the brain.

Pollen exposure during pregnancy affects child's risk of early asthma, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:22 AM PST A woman's exposure to high pollen levels in late pregnancy increases the risk of early asthma in the child, according to a group of researchers in Sweden.

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