ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Surgeons find better ways to treat nerve compression disorder that can sideline athletes, studies suggest
• Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA
• Certain hormonal contraceptive may pose risk of Type 2 diabetes for obese women
• Protein paves the way for correct stem cell differentiation
• Experimental gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy offers hope for youngster
• Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans
• Gene silencing spurs fountain of youth in mouse brain
• For drug makers, new 3-D control opens wealth of options
• Translation error tracked in the brain of dementia patients: Scientists identify enigmatic aggregates linked to neurodegenerative diseases
• Scientists solve mercury mystery, taking big step toward protecting human health
• Excess protein linked to development of Parkinson's disease
• Long-term side-effects of targeted therapies in pediatric cancer patients
• Key protein revealed as trigger for stem cell development
• Cells forged from human skin show promise in treating multiple sclerosis, myelin disorders
• Immune systems of healthy adults 'remember' germs to which they've never been exposed
• Reassuring evidence: Anticancer drug does not accelerate tumor growth after treatment ends
• Zinc helps against infection by tapping brakes in immune response
• Key to antidepressant response uncovered
• Privacy risk in your DNA
• How men and women organize their (online) social networks differently
• Veterans with mild TBI have brain abnormalities
• Permanent stress can cause type 2 diabetes in men, study suggests
• Unique peptide has therapeutic potential against cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases
• New approach mimicking the body's natural defenses could help treat a therapy-resistant breast cancer
• Device made of DNA inserted into bacterial cell works like a diagnostic computer
• Drop in alcohol-related deaths by nearly a third follows minimum alcohol price increase of 10 percent
• Older bikers three times as likely to be seriously injured in crashes as younger peers
• One in 20 cases of pre-eclampsia may be linked to air pollutant

Surgeons find better ways to treat nerve compression disorder that can sideline athletes, studies suggest Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:21 PM PST Two new studies suggest ways to improve surgical treatment for a debilitating condition caused by compressed nerves in the neck and shoulder.

Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:22 PM PST A new, large-scale study of triple-negative breast cancer shows that small molecules called microRNA can be used to define four subtypes of this aggressive malignancy. The findings could lead to new screening methods, prognostic markers and perhaps new targeted treatments for this aggressive and often-fatal form of breast cancer.

Certain hormonal contraceptive may pose risk of Type 2 diabetes for obese women Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST A first-of-its-kind study by researchers indicates that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes when compared to those who use non-hormonal contraception.

Protein paves the way for correct stem cell differentiation Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST A single embryonic stem cell can develop into more than 200 specialized cell types that make up our body. This maturation process is called differentiation and is tightly regulated. New research has identified a crucial role of the molecule Fbxl10 in differentiation of embryonic stem cells and suggests the molecule as a new potential target for cancer therapy.

Experimental gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy offers hope for youngster Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST Jacob Rutt is a bright 11-year-old who likes to draw detailed maps in his spare time. But the budding geographer has a hard time with physical skills most children take for granted -- running and climbing trees are beyond him, and even walking can be difficult. He was diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne when he was two years old.

Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST The epigenetic investigation of mice can as a result contribute to early diagnosis of cancer in humans.

Gene silencing spurs fountain of youth in mouse brain Posted: 07 Feb 2013 12:09 PM PST Cognitive decline in old age is linked to decreasing production of new neurons. Scientists have discovered in mice that significantly more neurons are generated in the brains of older animals if a signaling molecule called Dickkopf-1 is turned off. In tests for spatial orientation and memory, mice in advanced adult age whose Dickkopf gene had been silenced reached an equal mental performance as young animals.

For drug makers, new 3-D control opens wealth of options Posted: 07 Feb 2013 11:15 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a new, highly versatile approach for quickly assembling drug-like compounds, establishing a broad new route to drug discovery and medical treatment.

Translation error tracked in the brain of dementia patients: Scientists identify enigmatic aggregates linked to neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 07 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST In certain dementias silent areas of the genetic code are translated into highly unusual proteins by mistake. The proteins that have now been identified shouldn't actually exist.

Scientists solve mercury mystery, taking big step toward protecting human health Posted: 07 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST By identifying two genes required for transforming inorganic into organic mercury, which is far more toxic, scientists have just taken a significant step toward protecting human health.

Excess protein linked to development of Parkinson's disease Posted: 07 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST Researchers say overexpression of a protein called alpha-synuclein appears to disrupt vital recycling processes in neurons, starting with the terminal extensions of neurons and working its way back to the cells' center, with the potential consequence of progressive degeneration and eventual cell death.

Long-term side-effects of targeted therapies in pediatric cancer patients Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST Already we know that molecularly targeted therapies may stunt the growth of pediatric patients, delay puberty or speed the onset of diabetes. And researchers are just now starting to ask about additional, sometimes unforeseen side-effects, potentially including more subtle issues such as neurocognitive, balance and motor defects.

Key protein revealed as trigger for stem cell development Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST A natural trigger that enables stem cells to become any cell type in the body has been discovered by scientists. Researchers have identified a protein that kick-starts the process by which stem cells can develop to into different cells in the body, for instance liver or brain cells.

Cells forged from human skin show promise in treating multiple sclerosis, myelin disorders Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST Human brain cells created by reprogramming skin cells are highly effective in treating myelin disorders, a family of diseases that includes multiple sclerosis and rare childhood disorders called pediatric leukodystrophies.

Immune systems of healthy adults 'remember' germs to which they've never been exposed Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST It's established dogma that the immune system develops a "memory" of a microbial pathogen, with a correspondingly enhanced readiness to combat that microbe, only upon exposure to it -- or to its components though a vaccine. But a discovery casts doubt on that dogma. This research offers a possible clue as to why kids eat dirt.

Reassuring evidence: Anticancer drug does not accelerate tumor growth after treatment ends Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:15 AM PST Studies in animals have raised concerns that tumors may grow faster after the anticancer drug sunitinib is discontinued. But oncologists and physicists who collaborated to analyze data from the largest study of patients with kidney cancer convincingly demonstrate that such tumor acceleration does not occur in humans. The findings suggest that sunitinib does not cause lingering risks for patients after their treatment ends.

Zinc helps against infection by tapping brakes in immune response Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:13 AM PST New research suggests that zinc helps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune response in a way that prevents out-of-control inflammation that can be damaging and even deadly.

Key to antidepressant response uncovered Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:13 AM PST Through a series of investigations in mice and humans, researchers have identified a protein that appears to be the target of both antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. Results of their experiments explain how these therapies likely work to relieve depression by stimulating stem cells in the brain to grow and mature. In addition, the researchers say, these experiments raise the possibility of predicting individual people's response to depression therapy, and fine-tuning treatment accordingly.

Privacy risk in your DNA Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:49 AM PST Scientists have found that advances in DNA sequencing carry with them an enormous risk -- the theft of personal information from genetics databases poses a serious threat to privacy. They urge that new legislation concerning the maintenance of private and public databases, as well as anti-genetic-discrimination laws, should be drafted.

How men and women organize their (online) social networks differently Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:47 AM PST A new quantitative study of data assembled from the online multiplayer game Pardus examines ways men and women manage their social networks drastically different, even online.

Veterans with mild TBI have brain abnormalities Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:46 AM PST A study by psychiatrists finds that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) have measurable abnormalities in the white matter of their brains when compared to returning veterans who have not experienced TBI.

Permanent stress can cause type 2 diabetes in men, study suggests Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:44 AM PST Men who reported permanent stress have a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than men who reported no stress. This is the finding of a 35-year prospective follow-up study of 7,500 men in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Unique peptide has therapeutic potential against cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases Posted: 07 Feb 2013 06:30 AM PST Scientists have synthesized a peptide that shows potential for pharmaceutical development into agents for treating infections, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer through an ability to induce a cell-recycling process called autophagy.

New approach mimicking the body's natural defenses could help treat a therapy-resistant breast cancer Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:42 AM PST A new combination of antibodies was found to be effective in mice against triple-negative breast cancer.

Device made of DNA inserted into bacterial cell works like a diagnostic computer Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:42 AM PST A biological device made of DNA inserted into a bacterial cell works like a tiny diagnostic computer.

Drop in alcohol-related deaths by nearly a third follows minimum alcohol price increase of 10 percent Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:20 PM PST A new study shows that, between 2002 and 2009, the percentage of deaths caused by alcohol in British Columbia, Canada dropped more than expected when minimum alcohol price was increased, while alcohol-related deaths increased when more private alcohol stores were opened. The paper has significant implications for international alcohol policy.

Older bikers three times as likely to be seriously injured in crashes as younger peers Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:58 PM PST Older bikers are up to three times as likely to be seriously injured in a crash as younger motor bike enthusiasts, indicates US research.

One in 20 cases of pre-eclampsia may be linked to air pollutant Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:58 PM PST One in every 20 cases of the serious condition of pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, may be linked to increased levels of the air pollutant ozone during the first three months, suggests a large study.

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