ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Repurposed drug may be first targeted treatment for serious kidney disease
• First virtual surgery with Google Glass
• New trigger for breast cancer metastasis identified
• Scientists decipher how the immune system induces liver damage during hepatitis
• In animal study, 'cold turkey' withdrawal from drugs triggers mental decline
• Mother's immunosuppressive medications not likely to put fetus at risk
• New study decodes brain's process for decision making
• Potential drug target to nip cancer in the bud
• Researchers develop at-home 3D video game for stroke patients
• Robotic advances promise artificial legs that emulate healthy limbs
• New insight into how antidepressants work in the brain
• Allergic to gummy bears? Be cautious getting the flu shot
• Depression therapy effective for poor, minority moms
• Peptide derived from cow's milk kills human stomach cancer cells in culture
• Bisphenol A is affecting us at much lower doses than previously thought
• Unique change in protein structure guides production of RNA from DNA
• Century-old question about 3-D structure of mitotic chromosomes answered
• Americans want doctors' guidance on genetic test results
• New study assesses injuries in the ED to children of teenage parents
• Oxygen levels in tumors affect response to treatment
• Oxytocin gene partly responsible for how adolescents feel

Repurposed drug may be first targeted treatment for serious kidney disease Posted: 08 Nov 2013 12:35 PM PST A team of researchers is reporting that treatment with abatacept appeared to halt the course of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in five patients, preventing four from losing transplanted kidneys and achieving disease remission in the fifth.

First virtual surgery with Google Glass Posted: 08 Nov 2013 11:04 AM PST A surgical team has performed the first surgery using a virtual augmented reality technology called VIPAAR in conjunction with Google Glass, a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display. The combination of the two technologies could be an important step toward the development of useful, practical telemedicine.

New trigger for breast cancer metastasis identified Posted: 08 Nov 2013 09:48 AM PST For years, scientists have observed that tumor cells from certain breast cancer patients with aggressive forms of the disease contained low levels of mitochondrial DNA. But, until recently, no one was able to explain how this characteristic influenced disease progression. Now researchers have revealed how a reduction in mitochondrial DNA content leads human breast cancer cells to take on aggressive, metastatic properties.

Scientists decipher how the immune system induces liver damage during hepatitis Posted: 08 Nov 2013 09:48 AM PST A study published shows how the immune system 'attacks' liver cells during hepatitis by using the AP-1 gene JunB.

In animal study, 'cold turkey' withdrawal from drugs triggers mental decline Posted: 08 Nov 2013 08:22 AM PST Can quitting drugs without treatment trigger a decline in mental health? That appears to be the case in an animal model of morphine addiction. Researchers say their observations suggest that managing morphine withdrawal could promote a healthier mental state in people.

Mother's immunosuppressive medications not likely to put fetus at risk Posted: 08 Nov 2013 08:22 AM PST Women with chronic autoimmune diseases who take immunosuppressive medications during their first trimester of pregnancy are not putting their babies at significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes, according to a study.

New study decodes brain's process for decision making Posted: 08 Nov 2013 08:21 AM PST Psychology and neurobiology researchers develop new brain imaging model to examine how memories are used in decision making.

Potential drug target to nip cancer in the bud Posted: 08 Nov 2013 07:27 AM PST Scientists have discovered an enzyme, Wip1 phosphatase, as a potential target to weed out the progression of cancer. Although studies in the past have revealed that this enzyme plays a critical role in regulating the budding of tumors, scientists have for the first time unearthed a mechanism for its mode of action.

Researchers develop at-home 3D video game for stroke patients Posted: 08 Nov 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers have developed a therapeutic at-home gaming program for stroke patients who experience motor weakness affecting 80 percent of survivors.

Robotic advances promise artificial legs that emulate healthy limbs Posted: 08 Nov 2013 06:13 AM PST Recent advances in robotics technology make it possible to create prosthetics that can duplicate the natural movement of human legs. This capability promises to dramatically improve the mobility of lower-limb amputees, allowing them to negotiate stairs and slopes and uneven ground, significantly reducing their risk of falling as well as reducing stress on the rest of their bodies.

New insight into how antidepressants work in the brain Posted: 08 Nov 2013 06:13 AM PST New research is giving scientists a never-before-seen view of how nerve cells communicate with each other. That new view can give scientists a better understanding of how antidepressants work in the human brain -- and could lead to the development of better antidepressants with few or no side effects.

Allergic to gummy bears? Be cautious getting the flu shot Posted: 08 Nov 2013 06:01 AM PST Do marshmallows make your tongue swell? Gummy bears make you itchy? If you've answered yes and are allergic to gelatin, you will want to take some precautions when getting the flu shot.

Depression therapy effective for poor, minority moms Posted: 08 Nov 2013 06:01 AM PST Faced with the dual demands of motherhood and poverty, as many as one fourth of low-income minority mothers struggle with major depression. Now a new study shows that screening for the disorder and providing short-term, relationship-focused therapy through weekly home visits can relieve depression among minority mothers, even in the face of poverty and personal histories of abuse or violence.

Peptide derived from cow's milk kills human stomach cancer cells in culture Posted: 07 Nov 2013 02:10 PM PST New research indicates that a peptide fragment derived from cow's milk, known as lactoferricin B25 (LFcinB25), exhibited potent anticancer capability against human stomach cancer cell cultures. The findings provide support for future use of LFcinB25 as a potential therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.

Bisphenol A is affecting us at much lower doses than previously thought Posted: 07 Nov 2013 01:23 PM PST A group of scientists that study endocrine disruption worked together to update and refine a 2007 review of the low dose effects of BPA. The group not only added hundreds of more recent studies, but they also used an integrative biological approach to scrutinize low dose effects of BPA at multiple levels of biological organization: on cells, animals and human populations.

Unique change in protein structure guides production of RNA from DNA Posted: 07 Nov 2013 12:48 PM PST One of biology's most fundamental processes is transcription. It is just one step of many required to build proteins -- and without it life would not exist. However, many aspects of transcription remain shrouded in mystery. But now, scientists are shedding light on key aspects of transcription, and in so doing are coming even closer to understanding the importance of this process in the growth and development of cells -- as well as what happens when this process goes awry.

Century-old question about 3-D structure of mitotic chromosomes answered Posted: 07 Nov 2013 11:25 AM PST Scientists have shown new evidence for a general principal of condensed, mitotic chromosome organization and structure that is highly adaptable and common to all cells. This new insight into how chromosomes are disassembled and reassembled during cell division will allow researchers to begin answering basic questions about epigenetic inheritance, as well as human disease such as chromosome disorders and cancer.

Americans want doctors' guidance on genetic test results Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:46 AM PST In an era of commercialized medicine, direct-to-consumer genetic testing has been on a steady rise. Consumers can purchase a DNA sample kit, also known as a "spit kit," mail it to a testing company, and wait for an email that reveals their genetic risk for disorders like heart disease and colon cancer. However, a new study reveals that members of the public, as well as physician groups, are concerned about individuals interpreting these risks without the help of a doctor.

New study assesses injuries in the ED to children of teenage parents Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:46 AM PST Although the number of children born to teenage parents has decreased since the 1990s, these children continue to be at an increased risk for injury, both accidental and intentional. This may be because many of these teenage parents are poor, uneducated, and lack parental safety and supervision skills.

Oxygen levels in tumors affect response to treatment Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:44 AM PST The genetic make-up of a patient's tumor could be used to personalize their treatment, and help to decide whether they would benefit from receiving additional drugs as part of their radiotherapy program, according to a recent study.

Oxytocin gene partly responsible for how adolescents feel Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:44 AM PST Loneliness: could there be a genetic explanation for it? Yes, to some extent. At least in the case of young female adolescents who, it appears, are more likely to feel lonely in everyday life if they have a specific variant of the gene that regulates how oxytocin – also known as the 'bonding hormone' – is received in the brain. Boys who carry this variant are not lonelier but, like girls, respond more strongly to a negative social environment.

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