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Released: 19-Mar-2013 9:00 AM EDT
Brain Tumor Cells Killed by Anti-Nausea Drug
University of Adelaide

New research from the University of Adelaide has shown for the first time that the growth of brain tumors can be halted by a drug currently being used to help patients recover from the side effects of chemotherapy.

Released: 18-Mar-2013 8:00 AM EDT
Astrocyte Signaling Sheds Light on Stroke Research
Tufts University

New research published in The Journal of Neuroscience suggests that modifying signals sent by astrocytes, our star-shaped brain cells, may help to limit the spread of damage after an ischemic brain stroke. The study in mice, by neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine, determined that astrocytes play a critical role in the spread of damage following stroke.

14-Mar-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Depression in Kids Linked to Cardiac Risks in Teens
Washington University in St. Louis

Teens who were depressed as children are far more likely than their peers to be obese, smoke cigarettes and lead sedentary lives, even if they no longer suffer from depression. The research, by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pittsburgh, suggests that depression, even in children, can increase the risk of heart problems later in life.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 4:20 PM EDT
Study Shows How Vitamin E Can Help Prevent Cancer
Ohio State University

Researchers have identified an elusive anti-cancer property of vitamin E that has long been presumed to exist, but difficult to find.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 1:05 PM EDT
“Active” Mothers Prefer Planned Home Birth, Midwifery Care
Columbia University School of Nursing

Women who see themselves as active participants in the delivery of their first child, and prefer a collaborative role with their healthcare provider are more likely to prefer planned home birth and the care of a midwife, according to a new survey conducted by Columbia University School of Nursing’s Adriana Arcia, PhD, RN, and published in the journal Midwifery.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 8:35 AM EDT
Dispelling the Many Myths About Clinical Trials
University of Kentucky

There are many myths when it comes to clinical trials. In this video, University of Kentucky researchers and participants dispel those myths to show how valuable clinical trials are to medical advancement.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 5:00 AM EDT
Sleepwalkers Sometimes Remember What They’ve Done
Universite de Montreal

Three myths about sleepwalking – sleepwalkers have no memory of their actions, sleepwalkers' behaviour is without motivation, and sleepwalking has no daytime impact – are dispelled in a recent study led by Antonio Zadra of the University of Montreal and its affiliated Sacré-Coeur Hospital.

13-Mar-2013 1:30 PM EDT
Collaboration Between Cancer and Heart Physicians Essential for Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

A new report that breast cancer patients treated with low doses of radiation therapy have a heightened risk of heart disease suggests that physicians need to work with patients before, during, and after treatment to minimize that risk, according to an accompanying editorial in the March 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine

Released: 13-Mar-2013 1:15 PM EDT
Immune Cells Cluster And Communicate ‘Like Bees,’ Researcher Says
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

The immune system’s T cells, while coordinating responses to diseases and vaccines, act like honey bees sharing information about the best honey sources, according to a new study by scientists at UC San Francisco.

   
8-Mar-2013 10:00 AM EST
Using Fat to Fight Brain Cancer
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In laboratory studies, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have found that stem cells from a patient’s own fat may have the potential to deliver new treatments directly into the brain after the surgical removal of a glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor.

Released: 12-Mar-2013 8:35 AM EDT
Needle-Free Vaccine for Ear Infections Could Also Help Reduce Use of Antibiotics
Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Researchers have found a new vaccine that both prevents and treats ear infections - minus the needle jab. The vaccine - which targets the bacteria responsible for half of all ear infections - would be delivered through the skin via a small, dime-sized patch. The non-needle vaccine appears to pack a one-two punch against nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), attacking key parts of the bacteria’s defenses and kick-starting the body’s own immune system to help clear out the infection.

Released: 11-Mar-2013 12:55 PM EDT
Literature Review Shows Inflammation Links Obesity and Gum Disease
Case Western Reserve University

After reviewing previous research on gum disease and obesity, researchers found inflammation is the association between both health problems, which they describe in the Journal of General Dentistry article, “Obesity and periodontitis: a link.”

Released: 7-Mar-2013 4:50 PM EST
New Drug Shows Promise in Fighting Inflammatory Breast Cancer
University of Delaware

Researchers in the University of Delaware's Department of Biological Sciences are investigating a new drug that has shown positive results in early tests of its ability to fight a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

6-Mar-2013 1:00 PM EST
Molecular Key to Exhaustion Following Sleep Deprivation
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A research team at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has identified one of the molecular players in this process has been identified – at least in nematode round worms. David Raizen, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Neurology, and his colleagues report in Current Biology that even in Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny nematode worm that feeds on bacteria, loss of sleep is “stressful.”

6-Mar-2013 9:00 AM EST
Exercise Shields Children from Stress
Endocrine Society

Exercise may play a key role in helping children cope with stressful situations, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

6-Mar-2013 6:35 PM EST
Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise for Patients with Chronic, Treatment Resistant Anorexia Nervosa
University Health Network (UHN)

In a world first, a team of researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre and the University Health Network have shown that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in patients with chronic, severe and treatment-resistant Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia) helps some patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood, and anxiety.

Released: 6-Mar-2013 6:00 PM EST
Some Brain Cells Are Better Virus Fighters
Washington University in St. Louis

Natural immune defenses that resist viral infection are turned on in some brain cells but switched off in others, scientists have learned.

26-Feb-2013 3:00 PM EST
People with MS-Related Memory and Attention Problems Have Signs of Extensive Brain Damage
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have cognitive problems, or problems with memory, attention, and concentration, have more damage to areas of the brain involved in cognitive processes than people with MS who do not have cognitive problems, according to a study published in the March 6, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27-Feb-2013 11:30 AM EST
Portion of Hippocampus Found to Play Role in Modulating Anxiety
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have found the first evidence that selective activation of the dentate gyrus, a portion of the hippocampus, can reduce anxiety without affecting learning. The findings suggest that therapies that target this brain region could be used to treat certain anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder and PTSD, with minimal cognitive side effects.

28-Feb-2013 10:00 AM EST
Is It a Stroke or Benign Dizziness? A Simple Bedside Test Can Tell
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A bedside electronic device that measures eye movements can successfully determine whether the cause of severe, continuous, disabling dizziness is a stroke or something benign, according to results of a small study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.

Released: 5-Mar-2013 4:00 PM EST
Omega 3s from Fish vs Fish Oil Pills Better at Maintaining Blood Pressure in Animal Model
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Researchers show how fish oils help lower blood pressure via vasodilation at ion channels. In vascular smooth muscle cells, such as those that line blood vessels, ion channels that span the outer membrane of a cell to let such ions as sodium, calcium, and potassium in and out, are critical to maintaining proper vessel pressure.

Released: 4-Mar-2013 4:30 PM EST
More Baccalaureate-Prepared Nurses in Hospitals Connected to Fewer Patient Deaths
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

When hospitals hire more nurses with four-year degrees, patient deaths following common surgeries decrease, according to new research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research as reported in the March issue of the prestigious policy journal Health Affairs. Less than half the nation’s nurses (45%) have baccalaureate degrees, according to the most recent data available (2008).

1-Mar-2013 2:30 PM EST
Parkinson’s Disease Brain Rhythms Detected
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

A team of scientists and clinicians at UC San Francisco has discovered how to detect abnormal brain rhythms associated with Parkinson’s by implanting electrodes within the brains of people with the disease.

28-Feb-2013 4:30 PM EST
ADHD Takes a Toll Well Into Adulthood
Mayo Clinic

The first large, population-based study to follow children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into adulthood shows that ADHD often doesn’t go away and that children with ADHD are more likely to have other psychiatric disorders as adults. They also appear more likely to commit suicide and to be incarcerated as adults. The findings appear in the March 4 online issue of Pediatrics.

Released: 4-Mar-2013 12:05 AM EST
Speech Emerges in Children on the Autism Spectrum with Severe Language Delay at Greater Rate Than Previously Thought
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Study by Kennedy Krieger’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders reveals key predictors of speech gains.

1-Mar-2013 11:00 AM EST
Cancer Vaccines Self-Sabotage, Channel Immune Attack to Injection Site
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cancer vaccines that attempt to stimulate an immune system assault fail because the killer T cells aimed at tumors instead find the vaccination site a more inviting target, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Nature Medicine.

27-Feb-2013 2:15 PM EST
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Uncovering How Deadly Bacteria Trick the Immune System
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A new UCLA study demonstrates how bacteria can pretend to be a virus and trick the immune system into sending out the wrong type of defense. Such manipulation sheds light on how the flu may make us more susceptible to pneumonia or as in the recent outbreak of TB in Los Angeles, possibly how the flu and other environmental factors could be used to the TB bacteria’s advantage.

26-Feb-2013 10:40 PM EST
How Much Will I Be Charged?
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

It’s a basic, reasonable question: How much will this cost me? For patients in the emergency room, the answer all too often is a mystery.

Released: 27-Feb-2013 12:50 PM EST
Man Walks Again After Surgery to Reverse Muscle Paralysis
UC San Diego Health

After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery at University of California, San Diego Heath System to restore the use of his leg. Neurosurgeon Justin Brown, MD, performed the novel 3-hour procedure.

Released: 26-Feb-2013 8:30 AM EST
PTSD Symptoms Common Among ICU Survivors
Johns Hopkins Medicine

One in three people who survived stays in an intensive care unit (ICU) and required use of a mechanical ventilator showed substantial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that lasted for up to two years, according to a new Johns Hopkins study of patients with acute lung injury.

Released: 25-Feb-2013 5:45 PM EST
Study Reveals Keys to Success in Free Online Weight Loss Program
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

An analysis of a free online weight loss program revealed that members who were more active on the website lost more weight than members who were less active, report researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.

Released: 25-Feb-2013 1:45 PM EST
Tweaking Gene Expression to Repair Lungs
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A healthy lung has some capacity to regenerate itself like the liver. In COPD, these reparative mechanisms fail. HDAC therapies may be useful for COPD, as well as other airway diseases. The levels of HDAC2 expression and its activity are greatly reduced in COPD patients. Decreased HDAC activity may impair the ability of the lung epithelium to regenerate.

21-Feb-2013 10:00 AM EST
Babies Born by C-section at Risk of Developing Allergies
Henry Ford Health

For expectant moms who may contemplate the pros and cons of natural child birth or Caesarian section, a Henry Ford Hospital study suggests that C-section babies are susceptible to developing allergies by age two. Researchers found that babies born by C-section are five times more likely to develop allergies than babies born naturally when exposed to high levels of common allergens in the home such as those from dogs, cats and dust mites.

22-Feb-2013 1:50 PM EST
Distinct Niches in Bone Marrow Nurture Blood Stem Cells
Washington University in St. Louis

In research that could one day improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, scientists have found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells.

20-Feb-2013 11:00 AM EST
Race Linked to Childhood Food Allergies, Not Environmental Allergies
Henry Ford Health

Research conducted at Henry Ford Hospital shows that race and possibly genetics play a role in children’s sensitivity to developing allergies. Researchers found: • African-American children were sensitized to at least one food allergen three times more often than Caucasian children. • African-American children with one allergic parent were sensitized to an environmental allergen twice as often as African-American children without an allergic parent.

Released: 22-Feb-2013 1:15 PM EST
New Magnetic Device Option for Heartburn
UC San Diego Health

A study published February 21st in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a new magnetic medical device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Santiago Horgan, MD, professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and study co-author, was the first surgeon in the United States to implant the FDA-approved device.

Released: 22-Feb-2013 1:00 PM EST
Stash of Stem Cells Found in a Human Parasite
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Researchers have now found stem cells inside the parasite that cause schistosomiasis, one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. These stem cells can regenerate worn-down organs, which may help explain how they can live for years or even decades inside their host.

19-Feb-2013 1:10 PM EST
Research Suggests Malaria Can Be Defeated Without a Globally Led Eradication Program
University of Florida

Malaria does not have to be eradicated globally for individual countries to succeed at maintaining elimination of the disease, according to research from the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute and department of geography, to be published in the journal Science Feb. 22.

Released: 20-Feb-2013 7:00 PM EST
Cooling May Prevent Trauma-Induced Epilepsy
Washington University in St. Louis

In the weeks, months and years after a severe head injury, patients often experience epileptic seizures that are difficult to control. A new study in rats suggests that gently cooling the brain after injury may prevent these seizures.

14-Feb-2013 1:55 PM EST
Omega-3 Lipid Emulsions Markedly Protect Brain After Stroke in Mouse Study
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Triglyceride lipid emulsions rich in an omega-3 fatty acid injected within a few hours of an ischemic stroke can decrease the amount of damaged brain tissue by 50 percent or more in mice, reports a new study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center. The results suggest that the emulsions may be able to reduce some of the long-term neurological and behavioral problems seen in human survivors of neonatal stroke and possibly of adult stroke, as well.

12-Feb-2013 4:00 PM EST
Antioxidants in Your Diet May Not Reduce Risk of Stroke or Dementia
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Contrary to other research, a new study found that the total level of antioxidants in people’s diets is not related to their risk of developing stroke or dementia. The study is published in the February 20, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Antioxidants such as lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E are found in many foods.

Released: 20-Feb-2013 2:25 PM EST
Mushroom-Supplemented Soybean Extract Shows Therapeutic Promise for Advanced Prostate Cancer
UC Davis Health

A natural, nontoxic product called genistein-combined polysaccharide, or GCP, which is commercially available in health stores, could help lengthen the life expectancy of certain prostate cancer patients, UC Davis researchers have found.

20-Feb-2013 12:00 PM EST
Secrets of Human Speech Uncovered
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

A team of researchers at UC San Francisco has uncovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the complex coordinated activity of tiny brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue and larynx as we speak.

Released: 20-Feb-2013 12:30 PM EST
Resveratrol Shows Promise to Protect Hearing, Cognition
Henry Ford Health

Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Released: 20-Feb-2013 12:30 PM EST
Separated Bike Lanes, Slower Vehicle Speeds Greatly Reduce Bicycle Injuries
Toronto Metropolitan University

Using your bicycle to commute to work has numerous health and environmental benefits. Yet, the largest Canadian study on cycling injuries led by Ryerson University suggests cyclists are at risk of injury due to the lack of cycling infrastructure in large urban centres.

Released: 20-Feb-2013 12:00 PM EST
A Diet of Resistant Starch Helps the Body Resist Colorectal Cancer
University of Colorado Cancer Center

A University of Colorado Cancer Center review published in this month’s issue of the journal Current Opinion in Gastroenterology shows that resistant starch also helps the body resist colorectal cancer through mechanisms including killing pre-cancerous cells and reducing inflammation that can otherwise promote cancer.

Released: 19-Feb-2013 9:00 PM EST
Ethics of Access: Comparing 2 Federal Health Care Reform Efforts
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Two major health reform laws, enacted 25 years apart, both try to meet an ethical standard to provide broad access to basic health care. Neither quite gets there -- but it’s not too late for modern health care reform to bring the nation closer to a goal of comprehensive and coordinated care for all, say the authors of a new paper.

Released: 18-Feb-2013 11:15 AM EST
When Selecting a Child’s Doctor, Families Prefer Grapevine Over Online Ratings
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Younger parents are more likely to say online scores for physicians are very important, according to the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

Released: 18-Feb-2013 10:35 AM EST
Sitting Time Associated with Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases
Kansas State University

Those who sat for more than four hours per day were significantly more likely to report having a chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Released: 15-Feb-2013 1:20 PM EST
Rise in Drug Costs to Hospitals, Clinics Slowing in 2013
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Even though costs for medications will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as 4 percent, the increase is projected to be less than in previous years, according to a report in the advance online publication of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).



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