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Something as simple as a change in diet can potentially help to increase the cancer survival rate of obese children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, according to a new study by UCLA scientists.

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UCLA researchers have discovered a new protein factor that contributes to a fibroblast cell’s ability to migrate to a wound and participate in its healing process. The study’s results could help scientists prevent cancer cells from using the same mechanisms to move throughout the body and spread.

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Students from low-income neighborhoods who attended a high-achieving school were less likely to abuse marijuana than those who weren’t offered admission. By 11th grade, the risk of misusing the drug was cut by half in boys at top-performing schools.

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Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and the Stein Eye Institute have been awarded a $5.1 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to advance the development of a novel therapy for blinding retinal conditions.

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Breast cancer survivors who experienced trauma early in life and depression after their cancer treatments are at increased risk of persistent fatigue, a new UCLA study shows. Some of the key predictors of longer-term fatigue for this group of women include elevated levels of depressive symptoms after treatment and a history of childhood adversity, such as abuse, neglect, household conflict and disorganization.

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FINDINGS Infants born to HIV-positive mothers had high rates of congenital cytomegalovirus, or CMV. Infants who also were infected before birth by the virus that causes AIDS were especially prone to CMV infection. The researchers found that 23 percent of the infants who became infected with HIV during the mother’s pregnancy also were infected with CMV; 18 percent who were infected with HIV either during pregnancy or birth acquired congenital CMV; and 4.

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UCLA researchers have discovered a common process in the development of late-stage, small cell cancers of the prostate and lung. These shared molecular mechanisms could lead to the development of drugs to treat not just prostate and lung cancers, but small cell cancers of almost any organ.

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UCLA oncologist Dr. Parvin Peddi, assistant clinical professor in medicine and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses four myths regarding the most common cancer in U.S. women.

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Across the Americas, there continue to be wide gaps in health and longevity between rich and poor, educated and lesser educated, and people at high or low risk of being the targets of violence. To address these gaps, the Health Equity Network of the Americas has been launched to coincide with the release of recommendations from the Pan American Health Organization Commission on Equity and Health Inequalities in the Americas.

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An embargoed UCLA-led study suggests that an intensive, multifaceted online diabetes prevention program is as effective as in-person programs and can make prevention programs more accessible to those at risk for developing diabetes

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This Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, urologist shares three things patients are surprised to learn

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UCLA researchers have discovered genetic similarities between the adult stem cells responsible for maintaining and repairing epithelial tissues — which line all of the organs and cavities inside the body — and the cells that drive aggressive epithelial cancers. Their findings could bring about a better understanding of how aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers develop and progress, and could eventually lead to new drugs for a range of advanced epithelial cancers such as lung, prostate and bladder cancers.

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UCLA researchers have created a quick and effective mechanism to measure how these circulating tumor cells perform functions that drive cancer.

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UCLA researchers have found that an often overlooked component of a cell, the extracellular matrix, can influence how much sugar the cell consumes and its migratory behavior.

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Researchers at UCLA and Columbia University have developed a novel method for tracking the activity of small molecules in the brain, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Pairing tiny artificial receptors with semiconductor devices that are able to function in living tissue, the team was able to observe brain chemicals at a high level of detail.

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FINDINGS High poverty rates, low education and lack of insurance are all social determinants that are expected to lead to high mortality rates and negative health outcomes. Despite a 62 percent minority population with these characteristics in California, the state’s health profile was significantly better than the nation’s as a whole.

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Parents magazine has named UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital one of the most innovative children's hospitals in the United States. UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital was one of only 20 pediatric hospitals in the country to receive the distinction for 2018.

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A new “virtual” drug development startup company, Enspire Bio, will channel the knowledge and financial resources necessary to translate basic science — the bedrock of medicine — into powerful treatments. And, in a notable departure from traditional approaches, the translation will occur in the heart of the research lab.

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Thirty to 40 percent of people with epilepsy — more than 1 million Americans — continue to experience seizures despite taking medication. Experts at the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center at UCLA Health want to change that picture. Their message to people with epilepsy as well as their doctors is simple: Referral to a full-service epilepsy center can help.

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Previous studies have shown that Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. are less likely to have insurance or to report a usual source of care than Mexican-Americans, other Latinos and non-Latino whites. But the Affordable Care Act may have made it easier for them to access health care when needed.

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Scientists have identified a three-pronged treatment that triggers axons to regrow after spinal cord injury in rodents. The findings could lead to a new therapy for patients, providing the first step to regaining lost function.

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A UCLA-led study has found that a treatment that uses a bacteria-like agent in combination with an immunotherapy drug could help some people with advanced melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, live longer.

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A study of 63 healthy people showed that those with elevated microbiome levels of the metabolite indole — produced when gut bacteria break down the amino acid tryptophan — had stronger function and connectivity in specific areas of the brain’s reward network. Such activity in the brain indicates that a person is more prone to “hedonic eating,” or eating for pleasure rather than for hunger. Those with higher levels of indole also were more likely to have food addiction, as determined by questionnaires they completed.

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Most Americans will have walked 75,000 miles by the time they reach the age of 50 – the equivalent of trekking around the Earth on the equator three times - which is why regular foot care is so important.

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A UCLA study is the first to show that magnetic stimulation of the lower spinal cord through the skin enables people with spinal-cord injuries to recover significant urination control for up to four weeks between treatments. The approach could increase patients' independence by reducing reliance on catheters to empty their bladders.

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Although ovarian cancer is often considered a relatively rare cancer – accounting for only about 3 percent of all cancers in women – it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. In September, also known as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, share these 5 facts with your friends and loved ones.

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A team of UCLA researchers has developed a set of health outcome measures for children with medical complexity, using a software program that aggregates the latest research and expertise about how to treat their conditions. The team’s work, published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, proposes a standard to shape the ideal model of care for such children.

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Researchers have found that cholesterol-lowering statins may improve the conditions of people with a rare lung disease called autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The research also suggested that two new tests could help diagnose the condition.

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For 29 consecutive years, US News has placed UCLA on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll reserved for those that deliver high-quality care across a range of specialties, procedures and conditions.

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How can public health researchers address racism? That’s the focus of a supplement to the latest issue of the journal Ethnicity & Disease, for which UCLA professor Chandra Ford served as guest editor.

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Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi, Nepal and Tanzania each has fewer than five health facilities that can properly diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, a new UCLA study reports.

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A UCLA-led study found that many people with heart failure do not receive the medications recommended for them under guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America. The research also found that doctors frequently prescribe medications at doses lower than those recommended by the guidelines, especially for older people, those with kidney disease, those with worsening symptoms or those who were recently hospitalized for heart failure.

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More men are seeking plastic surgery to enhance their looks and boost their confidence. Here are five tips to guide the process of finding the right surgeon.

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Molecular tracer combined with PET scans show locations and concentrations of abnormal proteins associated with degenerative brain disease

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Varicose veins affect about 25 percent of women and 15 percent of men in their lifetime, and there are many ways they can be treated.

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UCLA researchers have found that the PGC-1α gene, previously known to control human metabolism, also controls the equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow and also how an adult stem cell expresses its final cell type. The findings could lead to a better understanding of the disruption of bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrow and its health consequences, and point to the gene as a therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis and skeletal aging.

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A new study finds that severe childhood trauma and stresses early in parents' lives are linked to higher rates of behavioral health problems in their own children.

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Chemical messengers in the brain regulate sleep, opiate craving

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Male infertility accounts for 40% of fertility problems in couples who have difficulty conceiving. UCLA urologist Dr. Jesse Mills explains the factors at play — and how to know whether you need to see a doctor.

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When beef, pork, fish or poultry are cooked using high-temperature methods, chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can form.

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When seniors experience memory problems, they may start worrying that they have Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of memory loss in the elderly – but sometimes an entirely different diagnosis is to blame.

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Many physical therapists use foam rollers to help patients recover from injuries – and for good reason. This flexible piece of equipment can help to increase range of motion, shorten recovery time, and enhance healing.

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A UCLA-led study has found how colon cancer alters its genes during development in order to avoid detection by the immune system, creating a specific genetic imprint in the process.

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The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program has been producing a series of online videos aimed at helping caregivers understand how to care for persons with dementia. They utilize actors who portray both dementia patients and their caregivers and cover a wide range of issues facing caregivers.

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Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among Americans. At least 10 percent of cancers are caused by inherited mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Parents with the cancer gene mutation have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to a son or daughter. It’s well-known that women with BRCA are at a very high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.