ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Suppressing the spread of tumors

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:50 AM PST

When tumors spread, cancer cells migrate to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic vessels. Scientists have now found a new protein that prevents cancer cells from doing so by making them stick more tightly to their surroundings. Their findings could in the future help doctors determine the aggressiveness of a tumor and fine-tune the therapy.

Simulation training helps hone advanced surgical skills, international trial finds

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:50 AM PST

A large-scale study has found that simulation-based surgical training produced an increase of surgeons' skills for more complex surgeries.

Newly discovered effect of toxic goiter on brain

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:50 AM PST

Toxic goiter affects the brain more than was previously known, a new study shows, and involves volume changes occurring in central parts of the brain. These findings are described as a key advance for a vulnerable group of patients.

Study in mice shows potential for gene-editing to tackle mitochondrial disorders

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:50 AM PST

Defective mitochondria -- the 'batteries' that power the cells of our bodies -- could in future be repaired using gene-editing techniques. Scientists have now shown that it is possible to modify the mitochondrial genome in live mice, paving the way for new treatments for incurable mitochondrial disorders.

'Bionic' pacemaker reverses heart failure

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 02:29 PM PST

A revolutionary pacemaker that re-establishes the heart's naturally irregular beat is set to be trialled in New Zealand heart patients this year.

Genetically informed atlases reveal new landscapes in brain structure

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:57 PM PST

Scientists have used atlases of the human brain informed by genetics to identify hundreds of genomic loci. The findings illuminate how genes impact the brain and diseases.

Research team's mask strategy passes muster

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:57 PM PST

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a research team went looking for and found a way to make standard surgical masks better at keeping out small airborne droplets that might contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Mechanical hearts can regenerate some heart tissue

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:56 PM PST

Mechanical hearts spur some regeneration in dormant parts of failing hearts, according to a pilot study that shows promise for developing regenerative heart therapies.

Researchers discover repair properties of a protein critical for wound-healing in gut diseases

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:56 PM PST

An international team has discovered novel properties of the protein Gasdermin B that promotes repair of cells lining the gastrointestinal tract in people with chronic inflammatory disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Wastewater monitoring for public health

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:56 PM PST

Researchers have been monitoring wastewater on the UC Davis campus and in the city of Davis for COVID-19 through the Healthy Davis Together program. A new article reviews their experiences and the advantages and limitations of wastewater testing as a public health tool in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poor sleep can triple risk for heart disease

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:56 PM PST

Individual aspects of poor sleep can be detrimental to heart health. But if you combine them, the risk of heart disease can increase by as much as 141 percent.

Where mental health help is scarce, telehealth makes a big difference

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:56 PM PST

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or bipolar disorder living in rural areas engaged well with telehealth-based telepsychiatry, though the ones who received local psychotherapy completed more sessions.

Survivors of weather-related disasters may have accelerated aging

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 12:54 PM PST

When Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a high-end category 4 storm, it left in its wake the largest catastrophe in the history of the island. Along with the human toll, the devastation impacted all the island's wildlife, including a group of free-ranging rhesus macaques living on the isolated Cayo Santiago island near Puerto Rico. Now, a team of scientists has published one of the first results that shows the effects of natural disasters may have molecularly accelerated aging in the monkeys' immune systems.

How do pathogens learn to be pathogens? Partnerships between microbes leading to human disease

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 10:58 AM PST

New research discovered that the fungus Rhizopus fights back against soil predators and human immune cells by partnering with a bacteria called Ralstonia in a two-way partnership.

Gene regulation in mammals offers clues connecting pregnancy and cancer metastasis

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 10:58 AM PST

In many mammals including humans, the placenta invades the wall of the uterus during pregnancy in the same way that cancer cells invade surrounding tissues. Using genomic sequences and gene expression information, researchers were able to predict specific signaling proteins that drive the expression of genes that decrease the susceptibility of invasion in human cells. Using a custom fabricated bio chip, the researchers confirmed that these predicted proteins did in fact decrease the invasion of both cancer and placental cells.

Metabolism of COVID-19 antibodies from convalescent plasma suggests possible safe treatment for high risk children

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:48 AM PST

Researchers report that a prospective study of 14 infants and children demonstrated that convalescent plasma -- a blood product collected from patients recovered from infections with the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 -- was safe in high risk children infected with or exposed to the virus.

In mice, mothers with metabolic syndrome can 'turn on' offspring’s liver disease

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:48 AM PST

An imprinted gene associated with development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is switched on in mice who nurse from mothers with metabolic syndrome, even when those mice are not biologically related.

Study shows life-saving benefit of baricitinib for ventilated COVID patients

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:48 AM PST

Critically ill COVID-19 patients on a mechanical ventilator or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) lived more often when randomized to receive baricitinib. Doctors call this drug 'bari,' and receiving the pill once a day for up to 14 days yielded one of the largest a survival advantages seen yet in the COVID pandemic, according to a new study.

New personalized test for an earlier and more accurate prediction of cancer relapse

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:48 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new protocol for monitoring acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children, to inform more effective treatment strategies and detect disease recurrence. The personalized mediator probe PCR (MP PCR) uses multiple genomic cancer cell markers in a single assay and is simpler than current techniques. It improves monitoring clonal tumor evolution to detect a relapse sooner and avoid false negative results.

COVID-19 infections increase risk of heart conditions up to a year later, study finds

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:48 AM PST

An analysis of federal health data indicates that people who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications within the first month to a year after infection, according to researchers.

COVID-19 increases risk of pregnancy complications, study suggests

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:27 AM PST

Pregnant women with COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for common pregnancy complications -- in addition to health risks from the virus -- than pregnant women without COVID-19, suggests a new study.

Genetic remodeling in tumor formation

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

A new study demonstrates the ability of the mutant Kras oncogene to use genetic reprogramming to make cells more stem-like and plastic; it resolves the long-standing debate over why Kras is so special in tumor formation. They were also able to identify an effector complex that can be targeted for therapeutic treatment against mutant Kras.

Mouse experiments show how sugar molecules can be used to track stem cells

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Scientists have found that certain self-renewing stem cells have built-in tracers -- made out of sugars -- that can do the job without added chemical 'labels' when injected into mouse brains. The finding, made with stem cells widely engineered into experimental therapies for multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, was a welcome surprise, the investigators say.

New benchmark could improve detection of genetic variants linked to spinal muscular atrophy, other diseases

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

The stretches of DNA that differ from person to person, called variants, are a major part of what makes us unique, but they can also put us at greater risk of disease. Although we can currently spell out between 80% and 90% of the millions that are in the human genome, the remaining variants may hold clues for treating an array of diseases. Today the list of variants yet to be decoded has shrunk sizably. A team led by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Baylor College of Medicine and DNAnexus has characterized over 20,000 variants in 273 genes of medical importance. In a study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the researchers applied both cutting-edge and long-standing DNA sequencing methods to decipher the genetic codes of the variants with a high degree of certainty.

Vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection wanes quickly but is better maintained against severe disease, study finds

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 07:01 AM PST

The vaccine-induced protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection wanes within a couple of months, but at different speed according to vaccine type. However, protection against severe COVID-19 appears to be better maintained, according to a study by researchers in Sweden.

Trapping sperm in semen’s natural gel could lead to new contraceptive

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 07:01 AM PST

A discovery that blocks the normal transition of semen from a thick gel to a liquid shows promise for development of a new form of non-hormonal, over-the-counter contraception. A research team recently showed that blocking a prostate-specific-antigen in human ejaculate samples caused the semen to remain in its thick gel form, trapping the majority of the sperm.

Advanced prostate cancer antibody drug shows success in pet dogs

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 05:34 AM PST

Mice are typically used as models in advanced prostate cancer research, but the profound differences between them and humans has long bedeviled the translation of findings from the animal to success in people. Dogs however are the only other animal that suffers from a significant incidence of prostate cancer, and researchers are finding them much more enlightening subjects in identification of drugs that show promise for human patients.

Discovery of 29 new acne risk genes provides hope for new treatments

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 05:34 AM PST

A study of the genetics of acne has identified 29 regions of the genome that influence the condition. These genetic insights offer potential new targets for treatment. They may also help clinicians identify individuals at high risk of severe disease.

Impact of COVID-19 social isolation measures on early development

Posted: 07 Feb 2022 05:34 AM PST

Researchers from 13 countries investigated the impact of COVID-19 related social isolation measures on 2,200 young infants and toddlers between 8 and 36 months of age. Their findings provide insights into the effects of lockdown on language acquisition and screen time in the generation of youngsters growing up during this extraordinary period.

One in four Australian workers suffer ‘ringing ears’, survey shows

Posted: 06 Feb 2022 12:44 PM PST

As many as half a million Australians are suffering from constant tinnitus, with farmers, automotive workers, transport drivers, construction workers and other trades people at the greatest risk, a national survey has found.

Pre-infection deficiency of vitamin D is associated with increased disease severity and mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Posted: 03 Feb 2022 01:11 PM PST

In a new study, researchers show a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality. The study is among the first to analyze vitamin D levels prior to infection, which facilitates a more accurate assessment than during hospitalization, when levels may be lower secondary to the viral illness.