ScienceDaily: Top Health News

DNA shed from colon cancers into bloodstream successfully guides chemotherapy after surgery

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 05:29 AM PDT

A multi-institutional, international study found that testing for ctDNA after surgery and directing chemotherapy to ctDNA-positive patients reduced the use of chemotherapy overall without compromising recurrence-free survival.

Targeted drug achieves 43% response rate in KRAS-mutated lung cancer

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 12:54 PM PDT

Nearly 43% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose lung cancers harbored a specific KRAS mutation responded to the experimental drug adagrasib, and the targeted agent also showed activity against lesions in the brain that metastasized from the lung tumors, according to results of a new study.

Shaping up the genome for cell division

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT

Our cells perform a marvel of engineering when it comes to packing information into small spaces. Every time a cell divides, it bundles up an amazing 4 meters of DNA into 46 tiny packages, each of which is only several millionths of a metre in length. Researchers have now discovered how a family of DNA motor proteins succeeds in packaging loosely arranged strands of DNA into compact individual chromosomes during cell division.

Scientists uncover key factor in human brain development

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT

Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery about the development of the brain. This new information contributes to our understanding of how the part of the brain that makes humans more intelligent than other mammals develops, and offers insights into what causes intellectual disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.

Research reveals secrets of baffling but all-too-common type of diabetes

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT

A mysterious form of diabetes known as malnutrition-related diabetes afflicts tens of millions of people in Asian and sub-Saharan African countries. Its victims -- mainly thin and impoverished adolescents and young adults -- rarely live more than a year after diagnosis. Their young age and thinness suggest type 1 diabetes (T1D), but insulin injections usually don't help and can even cause death from low blood sugar. Nor do patients seem to have type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is typically associated with obesity. The disease was first described nearly 70 years ago, yet lack of research into the condition means that doctors are still unsure how to treat it.

Tracking sleep with a self-powering smart pillow

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT

The human body needs sleep as much as it needs food and water. Yet many people fail to get enough, causing both mind and body to suffer. People who struggle for shut-eye could benefit from monitoring their sleep, but they have limited options for doing so. One team describes a potential solution: a self-powering smart pillow that tracks the position of the head.

AI ethical decision making: Is society ready?

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT

With the accelerating evolution of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a growing role in decision-making processes. Humans are becoming increasingly dependent on algorithms to process information, recommend certain behaviors, and even take actions of their behalf. A research team has studied how humans react to the introduction of AI decision making. Specifically, they explored the question, 'is society ready for AI ethical decision making?' by studying human interaction with autonomous cars.

Fecal transplant throws new light on inflammatory bowel disease

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:48 AM PDT

Inflammatory bowel disease is accompanied by a number of changes in the intestines, such as a change in epithelial permeability, a change in the composition of the microorganisms, and altered levels of antimicrobial substances that are secreted by cells lining the gut. Finding out whether changes are a cause or an effect of the inflammation is difficult. Microbiologists have now teased out the causal chain leading to inflammation.

Bone, heal thyself: Toward ceramics tailored for optimized bone self-repair

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:48 AM PDT

Researchers have determined chemical parameters that affect the rate of calcium phosphate ceramic conversion into hydroxyapatite in a simulated body fluid. Shorter carbon chain lengths in the phosphate ester facilitated faster remodeling than longer chains. These findings will help researchers design bone substitutes that better meet the needs of real medical practice and improve outcomes from bone repair surgeries.

Weight loss with bariatric surgery cuts the risk of developing cancer and death from cancer

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:48 AM PDT

A new study shows that among adults with obesity, weight loss achieved with bariatric surgery was associated with a 32% lower risk of developing cancer and a 48% lower risk of cancer-related death compared with adults who did not have the surgery.

A new data-driven model could provide a powerful policy planning tool to combat the nation's opioid crisis

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT

A team of public health modelers and substance use experts has developed a dynamic model based on national data from 1999 to 2020 that tracks the evolution of the opioid crisis for public policy analysis and development.

Doctor's 'mood' likely to increase their risk of being sued

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:01 AM PDT

A new study finds doctor's 'mood' is affecting their work and chances of medical negligence.

Counting cancerous lymph nodes is best predictor of mortality across most cancers

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:01 AM PDT

A new study shows that counting cancerous lymph nodes could be a reliable outcome predictor for cancer patients.

Physical abuse less likely when spanking is eliminated

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:01 AM PDT

When parents in countries worldwide use spanking as a behavior deterrent, their children are more likely to become a victim of physical abuse, say researchers.

A digital twin for citrus fruits

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:01 AM PDT

Around one third of all food worldwide ends up in the trash bin instead of on our plate. With the help of digital twins, researchers at Empa and Stellenbosch University are now aiming to reduce food waste, for example in the case of citrus fruits, along the production and supply chains. The hygrothermal measurement data needed to improve the shelf life of oranges and the like would actually be available. So far, however, they have been underutilized, the researchers write in a recent study in the journal Nature Food.

Primates and non-primates differ in the architecture of their neurons

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:00 AM PDT

High-resolution microscopy now enabled an international research team to enlarge the knowledge about species-specific differences of the architecture of cortical neurons.

Ibrutinib with chemoimmunotherapy improved progression-free survival for newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma patients

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 07:00 AM PDT

Combination chemoimmunotherapy with the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib demonstrated improved progression-free survival over standard chemoimmunotherapy for previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in patients 65 and over, researchers reported.

Promising compound kills range of hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a previously undiscovered vulnerability

Posted: 02 Jun 2022 04:32 PM PDT

A compound called ERX-41 targets a previously unrecognized vulnerability in difficult-to-treat types of cancer including triple-negative breast cancer. The compound will be studied as a drug for clinical translation.

Target protein for diabetes drug linked to reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 02 Jun 2022 01:40 PM PDT

Mechanisms associated with a particular diabetes drug can also help to protect against Alzheimer's disease, a new study reports. The results indicate that the drug's target protein can be an interesting candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Salmonella vaccine for poultry contributed to rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers report

Posted: 02 Jun 2022 11:08 AM PDT

An investigation into the evolution of Salmonella bacteria infecting Brazilian poultry shows that the introduction of a Salmonella vaccine, combined with increasing antibiotic usage by Brazilian farmers, has led to the rise of strains that are more antibiotic-resistant, but less likely to cause disease in humans.

Why ketamine is a speedster antidepressant

Posted: 01 Jun 2022 11:28 AM PDT

Ketamine is the speedster of antidepressants, working within hours compared to more common antidepressants that can take several weeks. But ketamine can only be given for a limited amount of time because of its many side effects. A new study identifies for the first time exactly how ketamine works so quickly, and how it might be adapted for use as a drug without the side effects. The study in shows ketamine works as a rapid antidepressant by increasing the activity of the very small number of newborn neurons, which are part of an ongoing neurogenesis in the brain.

Team sports linked to fewer mental health difficulties for kids

Posted: 01 Jun 2022 11:28 AM PDT

A large-scale study of U.S. children and adolescents has found that participation in a team sport is associated with fewer mental health difficulties, but that kids who are exclusively involved in an individual sport--such as tennis or wrestling--may face greater mental health difficulties than kids who do no sports at all.