University of Chicago Medical Center

New study shows that even your fat cells need sleep

In a study that challenges the long-held notion that the primary function of sleep is to give rest to the brain, researchers have found that not getting enough shut-eye has a harmful impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent ...

Medical research created Oct 15, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Western diet changes gut bacteria and triggers colitis in those at risk

Certain saturated fats that are common in the modern Western diet can initiate a chain of events leading to complex immune disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in people with a genetic predisposition, according ...

Medical research created Jun 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A history lesson from genes: Using DNA to tell us how populations change

When Charles Darwin first sketched how species evolved by natural selection, he drew what looked like a tree. The diagram started at a central point with a common ancestor, then the lines spread apart as ...

Genetics created Jan 09, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

How our sense of touch is a lot like the way we hear

(Medical Xpress)—When you walk into a darkened room, your first instinct is to feel around for a light switch. You slide your hand along the wall, feeling the transition from the doorframe to the painted ...

Neuroscience created Dec 11, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

One region, two functions: Brain cells' multitasking key to understanding overall brain function

A region of the brain known to play a key role in visual and spatial processing has a parallel function: sorting visual information into categories, according to a new study by researchers at the University ...

Neuroscience created Mar 06, 2013 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Mystery gene reveals new mechanism for anxiety disorders

A novel mechanism for anxiety behaviors, including a previously unrecognized inhibitory brain signal, may inspire new strategies for treating psychiatric disorders, University of Chicago researchers report.

Genetics created May 15, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Grapefruit juice lets patients take lower dose of cancer drug

A glass a day of grapefruit juice lets patients derive the same benefits from an anti-cancer drug as they would get from more than three times as much of the drug by itself, according to a new clinical trial. The combination ...

Cancer created Aug 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

MicroRNAs can convert normal cells into cancer promoters

Unraveling the mechanism that ovarian cancer cells use to change normal cells around them into cells that promote tumor growth has identified several new targets for treatment of this deadly disease.

Cancer created Nov 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Doctors cite concern for patients, colleagues top motives for working sick

An unwavering work ethic is a hallmark of many health professionals. But a new survey finds that when a doctor is sick, staunch dedication can have unintended consequences.

Health created Jun 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

New roadmap suggests proven routes to ending health disparities

Major disparities exist along racial and ethnic lines in the United States for various medical conditions, but guidance is scarce about how to reduce these gaps. Now, a new "roadmap" has been unveiled to give organizations ...

Health created Jul 17, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Antisense approach promising for treatment of parasitic infections

A targeted approach to treating toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease, shows early promise in test-tube and animal studies, where it prevented the parasites from making selected proteins. When tested in newly infected mice, ...

Medical research created Aug 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Manipulating the microbiome could help manage weight

Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, ...

Immunology created Aug 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Childhood asthma tied to combination of genes and wheezing illness

About 90 percent of children with two copies of a common genetic variation and who wheezed when they caught a cold early in life went on to develop asthma by age 6, according to a study to be published March 28 by the New En ...

Immunology created Mar 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study identifies strategies to help minority students in med school

(Medical Xpress)—While minority populations are rising throughout the country, enrollment by minority students in the nation's medical schools has stagnated. Further, some data show that non-white students face a greater ...

Other created Jan 07, 2013 | popularity 2 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Drug helps women who stop smoking keep weight off

A medication being tested to help smokers kick the habit also may help avoid the weight gain that is common after quitting but only in women, according to a study published in the December issue of Biological Psychiatry. This i ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast