http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that a single mutation in a leukemia-associated gene reduces the ability of blood stem cells to make more blood stem cells, but leaves their progeny daughter cells unaffected. Their findings have relevance to all cancers that are suspected to have a stem cell origin as they advance our understanding of how single stem cells are subverted to cause tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-unraveling-tumor-growth-stem-cell.html Medical research Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:01:30 EST news289584083 (Medical Xpress)—Stroll through the Harvard Museum of Natural History and gaze up at the whale skeleton looming overhead. Look down at the furry foxes curled up inside their glass display cases. Don't forget the bat with shadowy wings spread like a delicate shawl. They are all mammals, but their body proportions are so distinct one can tell them apart just by glancing at their calcified skeletons. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-sizing-bone-growth-cellular-mechanism.html Medical research Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:52:02 EST news282469908 (Medical Xpress)—UC Irvine-led studies have revealed the cellular mechanism by which circadian rhythms – also known as the body clock – modify energy metabolism and also have identified novel compounds that control this action. The findings point to potential treatments for disorders triggered by circadian rhythm dysfunction, ranging from insomnia and obesity to diabetes and cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-circadian-rhythms-potential-treatment-disorders.html Cardiology Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:12:20 EST news278089921 Regularly consuming sucrose—the type of sugar found in many sweetened beverages—increases a person's risk of heart disease. In a study published January 10 in the journal PLOS Genetics, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Mount Sinai School of Medicine used fruit flies, a well-established model for human health and disease, to determine exactly how sucrose affects heart function. In addition, the researchers discovered that blocking this cellular mechanism prevents sucrose-related heart problems. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-diabetic-fruit-flies-dietary-sugar.html Genetics Thu, 17 Jan 2013 04:15:05 EST news277618497 All living cells keep their cellular calcium concentration at a very low level. Since a small increase in calcium can affect many critical cellular functions (an elevated calcium concentration over an extended period can induce cell death), powerful cellular mechanisms ensure that calcium concentration quickly returns to its low level. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-key-mechanism-calcium.html Neuroscience Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:16:08 EST news276430561 Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that tumor cells use stress signals to subvert responding immune cells, exploiting them to actually boost conditions beneficial to cancer growth. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-cancer-cells-co-opt-immune-response.html Cancer Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:00:02 EST news275072249 Researchers with UC Irvine's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a major reason why melanoma is largely resistant to chemotherapy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-chemotherapy-resistance-melanoma.html Cancer Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:31:11 EST news267118263 Washington State University researchers have found a cellular mechanism that contributes to the lack of motivation and negative emotions of a cocaine addict going through withdrawal. Their discovery, published in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers a deeper look into the cellular and behavioral implications of addiction. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-cocaine-emotional.html Medical research Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:00:06 EST news266492009 Women after menopause tend to develop weaker bones from what is known as osteoporosis, which may lead to fractures (especially hip fractures) from falling. The weakness of the bones results from an imbalance between the normal resorption (a type of dissolving of old bone) and the laying down of new bone, an ongoing process for both men and women referred to as "bone turnover." For poorly understood reasons, after menopause the resorption of old bone in women continues but new bone is laid down less well, leading to a decrease in bone density. A variety of substances (calcium, vitamin D and various medications) have been used in an attempt to prevent the development of osteoporosis; in epidemiologic studies, moderate drinking of alcohol has also been shown to lower this risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-mechanisms-beneficial-effect-moderate-alcohol.html Health Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:16:10 EST news263124961 A phase I clinical trial examining the safety of combining temsirolimus and capecitabine in advanced malignancies suggests the two agents can be given safely to patients. In addition, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers conducting the study in cancer patients whose tumors have resisted multiple treatments say the combination demonstrates "promising evidence" of disease control and should be studied in a phase II trial. Their clinical findings and additional data from the study will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, June 1 through 5, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-phase-temsirolimus-capecitabine-safe-positive.html Cancer Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:03 EST news256406984 Researchers in the University of Leicester's Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology have identified a cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of tinnitus following exposure to loud noises. The discovery could lead to novel tinnitus treatments, and investigations into potential drugs to prevent tinnitus are currently underway. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-key-cellular-mechanisms-onset-tinnitus.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 10 May 2012 10:31:12 EST news255864662 Yale University researchers have discovered a key cellular mechanism that may help the brain control how much we eat, what we weigh, and how much energy we have. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-molecular-duo-dictate-weight-energy.html Neuroscience Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:00:13 EST news249670019 American scientists believe a new procedure to repair severed nerves could result in patients recovering in days or weeks, rather than months or years. The team used a cellular mechanism similar to that used by many invertebrates to repair damage to nerve axons. Their results are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-procedure-severed-nerves-minutes-limb.html Neuroscience Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:48:49 EST news247470518 New findings, led by neuroscientists at the University of Bristol and published this week in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, reveal a novel mechanism through which the brain may become more reluctant to function as we grow older. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-brain-reluctant-function-age.html Neuroscience Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:37:58 EST news247315026 A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the 'batteries' or energy-producing power plants of cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-cell-battery-central-role-neurodegenerative.html Neuroscience Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:21:19 EST news246018066 University of Illinois scientists report the first identification of a cellular mechanism linked to the toxicity of a major class of drinking water disinfection byproducts. This study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests a possible connection to adverse health effects, including neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-links-disinfection-byproducts-adverse-health.html Health Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:27:47 EST news238692457 The work of a team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Professor Nicholas Tonks FRS, suggests a way to overcome one of the major technical obstacles preventing a leading therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity from being addressed successfully by novel drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-powerful-antibody-based-strategy-therapeutic-approach.html Medical research Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:19:14 EST news236513926