http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Scientists have identified an influential link in a chain of events that leads to autoimmune inflammation of the central nervous system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-key-protein-central-nervous-inflammation.html Medical research Thu, 02 May 2013 09:41:12 EST news286706459 Numerous epidemiologic studies have shown that a diet high in salt is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Now Timothy L. Cover and colleagues of Vanderbilt University show that high dietary salt combined with infection by the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori greatly increases the risk of cancer. The study was published ahead of print in the journal Infection and Immunity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-high-salt-diet-ulcer-bug-combine.html Immunology Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:23:49 EST news285520975 Dry eye disease (DED) is a common condition that causes discomfort, visual disturbance and potentially damaging ocular surface inflammation that greatly impacts a person's quality of life. An estimated nine million people in the United State alone suffer from significant DED; millions more may have milder forms or experience discomfort when exposed to low humidity or contact lens use. DED, the most common reason people visit ophthalmologists, is estimated to cost $55 billion in annual direct and indirect costs to society in the nation alone. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-topical-arthritis-drug-relief-eye.html Ophthalmology Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:02 EST news285518701 University of Montreal researchers have discovered a novel molecular mechanism that can potentially slows the aging process and may prevent the progression of some cancers. In the March 23 online edition of the prestigious journal Aging Cell, scientists from the University of Montreal explain how they found that the antidiabetic drug metformin reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines that normally activate the immune system, but if overproduced can lead to pathological inflammation, a condition that both damages tissues in aging and favors tumor growth. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-team-drug-aging-cancer.html Medical research Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:16:50 EST news283579998 Researchers at the Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan, along with colleagues from 9 other institutions, have identified an exceptional mouse model of schizophrenia. After screening over 160 mutant mouse strains with a systematic battery of behavioral tests, they identified a mutant mouse lacking the Schnurri-2 protein (Shn-2 KO) that exhibits behavioral deficits and other brain features consistent with schizophrenia. Shn-2 is an NF-kappaB site-binding protein that binds enhancers of major histocompatibility complex class I genes and inflammatory cytokines, which harbor common variant single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with schizophrenia. The Shn-2 KO mice display behavioral abnormalities that resemble the symptoms of human schizophrenia, including working memory deficits, impaired nest building behavior (a measure of self-neglect), decreased social behaviors, and anhedonia (loss of the ability to experience pleasure). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-induction-mild-inflammation-cognitive-deficits.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:50:11 EST news279366453 Here's another reason why you should include olive oil in your diet: A new research report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that at least one compound in olive oil significantly reduces intestinal ischemia (restricted blood supply) and the resulting reperfusion injury (tissue damage caused when blood supply returns). The compound, called "oleuropein aglycone," is the most prominent polyphenol found in olive oil and could become a novel therapeutic target aimed at treating intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury in humans. Ultimately, this research could lead to therapeutic benefits for patients with spinal cord injuries, arthritis and pleurisy, as well as those suffering from intestinal ischemia/reperfusion. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-olive-oil-component-alleviates-intestinal.html Health Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:29:02 EST news279278891 Researchers at the Paris Cardiovascular Research Center (PARCC) have shown how adhesion of Neisseria (N.) meningitidis to human microvessels in a humanized mouse model leads to the characteristic cutaneous lesions of meningococcal sepsis. This work, published on January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens, is an important demonstration of the direct role of adhesion, specifically Type IV pili mediated adhesion, plays in the development of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-pathogenic-bacteria-adhering-human-vascular.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:00:11 EST news278265511 Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida have found that men with prostate cancer who receive androgen deprivation therapy may predictably suffer from fatigue if they have single nucleotide polymorphisms in three pro-inflammatory genes. The discovery highlights the importance of personalized medicine, in which therapies are tailored to a patient's genetic profile. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-genetic-predictors-fatigue-prostate-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:37:21 EST news270470186 Research just carried out in the Immunology Research Centre, led by Dr James Harris, based in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, shows that the process of autophagy  regulates the production of inflammatory molecules and may therefore represent an effective target for the development of new anti-inflammatory therapeutics. The findings have been recently published online in the Journal of Immunology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-important-role-autophagy-self-eating-cells.html Medical research Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:00:01 EST news270286150 (HealthDay)—A new review summarizes the ways in which inflammation and altered metabolism are associated with colorectal cancer in obese individuals; the review was published online Sept. 3 in Obesity Reviews. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-inflammation-role-obesity-colorectal-cancer-link.html Overweight and Obesity Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:20:02 EST news266765980 (HealthDay) -- Resistance training (RT) can reduce visceral fat and alter levels of certain inflammatory markers, according to research published in the July issue of Obesity Reviews. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-resistance-inflammatory-markers.html Overweight and Obesity Thu, 12 Jul 2012 04:47:17 EST news261287189 Research published today in Biomed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation suggests that chronic inflammation can predispose the brain to develop Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-chronic-inflammation-brain-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Mon, 02 Jul 2012 04:08:32 EST news260420839 (HealthDay) -- More than a quarter of women about to undergo breast cancer surgery experience breast pain, with genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory cytokines correlating with pain, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Pain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-pre-op-breast-pain-percent-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:10:01 EST news258950977 When laboratory mice were modeled with colitis and treated with human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells, the cells homed in on the inflamed colon and effectively ameliorated colitis, reported a study published in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (20:9), now freely available online. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-colitis-mice-treatment-human-umbilical.html Medical research Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:49:42 EST news254404147 Microglia are the first line defence of the brain and are constantly looking for infections to fight off. Overactive microglia can cause uncontrolled inflammation within the brain, which can in turn lead to neuronal damage. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that, honokiol (HNK) is able to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory enzymes in activated microglia via Klf4, a protein known to regulate DNA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-japanese-traditional-therapy-honokiol-blocks.html Inflammatory disorders Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:16:19 EST news251352973 Most athletes can testify to the pain-relieving, recovery-promoting effects of massage. Now there's a scientific basis that supports booking a session with a massage therapist: On the cellular level massage reduces inflammation and promotes the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle. The research, involving scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario appears in the February 1st online edition of Science Translational Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-massage-inflammation-strenuous.html Health Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:01 EST news247323372 Curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric, suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer, according to a pilot study using human saliva by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-primary-component-turmeric-cancer-killing-mechanisms.html Cancer Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:28:17 EST news235124810 New research from the Trudeau Institute may help to explain why live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), commonly known as FluMist, elicits protection. The research is published in this month's issue of Vaccine. The journal article is entitled "Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) impacts innate and adaptive immune responses" and was authored by Trudeau Institute scientist Dr. Laura Haynes and her colleagues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-discovery-flumist-elicits.html Medical research Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:38:38 EST news233314703 Researchers from VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and Ghent University have shown that a defective gene can contribute to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, an often-crippling inflammation of the joints that afflicts about 1% of the world's population. Until now, the underlying molecular mechanism of the disease was largely unclear. In the study, published in Nature Genetics, the researchers demonstrate that a cell-specific defect in the expression of the A20 gene (TNFAIP3) can contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis in mice, thereby identifying A20 as a possible target for the generation of new drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-defect-a20-gene-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Genetics Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:08:22 EST news232708086 The first step in defending against a hostile attack is identifying the enemy. It's how a healthy immune system mounts a response to invading pathogens. In the case of certain fungi, however, the attacking cells may be so cleverly disguised that they're able to slip past our cellular guardians undetected and wreak havoc through infection. Such infections are a rising source of morbidity and mortality in healthy individuals, as well as in patients suffering from chronic diseases, such as cancer or AIDS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-protein-unmasks-pathogenic-fungi-immune.html Medical research Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:00:01 EST news232030433 If you've been trying to lose weight and suspect your body's working against you, you may be right, according to a University of Illinois study published in Obesity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-obese-dieters-brain-chemistry-weight-loss.html Medical research Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:05:33 EST news228049516 Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine protein that reduces immune responses and staves off autoimmune disease. Now, a research team led by Masato Kubo at the RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, has identified a transcription factor called E4 promoter-binding protein (E4BP4) that is responsible for driving the expression of IL-10 in multiple types of immune cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-transcription-factor-protein-dampens-immune.html Medical research Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:03:49 EST news227534618