http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. One of 100,000 children is born with Menkes disease, a genetic disorder that affects the body's ability to properly absorb copper from food and leads to neurodegeneration, seizures, impaired movement, stunted growth and, often, death before age 3. Now, a team of biochemistry researchers at the University of Missouri has published conclusive scientific evidence that the gene ATP7A is essential for the dietary absorption of the nutrient copper. Their work with laboratory mice also provides a greater understanding of how this gene impacts Menkes disease as scientists search for a treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-discovery-children-rare-fatal-disease.html Medical research Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:57:04 EST news286559799 Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and colleagues have identified a special population of adult stem cells in bone marrow that have the natural ability to migrate to the intestine and produce intestinal cells, suggesting their potential to restore healthy tissue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-cell-therapy-bowel-disease.html Medical research Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:14:29 EST news281247258 Researchers at Cornell have developed a strain of maize with a high iron bioavailability, meaning more of the iron that is present naturally in these maize lines can be absorbed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-iron-maize-strain-absorbed-readily.html Medical research Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:00:01 EST news280057092 Sugars are needed to provide us with energy and in moderate amounts contribute to our well-being. Sustained high levels of sugars, as is found in diabetics, damages our cells and now is shown that can also increase our chance to get cancer: The dose makes the poison as Paracelsus said. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-scientists-link-excess-sugar-cancer.html Medical research Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:09:08 EST news278935252 Every bite of food or drink of water is an invitation for potentially harmful bacteria and viruses to set up shop in the body. In order to protect against such invaders, the mucous membrane that lines the intestine contains clusters of specialized microfold cells (M cells), which can absorb foreign proteins and particles from the digestive tract and deliver them to the immune system. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-identification-developmental-master-scientists-explore.html Immunology Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:44:28 EST news274697062 (Medical Xpress)—Mistletoe has become an important symbol of Christmas but it also has the potential to play a vital role as an alternative therapy for Australian sufferers of colon cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-mistletoe-treatment-colon-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:38:32 EST news273487101 Buttery shrimp. Fried eggs. Burgers and fries. New research suggests there may be a biological reason why fatty and cholesterol-rich foods are so appealing together. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-zebrafish-dietary-fat-cholesterol-absorption.html Medical research Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:06:34 EST news259603586 Vitamin D is renowned for its role in creating strong bones and is a key regulator of serum calcium levels. Calcium is primarily obtained through diet and absorbed through the intestine and into the blood stream. In addition to building bone, calcium is required for a variety of important physiological processes. Vitamin D, which is detected by receptors in bone and intestinal cells, regulates the level of calcium in the blood stream and determines how much should be stored in the skeleton. Several recent clinical trials have examined the effects of vitamin D supplements on the prevention of bone fractures in the elderly; however, the results of these trials have not offered a consensus on the efficacy of these supplements. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-vitamin-d-double-edged-sword-osteoporosis.html Health Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:03 EST news254395905 Modified probiotics, the beneficial bacteria touted for their role in digestive health, could one day decrease the risk of Listeria infection in people with susceptible immune systems, according to Purdue University research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-pill-day-foodborne-illness-scientist.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:30:01 EST news245348232 Imagine a single drug that would treat most, if not all, autoimmune disorders, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and Lupus. That might not be so hard to do thanks to a team of researchers who have discovered a molecule normally used by the body to prevent unnecessary immune reactions. This molecule, pronounced "alpha v beta 6," normally keeps our immune systems from overreacting when food passes through our bodies, and it may be the key that unlocks entirely new set of treatments for autoimmune disorders. This discovery was recently published in research report appearing the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-scientists-master-key-treatments-autoimmune.html Medical research Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:15:18 EST news236513710 A protein isolated from beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and dairy products could offer a new, oral therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD), suggests a study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researcher Fang Yan, M.D., Ph.D. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-protein-probiotic-bacteria-alleviate-inflammatory.html Medical research Mon, 23 May 2011 12:24:53 EST news225372267