http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Almost four million people die each year from household air pollution (HAP) caused by exposure to the combustion of biomass fuels (wood, charcoal, crop residues, and dung), kerosene, or coal. These individuals are among the tens of millions who rely on such products to cook their meals, heat their rooms, and light their homes. Those in lower and middle income countries are among the hardest hit by the effects of HAP exposure, which also causes childhood respiratory infection, chronic lung disease, and cardiovascular disease. Exposure to biomass fuel is associated with low birth weight, asthma, and tuberculosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-deadly-effects-kinds-household-air.html Health Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:24:54 EST news284055808 Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can lead not only to obesity, but can also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-circadian-clock-linked-obesity-diabetes.html Medical research Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:00:01 EST news280670192 (Medical Xpress)—A groundbreaking technique developed at the University of Virginia School of Medicine is allowing scientists to examine histone modifications of genetic loci – a process that regulates gene expression – in single cells. The researchers believe the new method will have broad applications for most biomedical areas, most immediately in atherosclerosis research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-discovery-unprecedented-gene.html Medical research Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:35:19 EST news278318097 Scarring of the airways can lead to long-term breathing problems for some people exposed to high levels of chlorine gas from events such as an industrial accident, chemical spill following a train derailment or terroristic chemical warfare. Household mishaps from mixing bleach with acidic cleaning products also can cause release of chlorine gas; if this occurs in a poorly ventilated space, chlorine levels could be high enough to cause lung injury. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-scientist-uncovers-airway-cells-regenerate.html Medical research Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:00:01 EST news275073447 (Medical Xpress)—When the heart works too hard, the brain may be to blame, says new Cornell research that is changing how scientists look at high blood pressure (hypertension). The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November, traces hypertension to a newfound cellular source in the brain and shows that treatments targeting this area can reverse the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-hypertension-source-brain.html Medical research Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:38:58 EST news275042323 Researchers using novel approaches and methodologies of identifying genes that contribute to the development of autism have found evidence that disturbances in several immune-system-related pathways contribute to development of autism spectrum disorders. The report published December 4 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE powerfully supports a role for the immune function in autism by integrating analysis of autism-associated DNA sequence variations with that of markers identified in studies of families affected by autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-combining-genome-analysis-approaches-immune.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:04:19 EST news274035831 (Medical Xpress)—A surprising discovery about the physical properties of cancer cells could help improve a new diagnostic approach – a liquid biopsy – that detects, measures, and evaluates cancer cells in blood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-unexpected-toughness-cancer-cells-blood.html Cancer Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:50:05 EST news273836994 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have shed new light on blood pressure regulation with the discovery of an unexpected mechanism by which hemoglobin controls the delivery of nitric oxide. The findings may point to a new therapeutic target for treating high blood pressure and may have far-reaching implications for many organ systems and illnesses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-discovery-nitric-oxide-delivery-mechanism.html Medical research Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:12:06 EST news272103092 A new study demonstrates the dynamic role cilia play in guiding the migration of neurons in the embryonic brain. Cilia are tiny hair-like structures on the surfaces of cells, but here they are acting more like radio antennae. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-cilia-neuronal-migration-brain.html Medical research Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:32:37 EST news271956681 Vanderbilt researchers are reporting today that a drug currently used to treat type 2 diabetes could be just as effective in treating addiction to drugs, including cocaine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-diabetes-drug-effective-addiction.html Diabetes Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:32:17 EST news270210723 In a process akin to belling an infinitesimal cat, scientists have managed to tag a protein that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin with tiny fluorescent beads, allowing them to track the movements of single molecules for the first time. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-probing-roots-depression-tracking-serotonin.html Neuroscience Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:52:41 EST news260092342 New research by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine may have pinpointed an underlying cause of the seizures that affect 90 percent of people with Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-brain-cell-imbalance-account-seizure.html Neuroscience Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:10:01 EST news258215785 Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified a new way to deliver long-lasting pain relief through an ancient medical practice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-pain-relief-pap-longer-traditional.html Medical research Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:35:32 EST news254399725 University of Washington researchers announced their findings from a major study looking into the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with an approach piloted at the UW. Their results are reported in the April 4 advanced online edition of the journal Nature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-complex-role-genes-autism-revealed.html Autism spectrum disorders Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:03 EST news252757954 What characterizes many people with depression, schizophrenia and some other mental illnesses is anhedonia: an inability to gain pleasure from normally pleasurable experiences. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-brain-mechanism-reward-enjoyment.html Neuroscience Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:44:37 EST news251552669 A team of researchers led by A. K. Rajasekaran, PhD, Director of the Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research, has shown that a key protein involved in cell function and regulation is stopped by a substance present in cigarette smoke. Their work is published online in the American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cell and Molecular Physiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-uncover-evidence-cancer-causing-agent-gaseous.html Medical research Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:05:54 EST news251550346 Doctors should be more understanding when it comes to obese patients and their lack of success, according to a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center obesity researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-blame-game-doesnt-obese-patients.html Health Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:20:01 EST news251103773 Researchers at the University of Iowa have worked out the exact function of an enzyme that is critical for normal muscle structure and is involved in several muscular dystrophies. The findings, which were published Jan. 6 in the journal Science, could be used to develop rapid, large-scale testing of potential muscular dystrophy therapies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-reveals-enzyme-function-muscular-dystrophy.html Medical research Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:17:48 EST news245337458 We've all seen the story in the news before. Whether it's the death of a physically fit high school athlete at football training camp in August, or of an elderly woman gardening in the middle of the day in July, heat stroke is a serious, life-threatening condition for which there is no treatment beyond submersion in ice water or the application of ice packs to cool the body to a normal temperature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-pill-extreme-sensitivity.html Medical research Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:00:05 EST news245239814 Results of a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may help pave the way to a treatment for a neurogenetic disorder often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-discovery-treatment-angelman-syndrome.html Genetics Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:01 EST news243693945 Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have identified a cellular protein that plays a central role in the formation of new blood vessels. The molecule is the protein Shc (pronounced SHIK), and new blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis, is seriously impaired without it. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-cell-molecule-central-player-formation.html Medical research Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:53:25 EST news241710764 After a heart attack, the portions of the heart damaged by a lack of oxygen become scar tissue. Researchers have long sought ways to avoid this scarring, which can harden the walls of the heart, lessen its ability to pump blood throughout the body and eventually lead to heart failure. But new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine shows that interrupting this process can weaken heart function even further. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-scarring-evil-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:40:36 EST news240576023 Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers are reporting a possible new blood test to help diagnose heart attacks. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-blood-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:48:17 EST news235752396 University of Iowa scientists have discovered a new role for a protein that is mutated in Usher syndrome, one of the most common forms of deaf-blindness in humans. The findings, which were published Aug. 8 in Nature Neuroscience, may help explain why this mutation causes the most severe form of the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-role-protein.html Neuroscience Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:15:25 EST news232632866 A Baylor University study has found that a popular nutritional supplement that is marketed to lead to greater muscle strength through increasing blood flow to the muscle does not increase blood flow as claimed on the bottle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-popular-muscle-boosting-supplement-blood.html Other Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:13:11 EST news232193584 Using a combination of genetic engineering and laser technology, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have manipulated brain wiring responsible for reward-seeking behaviors, such as drug addiction. The work, conducted in rodent models, is the first to directly demonstrate the role of these specific connections in controlling behavior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-optogenetics-reward-seeking-behavior.html Medical research Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:00:25 EST news228571128 Doctors should be more understanding when it comes to obese patients and their lack of success, according to a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center obesity researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-blame-game-doesnt-obese-patients.html Health Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:59:57 EST news228488379 Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a cheap and reliable diagnostic test for a rare form of cancer. The test involves screening tumour samples for a particular molecular fingerprint unique to this type of cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-identification-fingerprint-rare-tumor-cheap.html Cancer Thu, 19 May 2011 09:45:59 EST news225017134