http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The skin is a human being's largest sensory organ, helping to distinguish between a pleasant contact, like a caress, and a negative sensation, like a pinch or a burn. Previous studies have shown that these sensations are carried to the brain by different types of sensory neurons that have nerve endings in the skin. Only a few of those neuron types have been identified, however, and most of those detect painful stimuli. Now biologists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have identified in mice a specific class of skin sensory neurons that reacts to an apparently pleasurable stimulus. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-sensations-biologists-individual-neurons-skin.html Neuroscience Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:04:59 EST news278780662 Genome sequencing data once regarded as junk is now being used to gain important clues to help understand disease. The latest example comes from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, where scientists have developed an approach to mine the repetitive segments of DNA at the ends of chromosomes for insights into cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-gene-sequencing-junk-clues-cancer.html Cancer Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:41:21 EST news278257273 A Kansas State University-led study has uncovered new information that helps scientists better understand the complex workings of cells in the innate immune system. The findings may also lead to new avenues in disease control and prevention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-immunology-cell-function-response.html Immunology Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:37:14 EST news277565825 Researchers in California and Switzerland have discovered that melanomas that develop resistance to the anti-cancer drug vemurafenib (marketed as Zelboraf), also develop addiction to the drug, an observation that may have important implications for the lives of patients with late-stage disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-drug-resistant-melanoma-tumors-therapy.html Cancer Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:00:01 EST news276953856 Blocking a single tiny blood vessel in the brain can harm neural tissue and even alter behavior, a new study from the University of California, San Diego has shown. But these consequences can be mitigated by a drug already in use, suggesting treatment that could slow the progress of dementia associated with cumulative damage to miniscule blood vessels that feed brain cells. The team reports their results in the December 16 advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-smallest-brain-tissue-impair-cognitive.html Neuroscience Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:00:01 EST news274883979 Joslin Diabetes Center scientists have demonstrated that brown adipose tissue (BAT) has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance, body weight and metabolism. The findings, which may lead to new treatments for diabetes, appear in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-brown-adipose-tissue-beneficial-metabolism.html Medical research Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:00:01 EST news274359138 An international team of genetics researchers has discovered four new gene regions that contribute to low birth weight. Three of those regions influence adult metabolism, and appear to affect longer-term outcomes such as adult height, risk of type 2 diabetes and adult blood pressure. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-genes-linked-birth-weight-adult.html Genetics Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:00:56 EST news273666993 Scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified two genes involved in establishing the neuronal circuits required for breathing. They report their findings in a study published in the December issue of Nature Neuroscience. The discovery, featured on the journal's cover, could help advance treatments for spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which gradually kill neurons that control the movement of muscles needed to breathe, move, and eat. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-scientists-genetic-signature-vital-neurons.html Neuroscience Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:36:21 EST news273418573 A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has shown for the first time how cancer cells control the ON/OFF switch of a program used by developing embryos to effectively metastasize in vivo, breaking free and spreading to other parts of the body, where they can proliferate and grow into secondary tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-debate-tumors.html Cancer Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:04:20 EST news273413046 Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have combined the ability to detect cancer DNA in the blood with genome sequencing technology in a test that could be used to screen for cancers, monitor cancer patients for recurrence and find residual cancer left after surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-scientists-pair-blood-gene-sequencing.html Cancer Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:46:47 EST news273336399 (HealthDay)—Being both neurotic and conscientious may be good for your health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-healthy-neurotic-conscientious.html Psychology & Psychiatry Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:00:31 EST news272998824 The simultaneous inhibition of two separate and seemingly unrelated pathways could potentially provide an effective treatment for women with triple-negative breast cancer, according to results of two studies published in the November issue of Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-pi3-kinase-parp-inhibitor-combo-treatment.html Cancer Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:09:53 EST news271940974 As the use of Twitter and other social media by physicians and patients rises, more and more physicians seem to forget to do what many consider crucial for building doctor-patient trust: disclose potential conflicts of interest. However, physicians are not entirely at fault: prominent medical societies have failed to lay out comprehensive guidelines for physicians on when and how to disclose a conflict of interest when utilizing social media. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-physicians-disclose-conflicts-social-media.html Other Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:44:52 EST news271921485 (Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have revealed a new connection between drug addiction and a distinct part of the brain that may govern motivation. The research, published October 23, 2012, in Translational Psychiatry as an Advance Online Publication, shows that individuals addicted to cocaine have abnormal functioning of the midbrain, a brain region responsible for releasing dopamine in the presence of important stimuli, such as food, to make individuals repeat the behaviors that would result in obtaining these stimuli again. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-mental-fatigue-impairs-midbrain-function.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 09 Nov 2012 07:19:03 EST news271667933 Low antioxidant levels contribute to increased blood pressure during exercise for people with peripheral arterial disease, according to researchers at Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-antioxidants-ease-pad-blood-pressure.html Cardiology Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:06:09 EST news271613163 Excessive turnover of cells in the placenta may trigger an unnatural increase in blood pressure that puts mother and baby at risk, researchers say. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-preeclampsia.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:19:58 EST news271430391 (Medical Xpress)— Scientists have discovered that breaking a biological signaling system in an embryo allows them to change the destiny of a cell. The findings could lead to new ways of making replacement organs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-destiny-cell.html Genetics Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:22:23 EST news270980537 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, the University of South Florida and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France have studied the patterns and timing of sunlight exposure and how each is related to two nonmelanoma skin cancers – basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-patterns-sunlight-exposure-contribute-skin.html Cancer Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:39:58 EST news270210804 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 Compounds that affect respiratory health have been found in biodiesel exhausts. This might lead to restrictions on the use of this form of biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, according to researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-biodiesel-emissions-shown-respiratory-disease-linked.html Health Wed, 17 Oct 2012 06:41:23 EST news269674875 A new study by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers shows that adolescents' reactions to threat remain high even when the danger is no longer present. According to researchers, once a teenager's brain is triggered by a threat, the ability to suppress an emotional response to the threat is diminished which may explain the peak in anxiety and stress-related disorders during this developmental period. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-difficult-teens.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:28:59 EST news267971302 (Medical Xpress) -- Adolescents who grow up in poverty are more likely to report being treated unfairly, and this perception of discrimination is related to harmful changes in physical health, reports a new Cornell study published in the July issue of Psychological Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-negative-stereotypes-poor-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:08:20 EST news262850894 University of Washington researchers have made a discovery that sheds light on why the human body is unable to adequately fight off HIV infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-human-body-hiv-infection-results.html HIV & AIDS Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:50:54 EST news261305418 Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a single protein molecule may hold the key to turning cardiac stem cells into blood vessels or muscle tissue, a finding that may lead to better ways to treat heart attack patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-master-molecule-stem-cell-treatment.html Cardiology Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:35:50 EST news259424199 Regenerating sensory hair cells, which produce electrical signals in response to vibrations within the inner ear, could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-gene-therapy-loss-potential-limitations.html Neuroscience Fri, 11 May 2012 15:09:35 EST news255967767 People with heart disease may not be able to compensate for their bodies' higher demand for oxygen when inhaling cold air, according to Penn State researchers, making snow shoveling and other activities dangerous for some. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-cold-air-chills-heart-oxygen.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:10:01 EST news249652104 Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada have identified a possible cause for the loss of a tumour suppressor gene (known as PTEN) that can lead to the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-gene-destruction-linked-aggressive-prostate.html Cancer Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:54:35 EST news246801257 A team of scientists from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a novel compound that inhibits viruses from replicating. The findings, which are published online in the Journal of Virology, could lead to the development of highly targeted compounds to block the replication of poxviruses, such as the emerging infectious disease Monkeypox. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-compound-halt-virus-replication.html Medical research Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:52:25 EST news244821132 Scientists have found at least one instance when the smaller sibling gets to call the shots and cancer patients may one day benefit. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-smaller-sibling-protein-shots-cell.html Medical research Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:33:08 EST news244816380 A study just published by a Dartmouth team of scientists in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) advances our understanding of the sources of human exposure to arsenic and focuses attention on the potential for consuming harmful levels of arsenic via rice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-rice-source-arsenic-exposure.html Health Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:08 EST news242316052