http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified a gene variant that helps predict how much weight an individual will lose after gastric bypass surgery, a finding with the potential both to guide treatment planning and to facilitate the development of new therapeutic approaches to treating obesity and related conditions like diabetes. The report receiving advance online publication in The American Journal of Human Genetics is the first to identify genetic predictors of weight loss after bariatric surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-gene-variant-weight-loss-gastric.html Genetics Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:02 EST news286710668 Compulsive gamblers suffer from an optimism bias that modifies their subjective representation of probability and affects their decisions in situations involving high-risk monetary wagers. This is the conclusion drawn by Jean-Claude Dreher's research team at the CNC (Centre de Neurosciences Cognitives, CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon). These findings, published in the May print edition of Psychological Medicine, could help explain and anticipate certain individuals' vulnerability to gambling, and could lead to new therapeutic approaches. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-pathological-gambling-excessive-optimism.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:25:49 EST news286532741 Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a report published online ahead of print in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, the team revealed that receptors for melatonin are found in the nerve cells, a finding that could launch novel therapeutic approaches. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-team-melatonin-als-symptom-onset.html Neuroscience Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:54:11 EST news286084445 (Medical Xpress)—A new study from researchers at the University of Florida may have uncovered a critical factor that drives the relentless progression of Alzheimer's disease ― a discovery that could eventually slow its progression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-uncovers-key-factor-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:10:01 EST news285310460 Scientists from the University of Southampton have identified the molecular system that contributes to the harmful inflammatory reaction in the brain during neurodegenerative diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-scientists-molecular-potential-treatments-neurodegenerative.html Neuroscience Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:42:01 EST news280658504 (Medical Xpress)—Advances in DNA sequencing technology during the past decade have given scientists powerful tools to peer into the genomes of humans and other species. Despite the efficiency and sophistication of these technologies – known as massively parallel, or next-generation, sequencers – some of the genome's secrets still remain hidden. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-kidney-disease-mutations-genomic.html Genetics Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:10:08 EST news279792597 A team led by Vanderbilt University investigators has discovered two new genes – both coding for the signaling protein calmodulin – associated with severe early-onset disorders of heart rhythm. The findings, reported online Feb. 6 in the journal Circulation, expand the list of culprits that can cause sudden cardiac death and may point to new therapeutic approaches. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-calcium-binding-protein-mutations-heart-rhythm.html Cardiology Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:00:13 EST news279377526 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Oregon State University today announced the discovery of an underlying genetic cause of atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema most common in infancy that also affects millions of adults around the world with dry, itchy and inflamed skin lesions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-genetic-basis-eczema-avenue-therapies.html Inflammatory disorders Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:14:21 EST news275318051 The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has just released its annual report on the top cancer advances of the year. Clinical Cancer Advances 2012: ASCO's Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer, highlights major achievements in precision medicine, cancer screening and overcoming treatment resistance. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-american-society-clinical-oncology-issues.html Cancer Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:00:12 EST news273757673 (Medical Xpress)—At the moment that someone is suffering a stroke, the immediate concern is getting them stabilized. Once the initial attack has passed, additional treatment and preventive measures can be implemented. Understanding what's happening during the actual event, and in the subsequent hours and days, will help improve the effectiveness of the post-attack treatment plan, and also help identify methods of neuroprotection—that is, administer treatments to protect against a stroke in advance for potentially at-risk individuals. Computational biology researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a model for predicting what's happening during a stroke, how the process evolves over time, the potential outcomes, and the effects of different treatment options. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-enables.html Medical research Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:10:45 EST news273222561 Over the last 15 years, researchers have found a significant association between vascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes type 2, hyperlipidemia, and heart disease and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. In a special issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, leading experts provide a comprehensive overview of the pathological, biochemical, and physiological processes that contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk and ways that may delay or reverse these age-related abnormalities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-vascular-disease-key-prevalence-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:45:12 EST news271356276 If you're balding and want your hair to grow back, then here is some good news. A new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal shows how the FDA-approved glaucoma drug, bimatoprost, causes human hair to regrow. It's been commercially available as a way to lengthen eyelashes, but these data are the first to show that it can actually grow human hair from the scalp. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-viagra-follow-up-drug-glaucoma-human.html Medications Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:52:03 EST news270474673 Researchers at EPFL and Harvard Medical School have joined forces to develop an imaging technique that can provide in situ observations of the internal ear, an area which has until now been inaccessible. This groundbreaking work may finally make it possible to understand the mechanisms underlying hearing loss. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-epfl-harvard-loss.html Medical research Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:34:14 EST news269681647 Researchers at the University of Helsinki believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in the growth of new blood vessels. If researchers learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells could offer new opportunities for developing therapeutics to treat diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study reporting the discovery of these stem cells is published in the open access journal PLOS Biology on October 16. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-blood-vessel-generating-cell-therapeutic-potential.html Medical research Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:00:16 EST news269624133 Whitehead Institute researchers have determined the mechanism used by c-Myc to increase the expression of all active genes in cancer cells. Elevated levels of c-Myc are linked to increased rates of metastasis, disease recurrence, and mortality in cancer patients. Guided by this new model, researchers hope to find ways to restrict c-Myc's activity to eradicate cancer cells that become dependent on c-Myc for their survival. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-aggressive-cancer-exploits-myc-oncogene.html Cancer Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:00:08 EST news267964972 (Medical Xpress)—Cardiac stress, for example a heart attack or high blood pressure, frequently leads to pathological heart growth and subsequently to heart failure. Two tiny RNA molecules play a key role in this detrimental development in mice, as researchers at the Hannover Medical School and the Göttingen Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry have now discovered. When they inhibited one of those two specific molecules, they were able to protect the rodent against pathological heart growth and failure. With these findings, the scientists hope to be able to develop therapeutic approaches that can protect humans against heart failure. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-heart-failure-mice.html Cardiology Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:54:12 EST news267810840 A new molecule with anti-cancer and anti-metastatic properties has been discovered by teams from CNRS, CEA, the Institut Curie and Inserm, in collaboration with Australian and British researchers. This anticancer drug acts on cells resistant to conventional chemotherapy thanks to an entirely novel action mechanism. It targets not only the multiplication of cells but also their mobility and thus could prevent the formation of metastases. Published in Cancer Research, the results obtained in vitro and on animals could, in the medium term, lead to the development of alternative anti-cancer treatments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-molecule-anti-cancer-anti-metastatic-properties.html Cancer Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:33:10 EST news265998783 Through novel experiments involving small nematode worms, scientists from Wyoming have discovered several genes that may be potential targets for drug development in the ongoing war against cancer. Specifically, researchers hypothesize that inhibiting these genes could reverse certain key traits associated with cancer cells. This discovery is published in the August 2012 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal GENETICS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-scientists-worms-unearth-cancer-drug.html Cancer Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:28:05 EST news263730476 Arsenic is a natural element in the environment, sometimes found in air, soil and water. Arsenic contaminated water is a global threat, currently affecting more than 100 million people. Both genetic and epigenetic changes drive arsenic-induced carcinogenesis and lung cancer is one of the main consequences of this process. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-scientists-explore-molecular-link-arsenic.html Cancer Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:00:01 EST news262439549 (Medical Xpress) -- A recent study from scientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research has identified a novel target for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. The scientists found that the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (MerTK) is highly expressed in human brain tumors but absent from normal adult brain tissue. MerTK not only increases the invasive potential of brain tumor-derived cells but also promotes their survival when treated with chemotherapeutics. Conversely, the authors demonstrate that loss of MerTK strongly reduces the invasive capacity of tumor cells, making it an attractive target for future brain tumor therapies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-identification-glioblastoma-treatment.html Cancer Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:00:01 EST news259225943 (Medical Xpress) -- Chronic pain, by definition, is difficult to manage, but a new study by UCSF scientists shows how a cell therapy might one day be used not only to quell some common types of persistent and difficult-to-treat pain, but also to cure the conditions that give rise to them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-pain-transplants.html Neuroscience Wed, 23 May 2012 13:20:19 EST news256998014 Infants with Batten disease, a rare but fatal neurological disorder, appear healthy at birth. But within a few short years, the illness takes a heavy toll, leaving children blind, speechless and paralyzed. Most die by age 5. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-combination-treatment-mice-fatal-neurological.html Neuroscience Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:47:48 EST news251048849 A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has developed the first "theranostic" agent for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer diagnosed in approximately 5,000 new cases each year in the United States. The findings provide insight into pediatric oncology that specifically focuses on the development of "theranostic" agents-- a treatment platform that combines a selective diagnostic test with targeted therapy based on the test results. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-theranostic-treatment-acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia.html Cancer Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:38:03 EST news250357076 Permanent disconnection between nerves and muscles may be the reason behind progressive loss of muscle mass and function in elderly people, Perth-based researchers have found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-clues-muscle-elderly-people.html Medical research Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:00:01 EST news249288240 Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common of all malignant brain tumors that originate in the brain. Patients with GBM have a poor prognosis because it is a highly aggressive form of cancer that is commonly resistant to current therapies. New therapeutic approaches are therefore much needed. Joanna Phillips, Zena Werb, and colleagues, at the University of California, San Francisco, have now identified a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of GBM. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-thought-provoking-therapeutic-brain-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:13:53 EST news247324419 (Medical Xpress) -- By developing a large scale gene expression map for retinal cell types, FMI Neurobiologists have been able to identify the cells in the retina, where the genes causing retinal diseases specifically act. This narrows down the search for a better understanding of the diseases and opens up new avenues for therapeutic approaches. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-transcriptional-barcoding-retinal-cells-disease.html Neuroscience Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:49:37 EST news246520165 Malaria is a major global health concern, and researchers are in need of new therapeutic approaches. To address this concern, a study published Oct. 26 in the online journal PLoS ONE reveals new information about the host cell's treatment of the parasite that causes the disease in mice, opening potential new avenues for research and treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-treatment-mice-malaria-approach-humans.html Medical research Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:31:48 EST news238869096 An international team of researchers has found a group of mutations involved in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and showed that certain drugs, already in clinical use to treat other diseases, can eliminate the cells carrying these mutations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-scientists-mutations-leukemia.html Genetics Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:00:02 EST news234359885 Men and women had starkly different immune system responses to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, with men showing no response and women showing a strong response, in two studies by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-men-women-immune-differently-ptsd.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:23:00 EST news223050140