http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. With the remains of a recent lottery winner having been exhumed for foul play related to cyanide poisoning, future winners might wonder what they can do to avoid the same fate. A new report in The FASEB Journal involving zebrafish suggests that riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, may mitigate the toxic effects of this infamous poison. In addition, the report shows that zebrafish are a viable model for investigating the effects of cyanide on humans. As with any research involving animal models, these findings are preliminary until thoroughly tested in clinical trials. Anyone who suspects cyanide poisoning should not attempt to use riboflavin as an antidote, and instead contact local poison control centers or emergency health services immediately. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-zebrafish-vitamin-b2-riboflavin-antidote.html Medical research Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:07:03 EST news286542416 Silvery, ductile, malleable and so very, very useful, aluminium is the most common metal in the Earth's crust. But despite its importance (or perhaps because of it), there are fears that this metal causes everything from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-aluminium-alzheimer-breast-cancer.html Health Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:32:58 EST news284027568 Botox is best known for its use in cosmetic procedures, but this potent neurotoxin could be transformed into an extraordinary drug to treat a raft of debilitating conditions, a leading scientist will tell an audience at the University of Lincoln. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-botox-natural-born-killer-medical.html Medical research Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:43:39 EST news282548554 Reducing the growth of a tumor by localized delivery of cancer medication can be achieved by using a combination of ultrasound, temperature-sensitive nanoparticles and MRI. This is shown by Mariska de Smet in her PhD research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Philips Research. Her preclinical studies show that this local chemotherapy is more effective in reducing tumor growth than regular chemotherapy. In addition, the amount of medication reaching the tumor can be measured by adding an imaging marker to the chemo. De Smet defends her thesis on Thursday March 14th. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-local-chemotherapy-stronger-effect-tumor.html Cancer Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:40:04 EST news282469198 Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) deficits have been implicated in schizophrenia and depression. In schizophrenia, deficits have been particularly well-described for a subtype of GABA neuron, the parvalbumin fast-spiking interneurons. The activity of these neurons is critical for proper cognitive and emotional functioning. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-neuron-loss-schizophrenia-depression.html Neuroscience Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:24:24 EST news282378255 Sick children, especially those with some dehydration from flu or other illnesses, risk significant kidney injury if given drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, Indiana University School of Medicine researchers said Friday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-kidney-failure.html Medications Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:01 EST news278272980 Drivers who have taken even a small dose of opioid painkillers have an increased risk of being injured in a car accident, a new study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-small-doses-opioids-road.html Medications Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:30:12 EST news277493342 More than 85,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for commercial use with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and only about half of those produced in large quantities are tested for their potential toxic effects on humans. Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxins and a detailed look at how and why, and what can be done to protect children's health, is presented in a two-part article published in Alternative and Complementary Therapies from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-children-higher-negative-health-effects.html Health Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:11:53 EST news276952305 An experimental oral drug given to mice after a spinal cord injury was effective at improving limb movement after the injury, a new study shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-oral-drug-spinal-cord-injury.html Neuroscience Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:00:06 EST news276874749 Executive function (EF), frequently associated with the frontal lobes, guides complex behavior such as planning, decision-making, and response control. EF impairment due to alcohol dependence (AD) has been linked to alcohol's toxic effects on the frontal lobes. A study of EF in a group of adult offspring of AD individuals has found that increased impulsiveness and decreased EF may comprise an inherited trait that signifies greater risk for developing AD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-impaired-function-exacerbate-impulsiveness-alcohol.html Addiction Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:00:13 EST news274696088 Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting over 35 million people worldwide. It is generally assumed that the clumping of beta-amyloid (Aß) protein causes neuronal loss in patients. Medication focuses on reducing Aß42, one of the most common proteins and the most harmful. University of Twente PhD student Annelies Vandersteen is refining the current approach. She explains: "The results of my research provide a broader understanding of the processes that lead to Alzheimer's disease and in this way may help to bring about new medication". http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-alzheimer-disease-treatment.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:43:09 EST news274700548 An Inserm team in Dijon directed by François Ghiringhelli is to publish an article this week in the Nature Medicine review. The article suggests that two chemotherapy drugs frequently used to treat digestive and breast cancers may encourage the development of tumors by modulating the anti-tumoral immune response. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-chemotherapy-effectiveness-immune.html Immunology Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:02:28 EST news273848532 Leading scientists have selected the first drugs to be evaluated in a worldwide clinical study to determine whether they can prevent Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-drugs-chosen-major-alzheimer-trial.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:30:25 EST news269101818 Alcoholism is known to cause osteoporosis, or reduced bone mineral density (BMD). New findings indicate that as little as eight weeks of abstinence can initiate correction of an imbalance between bone formation and resorption due to alcohol's toxic effects. Physical activity can also serve as a protective factor against reduced BMD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-abstinence-alcohol-physical-reclaim-bone.html Addiction Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:00:01 EST news266846506 A new study from USC researchers is the first to show that controlled fasting improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer treatments, extending life expectancy in mice with aggressive brain tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-fasting-brain-tumors-vulnerable-therapy.html Cancer Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:00:06 EST news266597385 New research into the cell-damaging effects of Huntington's disease suggests a potentially new approach for identifying possible therapeutic targets for treating the nerve-destroying disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-cell-contents-key-toxicity-huntington.html Genetics Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:50:42 EST news258198628 Cardiomyocytes, the workhorse cells that make up the beating heart, can now be made cheaply and abundantly in the laboratory. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-stem-cell-technique-abundance-key.html Medical research Mon, 28 May 2012 15:00:11 EST news257415820 (HealthDay) -- For some patients with advanced melanoma and brain metastases, ipilimumab is active, according to the results of a phase 2 study published online March 27 in The Lancet Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-ipilimumab-advanced-melanoma-brain-mets.html Cancer Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:20:01 EST news252088534 (AP) -- Chicago attorney Colleen Gorman has a holiday ritual that doesn't involve buying presents or counting down to midnight: She goes online looking for new hangover remedies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-hangover-booze-h2o.html Health Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:10:54 EST news244386638 (Medical Xpress) -- Innovative technology being pioneered at Cardiff to speed up the discovery of new drugs to tackle lung diseases could also dramatically reduce testing on animals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-breakthrough-drug-discovery.html Medical research Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:10:42 EST news241423834 Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have restored normal blood sugar metabolism in diabetic mice using a compound the body makes naturally. The finding suggests that it may one day be possible for people to take the compound much like a daily vitamin as a way to treat or even prevent type 2 diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-natural-compound-reverse-diabetes-mice.html Medical research Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:40:01 EST news236952643 Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix: People with current drinking problems and poor impulse control are more likely to die in the next 15 years, a new study suggests. However, they could get by with a little help from their friends: The study also found that a strong social support network buffers the toxic effects of impulsivity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-impulsive-alcoholics-die-sooner.html Health Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:43:40 EST news232616612 (Medical Xpress) -- Few treatments exist for patients with advanced primary liver cancer, but University of Florida researchers have found a new way to broaden the range of options and potentially improve health outcomes by combining two treatments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-combining-therapies-safe-benefit-patients.html Cancer Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:31:49 EST news229149022 Researchers at the UC Davis Cancer Center have discovered a way of sensitizing muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells so that they succumb to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. The finding adds to mounting evidence that tiny strands of RNA — called microRNA — play key roles in some of the deadliest types of cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-bladder-cancer-cells-susceptible-chemotherapy.html Cancer Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:23:30 EST news228579795 Although some people believe that taking selenium can reduce a person's risk of cancer, a Cochrane Systematic Review of randomised controlled clinical trials found no protective effect against non-melanoma skin cancer or prostate cancer. In addition, there is some indication that taking selenium over a long period of time could have toxic effects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-additional-selenium-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 11 May 2011 03:57:34 EST news224304993