ScienceDaily: Health - January 11, 2024
Top health research news
Blood test distinguishes neuroendocrine subtype of advanced prostate cancer
Researchers have developed a blood test that can reliably detect neuroendocrine prostate cancer and differentiate it from castration-resistant prostate cancer-adenocarcinoma (CRPC-adeno).
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A beating biorobotic heart aims to better simulate valves
Combining a biological heart and a silicone robotic pump, researchers created a biorobotic heart that beats like a real one, with a focus on a valve on the left side of the heart. The heart valve simulator can mimic the structure, function, and motion of a healthy or diseased heart, allowing surgeons and researchers to demonstrate various interventions while collecting real-time data.
Ancient DNA reveals reason for high multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's rates in Europe
Researchers have created the world's largest ancient human gene bank by analyzing the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 humans who lived across western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago. By sequencing ancient human DNA and comparing it to modern-day samples, the international team of experts mapped the historical spread of genes -- and diseases -- over time as populations migrated. They found: The startling origins of neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis; why northern Europeans today are taller than people from southern Europe; and how major migration around 5,000 years ago introduced risk genes into the population in north-western Europe -- leaving a legacy of higher rates of MS today.
Researchers developing AI to make the internet more accessible
In an effort to make the internet more accessible for people with disabilities, researchers have begun developing an artificial intelligence agent that could complete complex tasks on any website using simple language commands.
RSV shown to infect nerve cells, cause inflammation and damage
RSV, a common infection in children and the elderly thought to only infect the respiratory tract, can also infect nerve cells and cause nerve damage, according to a new study. The findings could have major implications about whether RSV could be connected to neurological or developmental disorders.
A common marker of neurological diseases may play role in healthy brains
Researchers have discovered that a protein called phosphorylated -synuclein, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, is also involved in the normal processes of how neurons communicate with each other in a healthy brain.
Injectable hydrogel electrodes open door to a novel painless treatment regimen for arrhythmia
Biomedical engineers set the foundation for a ground-breaking treatment regimen for treating ventricular arrhythmia. The study demonstrates the design and feasibility of a new hydrogel-based pacing modality. The scientific advance is significant considering pain management is highly relevant to overall wellness for patients with heart, lung, and blood diseases. Such innovation in painless defibrillation and preventing arrhythmia could revolutionize cardiac rhythm management.
A new discovery takes its inspiration from Greek mythology. The compound is described as a chimera, because it battles a toxic cause of Parkinson's in two ways.
Different pain types in multiple sclerosis can cause difficulty staying active
Chronic pain can present in multiple forms for multiple sclerosis patients. Some forms make it harder to stay active than others.
Scooter injuries nearly tripled across the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, with a concurrent increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period. Costs to treat those injuries rose five-fold, highlighting the financial strain these injuries pose to the healthcare system.
Understanding the neuroendocrine basis for social anxiety-like behavior in male mice
Researchers have discovered that estrogen receptor (ER), expressed in the lateral septum of the limbic system, plays a crucial role in suppressing anxiety-like behavior exhibited by male mice in social situations. They also discovered that the distribution and expression region of ER differs from that of ER.
Severe MS predicted using machine learning
A combination of only 11 proteins can predict long-term disability outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) for different individuals. The identified proteins could be used to tailor treatments to the individual based on the expected severity of the disease.
Prostate cancer: Newly-developed inhibitor shows massive potential
More than 65,000 men fall ill with prostate cancer each year in Germany. Twelve thousand of them develop a treatment-resistant form which eventually ends in death. Now, a team of researchers has developed an active substance that might in future represent a new treatment option. This substance, known as KMI169, targets an enzyme that plays an important role in the development of prostate cancer.
Overhaul epidemic modelling to include social networks
Models used by scientists to predict how epidemics will spread have a major flaw since they do not take into account the structure of the networks underlying transmission.
What happens to our online activity over the switches to and from Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) might be influencing our internet habits, according to new research.
How fruit bats got a sweet tooth without sour health
A high-sugar diet is bad news for humans, leading to diabetes, obesity and even cancer. Yet fruit bats survive and even thrive by eating up to twice their body weight in sugary fruit every day.
Smart skin bacteria are able to secrete and produce molecules to treat acne
An experimental study has shown that a type of skin bacterium can efficiently be engineered to produce a protein to regulate sebum production. This application could treat acne without compromising the homeostasis of the entire skin microbiome.
Main regulator for the body`s 'oven' discovered
Brown fat cells convert energy into heat -- a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers have now identified the protein EPAC1 as a new pharmacological target to increase brown fat mass and activity. The long-term aim is to find medicines that support weight loss.
Leukemia: Artificial intelligence provides support in diagnostics
Decisions on treatment for leukemia patients are based, among other things, on a series of certain genetic features of the disease. IT specialists and physicians have now shown how a method based on artificial intelligence can be used to predict various genetic features on the basis of high-resolution microscopic images of bone marrow smears.
Epigenetic therapy shows promise for endocrine-resistant breast cancer
Researchers have revealed a reason why endocrine resistance develops in breast cancers and how to potentially treat it in patients.
Large-scale mapping of pig genes could pave the way for new human medicines
Researchers have carried out complex genetic analyses of hundreds of pigs and humans to identify differences and similarities. This new knowledge can be used to ensure healthier pigs for farmers and can help the pharmaceutical industry breed better laboratory pigs for testing new medicines.
Protecting newborns: Research lays the groundwork for a lifesaving vaccine
Researchers are unraveling the workings of Group B Strep (GBS) infections in pregnant women, which could someday lead to a life-saving vaccine.
War on superbugs can't be won, researchers declare
From a wartime spread of antimicrobial resistant disease in Ukraine, to superbugs in China causing 'white lung' pneumonia in children, 2023 brought no shortage of new evidence that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be a pressing problem globally, and this pattern shows no sign of abating in 2024 unless a radical shift occurs. To truly tackle the issue of AMR, researchers with the Global Strategy Lab (GSL) argue it needs to be understood as a socio-ecological challenge that accepts AMR as a phenomenon stemming from natural evolutionary processes. In other words, the war on bugs can't be won; what's needed is a major change in how people live with it.
Arsenic may raise diabetes risk for males
Chronic exposure to arsenic, often through contaminated groundwater, has been associated with Type 2 diabetes in humans, and there are new clues that males may be more susceptible to the disease when exposed.
The hidden identity of leukemia
Researchers used various sequencing technologies to explore the molecular characteristics of myeloid/natural killer cell precursor acute leukemia (MNKPL). They observed activation of the NOTCH1 and RUNX3 genes, with lower expression of the BCL11B gene. MNKPL cells were also highly sensitive to a drug called L-asparaginase. Collectively, these qualities make MNKPL distinct from other leukemia types. These insights will assist with more accurate clinical diagnoses and therapeutic development for MNKPL.
Love scrambles the brain and scientists can now tell us why
Love is blind, the saying goes, and thanks to a new study we are now a step closer to understanding why. Researchers have measured how a part of the brain is responsible for putting our loved one on a pedestal in that first flush of romance.
Measuring grass pollen allergens instead of grass pollen count will help hay fever sufferers
Measuring airborne grass allergen levels instead of pollen counts will be more beneficial for hay fever sufferers as new research shows grass allergen levels are more consistently associated with hay fever symptoms than grass pollen counts.
Clear link between autoimmune disease and perinatal depression
Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to suffer from depression during pregnancy and after childbirth; conversely, women with a history of perinatal depression are at higher risk of developing autoimmune disease, a new study reports.
Scientists give new insight into a molecular target of alcohol
By investigating a molecule in the brain tied to cellular communication, scientists uncover important information about the proteins that do -- and do not -- influence alcohol drinking behavior.
In a real-world setting, analysis showed that risk of infection and severe illness was significantly lower for those who were vaccinated against COVID-19, and cardiac conditions did not increase.
Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated
A new study identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging.
Thirdhand smoke may harm children
Researchers tested the surfaces in smoking households where children reside and found troubling results.
Bottled water can contain hundreds of thousands of previously uncounted tiny plastic bits
In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects. One big focus of research: bottled water, which has been shown to contain tens of thousands of identifiable fragments in each container. Now, using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole new plastic world: the poorly known realm of nanoplastics, the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. For the first time, they counted and identified these minute particles in bottled water. They found that on average, a liter contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments -- 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes.
Drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes reduce alcohol cravings, use in individuals with obesity
An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol consumption, according to a new study.
An average of 22 adolescents 14 to 18 years of age died in the U.S. each week in 2022 from drug overdoses, raising the death rate for this group to 5.2 per 100,000 -- driven by fentanyl in counterfeit pills. The researchers also found 19 'hotspot' counties with particularly high overdose deaths in Arizona, California, Illinois, Washington, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Indiana.
New AI tool accurately detects COVID-19 from chest X-rays
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) system that can rapidly detect COVID-19 from chest X-rays with more than 98 percent accuracy.
Certain populations of mosquitoes are more heat tolerant and better equipped to survive heat waves than others, according to new research.
Possible neuromarker for 'juvenile-onset' Batten disease
Researchers find that an easy-to-measure brain process may be a target or biomarker in measuring treatment outcomes in clinical trials in Batten disease.
Could a drug prevent hearing loss from loud music and aging?
A person's hearing can be damaged by loud noise, aging and even certain medications, with little recourse beyond a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
To encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among youth, experiential food education programs such as gardening and cooking lessons have increased across both community and school settings. A recent research article revealed how this early learning positively influenced food decisions as children grew older.
Babies and toddlers exposed to television or video viewing may be more likely to exhibit atypical sensory behaviors, such as being disengaged and disinterested in activities, seeking more intense stimulation in an environment, or being overwhelmed by sensations like loud sounds or bright lights, according to recent data.
Climate change could be impacting babies' birthweight for gestational age
Climate change could pose a big risk to Australians' reproductive health with a new, large-scale study revealing a possible link between extreme bioclimatic exposure during pregnancy and babies' birthweights for gestational age. Researchers examined more than 385,000 pregnancies in Western Australia between 2000 and 2015, from 12 weeks prior to conception until birth.
Infertility: Sperm need a breakthrough for fertilization
A new study identifies the defective function of CatSper, an ion channel controlling calcium levels in sperm, as a common cause of seemingly unexplained male infertility. CatSper-deficient human sperm fail to fertilize the egg, because they cannot penetrate its protective vestments. Thus far, this sperm channelopathy has remained undetectable. Scientists have unravelled CatSper's role in infertility using a novel laboratory test that identifies affected men.
SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 is less resistant to vaccine, but may be a problem in the lung
New research shows that the recently emerged BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared.
When bad cells go good: Harnessing cellular cannibalism for cancer treatment
Scientists have solved a cellular murder mystery nearly 25 years after the case went cold. Following a trail of evidence from fruit flies to mice to humans revealed that cannibalistic cells likely cause a rare human immunodeficiency. Now the discovery shows promise for enhancing an up-and-coming cancer treatment.
Researchers identify why cancer immunotherapy can cause colitis
Researchers have identified a mechanism that causes severe gastrointestinal problems with immune-based cancer treatment, also finding a way to deliver immunotherapy's cancer-killing impact without the unwelcome side effect.
New study reveals crucial 'housekeeping' genetic elements and their potent role to fight cancer
A recent study in genetic control elements revealed around 11,000 gene regulators active in every cell type, also known as housekeeping cis-regulatory elements (HK-CREs). These elements are vital in maintaining cellular stability beyond conventional gene regulation, influencing diverse cellular functions across healthy cell types. Moreover, a subset of these housekeeping elements, particularly those related to zinc finger genes, was found to have reduced activity in diverse cancers, suggesting their role as potential housekeeping tumor suppressors.
Inhalable sensors could enable early lung cancer detection
Using a new technology, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling a sensor and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is present.
Using static electricity to enhance biomedical implant durability
Medical technology innovations achieved by integrating science and medicine have improved the quality of life for patients. Especially noteworthy is the emergence of electronic devices implanted in the body, such as in the heart or brain, which enable real-time measurement and regulation of physiological signals, presenting new solutions for challenging conditions like Parkinson's disease. However, technical constraints have hindered the semi-permanent use of electronic devices after their implantation.
Hearing loss increases the risk of dementia
In a new study featuring data from 573,088 people, researchers have found a link between hearing loss and the development of dementia. The study is the largest of its kind to date.
Major breakthrough unveils immune system's guardian: IKAROS
In a scientific breakthrough that aids our understanding of the internal wiring of immune cells, researchers have cracked the code behind IKAROS, an essential protein for immune cell development and protection against pathogens and cancer. This disruptive research is poised to reshape our comprehension of gene control networks and its impact on everything from eye color to cancer susceptibility and design of novel therapies.
Advancing the generation of in-vivo chimeric lungs in mice using rat-derived stem cells
Creating a functional lung using interspecies chimeric animals is an attractive albeit challenging option for lung transplantation, requiring more research on the viable conditions needed for organ generation. A new study uses reverse-blastocyst complementation and tetraploid-based organ complementation methods to first determine these conditions in lung-deficient mice and then to generate rat-derived lungs in these mice. It provides useful insights on the intrinsic species-specific barriers and factors associated with lung development in interspecies chimeric animals.
Soft robotic, wearable device improves walking for individual with Parkinson's disease
Researchers have used a soft, wearable robot to help a person living with Parkinson's walk without freezing. The robotic garment, worn around the hips and thighs, gives a gentle push to the hips as the leg swings, helping the patient achieve a longer stride. The device completely eliminated the participant's freezing while walking indoors, allowing them to walk faster and further than they could without the garment's help.
Getting a better look at tumors
The cycling of water across membrane transporters is an hallmark of the cell metabolism and is potentially of high diagnostic significance for the characterization of tumors and other diseases. A research team has now introduced a new MRI-based method for assessing this water exchange. By this method, they were able to estimate the degree of malignancy and the success of treatments in mice tumor models.
A new study unlocks the secrets of how high blood pressure (hypertension) fuels the progression of arterial disease.
The pathogenic potential of inhaling the inert fibrous nanomaterials used in thermal insulation (such as asbestos or fiberglass) is actually connected not to their chemical composition, but instead to their geometrical characteristics and size. This was revealed by a study conducted on glass nanofibers.
A new approach can address antibiotic resistance to Mycobacterium abscessus
Scientists have created analogs of the antibiotic spectinomycin that are significantly more effective against these highly resistant bacteria.
Seizures identified as potential cause of sudden unexplained death in children
In a study designed to better understand sudden, unexpected deaths in young children, which usually occur during sleep, researchers have identified brief seizures, accompanied by muscle convulsions, as a potential cause.
Study shows liraglutide results in increased insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss
A new study demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity.
YAP and TAZ: Protein partners identified as potential key for fetal bone development
A pair of proteins could contribute to the development of healthy, strong bones by directing early cell movement and blood vessel generation.