ScienceDaily: Health - September 13, 2023
Top health research news
Breast cancer recurrence may be triggered by chemotherapy injury to non-cancer cells
A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding non-cancer cells, which can then awakens dormant cancer cells and promotes cancer growth, according to a new study. The finding is important for understanding cancer recurrence and may point to important new targets to prevent it.
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Older adults with digestive diseases experience higher rates of loneliness, depression
A team of gastroenterologists and hepatologists examine psychosocial factors in older Americans with gastrointestinal conditions.
How the respiratory tract microbiome influences the severity of bacterial pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung alveoli caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, representing a clinical and economic burden and a global public health problem. The microbial ecosystem (or microbiome) of the human respiratory tract colonizes different niches. The respiratory tract microbiome is of interest to scientists as it contributes to human health by stimulating the immune system and protecting against infection by pathogens. Scientists have now demonstrated that the microbiome composition, pathogen load and clinical interventions influence the severity of bacterial pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila.
Researchers develop new method for mapping the auditory pathway
Researchers have developed a non-invasive method for mapping the human auditory pathway, which could potentially be used as a tool to help clinicians decide the best surgical strategy for patients with profound hearing loss.
Benefits, risks in state-mandated school-based BMI assessments
A resource economist finds mandated in-school Body Mass Index assessments adopted in varying forms by 24 states to combat childhood obesity have the potential to improve the health of some students while introducing body-image issues for others. The research is believed to be the first to assess these policies as a whole, rather than in single states or school districts.
Comprehensive insulin signalling map shows interplay between genes and diet
Researchers have produced a comprehensive picture of insulin signalling in mice and suggest that it is shaped by entangled effects of genetics and diet.
New neural insights into processing uncertainty in obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neurological disorder characterized by repeated behaviors such as cleaning and checking despite clear objective evidence of cleanliness, orderliness, and correctness. Although the disease is often mischaracterized as a disorder of 'fussiness,' the disorder actually stems from difficulty in processing uncertainty. However, the neural underpinnings of that aberrant processing remains unknown. Now, a new study uses brain imaging to get a closer look at the underpinnings of uncertainty processing in OCD.
Study reveals reductions in breast cancer screening uptake during COVID-19 pandemic
A review of COVID-19 studies globally has revealed reductions in breast cancer screening participation during 2020, with differences between geographic regions and healthcare settings.
New research provides hope for Parkinson's disease symptom control
Finding the right medication regimen to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex healthcare challenge. Wearable health trackers provide physicians with a detailed window into patients' symptoms, but translating this complex data into useful treatment insights can be difficult. New research accomplishes just that. Researchers found that combining wearable health tracker data with state-of-the-art algorithms results in promising treatment strategies that could improve PD patients' outcomes.
Researchers discover genes behind antibiotic resistance in deadly superbug infections
Researchers have uncovered new genetic insights into Staphylococcus aureus, revealing what makes the bacterium so dangerous when it enters the blood.
Ultrathin nanotech promises to help tackle antibiotic resistance
Researchers have invented a nano-thin superbug-slaying material that could one day be integrated into wound dressings and implants to prevent or heal bacterial infections. The innovation -- which has undergone advanced pre-clinical trials -- is effective against a broad range of drug-resistant bacterial cells, including 'golden staph', which are commonly referred to as superbugs.
Risk of brain hemorrhage appears transmissible via blood transfusion
A major study suggests that a possible cause of spontaneous brain haemorrhage could be transmitted via blood transfusion. At the same time, it is very unlikely that anyone should suffer a brain haemorrhage after receiving donated blood.
Your body's own cannabinoid molecules calm you during stress
When you're under stress, your brain may release its own cannabinoid molecules to calm you, activating the same brain receptors as THC derived from cannabis plants. But the brain activity regulated by these cannabinoid molecules were not well known. A new study in mice has discovered a key emotional brain center, the amygdala, releases cannabinoid molecules under stress that dampen the incoming stress alarm from the hippocampus, a memory and emotion center in the brain. The finding may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-related disorders.
Large amounts of sedentary time linked with higher risk of dementia in older adults, study shows
Researchers have used machine learning to explore the links between sedentary behavior and dementia, finding that the total time spent sedentary matters for brain aging.
Both high-protein and normal-protein diets are effective for T2D management
New findings indicate that the type of protein in the diet is not as important as the overall amount of weight loss for those with Type 2 diabetes. 106 adults with T2D were randomly assigned to either the high-protein or normal-protein diet for 52 weeks. Both diets were energy-restricted. The high-protein diet included recommendations to include lean beef in the diet, while the normal-protein diet instructed participants to refrain from eating any red meats. The team of researchers found that both a high-protein diet (40 percent of total calories from protein) and a moderate-protein diet (21 percent of total calories from protein) were effective in improving glucose control, weight loss and body composition in people with Type 2 diabetes.
Exposure to air pollution while in the womb is linked to alterations in proteins that can be detected after a baby is born, and which affect cell processes such as autophagy, the 'self-eating' of damaged cells that occurs in response to stress.
Study of bacteria in day care settings reveals links with children's lung health
Particular combinations of bacteria found in dust at day care facilities have been linked to wheezing in young children. Wheezing in young children is often an early sign of asthma. The new research offers some clues as to why attending day care can affect children's lung health that could, in turn, point to measures for lowering the risk of asthma.
Targeted ultrasound can change brain functions for up to an hour after intervention
Neuroscientists have explored the impacts of an emerging technique called transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), and showed targeted treatments using it can induce significant changes in GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) concentration within the brain's posterior cingulate cortex in the hour following ultrasound treatment. They believe the study could pave the way towards treatment of conditions such as depression, addiction, or anxiety.
New insights to enhance treatment and diagnosis of blood cancer
A ground-breaking study has revealed crucial insights into the role of the histone methyltransferase NSD2 and its epigenetic target PKC-alpha in causing t(4;14) translocated multiple myeloma (MM), a high-risk subtype of blood cancer, to be more aggressive and resistant to treatment.
Immunity to COVID-19 reduces contagiousness, study finds
Nearly one in three people exposed to SARS-CoV2 is infected, and as many as two in five with the Omicron variant. In the case of immunity -- conferred by vaccination, infection or a combination of the two -- this rate drops to one in ten. However, immunity disappears within a few months, confirms a team of researchers, after revisiting epidemiological data collected in Geneva. While protection following infection appears to be slightly greater than after vaccination -- albeit at the risk of potentially severe symptoms -- vaccination reduces the contagiousness of patients over a longer period. As the number of cases rises again, air filtration, ventilation and the wearing of masks in the vicinity of vulnerable people appear to be necessary measures.
Surfactants can cause toxic chemicals in aerosols to last longer in the air
Research has found that hazardous chemicals commonly encountered in aerosols, such as those produced by cooking and cleaning, can be 'protected' in 3D structures formed by surfactants, causing them to last longer in the air.
A combination of cancer inhibitors shows success in slowing tumor growth
An international team of researchers has demonstrated that a combination of inhibitors may suppress tumor growth and prevent relapse in patients with certain cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma. Their findings support the future development of innovative therapeutic approaches targeting these cancers.
In the age of ChatGPT, what's it like to be accused of cheating?
A new study looks at how college students react to being accused of using ChatGPT to cheat on assignments.
CT test simulates blood flow to assess risk in patients with angina
An advanced CT test can identify individuals with stable angina at a reduced risk of three-year adverse outcomes despite their having a high coronary artery calcium score, according to a new study.
New method can predict risks of cardiovascular disease, mortality in sleep apnea patients.
Stem cell-derived components may treat underlying causes of PCOS
Researchers recently unveiled a potential new PCOS treatment that restored ovarian function and improved hormonal and metabolic regulation in mice.
Researchers discover iron-targeting approaches to halt proliferation of cancer cells
Researchers discovered a new class of iron-targeting compounds that hamper the proliferation of cultured malignant cells in a laboratory setting.
High levels of particulate air pollution associated with increased breast cancer incidence
Researchers found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The study is one of the largest studies to date looking at the relationship between outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter, and breast cancer incidence.
