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Health

Potential New Treatment Target Identified for Melanoma Skin Cancer


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:06 UTC
New research from Western University has identified a potential new target for the treatment of melanoma, the deadliest of all skin cancers.

Silvia Penuela and Dale Laird have discovered a new channel-forming protein called Pannexin (Panx1) that is expressed in normal levels on the surface of healthy skin cells. But they found, in melanoma, Panx1 is over-produced to a pathological level.

The research is published in the August 17th issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Malignant melanoma only accounts for four per cent of all skin cancers, and yet it's responsible for 79 per cent of skin cancer-related deaths. The World Health Organization says there are 200,000 cases of melanoma diagnosed each year and 65,000 melanoma-related deaths (2000 statistics).

"We think this over-production of Panx1 enables the melanoma to become very aggressive. The cells have these extra Panx1 channels and they can leave the primary tumor and invade other tissues," explained Laird, a Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.
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BPA Link to Narrowing of the Arteries


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:59 UTC
A research team from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, and University of Cambridge has for the first time established a link between high levels of urinary Bisphenol-A (BPA) and severe coronary artery stenosis (narrowing of the arteries).

The study is published in PLoS ONE on 15th August 2012.

The team analysed data from 591 patients who participated in the Metabonomics and Genomics Coronary Artery Disease (MaGiCAD) study in Cambridgeshire, UK. They compared urinary BPA with grades of severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

The patients were classified into severe, intermediate or normal CAD categories based on narrowing of their coronary arteries measured using a technique called angiography, which is considered the gold standard method of diagnosis. In all, 385 patients were identified to have severe CAD, 86 intermediate CAD and 120 had normal coronary arteries.

The study shows that urinary BPA concentration was significantly higher in those with severe CAD compared to those with normal coronary arteries.
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Health

Gut Bacteria Linked to Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Identified


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:53 UTC
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified 26 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiota that appear to be linked to obesity and related metabolic complications. These include insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure and high cholesterol, known collectively as "the metabolic syndrome," which significantly increases an individual's risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The results of the study, which analyzed data from the Old Order Amish in Lancaster County, Pa., are being published online on Aug. 15, 2012, in PLOS ONE, which is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS One). The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"We identified 26 species of bacteria that were correlated with obesity and metabolic syndrome traits such as body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose levels and C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation," says the senior author, Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D., professor of medicine and microbiology and immunology and director of the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We can't infer cause and effect, but it's an important step forward that we're starting to identify bacteria that are correlated with clinical parameters, which suggests that the gut microbiota could one day be targeted with medication, diet or lifestyle changes."
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Health

High Rates of Sleep Apnea in Women


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:50 UTC
New research from Umeå and Uppsala universities has found high rates of sleep apnea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males.

The study, published online ahead of print August 16 in the European Respiratory Journal, also suggested that women with hypertension and/or obesity were more likely to experience sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which there are frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. The incidence of the condition increases with age and it is considered more prevalent in men than in women. In this new study, researchers from Uppsala and Umeå University in Sweden aimed to investigate the frequency and risk factors of sleep apnea in women.

The study analysed 400 women from a random sample of 10,000 women aged 20-70 years. The participants answered a questionnaire and underwent a sleep examination.

The results found that obstructive sleep apnea was present in 50% of women aged 20-70 years. The researchers also found links between age, obesity and hypertension: 80% of women with hypertension and 84% of obese women suffered from sleep apnea.
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New Research Fuels Greater Understanding of Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis in Children and Adolescents


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:44 UTC
Early intervention for young patients with skin conditions is important in reducing the risk for potentially serious medical conditions, experts say.

For the millions of children and adolescents affected by chronic skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, the toll these conditions can take on patients and their families is immeasurable. From dealing with unexpected flare ups to trying to conceal symptoms from their peers, skin disease can be an extensive source of physical and emotional pain for kids.

Now, a new understanding of skin conditions in children and teens is helping to better manage and potentially prevent medical conditions associated with both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis -- the most common form of eczema -- is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by chronic itchy rashes, inflammation, frequent skin infections and sleep interruptions. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of children in Western nations will develop atopic dermatitis in the first few years of life. Studies have established a link between atopic dermatitis and several other medical conditions that can occur in conjunction with this skin condition. This new research is aimed at better understanding this connection in children.
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B Cell Survival Holds Key to Chronic Graft Vs. Host Disease


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:40 UTC
A team from UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, shows in the laboratory that B cells from patients with chronic GVHD are much more active than cells from patients without the disease.

In chronic Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD), the differences between the donor bone marrow cells and the recipient's body often cause these immune cells to recognize the recipient's body tissues as foreign and the newly transplanted cells attack the transplant recipient's body. Symptoms can range from dry eyes and dry mouth, hair loss and skin rashes, vulnerability to infection, liver and lung and digestive tract disorders. For patients who received bone marrow or stem cells, it is estimated that 40-70 percent may experience chronic GVHD.

B cells, which produce proteins called antibodies, are one type of immune cell involved in GVHD. In a paper published online August 15 by the journal, Blood, a team from the University of North Carolina's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, shows in the laboratory that B cells from patients with chronic GVHD are much more active than cells from patients without the disease. The team also outlines the cell signaling pathways that contribute to this increased activity -- identifying a promising target for developing new therapies for the diseases.
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Health

Why Are Elderly Duped? Area in Brain Where Doubt Arises Changes With Age


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:27 UTC
Image
© Bill AdamsPatients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex were roughly twice as likely to believe a given ad, even when given disclaimer information pointing out it was misleading. And, they were more likely to buy the item, regardless of whether misleading information had been corrected.
Everyone knows the adage: "If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is." Why, then, do some people fall for scams and why are older folks especially prone to being duped?

An answer, it seems, is because a specific area of the brain has deteriorated or is damaged, according to researchers at the University of Iowa. By examining patients with various forms of brain damage, the researchers report they've pinpointed the precise location in the human brain, called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, that controls belief and doubt, and which explains why some of us are more gullible than others.

"The current study provides the first direct evidence beyond anecdotal reports that damage to the vmPFC (ventromedial prefrontal cortex) increases credulity. Indeed, this specific deficit may explain why highly intelligent vmPFC patients can fall victim to seemingly obvious fraud schemes," the researchers wrote in the paper published in a special issue of the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.

A study conducted for the National Institute of Justice in 2009 concluded that nearly 12 percent of Americans 60 and older had been exploited financially by a family member or a stranger. And, a report last year by insurer MetLife Inc. estimated the annual loss by victims of elder financial abuse at $2.9 billion.
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Discovery of Immune Cells That Protect Against Multiple Sclerosis Offers Hope for New Treatment


ScienceDaily
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:20 UTC
In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing movement problems, muscle weakness and loss of vision. Immune cells called dendritic cells, which were previously thought to contribute to the onset and development of multiple sclerosis, actually protect against the disease in a mouse model, according to a study published by Cell Press in the August issue of the journal Immunity. These new insights change our fundamental understanding of the origins of multiple sclerosis and could lead to the development of more effective treatments for the disease.

"By transfusing dendritic cells into the blood, it may be possible to reduce autoimmunity," says senior study author Ari Waisman of University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. "Beyond multiple sclerosis, I can easily imagine that this approach could be applied to other autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis."

In an animal model of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), immune cells called T cells trigger the disease after being activated by other immune cells called antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Dendritic cells are APCs capable of activating T cells, but it was not known whether dendritic cells are the APCs that induce EAE.
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Is Mandatory Pediatric Chemo Institutionalized Child Abuse?

Sayer Ji
GreenMedInfo
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 05:00 UTC
Chemo
© GreenMedInfo
Mandatory chemotherapy for your child.

The concept is horrific. But it is not just a concept. It has already happened and is still happening, which is why I am writing this article. We need to sound the alarm about this disturbing trend that, despite recent mainstream media references to a case of court-coerced chemotherapy, is still largely going unnoticed and/or unrecognized for what it really is: a human rights violation of the worst kind. Moreover, as it involves our children who can not rightly advocate for themselves, we need to speak up and act on their behalf.

Court-Ordered Pediatric Chemotherapy Calls Into Question Who Has Parental Authority

Were it not for J.D. Heyes' Aug. 13th article for NaturalNews.com titled "Court forces chemo on eight-year-old Minnesota girl despite family's desire to use alternative medicine," and the CBS Minnesota article from Aug. 8th reporting on the matter, I would probably not be aware of this ongoing parental and human rights atrocity.

As reported by CBS, a Twin Cities family's 8-year-old daughter, Sarah, who had recently had 90 percent of a brain tumor surgically removed and was suffering from typical side effects from follow-up chemotherapy, such as nausea, sore throat, loss of weight and hair, was ordered by her doctors to continue for one more year of chemotherapy. Her parents, who wished to search out less toxic treatment alternatives, were contacted by child protective services when the child's doctors determined her survival was being compromised each day she went without further chemotherapy treatment.

According to CBS, "The Minnetonka family was ordered to court and was told if they did not work with them on a treatment plan, they would lose custody of Sarah." Subsequently, "The court and Parisian family eventually reached an agreement on a treatment plan which includes some chemotherapy, but "it's going to include a dose that is not going to send her tipping over the edge," Connors said."
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Two children dead in Minnesota from brain-eating ameobas in lake

Robert T. Gonzalez
io9
Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:12 UTC
Brain-eating amoeba
Back in December, authorities learned that Naegleria fowleri - a deadly, brain-eating amoeba, pictured here - was living in Louisiana tapwater, infecting its victims' grey matter by way of neti pot.

Now, the deaths of two children have triggered the closure of Lily Lake, a 36-acre pool in the city of Stillwater, Minnesota. But Lily Lake isn't the only body of water health officials are worried about; N. fowleri is more common than most people realize, and its appearance in Minnesota indicates that it may actually be spreading. io9 spoke with epidemiologist Jonathan Yoder, who tracks N. fowleri for the CDC's division of parasitic diseases, to find out what's being done to address the deadly infections.

The prospect of picking up a brain-devouring parasite at your local lake or pond is pretty terrifying if you think about it. Unlike a neti pot, which involves going out of your way to drain your sinuses by actively pouring water up your nose, few people think twice about the risks of swimming in a public lake.
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