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Study shows that twins may share cancer risk

In a long-term follow-up study among approximately 200,000 Nordic twin individuals, there was an increased cancer risk in twins whose co-twin was diagnosed with cancer, with an increased risk for cancer overall and for specific types of cancer, including prostate, melanoma, breast, ovary, and uterus, according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

7 Jan 2016

People with low sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency at greater risk of developing leukemia

Epidemiologists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that persons residing at higher latitudes, with lower sunlight/ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and greater prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, are at least two times at greater risk of developing leukemia than equatorial populations.

7 Jan 2016

CUMC study reveals statins may help reduce heart disease risk in people with sleep apnea

A new study conducted at Columbia University Medical Center has revealed some of the underlying mechanisms that may increase the risk of heart disease in people with sleep apnea. The study also found that statins -- the cholesterol-lowering medications commonly prescribed to combat heart disease -- may help reverse this process.

7 Jan 2016

FAU study shows benefits of regular mammography among elder women

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer and occurred in 230,000 women in the United States in 2015. Breast cancer afflicts 1 in 8 women in their lifetime and 1 in 25 die from this disease.

7 Jan 2016

Discovery may pave way for more effective treatments for pandemics, seasonal flu

Scientists at Imperial College London have discovered how flu viruses 'hijack' cell machinery when they infect the body. The findings, published in the journal Nature, may pave the way for more effective antiviral treatments for pandemics and for seasonal flu, which infects over 800 million people worldwide every year.

7 Jan 2016

Insulin-producing cells' mitochondria may represent useful therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes

Factors in the blood from calorie-restricted rats can modify energy-producing mitochondria within the insulin-producing cells that regulate blood sugar levels, new research shows. This has a positive impact on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and protects cells from fatty acid and glucose toxicity.

7 Jan 2016

Statins could be effective against metastatic small cell lung cancer

In a recent study, researchers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center (Western), in collaboration with international colleagues, found that statins could be an effective therapeutic against metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

7 Jan 2016

NIH-funded clinical study examines new method for sparing healthy lung tissue during radiotherapy

A newly NIH funded clinical trial (NCT02528942) by University of Colorado Cancer Center investigators and collaborators at Beaumont Health in Michigan and the University of Texas Medical Branch is evaluating a new method for pinpointing and sparing healthy lung tissue during lung cancer radiotherapy.

7 Jan 2016

Eliminating the 'bad seeds' of liver cancer

Researchers have found the 'bad seeds' of liver cancer and believe they could one day reprogram them to remain responsive to cancer treatment, a new study has found.

7 Jan 2016

Physician-researchers find link between 'dry eye' and chronic pain syndromes

Physician-researchers with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of UHealth--the University of Miami Health System, have found a link between "dry eye" and chronic pain syndromes -- a finding that suggests that a new paradigm is needed for diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes.

7 Jan 2016

Pediatric oncologists devise new treatments for neuroblastoma

Pediatric oncologists from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have reported their latest results in devising new treatments for stubbornly deadly forms of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

7 Jan 2016

More than half of primary care physicians provide nonessential specialty referrals upon patient request

A study recently published in the American Journal of Managed Care found that more than half of primary care providers reported that they made what they considered unnecessary referrals to a specialist because patients requested it. Many physicians said they yielded to patient requests for brand-name drug prescriptions when cheaper generics were available.

7 Jan 2016

Scientists seek development of advanced tools to explore microbiomes

In October, an interdisciplinary group of scientists proposed forming a Unified Microbiome Initiative (UMI) to explore the world of microorganisms that are central to life on Earth and yet largely remain a mystery. An article in the journal ACS Nano describes the tools scientists will need to understand how microbes interact with each other and with us.

7 Jan 2016

Common antibiotics can promote C. diff infections by killing off bile acid-altering microbes

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Michigan finds that bile acids which are altered by bacteria normally living in the large intestine inhibit the growth of Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. C. diff is a harmful bacterium that can cause painful and sometimes fatal infections.

7 Jan 2016

Combining NELL-1 with BMP2 therapy may promote bone development

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) is used clinically to promote bone repair. However, the high BMP2 concentrations required to stimulate bone growth in humans may produce life-threatening adverse effects such as cervical swelling in spinal fusion procedures, a problem that prompted an FDA warning in 2008.

7 Jan 2016

Scientists develop a method for cell replacement in diseased vessels

In industrialized countries, a particularly high number of people suffer from arteriosclerosis -- with fatal consequences: Deposits in the arteries lead to strokes and heart attacks. A team of researchers under the leadership of the University of Bonn has now developed a method for guiding replacement cells to diseased vascular segments using nanoparticles.

7 Jan 2016

UF researchers reveal link between chronic stress and fat metabolism

In cell and mouse model experiments, University of Florida Health researchers have discovered that chronic stress stimulates production of betatrophin, a protein that then goes on to inhibit an enzyme involved in fat metabolism.

7 Jan 2016

Study supports argument that declining PSA screening may lead to avoidable cancer deaths

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against regular prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer (PCa) has been in place for two and a half years. Although the number of prostate needle biopsies (PNB) has been reduced, patients who undergo PNB are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with high risk disease, and detection of intermediate risk, potentially curable PCa has likely decreased.

6 Jan 2016

Leukaemia drug could slow progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A drug commonly used to treat leukaemia is showing potential as a treatment that could slow the progression of the muscle-wasting condition, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

6 Jan 2016

Researchers link idiopathic congenital nystagmus to a defect in neurocomputation

Botond Roska and his group at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research implicate a clearly defined neuron type and its circuit in the retina in the pathophysiology of idiopathic congenital nystagmus.

6 Jan 2016

Medical Research News

Study shows that twins may share cancer risk

People with low sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency at greater risk of developing leukemia

CUMC study reveals statins may help reduce heart disease risk in people with sleep apnea

FAU study shows benefits of regular mammography among elder women

Discovery may pave way for more effective treatments for pandemics, seasonal flu

Insulin-producing cells' mitochondria may represent useful therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes

Statins could be effective against metastatic small cell lung cancer

NIH-funded clinical study examines new method for sparing healthy lung tissue during radiotherapy

Eliminating the 'bad seeds' of liver cancer

Physician-researchers find link between 'dry eye' and chronic pain syndromes

Pediatric oncologists devise new treatments for neuroblastoma

More than half of primary care physicians provide nonessential specialty referrals upon patient request

Scientists seek development of advanced tools to explore microbiomes

Common antibiotics can promote C. diff infections by killing off bile acid-altering microbes

Combining NELL-1 with BMP2 therapy may promote bone development

Scientists develop a method for cell replacement in diseased vessels

UF researchers reveal link between chronic stress and fat metabolism

Study supports argument that declining PSA screening may lead to avoidable cancer deaths

Leukaemia drug could slow progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers link idiopathic congenital nystagmus to a defect in neurocomputation

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