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Leaders in research hope to uncover promising drugs in pharma libraries, conduct clinical trials

Drugs for brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and motor neurone disease that have stalled in development could be revived thanks to the efforts of a global coalition of non-profit organizations and funders announced today.

19 Nov 2014

Omega-3 benefits may be sustained in early psychosis

The positive effects of omega-3 supplementation seen in patients at high risk of psychosis in a previous randomised, controlled trial may be sustained, the investigators reported at the International Early Psychosis Conference in Tokyo, Japan.

19 Nov 2014

Strict monitoring of lithium levels urged

Plasma levels of lithium above the advised range are associated with a transient reduction in kidney function, research shows.

19 Nov 2014

Biomarker-directed chemotherapy detrimental in NSCLC

Treating non-small-cell lung cancer patients with chemotherapy customised according to expression of BRCA1 and receptor-associated protein 80 does not improve progression-free survival compared with nonselected, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, show study findings.

19 Nov 2014

CT screening highly sensitive, specific for lung cancer detection

Low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer has high specificity and high sensitivity, with just a small number of interval cancers, finds an interim analysis of the NELSON trial.

19 Nov 2014

Blocking key brain receptor cell could neutralize biological consequences of Alzheimer's

Blocking a key receptor in brain cells that is used by oxygen free radicals could play a major role in neutralizing the biological consequences of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University.

19 Nov 2014

Stanford scientists explore how out-of-sync circadian clock impairs brain function

Anyone who has struggled with a foggy brain while adjusting to daylight saving time knows first-hand how an out-of-sync circadian clock can impair brain function.

19 Nov 2014

Physical pain and social pain use distinct neural circuits, new study reveals

Over the last decade, neuroscientists have largely come to believe that physical pain and social pain are processed by the brain in the same way. But a new study led by the University of Colorado shows that the two kinds of pain actually use distinct neural circuits, a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments and a better understanding of how the two kinds of pain interact.

19 Nov 2014

Gastric cancer patients who receive chemoradiation after surgery have better survival rates

Patients who receive chemotherapy and radiation after surgery for gastric cancer appear to have better survival rates than those who had surgery followed by only chemotherapy, according to results of a look-back study of more than 500 people by Johns Hopkins scientists.

19 Nov 2014

'Spillover' of henipaviruses into humans underway, study finds

Another family of viruses, deadly in some cases, may have already jumped from fruit bats into humans in Africa, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Communications. The study provides the first, preliminary scientific evidence that "spillover" of henipaviruses into human populations is underway.

19 Nov 2014

WSU researchers working on new system to reduce negative effects of cancer drugs

Wichita State University researchers are working on a new system that could decrease the negative effects of cancer drugs on patients.

19 Nov 2014

Cholesterol efflux appears to be superior indicator of cardiovascular risk

Groundbreaking research from UT Southwestern Medical Center shows that cholesterol efflux capacity (cholesterol efflux), which measures HDL cholesterol function, appears to be a superior indicator of cardiovascular risk and a better target for therapeutic treatments than standard measurements of HDL. Current measurement methods reflect only the circulating levels of HDL and not the functional properties of this lipoprotein.

19 Nov 2014

Poor young people with positive perceptions report better health than people with worse perceptions

Young people growing up in impoverished neighborhoods who perceive their poor communities in a positive light report better health and well-being than those with worse perceptions of where they live, new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

19 Nov 2014

Research breakthrough offers hope for patients with severe spinal cord injuries

Case Western Reserve researchers have developed a procedure that restores function to muscles involved in the control of breathing - even when they have been paralyzed for more than a year. The breakthrough offers hope that one day patients with severe spinal cord injuries will be able to breathe again without the assistance of a ventilator.

19 Nov 2014

Opioid abuse in pregnant women increases 127% in 14 years

The number of pregnant women who abuse or are dependent on opioids (narcotics) jumped 127 percent in 14 years, leading to an increased risk of maternal death and stillbirth among other serious problems, according to a review of more than 57 million American women admitted for delivery.

19 Nov 2014

Exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy increases obesity risk in children

A study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that children who were exposed to antibiotics in the second or third trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of childhood obesity at age 7. The research also showed that for mothers who delivered their babies by a Caesarean section, whether elective or non-elective, there was a higher risk for obesity in their offspring.

19 Nov 2014

TSRI scientists reveal how ZMapp antibodies target Ebola virus

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have identified weak spots on the surface of Ebola virus that are targeted by the antibodies in ZMapp, the experimental drug cocktail administered to several patients during the recent Ebola outbreak.

19 Nov 2014

UEA researcher awarded NIHR grant to reduce avoidable asthma deaths in the UK

Leading researcher Dr. Andrew Wilson from the University of East Anglia has been awarded £1.7million in funding from the National Institute for Health Research, enabling the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research to identify people most at risk of an asthma attack in order to reduce the high number of avoidable asthma deaths.

19 Nov 2014

Scientists reveal mechanisms that create 'Mexican waves' in brain

Scientists have revealed the mechanisms that enable certain brain cells to persuade others to create 'Mexican waves' linked with cognitive function.

19 Nov 2014

Cardiac stem cell treatment restores heart function damaged by Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that injections of cardiac stem cells might help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially resulting in a longer life expectancy for patients with the chronic muscle-wasting disease.

18 Nov 2014