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Infant mortality rates for RSV much lower than previously thought

It's a virus that has long been characterized as dangerous and even deadly, but new research shows infant deaths from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are actually quite uncommon in the 21st century.

9 Dec 2014

Researchers freeze biological structures to illustrate DNA double-strand break process

Scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, led by Guillermo Montoya, have developed a method for producing biological crystals that has allowed scientists to observe --for the first time-- DNA double chain breaks. They have also developed a computer simulation that makes this process, which lasts in the order of millionths of a second, visible to the human eye.

9 Dec 2014

Study finds that disarray in methylation helps tumors adapt to changing circumstances

The genetic tumult within cancerous tumors is more than matched by the disorder in one of the mechanisms for switching cells' genes on and off, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard report in a new study.

9 Dec 2014

Weight loss surgery and exercise lower risks of serious health problems

Throughout the past year, studies on the positive effects of weight loss surgery have been published in a variety of medical journals in the US and abroad. We learned that weight loss surgery is relatively safe, and that it is effective in improving serious health conditions. More recently, we also learned that it is a factor in preventing Type 2 diabetes from developing in people considered to be pre-diabetic.

9 Dec 2014

Scientists receive NIH grants to explore sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Nine groups of scientists will receive funding totaling $5.9 million in 2014 to work together on increasing the understanding of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), the leading cause of death from epilepsy. The consortium becomes the second Center Without Walls, an initiative to speed the pace of research on difficult problems in epilepsy by promoting collaborative research.

9 Dec 2014

Opioid tramadol can increase hospitalization risk for hypoglycemia

The opioid pain-reliever tramadol appears to be associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for hypoglycemia, a potentially fatal condition caused by low blood sugar, according to a report published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

9 Dec 2014

BAZ2A protein directly influences the aggressiveness of prostate cancer

A protein that influences the epigenetic characteristics of tumor cells is directly linked to the grade of malignancy of prostate cancer. This key discovery has been made by a team of scientists from the German Cancer Research Center, the University of Zurich, Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital, Heidelberg University, and other institutes in a study of 7,700 samples of tumor tissue.

9 Dec 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers discover new way to treat triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer is as bad as it sounds. The cells that form these tumors lack three proteins that would make the cancer respond to powerful, customized treatments. Instead, doctors are left with treating these patients with traditional chemotherapy drugs that only show long-term effectiveness in 20 percent of women with triple-negative breast cancer.

9 Dec 2014

Scientists identify brain mechanisms that turn unpleasant experiences into long-lasting memories

We know that everyday events can be easy to forget, but dangerous experiences that trigger fear can remain engraved in the brain for years. Now, scientists from New York University and Japan's RIKEN Brain Science Institute have added to our understanding how this occurs.

9 Dec 2014

Case Western Reserve selected to lead $27.3 million international effort to identify causes of SUDEP

Case Western Reserve is one of two universities in the country selected to lead a $27.3 million international effort to identify the causes of a mysterious and deadly phenomenon that strikes people with epilepsy without warning.

9 Dec 2014

Triple hormone reduces body weight, improves insulin sensitivity

Recently, the researchers had constructed several single molecules with dual hormone action. Now, for the first time, the researchers succeeded in designing a substance that combines three metabolically active hormone components (GLP-1, GIP and glucagon) and offers unmatched potency to fight metabolic diseases in pre-clinical trials.

9 Dec 2014

Adverse childhood experiences impact child health, school outcomes

Nearly half of all children in the United States are exposed to at least one social or family experience that can lead to traumatic stress and impact their healthy development - be it having their parents divorce, a parent die or living with someone who abuses alcohol or drugs - increasing the risk of negative long-term health consequences or of falling behind in school, suggests new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

9 Dec 2014

Children living in non-redeveloped public housing more likely to take repeated trips to emergency rooms

San Francisco children living in non-redeveloped public housing are 39 percent more likely to repeatedly visit emergency rooms, according to new research from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley.

9 Dec 2014

Simple rectal swab cultures can thwart drug-resistant E. coli in patients undergoing TRUSBx procedures

Some infections after prostate biopsy due to drug-resistant Escherichia coli can be thwarted by simple rectal swab cultures prior to the procedure. The cultures test for antibiotic-resistant E. coli, and the findings are used to direct the selection of antimicrobial prophylaxis used for the procedure, according to Rhode Island Hospital researchers.

9 Dec 2014

Smoking can inhibit success of alcohol abuse treatment, new study finds

A new study has shown that smoking can inhibit the success of treatment for alcohol abuse, putting people who are addicted to both tobacco and alcohol in a double bind.

9 Dec 2014

MD Anderson study sheds light on miR569 gene

A genetic misfire called the 3q26.2 amplicon can cause real havoc. In fact, it is among the most frequent chromosomal aberrations seen in many cancers, including ovarian and breast cancers.

9 Dec 2014

UTHealth receives $7.3 million grant to research on health information technology

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics has been awarded grants totaling $7.3 million to enhance health care and biomedical discovery through the use of health information technology.

8 Dec 2014

McMaster University researchers identify hormone that contributes to obesity, diabetes

Researchers from McMaster University have identified an important hormone that is elevated in obese people and contributes to obesity and diabetes by inhibiting brown fat activity.

8 Dec 2014

Findings open new avenues for research to predict risk of therapy-related AML

For a small percentage of cancer patients, treatment aimed at curing the disease leads to a form of leukemia with a poor prognosis. Conventional thinking goes that chemotherapy and radiation therapy induce a barrage of damaging genetic mutations that kill cancer cells yet inadvertently spur the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer.

8 Dec 2014

Study highlights causes of postpartum disorders in new mothers

In the days shortly after giving birth, most mothers experience a period of increased calmness and decreased stress responses, but around 20% of mothers experience anxiety. Some women may become depressed, and around one in a thousand can develop psychosis. The latest evidence indicates that these distressing responses to motherhood are still poorly understood, but that animal research could provide valuable clues to their causes.

8 Dec 2014

Medical Research News

Infant mortality rates for RSV much lower than previously thought

Researchers freeze biological structures to illustrate DNA double-strand break process

Study finds that disarray in methylation helps tumors adapt to changing circumstances

Weight loss surgery and exercise lower risks of serious health problems

Scientists receive NIH grants to explore sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Opioid tramadol can increase hospitalization risk for hypoglycemia

BAZ2A protein directly influences the aggressiveness of prostate cancer

Johns Hopkins researchers discover new way to treat triple-negative breast cancer

Scientists identify brain mechanisms that turn unpleasant experiences into long-lasting memories

Case Western Reserve selected to lead $27.3 million international effort to identify causes of SUDEP

Triple hormone reduces body weight, improves insulin sensitivity

Adverse childhood experiences impact child health, school outcomes

Children living in non-redeveloped public housing more likely to take repeated trips to emergency rooms

Simple rectal swab cultures can thwart drug-resistant E. coli in patients undergoing TRUSBx procedures

Smoking can inhibit success of alcohol abuse treatment, new study finds

MD Anderson study sheds light on miR569 gene

UTHealth receives $7.3 million grant to research on health information technology

McMaster University researchers identify hormone that contributes to obesity, diabetes

Findings open new avenues for research to predict risk of therapy-related AML

Study highlights causes of postpartum disorders in new mothers

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

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