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Cell transplantation, gene therapy combination to open new therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease

In a recent study published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 33, 2013), Prof. Feng Li and team from Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University in China, synthesized a 19-nt oligonucleotide targeting BACE1, the key enzyme in amyloid beta protein (Aβ) production, and introduced it into the pSilenCircle vector to construct a short hairpin (shRNA) expression plasmid against the BACE1 gene.

24 Dec 2013

Study explores how genetic sequencing can help fight new strains of flu

Published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, senior author, Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology said that being able to predict which patients will be more susceptible to the emerging influenza strain, will allow clinicians to better manage an early intervention strategy.

24 Dec 2013

Healthcare workers' hands contaminated with C. difficile after routine care, study shows

A new study finds nearly one in four healthcare workers' hands were contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of patients infected with the bacteria. The study was published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

24 Dec 2013

Asthma link to mood disorders strengthened

Results from a prospective study support a relationship between asthma in adolescence and future diagnosis of mood disorders.

24 Dec 2013

Young women more likely to have negative urodynamics experience

Research from the USA suggests that while urodynamic testing is well-tolerated by women on the whole, patients who are younger, or have anxiety or depression may have more negative experiences of the procedure than other patients.

24 Dec 2013

Duration of common pediatric respiratory infections estimated

An international research team has systematically reviewed the literature to formulate up-to-date estimates of the duration of common childhood respiratory tract infections.

24 Dec 2013

Schizophrenia brain marker matches genetic risk

Polygenic risk for schizophrenia correlates with neural inefficiency in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, say researchers.

24 Dec 2013

Treating depression fails to reverse cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder

Successful treatment of depression with total sleep deprivation does not improve neuropsychologic deficits in bipolar patients, despite improving clinical symptoms, Italian researchers report.

24 Dec 2013

Low testosterone levels linked to nocturia in men

Research from South Korea indicates that low testosterone levels are associated with nocturia in men, independent of both age and prostate volume.

24 Dec 2013

Older age linked to poor inhaler technique

Poor metered dose inhaler technique is common among older patients with asthma and is associated with reduced controller medication adherence, prospective study findings show.

24 Dec 2013

Japanese FIRST tool assesses vulnerability to insomnia

The Japanese version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test has been validated and confirmed as a reliable tool for assessing vulnerability to insomnia in healthy individuals.

24 Dec 2013

Genotyping strategy could boost celiac screening efficacy

Genotyping for human leukocyte antigen followed by biopsy is a sensitive strategy for detecting histopathologic lesions in the close relatives of people with celiac disease, research indicates.

24 Dec 2013

Study finds link between genes affected by testosterone and antibody responses to influenza vaccine

A new study has identified a link between certain genes affected by testosterone and antibody responses to an influenza vaccine. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that testosterone levels may partially explain why men often have weaker responses to vaccines than women.

24 Dec 2013

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's David Perlin explains how fungal infections can become deadly

Ask someone what the term 'fungus' brings to mind, and chances are it will be an image of something that smells or looks disgusting. Ask David Perlin, executive director of the Public Health Research Institute at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the response will be far more somber - because he knows how deadly fungi can be.

24 Dec 2013

Physicians study mothers' breast milk to determine correct amounts of nutrients for premature infants

Physicians in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the Maxine Dunitz Children's Health Center launched a pilot study in which mothers' breast milk is analyzed to determine whether premature infants are receiving the correct amounts of nutrients they need to thrive.

24 Dec 2013

Changes to LZTR1 gene predispose people to develop schwannomas

Changes to a gene called LZTR1 predispose people to develop a rare disorder where multiple tumors called schwannomas form near nerve pathways, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Genetics and led by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

24 Dec 2013

Researchers identify potential therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction

Meibomian gland dysfunction is the leading cause of dry eye disease, which affects tens of millions of Americans. However, there is no FDA-approved treatment for MGD. Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have just identified a potential therapy.

24 Dec 2013

Researchers report new gene delivery method that targets tumor blood vessels

Working in mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report developing a gene delivery method long sought in the field of gene therapy: a deactivated virus carrying a gene of interest that can be injected into the bloodstream and make its way to the right cells.

24 Dec 2013

Acupuncture treatments may help alleviate side effects of breast cancer drugs

A new analysis has found that both real and sham acupuncture treatments may help alleviate side effects of drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may help clinicians improve care for cancer patients. The results also raise the question of whether sham acupuncture is truly inert or may, like real acupuncture, have beneficial effects.

24 Dec 2013

Most frequent reasons for readmission often related to patients' underlying chronic medical conditions

Researchers cite identification and monitoring of known underlying chronic medical conditions as opportunities to reduce readmission rates and improve patient safety.

24 Dec 2013