Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Controlling 'bad cholesterol' production could prevent growth of tumors, study finds
Several studies have recognized a link between obesity and cancer. Now new research further helps to understand how tumor cells grow through scavenging very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low-density lipoproteins...
Pivotal inflammatory players revealed in diabetic kidney disease
Key inflammatory mechanisms underlying type 1 diabetes and obesity-related kidney dysfunction have been identified by a team of researchers. In the study, the researchers analyzed the kidneys of experimental mice...
Dressed to kill: Tailoring a suit for tumor-penetrating cancer medications
Tiny capsules, called nanoparticles, are now being used to transport chemotherapy medicine to cancerous tumors. Researchers believe that the trick to gaining access to the pernicious cellular masses is to...
US doctors report reconstructing new esophagus tissue in a critically ill patient
American doctors report the first case of a human patient whose severely damaged esophagus was reconstructed using commercially available FDA approved stents and skin tissue. Seven years after the reconstruction...
New assay offers improved detection of deadly prion diseases
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are a family of rare progressive, neurodegenerative illnesses that affect both humans and animals. TSE surveillance is important for public health and food...
Yeast Infection Led to Removal of Transplanted Uterus
The infection inhibited blood supply to the transplanted uterus, the first in the United States, causing the need for its removal from a Texas woman.
In online first, 'exploding watermelon' takes the cake
In an online world where viral trends can shift in an instant, the "exploding watermelon" video may have set a high-water mark.
'Marijuana receptor' might hold the key to new fertility treatments for men
Scientists have shown that a cannabinoid receptor, called 'CB2,' helps regulate the creation of sperm. Not only does this provide more evidence that marijuana can disrupt fertility in males, but...
Maternal obesity and poor nutrition in the womb impairs fertility in female offspring
New research involving mice suggests that maternal obesity and poor nutrition during pregnancy affects the egg reserves of female offspring.
Obese dachshund Fat Vincent sheds 21 pounds
Ben HooperHOUSTON, April 8 (UPI) -- A dachshund named Fat Vincent that weighed in at 38 pounds when he was surrendered to a rescue has slimmed down to a healthy...
Rail safety official: Maintenance problems plague Northeast Corridor
Marisa Endicott, Medill News ServiceWASHINGTON, D.C., April 8 -- Less than a week after a spate of railway crashes, the nation's top rail safety official said the Northeast corridor...
Post-menopausal women taking metformin for diabetes may be at lower risk of cancer
Post-menopausal women who use metformin long-term for the treatment of diabetes may be at lower risk for developing certain cancers and dying from these diseases, reports a large prospective study....
Most patients likely to see reductions in pain and disability after bariatric surgery
In the three years following bariatric surgery, the majority of patients experienced an improvement in pain and walking ability, as well as a lessening of the degree to which back...
HPV vaccine may be effective in adolescents with kidney disease, but less so in those with a kidney transplant
Following vaccination against human papillomavirus, girls and young women with chronic kidney disease and those on dialysis had antibody levels above the threshold that indicates protection from infection. A significant...
Skateboarding sent about 176 youth to US emergency departments every day
A study examined data for youth and adolescents 5-19 years of age who were treated in US emergency departments (EDs) for skateboarding-related injuries from 1990-2008. Nationally, over the 19-year period,...
Bronchial carcinoma: Added benefit of crizotinib for first-line treatment not proven
In the only study of direct comparison, carboplatin in the control arm was not used in compliance with the Pharmaceutical Directive, reviewers report.
Key gene in development of celiac disease has been found in 'junk' DNA
40% of the population carry the main risk factor for celiac disease but only 1% develop the disease. A newly found gene that influences its development has been found in...
More complete genetic map of scleroderma disease makes more effective medications possible
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that affects one out of every 10,000 people in Europe and North America, mostly middle-aged women, and causes death in a high percentage of cases....
World Trade Center firefighters needing sinus surgery had more intense, longer exposure to caustic dust and have higher eosinophil levels
Firefighters who responded in the first two days of the World Trade Center disaster and those who worked at the site for six months or longer are more likely to...
Developing ways to study influenza D virus
Researchers have found antibodies to the newly discovered influenza D virus in pigs, cattle, horses, goats and sheep, but not poultry. A researcher has proven that the guinea pig can...
Cyclodextrin dissolves away cholesterol crystals
Cyclodextrin has been shown in mice to dissolve cholesterol crystals and prevent plaque formation. The drug is already approved for use in humans and could be tested in patients to...
Many ICU patients trade critical illness for new illness, ICU-acquired weakness
Some patients who suffer from muscle weakness six months after ICU discharge demonstrate persistent muscle wasting, even when the biologic functions that commonly cause muscles to atrophy have returned to...
Six-step hand-washing technique found most effective for reducing bacteria
The six-step hand-hygiene technique recommended by the World Health Organization is superior to a three-step method suggested by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in reducing bacteria...
Body Dysmorphic Disorder symptoms improve, relapse preventable with sustained medication
People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) fare better and are less likely to relapse when treated with medication on a long-term basis, according to researchers.
Fraser Health pilot program aims to take the bland out of hospital food
Chicken caesar salad, Moroccan soup and lasagna made with cottage cheese — these are just some of the meals being offered in an effort to buck the trend of bland...
Tooth decay disease most common reason for day surgery on children, Calgary study finds
Rotting teeth is a public health issue affecting an increasing number of Canadian children, according to a University of Calgary research paper released on Friday.
Gilead buys Nimbus’s NASH portfolio
$400 million deal adds ACC inhibitors to Gilead’s liver disease pipeline
Origami-Inspired Medical Tech Heals Better | Video
NSF-funded mechanical engineers at Brigham Young University are reducing the number of sutures needed in certain minimally invasive surgeries by applying principles of origami.