Latest advances in medical research thread

[william the wie]

Just lurking for alerts.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Scientists 'print' new eye cells

Scientists say they have been able to successfully print new eye cells that could be used to treat sight loss.

The proof-of-principle work in the journal Biofabrication was carried out using animal cells.

The Cambridge University team says it paves the way for grow-your-own therapies for people with damage to the light-sensitive layer of tissue at back of the eye - the retina.

More tests are needed before human trials can begin.
“

This is a step in the right direction as the retina is often affected in many of the common eye conditions, causing loss of central vision which stops people watching TV and seeing the faces of loved ones”

At the moment the results are preliminary and show that an inkjet printer can be used to print two types of cells from the retina of adult rats―ganglion cells and glial cells.

BBC News - Scientists 'print' new eye cells

 

[ScienceRocks]

Stress gene linked to heart attacks

A stress gene has been linked to having a higher risk of dying from a heart attack or heart disease.

Heart patients with the genetic change had a 38% increased risk of heart attack or death, say US researchers.

Personalised medicine may lead to better targeting of psychological or drug treatment to those most at risk, they report in PLOS ONE.

The study adds to evidence stress may directly increase heart disease risk, says the British Heart Foundation.

A team at Duke University School of Medicine studied a single DNA letter change in the human genome, which has been linked to being more vulnerable to the effects of stress.

BBC News - Stress gene linked to heart attacks

 

[ScienceRocks]

UCLA researcher highlights advances in nanotechnology's fight against cancer

4 hours ago by Brianna Deane

(Phys.org) —As cancer maintains its standing as the second leading cause of death in the U.S., researchers have continued their quest for safer and more effective treatments. Among the most promising advances has been the rise of nanomedicine, the application of tiny materials and devices whose sizes are measured in the billionths of a meter to detect, diagnose and treat disease.

Read more at: UCLA researcher highlights advances in nanotechnology's fight against cancer

 

[ScienceRocks]

Researchers have discovered a cause of aging in mammals that may be reversible.

Researchers find a cause of aging that can be reversed

The essence of this finding is a series of molecular events that enable communication inside cells between the nucleus and mitochondria. As communication breaks down, aging accelerates. By administering a molecule naturally produced by the human body, scientists restored the communication network in older mice. Subsequent tissue samples showed key biological hallmarks that were comparable to those of much younger animals.

"The aging process we discovered is like a married couple—when they are young, they communicate well, but over time, living in close quarters for many years, communication breaks down," said Harvard Medical School Professor of Genetics David Sinclair, senior author on the study. "And just like with a couple, restoring communication solved the problem."

This study was a joint project between Harvard Medical School, the National Institute on Aging, and the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, where Sinclair also holds a position.

The findings are published Dec. 19 in Cell.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Scientists successfully synthesize red blood cells
Scientists successfully synthesize red blood cells | DVICE

For over 10 years, biological chemist Samuel Danishefsky has researched the possibility of synthesizing erythropoietin (EPO), the protein hormone necessary for producing red blood cells. This hormone is key in creating red blood cells from scratch. Now, Danishefsky and his team at Sloane Kettering Institute for Cancer Research have done just that: they created a version of EPO in their lab from scratch.

EPO, a protein that comes with an attached sugar, is naturally produced in the body by the kidneys. It is an essential component for the body to produce red blood cells, stimulating the process in the bone marrow. Red blood cells are key in how much oxygen the blood can carry. EPO also helps the body create hemoglobin, which carries this oxygen through the blood. It is often used to treat conditions like anemia. Unfortunately, it is also often used as a performance enhancing drug.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Turning back time: ageing reversed in mice

17:52 19 December 2013 by Laasya Samhita
For similar stories, visit the Cancer Topic Guide

Imagine if we could turn back time. A team that has identified a new way in which cells age has also reversed the process in old mice whose bodies appear younger in several ways. The discovery has implications for understanding age-related diseases including cancers, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes.

One way all mammalian cells produce energy is via aerobic respiration, in which large molecules are broken down into smaller ones, releasing energy in the process. This mainly occurs in the mitochondria – the "powerhouses" of cells. Mitochondria carry their own genomes, but some of the cellular components needed for respiration are produced partly by the nucleus, so the two must coordinate their activities.

As we age, mitochondrial function declines, which can lead to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. To investigate why this decline occurs, Ana Gomes at Harvard Medical School and her colleagues compared the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) – molecules that convey genetic information around a cell – for the cellular components needed for respiration in the skeletal muscle of 6 and 22-month-old mice.

Turning back time: ageing reversed in mice - health - 19 December 2013 - New Scientist

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25445748

 

[ScienceRocks]

Indian scientists invent insulin pills for diabetics

Kounteya Sinha,TNN | Dec 19, 2013, 11.43 AM IST

LONDON: In a big breakthrough, Indian scientists have done what medical science has been trying to achieve since 1930 - an insulin pill for diabetics.

Since insulin's crucial discovery nearly a century ago, countless diabetes patients have had to inject themselves with the life-saving medicine.

Now Indian scientists have reported a new development toward a long-sought insulin pill that could save millions the pain of daily shots.

Published in the American Chemical Society journal, the advance could someday not only eliminate the "ouch" factor but also get needle-wary — and weary — patients to take their medicine when they should.

For years, researchers have sought a way to transform delivery of this therapy from a shot to a pill, but it has been a challenge.

The body's digestive enzymes that are so good at breaking down food also break down insulin before it can get to work.

Indian scientists invent insulin pills for diabetics - The Times of India

 

[ScienceRocks]

Patient 'progressing' after first artificial heart implant in France

By Laurence Benhamou (AFP) – 4 hours ago

Paris — A 75-year-old man who this week became the first person to receive an artificial heart developed by French biomedical firm Carmat was progressing well, doctors said Saturday.

The patient was "progressing and recuperating", said surgeon Christian Latremouille, who was among the 16-strong team of doctors who performed the operation at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris on Wednesday.

Artificial hearts have already been in use for many years as a temporary fix for patients with chronic heart problems.

The Carmat product aims at providing a longer-term solution to bridge the wait for a donor heart and enable hospitalised patients to return home and maybe even resume work.

"He was nearing the end of his life," Latremouille told a press conference, adding that the surgery had gone according to plan. "The intervention took place in good conditions... There were no complications linked to the innovative nature of the implant operation," he said.

"He is not walking yet, but we will try to get him sitting and then standing soon enough. The objective is for him to have a normal life."

The artificial heart, a self-contained unit implanted in the patient's chest, uses soft "biomaterials" and an array of sensors to mimic the contractions of the heart.

The goal is to lessen the risk of blood clots and rejection by the immune system.

The patient will have to wear a belt of lithium batteries to power the heart.

Cardiac surgeon Alain Carpentier, who led the operation and who has spent 25 years working on the development of the artificial heart, said he was grateful to the patient for taking part in the trial. "He has a lot of humour. He's a very good patient," he told reporters.

More volunteers could soon benefit from the 900-gramme (31-ounce) device, according to Philippe Pouletty, who co-founded Carmat with Carpentier.

AFP: Patient 'progressing' after first artificial heart implant in France

 

[ScienceRocks]

Portable scanner designed to make eye exams quicker and easier

If you're like a lot of people, you don't make an annual trip to the ophthalmologist to get your eyes checked ... and you really ought to, in order to catch any problems before it's too late. If it were possible to get them checked at a regular doctor's office or clinic, though, perhaps you might do so more often. That's one of the reasons that a team at MIT have designed a new hand-held retinal scanner, that can quickly and easily be used anywhere.

Ordinarily, eye exams are carried out using relatively large instruments that are permanently located in an optometrist or ophthalmologist's office. The portable prototype MIT device, by contrast, is about the size of a consumer camcorder. It can "read" a patient's eye in seconds, using a single measurement to look for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

http://www.gizmag.com/mit-portable-retinal-oct-scanner/30225/

 

[ScienceRocks]

Gene therapy for human skin disease produces long-term benefits

Stem cell-based gene therapy holds promise for the treatment of devastating genetic skin diseases, but the long-term clinical outcomes of this approach have been unclear. In a study online December 26th in the ISSCR's journal Stem Cell Reports, published by Cell Press, researchers evaluated a patient with a genetic skin disorder known as epidermolysis bullosa (EB) nearly seven years after he had undergone a gene therapy procedure as part of a clinical trial. The study revealed that a small number of skin stem cells transplanted into the patient's legs were sufficient to restore normal skin function, without causing any adverse side effects.

Gene therapy for human skin disease produces long-term benefits

 

[ScienceRocks]

Study identifies potential therapeutic target for incurable, rare type of soft-tissue cancer

A deadly, rare type of soft-tissue cancer may be completely eradicated simply by inhibiting a key protein involved in its growth, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.


In the study, published online today in Cell Reports, scientists found that inhibiting the action of a protein called BRD4 caused cancer cells to die in a mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs).

"This study identifies a potential new therapeutic target to combat MPNST, an incurable type of cancer that is typically fatal," said Dr. Lu Le, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study. "The findings also provide important insight into what causes these tumors to develop."

Study identifies potential therapeutic target for incurable, rare type of soft-tissue cancer

 

[ScienceRocks]

New genetic clues for rheumatoid arthritis 'cure'

An international team of researchers has found more than 40 new areas in DNA that increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

The work is the largest genetic study ever carried out, involving nearly 30,000 patients.

The investigators believe new drugs could be developed to target these areas that could one day provide a cure for the disease.

The findings are published in the Journal Nature

BBC News - New genetic clues for rheumatoid arthritis 'cure'

 

[ScienceRocks]

Vitamin E may slow functional decline in Alzheimer’s patients, study finds

The caregiver time was lowered by approximately two hours per day in the vitamin E group.
According to a new release from the JAMA Network Journals, vitamin E may help Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers discovered that a daily dosage of 2,000 IUs of vitamin E for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease slowed functional decline and lowered caregiver time in helping patients.

Alpha tocopherol, a fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant, has not been examined in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease . In patients with moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease, vitamin E was revealed to be effective in abating clinical progression. In addition, the drug memantine has been revealed to be effective in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and moderately severe dementia.

Vitamin E may slow functional decline in Alzheimer?s patients, study finds | Science Recorder

 

[ScienceRocks]

Novel noninvasive therapy prevents breast cancer formation in mice

A novel breast-cancer therapy that partially reverses the cancerous state in cultured breast tumor cells and prevents cancer development in mice, could one day provide a new way to treat early stages of the disease without resorting to surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, a multi-institutional team led by researchers from the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University reported January 1 in Science Translational Medicine.

The therapy emerged from a sophisticated effort to reverse-engineer gene networks to identify genes that drive cancer. The same strategy could lead to many new therapies that disable cancer-causing genes no current drugs can stop, and it also can be used to find therapies for other diseases.

Novel noninvasive therapy prevents breast cancer formation in mice

 

[ScienceRocks]

Shingles rash linked to higher risk of stroke

Shingles, the nerve rash in adulthood caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus, is an independent risk factor for stroke and other blood clot events, the largest study to confirm the association has found.
Publishing their findings in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the researchers found that shingles was a risk factor for stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA, a mini-stroke).

The increased risk was independent of other factors known to raise the chances of vascular events, including obesity, smoking and high cholesterol.

The size of the increase in risk was by three-quarters for some, the researchers say.

People under 40 years of age who had had shingles were 74% more likely to have a stroke than those who had not suffered the rash.

Shingles rash linked to higher risk of stroke - Medical News Today

 

[JimBowie1958]

Indian scientists invent insulin pills for diabetics

Kounteya Sinha,TNN | Dec 19, 2013, 11.43 AM IST

LONDON: In a big breakthrough, Indian scientists have done what medical science has been trying to achieve since 1930 - an insulin pill for diabetics.

Since insulin's crucial discovery nearly a century ago, countless diabetes patients have had to inject themselves with the life-saving medicine.

Now Indian scientists have reported a new development toward a long-sought insulin pill that could save millions the pain of daily shots.

Published in the American Chemical Society journal, the advance could someday not only eliminate the "ouch" factor but also get needle-wary — and weary — patients to take their medicine when they should.

For years, researchers have sought a way to transform delivery of this therapy from a shot to a pill, but it has been a challenge.

The body's digestive enzymes that are so good at breaking down food also break down insulin before it can get to work.

Indian scientists invent insulin pills for diabetics - The Times of India

Hopefully this would also remove or less the need to refrigerate the insulin. During a disaster that takes out the electrical system, diabetics are in a situation where their insulin supplies are at risk due to lack of refrigeration.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Study confirms a gene linked to Asperger Syndrome and empathy

by Alexandra Buxton

(Medical Xpress)—Scientists have confirmed that variations in a particular gene play a key role in the autism spectrum condition known as Asperger Syndrome. They have also found that variations in the same gene are also linked to differences in empathy levels in the general population.

Study confirms a gene linked to Asperger Syndrome and empathy

Is having blonde hair a 'condition'?

Asperger's Syndrome is not a condition, it is simply a different way of thinking. Some of our most brilliant people have been Aspies, in all likelihood. If someone could have removed Tesla's Asperger's syndrome, would ha have remained as brilliant as he was?

Retrospective diagnoses of autism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ScienceRocks]

Turning off the ‘aging genes’

Computer algorithm developed by TAU researchers identifies genes that could be transformed to stop the aging process

January 3, 2014

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a computer algorithm that predicts which genes can be “turned off” to create the same anti-aging effect as calorie restriction*. The findings, reported in Nature Communications, could lead to the development of new drugs to treat aging.

“Most algorithms try to find drug targets that kill cells to treat cancer or bacterial infections,” says Keren Yizhak, a doctoral student in Prof. Eytan Ruppin’s laboratory. “Our algorithm is the first in our field to look for drug targets not to kill cells, but to transform them from a diseased state into a healthy one.”

Turning off the ?aging genes? | KurzweilAI

 

[ScienceRocks]

Lung Cancer Rates in US Declining, CDC Finds

The percentage of Americans developing lung cancer every year is dropping, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On average, 78 of every 100,000 men in the U.S. developed lung cancer in 2009, down from 87 per 100,000 in 2005, according to the report. That's a decline of 2.6 percent in men's rate of lung cancer.

Similarly for women, lung cancer rates decreased 1.1 percent, dropping to 54 cases in every 100,000 women in 2009, from 57 in 2005.

Lung Cancer Rates in US Declining, CDC Finds | LiveScience