Bionic reconstruction replaces useless hands

Vienna University. Austria: The leading medical journal, "The Lancet", has just published a study by Oskar Aszmann. In this study, Aszmann describes the bionic reconstruction technique he has developed at the MedUni Vienna. Complex neuromuscular procedures are performed to create a biotechnology interface that gives patients mechatronic hand functions. Patients can subsequently get on with their lives with two hands again.

25 Percent of Children Who Are Homeless Need Mental Health Services

UNC. US: A pilot study in Wake County, North Carolina, finds that 25 percent of children who are homeless are in need of mental health services. The study, conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University and Community Action Targeting Children who are Homeless (CATCH), highlights the need for more screening and support for the millions of homeless children in the United States.

Wearable Sensor Smooths Path to Long-Term EKG, EMG Monitoring

UNC. US: Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new, wearable sensor that uses silver nanowires to monitor electrophysiological signals, such as electrocardiography (EKG) or electromyography (EMG). The new sensor is as accurate as the “wet electrode” sensors used in hospitals, but can be used for long-term monitoring and is more accurate than existing sensors when a patient is moving.

Novel precision medicine tool could help personalize cancer treatments

Dana Farber Center. US: By measuring how vigorously tumor cells turn on “self-destruct” signals when exposed to different cancer drugs, a novel lab test can predict within less than 24 hours which agent is most likely to work against a particular tumor, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Ultra-small Block 'M' illustrates big ideas in drug delivery

Michigan University. US: By making what might be the world's smallest three-dimensional unofficial Block "M," University of Michigan researchers have demonstrated a nanoparticle manufacturing process capable of producing multilayered, precise shapes. The researchers say their technique may pave the way to medications that can target specific cells, deliver multiple drugs at different times and rates, and even allow doctors to steer the drugs to particular locations in the body.

Passive Facebook use undermines how a person feels

Michigan University. US: Using Facebook only to scroll through your news feed or browse other people's profiles can have a negative impact on your well-being, says a University of Michigan researcher.

Global hypertension treatment will save millions of lives

CDC. US: In just 10 years, 10 million heart attacks and strokes could be averted worldwide by treating just half the people with uncontrolled hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, suggests CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues in a Lancet commentary published today.

study highlights burden of pneumonia hospitalizations on U.S. children

CDC. US: Children younger than 5 years of age accounted for 70 percent of pneumonia hospitalizations among children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a study published today. Pneumonia remains a leading cause of hospitalization among children in the United States. The two-and-a-half-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by CDC researchers and three U.S. children’s medical centers estimated the burden of community-acquired pneumonia hospitalizations among U.S.

Nearly half a million Americans suffered from Clostridium difficile infections in a single year

CDC. US: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) caused almost half a million infections among patients in the United States in a single year, according to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

FDA approves new antibacterial drug Avycaz

FDA. US: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Avycaz (ceftazidime-avibactam), a new antibacterial drug product, to treat adults with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI), in combination with metronidazole, and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including kidney infections (pyelonephritis), who have limited or no alternative treatment options. 

Obesity poses serious health risks for moms and their babies

UCLA. US: Veronica Romero was 21 years old and worried. Pregnant with her first child, she was putting on a lot of weight. Her obstetrician leveled with her: “You’re gaining too much.” But as she approached 50 pounds of weight gain near the end of her pregnancy, Romero felt helpless.

Airport screening for viruses misses half of infected travelers but can be improved

UCLA. US: In the past decade, the H1N1 virus and Ebola are just two of the diseases whose spread was spurred by international airline travel. Screening passengers at airports, therefore, could be one key method for slowing the global spread of infectious diseases.

Study could point toward better decisions for treating men with prostate cancer

UCLA (US) researchers have found that radiation therapy is the most common treatment for men with prostate cancer regardless of the aggressiveness of the tumor, risk to the patient and overall patient prognosis. These findings lay the groundwork for improved treatment assessment by physicians and to better inform men fighting the disease.

Cystic Fibrosis Discovery May Lead to New Treatment Strategy to Help Patients Breathe Easier

UCSF. US: A team led by UC San Francisco professor of medicine John Fahy, MD, has discovered why mucus in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) is thick, sticky and difficult to cough up, leaving these patients more vulnerable to lung infection.

U.S. Women’s Awareness of Breast Density Varies by Race and Ethnicity, Education and Income, Mayo Clinic Study Finds

Mayo Clinic. US: Disparities in the level of awareness and knowledge of breast density exist among U.S. women, according to the results of a Mayo Clinic study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

DNA barcodes help researchers track rise, fall of yeast dynasties

Stanford University. US: A technique developed by Stanford researchers has implications for understanding how cancer cells evolve as a tumor grows or how a virus spreads and changes during an infection.

New target identified in fight against Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis

Washington University. US: Highlighting a potential target in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease, new research suggests that triggering a protein found on the surface of brain cells may help slow the progression of these and other neurological diseases.

Gut microbes targeted for diagnosis, treatment of childhood undernutrition

Washington University. US: Guided by the immune system, researchers have identified types of gut bacteria in young children in Malawi that are linked to nutritional health and that have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for childhood undernutrition.

Researchers Find New Patient-Centered Hospital Design Has Little Effect on Patient Satisfaction

Johns Hopkins. US: Contrary to previous reports, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that patients’ satisfaction scores only modestly improved based on the newly remodeled design of a hospital.

In one of the largest pre- and post-evaluation studies, published in the March 2015 issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, Zishan Siddiqui, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Daniel Brotman, M.D., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed patient satisfaction results to see what role hospital renovations play in patient satisfaction.

Competition Among Physicians and Retail Clinics Drive Higher Antiobiotic Prescribing Rate, Particularly in Wealthy Zip Codes

Johns Hopkins. US: Competition among doctors’ offices, urgent care centers and retail medical clinics in wealthy areas of the U.S. often leads to an increase in the number of antibiotic prescriptions written per person, a team led by Johns Hopkins researchers has found.

Primary Care Residents Unlikely to Detect Hazardous Alcohol Use

Wake ForestCenter. US: When it comes to detecting alcohol misuse, newly minted primary care physicians ask the wrong questions at the wrong times, according to a study led by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
The study, published in the current online issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, surveye

Researchers Detail Reasons for Ibrutinib Therapy Discontinuation in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Ohio University. US: About 10 percent of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) discontinued therapy with the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor drug ibrutinib because of disease progression during clinical trials, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.

Shake it off? Not so easy for people with depression, new brain research suggests

Michigan University. US: Rejected by a person you like? Just “shake it off” and move on, as music star Taylor Swift says. But while that might work for many people, it may not be so easy for those with untreated depression, a new brain study finds.

Women veterans with chest pain heavier, more depressed than men

Michigan University. US: Women veterans getting medical attention for chest pain were younger and more likely to be obese, depressed and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder than men veterans, according to a study published in an American Heart Association journal.

People with disabilities experience unrecognized health disparities, new research shows

Oregon University. US: People with disabilities have unmet medical needs and poorer overall health throughout their lives, and as a result should be recognized as a health disparity group so more attention can be directed to improving their quality of life, a team of policy researchers has found.

Widely Used Food Additive Promotes Colitis, Obesity And Metabolic Syndrome, Research Shows

Georgia University. US: Emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods to aid texture and extend shelf life, can alter the gut microbiota composition and localization to induce intestinal inflammation that promotes the development of inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome, new research shows.

Researchers reverse type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in rats

Yale University. US: Yale researchers developed a controlled-release oral therapy that reversed type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in rats, according to a study published on Feb. 26 by Science.

Scientists Discover Robust Evidence That Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is a Biological Illness

Columbia University. US: Researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health identified distinct immune changes in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, known medically as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) or systemic exertion intolerance disease.

Women Twice as Likely to See Pot as Risky

Columbia University. US: A study on the perceived risk of regularly using cannabis and the characteristics associated with these perceptions found that non-white, low-income women over the age of 50 were most likely to perceive a risk in using the drug. Least likely were those 12 to 25 years old, with a high school diploma or more, and a total family income above $75,000.

Mind-Reading Neurons

Harvard University. US: Study identifies neurons that predict what another individual will do. Every day we make decisions based on predicting what someone else will do, from deciding whether the driver approaching an intersection will stop for the red light to determining whether a particular negotiation strategy will result in a desired outcome. Now a study by Harvard Medical School investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital has discovered two groups of neurons that play key roles in social interactions between primates.

Reducing Tumor Growth

Harvard University. US: Some NSAIDs can stem the growth of a common intracranial tumor. Researchers from the Harvard-MIT Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology and Massachusetts Eye and Ear have demonstrated that salicylates, a class of nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), reduced the proliferation and viability of cultured vestibular schwannoma cells that cause a sometimes lethal intracranial tumor that typically causes hearing loss and tinnitus.

Ultrasound and liver function tests for the diagnosis of common bile duct stones

Cochrane: Bile, produced in the liver and stored temporarily in the gallbladder, is released into the small bowel on eating fatty food. The common bile duct is the tube through which bile flows from the gallbladder to the small bowel. Stones in the common bile duct (common bile duct stones), usually formed in the gallbladder before migration into the bile duct, can obstruct the flow of bile leading to jaundice (yellowish discolouration of skin, white of the eyes, and dark urine); infection of the bile (cholangitis); and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can be life threatening.

Endoscopic ultrasound versus magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography for the diagnosis of common bile duct stones

Cochrane: Bile, produced in the liver and stored temporarily in the gallbladder, is released into the small bowel on eating fatty food. The common bile duct (CBD) is the tube through which bile flows from the gallbladder to the small bowel. Stones in the CBD (CBD stones) are usually formed in the gallbladder before migration into the bile duct. They can obstruct the flow of bile leading to jaundice (yellowish discolouration of skin, whites of the eyes, and dark urine), infection of the bile (cholangitis), and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can be life threatening.

Branched-chain amino acids improve symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy

Cochrane: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain dysfunction associated with liver disease. Cirrhosis, which is a condition where scar tissue (fibrosis) replaces the normal liver tissue, is the most common cause of hepatic encephalopathy. The severity of the symptoms range from minor signs to coma.

Interventions for preventing or reducing respiratory tract infections and asthma symptoms in mould-damaged buildings

Cochrane: Our aim was to find out if repairing buildings damaged by dampness and mould reduces or prevents respiratory symptoms and asthma.

Comparison of the different ways of giving fluids to patients who cannot drink enough, such as patients with Ebola virus disease

Cochrane: Many patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD) die because they are dehydrated. Patients with EVD often experience severe vomiting and diarrhoea, which causes them to lose fluids that are difficult to replace by drinking alone. It is possible to give fluids in ways that do not involve the digestive tract; this is known as parenteral access.

Transmyocardial laser revascularization compared to medical therapy for refractory angina

Cochrane: This review examines the effectiveness and safety of a surgical intervention using a laser device directly on the heart surface for patients suffering from angina for whom other interventions are not suitable. This is an updated version of the original review published in 2009.

Postoperative pain relief for children

Cochrane: Pain is commonly experienced after surgery. Children tend to rely on a parent or carer to give medication to help relieve the pain. Medication can either be given when the child complains of pain (as required), or 'around the clock' (fixed schedule, e.g. every four hours).

Time-lapse systems for embryo incubation and embryo assessment for couples undergoing IVF

Cochrane: We reviewed the evidence for time-lapse systems (TLSs) for embryo incubation and embryo assessment for couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Surgical versus non-surgical treatment after kneecap dislocation

Cochrane: The patella or kneecap is a lens-shaped bone situated at the front of the knee. It is incorporated into the tendon of the quadriceps muscles of the thigh and moves within a groove at the lower end of the thigh bone (femur). Patellar dislocation occurs when the patella completely moves out of this groove. It typically occurs in young and physically active people with minimal trauma when they twist the bent knee with the foot fixed to the ground, for example, during sporting activities.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography versus intraoperative cholangiography for the diagnosis of common bile duct stones

Cochrane: The liver has various functions. Production of bile is one of these functions. The common bile duct (CBD) is the tube through which bile flows from the gallbladder (where bile is temporarily stored) into the small bowel. Stones in the CBD (CBD stones) can obstruct the flow of bile from the liver into the small bowel. Usually such stones are formed in the gallbladder and migrate into the CBD. Obstruction of the flow of bile can lead to jaundice (yellowish discolouration of skin and white of the eyes, and dark urine), infection of the bile duct (cholangitis), and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can be life threatening.

Sharp rise in experimental animal research in US

BMJ: The use of animals in experimental research has soared at leading US laboratories in recent years, finds research published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics. This is despite growing public opposition to animal experimentation, mounting evidence that animal studies often do not faithfully translate to people, and the development of new research technologies that supplant animal use.

Should smoking be banned in UK parks?

BMJ: Is a smoking ban in UK parks and outdoor spaces a good idea? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today.

Fukushima data show rise and fall in food radioactivity

Nature: Giant database captures fluctuating radioactivity levels in vegetables, fruit, meat and tea. A massive food-monitoring programme in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster has provided scientists with a unique look at how radioactivity peaks in different foods after a nuclear spill.

Therapeutic cancer vaccine survives biotech bust

Nature: The first therapeutic cancer vaccine to be approved in the United States will stay on the market despite the financial collapse of the trailblazing biotechnology company that developed it. The vaccine, Provenge (sipuleucel-T), was purchased on 23 February by Valeant Pharmaceuticals of Laval, Canada, which paid US$415 million for the prostate-cancer treatment and other assets of the bankrupt Dendreon Corporation.

Food preservatives linked to obesity and gut disease

Nature: Mouse study suggests that emulsifiers alter gut bacteria, leading to the inflammatory bowel condition colitis. Artificial preservatives used in many processed foods could increase the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic disorders, according to research published on 25 February in Nature(1). In a study done in mice, chemicals known as emulsifiers were found to alter the make-up of bacteria in the colon  the first time that these additives have been shown to affect health directly.

Bacterial Defense Mechanism Targets Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duke University. US: Gene therapy approach could treat 60 percent of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients. Duke researchers have demonstrated a genetic therapeutic technique that has the potential to treat more than half of the patients suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Evolving a Bigger Brain With Human DNA

Duke University. US: The size of the human brain expanded dramatically during the course of evolution, imparting us with unique capabilities to use abstract language and do complex math. But how did the human brain get larger than that of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, if almost all of our genes are the same?

Researchers find link between microbiome, type 1 diabetes

Broad Institute. US: In one of the largest longitudinal studies of the microbiome to date, researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the DIABIMMUNE Study Group have identified a connection between changes in gut microbiota and the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Largest ever genome-wide study strengthens genetic link to obesity

Broad Institute. US: Why some people are more likely than others to gain weight and develop obesity-related conditions. There are many reasons why people gain different amounts of weight and why fat becomes stored in different parts of their bodies. Now researchers conducted the largest study of genetic variation to date to home in on genetic reasons. Their findings were published today in companion papers, genome-wide association studies, in the journal Nature.

Quality control for adult stem cell treatment

EMBO: A team of European researchers has devised a strategy to ensure that adult epidermal stem cells are safe before they are used as treatments for patients. The approach involves a clonal strategy where stem cells are collected and cultivated, genetically modified and single cells isolated before being rigorously tested to make sure they meet the highest possible safety criteria. The strategy, which is published online in EMBO Molecular Medicine, is inspired by the approaches the biotechnology industry and regulatory affairs authorities have adopted for medicinal proteins produced from genetically engineered mammalian cells.

Scientists use tissue engineering to grow leg muscle

EMBO: A team of researchers from Italy, Israel and the United Kingdom has succeeded in generating mature, functional skeletal muscles in mice using a new approach for tissue engineering. The scientists grew a leg muscle starting from engineered cells cultured in a dish to produce a graft. The subsequent graft was implanted close to a normal, contracting skeletal muscle where the new muscle was nurtured and grown. In time, the method could allow for patient-specific treatments for a large number of muscle disorders. The results are published in EMBO Molecular Medicine.

Vitamin K2 restores elasticity of blood vessels

Maastricht University. Netherlands: Researchers at the R&D Group VitaK (100% subsidiary of UM Holding) have provided definitive proof that vitamin K2 not only prevents atherosclerosis, but can also restore arterial stiffness. This breakthrough in the link between nutrition and cardiovascular disease was made following a large-scale intervention study in which hundreds of patients received either vitamin K2 or a placebo over the course of three years. The study was published in the leading scientific journal Thrombosis and Haemostasis and is the first to confirm a causal relationship between vitamin K2 and cardiovascular disease.

Trapping the Ebola virus in transit

Munich University. Germany: The deadly Ebola virus makes use of host mechanisms – including a specific type of membrane-bound calcium channel – to gain entry into the cell cytoplasm. LMU researchers now show that blocking this channel markedly inhibits infection.

1.1 billion people at risk of hearing loss

WHO highlights serious threat posed by exposure to recreational noise. Some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events, according to WHO. Hearing loss has potentially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, education and employment.

VEGF-C, an indispensable growth factor for producing new neurons

INSERM. France: The decline of the neurogenesis mechanism (production of new neurons) during ageing is implicated in the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Research studies bringing together Inserm, CNRS and Université de Pierre et Marie Curie researchers from the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (Inserm/ CNRS / Pierre and Marie Curie University), in collaboration with a team from the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, have demonstrated the importance of factor VEGF-C in the activation of neural stem cells, and hence in the production of new neurons.

Bariatric surgery affects risk of pregnancy complications

Karolinska Institute. Sweden: Bariatric surgery has both a positive and negative influence on the risk of complications during subsequent pregnancy and delivery, concludes a new study from Karolinska Institutet. The results, which are published in the  New England Journal of Medicine , indicate that maternal health services should regard such cases as risk pregnancies.

Early signs in young children predict type 1 diabetes

Lund University. Sweden: New research shows that it is possible to predict the development of type 1 diabetes. By measuring the presence of autoantibodies in the blood, it is possible to detect whether the immune system has begun to break down the body’s own insulin cells.

GLP-1 secretion is reduced in overweight, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Copenhagen University. Denmark: The world’s largest study looking at the secretion of the gut hormone GLP-1 has found that the secretion is reduced among overweight and obese people, people with pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes. The research was a joint collaboration between Steno Diabetes Center and the University of Copenhagen.

Coronary heart disease leading cause of death for men aged 50 and over in 2013

British Heart Foundation: Coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause of death for men aged 50 and over in 2013, according to latest figures. More than 36,000 deaths for men aged 50 and over were attributed to CHD in 2013.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that CHD is still the leading cause of death in England and Wales.

Heart attack risk raised by blocking natural immune response

British Heart Foundation: One of the body's natural responses to infection or injury is called inflammation and research we helped to fund has shown that blocking it could increase a person's heart attack risk.

New drug treatment could offer stroke survivors better outcomes

Glasgow University. UK: Promising results for a new drug treatment for ischaemic stroke patients have been published today in the journal ‘Lancet Neurology’.
‌A new drug treatment, Tenecteplase, has been shown to have similar outcomes in limiting the damage done in the brain after a stroke compared with current treatments. Crucially however, it is also far easier to administer and may also be safer.

Pancreatic cancer has four distinct types

Glasgow University. UK: Researchers have found that pancreatic cancer can be split into four unique types, a discovery that could be used to improve treatments for the disease, according to a study published in Nature.

Healthy older adults carry leukaemia mutations

NHS. UK: BBC News reports that, according to researchers, “It is ‘almost inevitable’ that your blood will take the first steps towards leukaemia as you age”. Researchers analysed the blood of 4,219 people, looking for DNA errors (mutations) linked to blood cancers (leukaemia).

Does deadly diet drug DNP defeat diabetes?

NHS. UK: "A chemical [DNP] which caused munitions factory workers to lose weight inexplicably in the First World War could cure diabetes," The Daily Telegraph reports. The banned weight loss drug looked effective and safe when given in a modified form to rats bred to have diabetes.

Longer sleep linked to stroke

NHS. UK: “Too much sleep could kill you,” is the baseless and needlessly alarmist headline on the front cover of today’s Daily Express. The study it is reporting on actually showed that people who sleep for more than eight hours a night had a 46% increased risk of stroke over the following 10 years, compared with people sleeping six to eight hours.

Game changer HIV drug cuts infection risk by 86%

NHS. UK: "Scientists hail discovery of 'game-changer' that cuts the risk of infection among gay men by 86%," The Independent reports. The drug, Truvada, has proved very successful in a "real-world" trial involving 545 participants.

Leukaemia-associated mutations almost inevitable as we age

Sanger Institute. UK: Researchers estimate that 7 in 10 over 90-year-olds harbour cells with early leukaemia mutation. It is almost inevitable that we will develop genetic mutations associated with leukaemia as we age, according to research published today in Cell Reports. Based on a study of 4219 people without any evidence of blood cancer, scientists estimate that up to 20 per cent of people aged 50-60 and more than 70 per cent of people over 90 have blood cells with the same gene changes as found in leukaemia.

Measuring 'MoodTraces': new app helps monitor depression

University of Birmingham. UK: Scientists from the University of Birmingham have developed an app that can measure the activity patterns of patients with depression and provide the necessary support.

Urine test could lead to better treatment of bladder cancer

University of Birmingham. UK: Researchers at the University of Birmingham believe that a simple urine test could help to guide clinicians in the treatment of bladder cancer patients. Being able to reliably identify those patients with the most aggressive cancers early via urine tests, and expediting aggressive therapeutic strategies, may significantly improve outcomes. The scientists believe that the validation of two urinary biomarkers could spell a new way of tailoring treatment.

Cell manipulation could lead to the better treatment of disease

Nottingham University. UK: A new laboratory tool which will allow scientists to build and move microscopic cells could lead to the development of better treatments for disease. In a new study, published in Scientific Reports and led by researchers at The University of Nottingham, scientists have discovered how microscopic cells can be manipulated and studied more closely in 3D using a high intensity infrared light.

Pollution is driving force behind growth of nuisance algal scums, study finds

Nottingham University. UK: Potentially toxic microbes which pose a threat to our drinking water have undergone a dramatic population explosion over the last 200 years as a result of pollution, research involving experts from The University of Nottingham has found.

A new bright light source to speed up cancer diagnosis

Nottingham University. UK: A newly discovered mid-infrared (MIR) light made from a special type of optical fibre, will lead to new types of cancer diagnosis, such as in the rapid screening of skin on your body while you wait, and to assist in the careful removal of diseased tissue during surgery.

Dwarfism gene found

Edinburgh University. UK: A gene linked to a type of dwarfism has been identified, in a development that will help to provide better diagnoses for those families affected. Scientists have found that errors in a particular gene can cause profound growth defects that begin before birth.

Technique sheds light on cell division

Edinburgh University. UK: Edinburgh scientists are helping to explain the fundamental process of cell division, using an emerging analytical method. Their research is aiding understanding of cell division, which helps the body renew and stay healthy, but which can misfire and cause cancer.

Synthetic biology breakthrough leads to cheaper statin production

University of Manchester (UK) researchers, together with industrial partner DSM, have developed a single-step fermentative method for the production of leading cholesterol-lowering drug, pravastatin, which will facilitate industrial-scale statin drug production.

Innovative approach to assessing effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs

Manchester University (UK) scientists have a developed a new method to monitor the effect of anti-cancer drugs on very rare leukaemia stem cells. The approach potentially allows doctors to screen patients and personalise their treatment.

Shopping vouchers could help one in five pregnant women quit smoking

Cambridge University. UK: Financial incentives could help one in five women quit smoking during pregnancy, according to new research published today in the journal Addiction. The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London, found that only a small number of women ‘gamed’ the system to receive the incentives whilst continuing to smoke.

Million man study examines long-term effects of blocking inflammation

Cambridge University. UK: Inflammation, the body’s response to damaging stimuli, may have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, according to a study published today in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Watching the death throes of tumours

Cambridge University. UK: A clinical trial due to begin later this year will see scientists observing close up, in real time and in patients – how tumours respond to new drugs. There was a time when diagnosing and treating cancer seemed straightforward. Cancer of the breast was breast cancer, for example, and doctors could only choose treatments from a limited arsenal. Now, the picture is much more complicated. A study published in 2012, led by Carlos Caldas, showed that breast cancer was actually at least ten different diseases. In fact, genome sequencing shows that even one ‘type’ of breast cancer differs between individuals.

Sleeping over eight hours a day associated with greater risk of stroke

Cambridge University. UK: People who sleep for more than eight hours a day have an increased risk of stroke, according to a study by the University of Cambridge, and this risk doubles for older people who persistently sleep longer than average. However, the researchers say it is unclear why this association exists and call for further research to explore the link.

PROUD study shows Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is highly protective against HIV infection

University College. UK: Researchers from the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at UCL and Public Health England have presented results at a conference in Seattle, Washington, indicating that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly protective against HIV for gay and other men who have sex with men in England.

Earthquakes demonstrate people caught by surprise

Canterbury University. New-Zealand: The Christchurch earthquakes demonstrate that people generally do not take any notice of the likely occurrence of rare events, University of Canterbury natural hazards researcher Professor Tim Davies says.

Mobile phones not causing increase in brain tumours

Auckland University. New-Zealand: The risk of brain tumours has not changed significantly with increased mobile phone use, according to new research from the University of Auckland.

Do stimulant drugs make us smarter?

Auckland University. New-Zealand: A visiting expert will be discussing whether stimulant drugs make us smarter, at a public talk at the University of Auckland next month. Professor Wayne Hall is an expert in ‘neuroethics’ and over the past 20 years has led research in addiction, mental health and public health.

Hearing loss and ear conditions common among Indigenous children—but some improvements seen

AIHW. Australia: Hearing loss and ear conditions are very common among Indigenous children and young people, but outreach services have yielded some positive outcomes, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Study seeks to sharpen surgery systems

UWA. Australia: Communication and coordination are important aspects of any workplace - but arguably more important in operating theatres than anywhere else, according to Professor Sharon Parker from The University of Western Australia's Business School.

Genomic sequence reveals new treatment options for pancreatic cancer

UWA. Australia: An international project assisted by researchers from The University of Western Australia has offered new hope to patients with pancreatic cancer.

Quick test for fish toxin developped

Flinders University (Australia) researchers have invented a revolutionary method to test for food poisoning in fish. Using a credit card-sized device called a microfluidic chip, the researchers have developed a way to test for histamine, a potentially toxic compound, without the need to use complex chemical additives to the fish.
Histamine is a naturally occurring organic compound found in a range of products, including fish and red wine. A known allergen, histamine concentrations can increase when food spoils, leading to potentially fatal food poisoning.

Health web sites too difficult to read

Deakin University. Australia: A Deakin University study has found that Australian health web sites are too difficult for the average person to read.

Pancreatic cancer subtypes could guide future treatment

Queensland University. Australia: Scientists from Australia and the UK have completed the most comprehensive analysis yet of pancreatic cancer, in a study that could improve future treatments. The international study has revealed four subtypes of the disease.

Team approach boosts human and environmental wellbeing

Monash University. Australia: Even seemingly intractable problems such as the antibiotic crisis and the obesity epidemic could be resolved by treating human health and society as an integral part of an ecosystem.

Study unmasks pancreatic cancer's secrets

UNSW. Australia: A study that has sequenced 100 pancreatic cancer genomes for the first time provides a new understanding of the disease’s origin and may help guide future patient treatment.

International research project tackles spread of virus among Hajj pilgrims

Sydney University. Australia: University of Sydney researchers are working on a project to find the best way of stopping the spread of potentially fatal infectious respiratory disease among the two million pilgrims who converge on Mecca each year for Hajj.

Computers should make us happier!

Sydney University. Australia: Two University of Sydney researchers are calling on developers to rethink their entire approach to designing computer software. Professor Rafael Calvo, School of Electrical and Information Technology and Dorian Peters, Faculty of Education and Social Work are urging developers to employ "positive computing" software methods in their design processes. Professor Calvo, Director of the Positive Computing Lab and Co-Director of the Software Engineering Group at the University believes we are at risk of becoming slaves to our own computer designs, when instead we should be directing them in ways that foster our happiness.

Effect of taking extra calcium during pregnancy for improving maternal and infant health

Cochrane: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is known to have a significant effect on fetal growth and development.

Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Cochrane: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) describes a chronic lung condition that prevents the air supply from getting to the lungs. Symptoms include breathlessness, coughing, tiredness and frequent chest infection. Worldwide, COPD is a major cause of ill health.

Treatments for vitiligo

Cochrane: Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder characterised by patchy loss of skin colour. Some people experience itching before the appearance of a new patch. It affects people of any age or ethnicity, more than half of whom develop it before the age of 20 years.

Vitiligo

Orphanet: Vitiligo is an acquired and progressive skin disorder characterized by circumscribed hypomelanosis of the skin and hair. It affects 0.5-1% of the world's population, irrespective of gender and race. Thus it is not a rare disease.

Interventions to clear meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis

Cochrane: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is the name given to a particular bacteria which is resistant to some types of antibiotics. This is particularly worrying for people with cystic fibrosis, which is an inherited condition that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs.

Medical interventions for acanthamoeba keratitis

Cochrane: Acanthamoeba are microscopic, free-living, single-celled organisms. Infection of the eye by these organisms is known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Although very rare, if left untreated AK can lead to the loss of vision in the eye or, in extreme cases, loss of the eye itself. Contact lens wear is the most common risk factor for AK. The most common symptom of AK is severe pain, which is out of proportion to the clinical signs and associated with sensitivity to light, blurry vision, and tearing.

Effects of interventions to reduce waiting times for non-urgent health procedures

Cochrane: Long waiting times for non-urgent procedures are common in public healthcare systems, where care is provided free of charge and supply is limited by budget constraints. This may cause distress among patients as well as adverse health consequences.

Surgery for deep venous incompetence

Cochrane: Deep venous incompetence (DVI) is a problem in the veins that can lead to leg ulcers (sores), pain and swelling. It may be caused by a problem in the valves of the vein, by a blockage of the veins or by a combination of these events. For most people, wearing special compression stockings and treating the ulcers is enough.

Oral lactoferrin for prevention of sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants

Cochrane: Premature babies are at risk for blood infection (sepsis) and/or gastrointestinal injury (necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC). A number of babies with sepsis or NEC die or develop long-term brain and lung injury despite treatment with antibiotics. Lactoferrin, which is present in human milk, has been shown to be effective against infection when tested in animals and in the laboratory.

Antiplatelet agents for preventing failure of peripheral arterial grafts

Cochrane: Symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in people with atherosclerosis can present as intermittent claudication, disabling pain on walking, or as critical limb ischaemia with pain at rest, ulceration, gangrene and the risk of losing a leg. One treatment option is to implant a graft or makeshift blood vessel to bypass a blockage in the main artery of the thigh. Using a section of the vein from the patient's leg is often better than artificial or prosthetic materials such as Dacron or polytetrafluoroethylene, which take up platelets that could lead to clotting that could block the graft.

Short hospital stay linked to increased risk of death following hip fracture

BMJ: Older patients are more likely to die following a short hospital stay for a hip fracture, finds research published in The BMJ today.

Water fluoridation in England linked to higher rates of underactive thyroid

BMJ: Water fluoridation above a certain level is linked to 30 per cent higher than expected rates of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) in England, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

“Massive” tobacco industry third party lobbying for revised European Directive

BMJ: Regulatory reforms seem to have made it easier for corporate interests to influence legislation, say researchers.

IVF culture medium influences birth weight

Maastricht University. Netherlands: The composition of the culture mediums used to grow human embryos during IVF treatment affects the birth weight of newborns.

Stellate cells in the liver control regeneration and fibrosis

DKFZ. Germany: Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Medical Faculty in Mannheim at Heidelberg University are searching for new approaches to prevent liver fibrosis. They have identified a surface molecule on special liver cells called stellate cells as a potential target for interfering with this process. When the researchers turned off the receptor, this led to reduced liver fibrosis and improved regeneration of hepatic cells.

Finland curbs childhood obesity by integrating health in all policies

WHO: Six years ago, almost 1 in 5 five-year-olds in the Finnish city of Seinäjoki was overweight or obese. Not all schools and day care centres were providing nutritious food and sufficient physical activity.

WHO/Europe calls for scaled-up vaccination against measles

WHO Europe: Over 22 000 cases reported in Europe in 2014–2015. The WHO Regional Office for Europe calls on policy-makers, health care workers and parents immediately to step up vaccination against measles across age groups at risk. This will help to put an end to the outbreaks occurring in countries in the WHO European Region  and to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Clinical studies: Broad definition of commercially confidential information endangers transparency

IQWIG. Germany: In April 2014 the EU Parliament and Council commissioned the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to establish a publicly accessible database containing comprehensive data from clinical studies. The deadline for comments on the transparency aspect of the database specifications was the 18th of February.

Previously unknown effect of vitamin A identified

Lund University. Sweden: Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a previously unknown effect of vitamin A in human embryonic development. Their findings show that vitamin A affects the formation of blood cells.

Anger possibly linked with non-fatal heart attacks

NHS. UK: "'Plate-throwing rage' raises heart attack risk nearly 10 fold," The Daily Telegraph reports, slightly inaccurately. This headline reports on a study that found that just seven out of 313 people had felt "very angry" in the two hours before a heart attack compared to their normal levels of anger. Despite the headline, none of the participants had felt furious or angry to the point of throwing plates or any other objects.

Eating peanut at an early age prevents peanut allergy in high-risk infants

King's College. UK: New evidence shows that the majority of infants at high-risk of developing peanut allergy are protected from peanut allergy at age 5 years if they eat peanut frequently, starting within the first 11 months of life.

UK first country to approve laws to allow the use of IVF-based technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases.

Newcastle University. UK: Last night the UK became the first country to approve laws to allow the use of a ground-breaking IVF-based technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases.

Depression diagnosis associated with higher risk of committing violent crime

Oxford University. UK: A diagnosis of depression is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of committing violent crime, compared to the general population, according to a new study based on nearly 50,000 people in Sweden diagnosed with depression.

Pregnant women unmoved by maternity hospital ratings, study suggests

Imperial College. UK: Media reports naming the best and worst NHS trusts for maternity care did not lead to more women going to the top hospitals, a study has found.

Scientists uncover new role for neurotransmitter that helps fight infection

Imperial College. UK: Scientists have shed new light on the complexities of the immune system that could help develop vaccines to boost natural defences against disease.

Study shows how the brain can trigger a deep sleep

Imperial College. UK: Scientists have discovered that switching on one area of the brain chemically can trigger a deep sleep. Scientists from Imperial College London found that certain types of sedative drugs work by ‘switching on’ neurons in a particular area of the brain, called the preoptic hypothalamus. 

Garlic could aid cystic fibrosis fight

Edinburgh University. UK: A chemical in garlic kills bacteria that cause deadly infections in people with cystic fibrosis, University research shows.

Fungal disease deaths: just ‘$30 a person’ for global AIDS reduction

Manchester University. UK: Early detection and treatment of fungal meningitis and pneumonia can save hundreds of thousands of lives, for a cost of 'only $30' per HIV patient, a conference convened by a University of Manchester academic has concluded.

The natural chemical that could help cure cancer

Concordia University. Canada: A Concordia study unveiled the anti-tumour potential of lithocholic acid.

Does illness make people lonely?

Concordia University. Canada: A Concordia study has discovered a new link between chronic disease and social isolation. Difficult circumstances often bring people closer together. But a new Concordia study published in Health Psychology has found that the onset of chronic illness often results in sufferers feeling lonelier even for those who have had a steady partner for 50 years or more.

Daily menu plan reduces blood sugar significantly

University of Alberta. Canada: A large group of people with diabetes who followed a menu plan created by University of Alberta nutrition researchers for just three months significantly reduced their blood sugar levels.

Primary biliary cirrhosis

Orphanet: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic and slowly progressive cholestatic liver disease of autoimmune etiology characterized by injury of the intrahepatic bile ducts that may eventually lead to liver failure.

Researcher defies convention to reveal new trigger for rare liver disease

Alberta University. Canada: UAlberta gastroenterologist explores viral connection to primary biliary cirrhosis.

Research investigating adolescent girls' sport

Canterbury University. New-Zealand: A University of Canterbury doctoral sports student is investigating what factors make sport enjoyable enough for adolescent girls to keep them involved in sporting activity.
Portuguese international PhD student Ricardo Pimenta will conduct his PhD thesis on the complexity of playing sport in the social setting of a club and how it influences the participants’ enjoyment of basketball and their desire to continue playing.

Warning on use of melatonin for children's sleep

Adelaide University. Australia: Sleep researchers at the University of Adelaide are warning doctors and parents not to provide the drug melatonin to children to help control their sleep problems. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body with the onset of darkness. It plays an important role in fine tuning people's circadian rhythms, such as the timing of sleep onset, as well as other biological processes. In a paper published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Professor David Kennaway, Head of the Circadian Physiology Laboratory at the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, warns that providing melatonin supplements to children may result in serious side effects when the children are older.

Angst over berries makes case for ‘good, clean, fair’ food

UWS. Australia: The public reaction(opens in new window) to the Hepatitis A scare linked to contaminated frozen berries imported from China(opens in new window) continues. 

Back to school anxiety for families with children affected by food allergy

UWS. Australia: For families who have children with food allergy, the transition to school after the summer holidays can be an extremely emotional experience. On the eve of the new school year, a University of Western Sydney pilot study into Starting School with Food has provided valuable insights into ways to address parental anxiety and improve the safety of children at school.

Navigating nerve fibres take different shapes

Queensland University. Australia: An analysis of how nerve fibres make vital connections during brain development could aid the understanding of how some cognitive disorders occur.

1.8m Australian smokers likely to die from their habit

Melbourne University. Australia: The first large-scale, direct evidence on smoking and mortality in Australia shows up to 1.8 million of our 2.7 million smokers are likely to die from their habit if they continue to smoke, losing on average ten years of life expectancy.

Sébastien Jacquemont is in Montreal to study the genetic origins of autism

Montreal University. Canada: The geneticist Sébastien Jacquemont is the new holder of the Canada Research Chair in Genetics of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Associated Dysregulation in Energy Balance at the University of Montreal.

Researchers find new therapy dramatically benefits stroke patients

Calgary University. Canada: Canadian researchers have completed an international randomized controlled trial showing that a clot retrieval procedure, known as endovascular treatment (ET), can dramatically improve patient outcomes after an acute ischemic stroke. The study, led by researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), shows a dramatic improvement in outcomes and a reduction in deaths from stroke. The results of the study were published in Wednesday’s online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Quick test for Ebola

MIT. US: Simple paper strip can diagnose Ebola and other fevers within 10 minutes.

Life science researchers discover possible drug target to combat sleeping sickness

Virginia Tech (US) biochemists are trying to deliver a stern wake-up call to the parasite that causes sleeping sickness. Scientists identified a protein, called proliferating cell nuclear antigen or PCNA, that is vital to the sleeping sickness parasite’s good health. Disrupting this protein with drugs could potentially make it impossible for the parasite to reproduce and survive, reducing the health dangers to its human hosts.

Scientists find a key protein that allows Plavix to conquer platelets

UNC. US: Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have found that the blood platelet protein Rasa3 is critical to the success of the common anti-platelet drug Plavix, which breaks up blood clots during heart attacks and other arterial diseases. The findings could lead to more personalized approaches to controlling platelet activity during heart attacks and other vascular emergencies and diseases.

A buzz Over Ovulation Similarities Between Two Very Different Species

Connecticut University. US: Insects are so different from humans that researchers have long assumed that the ovulatory process, how females make eggs, would have nothing in common between our species. But now researchers at the University of Connecticut report that during that key process, the same gene may govern us both. If correct, the results could bring insight to cancer metastasis, human fertility and ovarian disease.

New UTHealth research looks at app to help minority stroke patients improve health

Texas University. US: A clinical trial investigating the use of a physician-monitored app to help first-time minority stroke patients become healthier has begun at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). 

Mount Sinai Research into Reducing Heroin Injection and HIV Infection

Mount Sinai. US: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded Don C. Des Jarlais, PhD, Director of Research, Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a 2015 Avant-Garde Award. Dr. Des Jarlais will receive a grant of $500,000 per year for five years to lead a HIV prevention study in two cities contending with growing heroin use: New York City and Tallinn, Estonia, in Eastern Europe.

Inherited gene variation leaves young leukemia patients at risk for peripheral neuropathy

St Jude Hospital. US: Researchers have identified the first genetic variation that is associated with increased risk and severity of peripheral neuropathy following treatment with a widely used anti-cancer drug. Investigators also found evidence of how it may be possible to protect young leukemia patients without jeopardizing cures. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists led the study, which appears today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A new Spanish peanut variety with high levels of healthful oleic acid

USDA. US: A new Spanish peanut variety that packs high levels of healthful oleic acid has been released by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and university cooperators. The new variety, called OLé, could provide producers and consumers with a peanut that has disease resistance, longer shelf life and heart-healthy qualities.

FDA approves Farydak for treatment of multiple myeloma

FDA. US: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Farydak (panobinostat) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma.

Cutting-edge technology optimizes cancer therapy with nanomedicine drug combinations

UCLA (US) bioengineers develop platform that offers personalized approach to treatment. In greater than 90 percent of cases in which treatment for metastatic cancer fails, the reason is that the cancer is resistant to the drugs being used. To treat drug-resistant tumors, doctors typically use multiple drugs simultaneously, a practice called combination therapy. And one of their greatest challenges is determining which ratio and combination from the large number of medications available is best for each individual patient.

Study suggests combination drug therapy to treat depression in the elderly

UCLA. US: A new study by researchers at UCLA found that the combination of Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Celexa (citalopram) can accelerate and improve the overall antidepressant effects of the medications in the elderly. Most patients who responded to the combination achieved remission in the first month. The researchers had also hoped to find that the combination would work more quickly and be tolerated better by this elderly population than either drug alone. They found that the combination was working faster, but the side effects and cognitive benefits did not differ between the groups.

UCSF Researchers Redefine Role of Brain’s ‘Hunger Circuit’

UCSF. US: Unexpected Findings Have Implications for Anti-Obesity Therapies. Using techniques developed only over the past few years, UC San Francisco researchers have completed experiments that overturn the scientific consensus on how the brain’s “hunger circuit” governs eating.

Small Loop in Human Prion Protein Prevents Chronic Wasting Disease

UCSD. US: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) an infectious disease caused by prions affects North American elk and deer, but has not been observed in humans. Using a mouse model that expresses an altered form of the normal human prion protein, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have determined why the human proteins aren’t corrupted when exposed to the elk prions. Their study, published Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, identifies a small loop in the human prion protein that confers resistance to chronic wasting disease.

Study Suggests Alternative Approach to AIDS Vaccine

NIH. US: Over more than a century, researchers have succeeded in developing vaccines to prevent polio, smallpox, cervical cancer, and many other viral diseases. For three decades now, they have tried to design an effective vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. Despite plenty of hard work, lots of great science, and some promising advances along the way, an effective traditional vaccine still remains elusive. That has encouraged consideration of alternative approaches to block HIV infection.

Study finds peanut consumption in infancy prevents peanut allergy

NIH. US: Introduction of peanut products into the diets of infants at high risk of developing peanut allergy was safe and led to an 81 percent reduction in the subsequent development of the allergy, a clinical trial has found.

Molecule hijacks enzyme to boost alcohol metabolism

NIH. US: An experimental compound empowers an enzyme to help process acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of alcohol, according to new research supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The findings, now online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), might lead to new treatments to help people with impaired ability to metabolize acetaldehyde and other toxic substances. NIAAA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Decline in Smoking Rates May Increase Lung Cancer Mortality Due to Inadequate Screening Guidelines

Mayo Clinic. US: A decline in smoking rates may mean that many people who could have benefited from early detection of lung cancer are dying because they don’t qualify for low-dose CT scans, according to a group of Mayo Clinic researchers. Their research appears in the Feb. 24 issue of JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.

Small molecule might help reduce cancer in at-risk population, study finds

Stanford University. US: Scientists have shown that small molecules can “hijack” enzyme function in mice, suggesting a possible preventive mechanism for alcohol-related cancers in an at-risk population.

Investigational drug can reduce asthma flareups

Washington University. US: An investigational drug appears to cut the risk of severe asthma attacks in half for patients who have difficulty controlling the disorder with standard medications, according to results from two multicenter clinical trials.

Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Should Exercise After Dinner

Missouri University. US: Exercising after a meal can more effectively reduce risks of cardiovascular disease. Individuals with Type 2 diabetes have heightened amounts of sugars and fats in their blood, which increases their risks for cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. Exercise is a popular prescription for individuals suffering from the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, but little research has explored whether these individuals receive more benefits from working out before or after dinner.

Study Nearly Triples the Locations in the Human Genome that Harbor MicroRNAs

Jefferson University. US: According to the public databases, there are currently approximately 1,900 locations  in the human genome that produce microRNAs (miRNAs), the small and powerful non-coding molecules that regulate numerous cellular processes by reducing the abundance of their targets.

Penn Medicine Physician Finds No Preventive Benefits for Widely Used Kidney Cancer Drugs

Pennsylvania University. US: Results of Phase III Clinical Study of Advanced Kidney Cancer Patients after Surgery Revealed No Survival Benefit for Sunitinib, Sorafenib.

T-cell therapy clinical trial now offered to cancer patients at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

Michigan University. US: Innovative treatment uses patient’s own immune cells against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A clinical trial using T-cell therapy that uses the patients’ own immune cells to hunt down cancer cells is now being offered at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Morphogenesis through Flowing Tissue

Heidelberg University (Germany) researchers transform classical understanding through in vivo analysis of eye development.

How a Wound Closes

Heidelberg University (Germany) researchers decode molecular mechanism of collective cell migration important for wound healing.

Preliminary results about the efficacy of favipiravir in reducing mortality in individuals infected by Ebola virus in Guinea.

INSERM. France: Preliminary data from the JIKI clinical trial, which is testing the efficacy of favipiravir in reducing mortality associated with Ebola, provide two important pieces of information:
• absence of efficacy in individuals who arrive at treatment centres with a very high level of viral replication and who already have serious visceral involvement,
• and encouraging signs of efficacy in individuals arriving at treatment centres with a high or moderate level of viral replication, who have not yet developed overly severe visceral lesions.

Daclatasvir for hepatitis C: hint of added benefit in genotype 4

IQWIG. Germany: Data on genotype 4 subsequently submitted showed advantage in sustained virologic response (SVR)Daclatasvir (trade name Daklinza) has been approved since August 2014 for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. According to the dossier assessment conducted by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in December 2014, no added benefit could be derived for daclatasvir.

Smokers at increased risk of depression and anxiety

British Heart Foundation: New research released ahead of our No Smoking Day (11 March) campaign suggests that smokers have a 70% increased risk of anxiety and depression when compared with non-smokers, despite the commonly held perception that lighting up is a stress reliever.

Many deaths of mentally ill in custody avoidable

NHS. UK: “Hundreds of deaths in mental health units ‘were avoidable’,” says a report on the front page of today’s Independent. The Guardian highlights 662 mentally ill detainee deaths from 2010 to 2013.

Media overstates dementia benefits of Mediterranean diet

NHS. UK: “New diet to fight dementia,” claims the Sunday Express, while The Independent reports: “Mediterranean diet could help beat dementia”. Despite the media focus on the Mediterranean diet, this was only a small part of a review which aimed to discover whether some modifiable risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) were linked to the risk of developing dementia in people with existing mild cognitive problems.

Bionic hand that is sensitive to touch and temperature

Newcastle University. UK: A bionic hand that can sense pressure and temperature and transmit the information back to the brain is the focus of a new £1.4m UK research project. Led by Newcastle University and involving experts from the universities of Leeds, Essex, Keele, Southampton and Imperial College London, the aim is to develop novel electronic devices that connect to the forearm neural networks to allow two-way communications with the brain.

3D-printed guides can help restore function in damaged nerves

Sheffield University. UK: Scientists at the University of Sheffield have succeeded in using a 3D printed guide to help nerves damaged in traumatic incidents repair themselves. The team used the device to repair nerve damage in animal models and say the method could help treat many types of traumatic injury.

Researchers to build smart trousers and sensitive bionic hand

University of Leeds (UK):  researchers will play key roles in two innovative projects using futuristic engineering to assist the human body. One multi-university team has been awarded £1.4 million to work on a bionic hand that transmits touch sensations directly into the brain. A second team will develop a pair of smart trousers with artificial “muscles” in its soft fabric to support the movement of disabled and older people.

Two Studies Show Promising Results in Treating Hepatitis C in Patients Co-Infected with HIV

JAMA: With there being a need for interferon-free treatment because of potential toxicities for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), two studies appearing in JAMA using interferon-free drug regimens resulted in high rates of sustained virologic response, which is a lack of detectable HCV RNA at least 12 weeks after completion of treatment.

Canterbury research on children with ADHD

University of Canterbury. Australia: A University of Canterbury international education PhD student’s survey of Ethiopian children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will soon be helpful to New Zealand teachers and teacher trainers.

Ensuring burns victims receive the best nutrition

University of Adelaide (Australia) researchers are working to solve one of the biggest problems of caring for critically ill burns victims: how to provide them with the nutrition they need to survive.

Keep calm, anger can trigger a heart attack!

Sydney University. Australia: University of Sydney research reveals that the risk of a heart attack is 8.5 times higher in the two hours following a burst of intense anger. Published today inEuropean Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care, this is the first Australian study to investigate the link between acute emotional triggers and high risk of severe cardiac episodes.

Sobering effect of the love hormone

Sydney University. Australia: Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the 'love' or 'cuddle' hormone, has a legendary status in popular culture due to its vital role in social and sexual behaviour and long-term bonding. Now researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Regensburg have discovered it also has a remarkable influence on the intoxicating effect of alcohol, which they report in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today.

Building tailor-made DNA nanotubes step by step

Mc Gill University. Canada: New, block-by-block assembly method could pave way for applications in opto-electronics, drug delivery. Researchers at McGill University have developed a new, low-cost method to build DNA nanotubes block by block, a breakthrough that could help pave the way for scaffolds made from DNA strands to be used in applications such as optical and electronic devices or smart drug-delivery systems.

Deconstructing mental illness through ultradian rhythms

Douglas Institute. Canada: Might living a structured life with regularly established meal times and early bedtimes lead to a better life and perhaps even prevent the onset of mental illness? That’s what’s suggested in a study led by Kai-Florian Storch, PhD, of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University, which has been published in the online journal eLIFE.

Child-friendly robots help kids cope with pain

Calgary University. Canada: Four childlike robots are being used to comfort young patients during stressful medical procedures at Alberta Children’s Hospital. The two-foot-tall robots, named MEDi (Medicine and Engineering Designing Intelligence), are programmed to mimic the actions of a child and to calm apprehensive patients with small talk and high-fives during procedures such as vaccinations and blood tests.