Body

ERK's got rhythm: Protein that controls cell growth found to cycle in and out of cell nucleus

RICHLAND, Wash. -- Time-lapsed video of individual breast tissue cells reveals a never-before-seen event in the life of a cell: a protein that cycles between two major compartments in the cell. The results give researchers a more complete view of the internal signals that cause breast tissue cells to grow, events that go awry in cancer and are targets of drug development.

Study shows modest improvement in advanced lung cancer overall survival rates

Research released in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology sought to determine whether the survival improvement among patients with metastatic lung cancer has improved over the last two decades as reported in controlled clinical trials.

Cardiovascular risk in youth with type 1 diabetes linked primarily to insulin resistance

Chevy Chase, MD— According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), youth with type 1 diabetes have now been found to have abnormal insulin resistance. Having abnormal insulin resistance appears to negatively affect heart, blood vessel and exercise function in this population.

Sleep changes predict the onset of physical changes associated with puberty

WESTCHESTER, Ill. - A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep suggests that changes in children's sleep patterns that typically occur between the ages of 11 and 12 years are evident before the physical changes associated with the onset of puberty.

Ambulatory surgical centers may exceed performance of hospitals for certain procedures

Alexandria, VA – Measuring five quality-base performance areas, an ambulatory surgical center out performed a standard hospital based surgical center in otolaryngic surgeries, according to new research in the December 2009 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Mammography may increase breast cancer risk in some high-risk women

CHICAGO – Low-dose radiation from annual mammography screening may increase breast cancer risk in women with genetic or familial predisposition to breast cancer, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Severe asymptomatic heart disease may accompany narrowing in leg arteries

CHICAGO – Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reveal that one in five patients with narrowing or blockage in arteries that supply blood to the legs and other parts of the body also have significant but silent coronary artery disease.

Scientists trace shark fins to their geographic origin for first time using DNA tools

STONY BROOK, NY, Dec. 1– Millions of shark fins are sold at market each year to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy, but it has been impossible to pinpoint which sharks from which regions are most threatened by this trade. Now, groundbreaking new DNA research has, for the first time, traced scalloped hammerhead shark fins from the burgeoning Hong Kong market all the way back to the sharks' geographic origin. In some cases the fins were found to come from endangered populations thousands of miles away.

Investigators identify successful weight control strategies for adolescents

St. Louis, MO, December 1, 2009 – Adolescent obesity is a major public health problem that impacts one out of every three children, resulting in 4-5 million overweight youth in the United States. In a study published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers evaluated differences in weight control behaviors, including dietary intake and physical activity, comparing overweight adolescents who lost weight and those who did not in order to better understand which strategies could be most effective.

Chicken capsules good for aching joints

Chicken collagen can provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms. A randomised, controlled trial, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, has found that Chicken type II collagen (CCII), a protein extracted from the cartilage of chicken breast, is a safe and effective treatment for RA.

Biology of emergent Salmonella exposed

Researchers have characterised a new multi drug resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that is causing life-threatening disease in Africa.

This type of Salmonella bug normally causes diarrhoea and is rarely fatal. The new strain infects vulnerable children and adults in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa leading to death in up to one in four cases.

UAB physician urges changes in diagnosis for sore throat in young adults

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – New analysis from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) suggests that physicians need to re-think their diagnosis and treatment of sore throat, or pharyngitis, in adolescents and young adults to consider a more newly identified and potentially dangerous culprit as the source of that infection.

Pancreatic tumors are marked for immunotherapy

St. Louis, Nov. 30, 2009 — Pancreatic tumors can be identified by a readily detectable marker that shows promise as a basis for immune therapy against the disease, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The marker is mesothelin, a protein normally found on mesothelial cells that line the body cavities. Several types of cancer cells make large amounts of mesothelin, which then circulates in the blood.

Southerners may face higher risk of death from stroke

ST. PAUL, Minn. –The "stroke belt" has a tight hold. People born in the Southern stroke belt have a higher risk of dying from stroke as adults, even if they later move away, compared to people who were born in other parts of the country. The research is published in the December 1, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People who live in the stroke belt in adulthood also had elevated risk of dying from stroke, even if they were not born there.

Physical activity protects cardiovascular system against effects of aging

Intensive exercise prevented shortening of telomeres, a protective effect against aging of the cardiovascular system, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers measured the length of telomeres — the DNA that bookends the chromosomes and protects the ends from damage — in blood samples from two groups of professional athletes and two groups who were healthy nonsmokers, but not regular exercisers.