ScienceDaily Health Headlines
Bacteria In Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food odors from odorless components of food, allowing people to fully savor fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Cancer Drugs May Build And Not Tear Down Blood Vessels (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists have thought that one way to foil a tumor from generating blood vessels to feed its growth -- a process called angiogenesis -- was by creating drugs aimed at stopping a key vessel growth-promoting protein. But now the opposite seems to be true. ... > full story
Deep Sea Expedition Sets Sail (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers are embarking upon an extreme adventure, plunging deep into the sea to study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. They'll share the experience with 20,000-plus school children through interactive sessions. ... > full story
Vitamins E And C Supplements Not Effective For Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease In Men (November 11, 2008) -- Neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplements reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events in a large, long-term study of male physicians, according to a new study. ... > full story
1918 Spanish Flu Records Could Hold The Key To Solving Future Pandemics (November 11, 2008) -- Ninety years after Australian scientists began their race to stop the spread of Spanish flu in Australia, University of Melbourne researchers are hoping records from the 1918 epidemic may hold the key to preventing future deadly pandemic outbreaks. ... > full story
Scientists Map Molecular Regulation Of Fat-cell Genetics (November 11, 2008) -- A research team has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells. ... > full story
Important Steps Towards Development Of Human Vaccine Against Malaria (November 11, 2008) -- Every day 2000 children die from malaria in Africa alone. The infection is transmitted from human to human by biting mosquitoes and remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Despite many years of effort a vaccine is still not available but is urgently needed. ... > full story
Eliminating Soda From School Diets Does Not Affect Overall Consumption (November 11, 2008) -- With childhood obesity increasing, school administrators and public health officials are reducing availability of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. In a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers found that reduction or elimination of sugar-sweetened beverages from school menus has little effect on total consumption by adolescents. ... > full story
Quintet Of Proteins Forms New, Early-warning Blood Test Before Heart Attack Strikes (November 10, 2008) -- Biochemists have identified a mixed bag of five key proteins out of thousands secreted into blood draining from the heart's blood vessels that may together or in certain quantities form the basis of a far more accurate early warning test than currently in use of impending heart attack in people with severely reduced blood flow, or ischemia. ... > full story
Impact Of Insulin Pump Under Study (November 10, 2008) -- Using an insulin pump to manage diabetes is more convenient than managing the disease with daily insulin injections. That much, physicians already know. But the pump's impact on the lives of diabetics and their primary caregivers is an important question that hasn't been answered yet, researchers say. ... > full story
Can Vitamins And Minerals Prevent Hearing Loss? (November 10, 2008) -- Researchers and physicians at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute are hoping to reverse a rising trend of noise-induced hearing loss with a cocktail of vitamins and the mineral magnesium that has shown promise as a possible way to prevent hearing loss caused by loud noises. ... > full story
Bone Marrow Transplant Can Cure Sickle Cell Disease, Children's Hospital Study Suggests (November 10, 2008) -- A unique approach to bone marrow transplantation has proven to be the only safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Engineered Killer T Cell Recognizes HIV-1's Lethal Molecular Disguises (November 10, 2008) -- Researchers have engineered T cells able to recognize HIV-1 strains that have evaded the immune system. The findings have important implications for developing new treatments for HIV, especially for patients with chronic infection who fail to respond to antiretroviral regimens. ... > full story
Seven Years Without A Nose (November 10, 2008) -- Patients whose nose has been destroyed by a tumor or injury carry a severe psychological and social burden. Esthetic reconstruction ranges among the most challenging tasks in plastic surgery. Researchers have presented the different options for nasal reconstruction surgery. ... > full story
Untangling DNA Regulation: Biologists Theorize Role For DNA Packaging In Stem Cell Development (November 10, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered that the organization of DNA's packing material plays a critical role in directing stem cells to become different types of adult cells. ... > full story
Neuroimaging Of Brain Shows Who Spoke To A Person And What Was Said (November 10, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a method to look into the brain of a person and read out who has spoken to him or her and what was said. With the help of neuroimaging and data mining techniques the researchers mapped the brain activity associated with the recognition of speech sounds and voices. In their Science article "Who" is Saying "What"? Brain-Based Decoding of Human Voice and Speech the four authors demonstrate that speech sounds and voices can be identified by means of a unique 'neural fingerprint' in the listener's brain. ... > full story
Multiple Sclerosis Research Charges Ahead With New Mouse Model Of Disease (November 10, 2008) -- A new study highlights the role of a charge-switching enzyme in nervous system deficits characteristic of multiple sclerosis and other related neurological illness. Too much of a charge-switching enzyme causes symptoms of multiple sclerosis and related disorders in mouse models. ... > full story
New Imaging Technology Accurately Identifies A Broad Spectrum Of Liver Disease (November 10, 2008) -- New imaging technology can identify liver fibrosis with high accuracy and help eliminate the need for liver biopsies. Liver fibrosis is a common condition that can lead to incurable cirrhosis if not treated in time. ... > full story
Research On Breathing Disorders And Congenital Heart Defects (November 10, 2008) -- New optical techniques have been developed for visualizing the invisible processes at work in several human diseases. ... > full story
Age Is Not A Key Factor In Cancer Survival, But Clinical Trials Exclude Older Patients (November 10, 2008) -- Age is not an independent factor in cancer survival rates and should not influence decisions about how to treat older patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Researchers Discover New Risk Factor For Cardiovascular Disease, And A Way To Control It (November 10, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered that having high levels of particular protein puts patients at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The results of the study were so conclusive that the clinical trial had to be stopped before its scheduled completion date. ... > full story
Half-broken Gene Is Enough To Cause Cancer (November 10, 2008) -- Tumor suppressor genes do not necessarily require both alleles to be knocked out before disease phenotypes are expressed. Only one allele of SMAD4 has to be damaged to put a person at risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer. ... > full story
MP3 Headphones Interfere With Implantable Defibrillators, Pacemakers, Study Suggests (November 10, 2008) -- MP3 player headphones can cause potentially dangerous interactions with pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. For safe use, the headphones must be at least 1.2 inches (3 cm) from the implanted devices. Unrelated research did not find adverse reactions to pacemakers and defibrillators from iPods, Bluetooth headsets, iPhones, electric blankets, hand-held airport metal detectors or pills swallowed to perform video endoscopy. ... > full story
