News about 2018

Activating circadian clock kills cancer cells

A recent study found that women who work night shifts have substantially higher risks of breast, digestive system, and skin cancers. The findings reinforced a connection researchers have observed between cancer and the circadian clock, a biological system that controls the daily schedule of physiological processes.

Now, in findings that could lead to a new class of cancer drugs, researchers have uncovered details about a key molecular link between circadian rhythm and cancer.

New Approaches in Regenerative Medicine and Tumor Therapy

Scientists have long known that organ size is shaped by many factors, including the size of each cell, proliferation, cell differentiation, death, and, of course, the total number of cells. However, the molecular mechanisms directly regulating organ size had until now remained elusive, setting the stage for the current research directed by Assistant Professor Yaron Fuchs and led by Dr. Yahav Yosefzon.

Metabolites Produced By Gut Bacteria Act Against Salmonella, Study finds

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecule that serves as natural protection against one of the most common intestinal pathogens. A paper describing the work will be published in Cell Host and Microbe.

Religion And Spirituality Among Young Adults With Severe Mental Illness

According to a study, researchers showed a majority of young adults with severe mental illness bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or major depression consider religion and spirituality relevant to their mental health. The study was published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice.

Fitness Trackers Could Lower Health Insurance Premiums, Experts Suggest

As a fitness freak if you are unhappy with you and your obese friends paying the same medical insurance premium despite opposite lifestyles, there is some good news.

People With Heart Attack Get Back To Their Work

After five weeks of recovering from her heart attack, Melissa Murphy looked forward to returning to her job. "I'm back out, and I'm contributing again," the Iowa mother of two remembered thinking. "I'm not a victim, which is how you sometimes feel when you're sitting on your couch and everybody leaves to go to work or school and you're left with your thoughts."

The study was published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, nine out of 10 people who suffered a major heart attack had returned to work within a year. For those who didn't, or who ended up working less, many reported depression, a poor quality of life and money problems that made it difficult to pay for medication.

Airflow Obstruction: Impact of BMI on Exacerbation and Medical Care Expenses

The rate of obesity is increasing in Asia, but the clinical impact of body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unknown. Researchers aimed to assess this impact while focusing on the risk of exacerbation, health-care utilization, and medical costs.

Open Heart Surgery: Specialized Approach Saves Lives

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)—the most common heart surgery performed—may live longer and experience fewer complications when under the care of a highly focused surgical team that uses simplified and standardized approaches, according to research published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Qualified Biomarker for Parkinson's, Major Milestone in Clinical Trials

The biomarker is used to determine the presence of dopamine transport deficiency in the brain and has been qualified as an enrichment biomarker for clinical trials targeting early stages of Parkinson's, soon after diagnosis. The qualified biomarker involves the intravenous injection of a small amount of a radioactive tracer before the brain images are acquired, and can be done at any one of many specialist imaging centers.

Firearm Caliber and Mortality with Gunshots Are Linked, Findings

The caliber of a firearm was associated with the likelihood of death from a gunshot, with shootings by large-caliber handguns likely to be more deadly than small-caliber guns.

New Approach to Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis

A new preclinical candidate drug with the potential to treat visceral leishmaniasis, one of the world's major neglected diseases, has been discovered through a close collaboration between the University of Dundee, GSK and Wellcome.

'Lab on a chip': Detecting Very Small Quantities of Disease-causing Bacteria

A new type of "lab on a chip" developed by McGill University scientists has the potential to become a clinical tool capable of detecting very small quantities of disease-causing bacteria in just minutes.