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Study: Childhood cancer survivors need better care throughout their lives

Children with cancer have a good chance of surviving the disease--today more than 80 percent survive because of advances in treatment and care. However, recent studies have shown that some of these more than 420,000 U.S. childhood cancer survivors face future health-related challenges as they become adults such as a second cancer diagnosis, cardiac failure, or other severe medical complications.

22 Apr 2015

Researchers explore evolution of eardrums

Researchers at the RIKEN Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory and the University of Tokyo in Japan have determined that the eardrum evolved independently in mammals and diapsids--the taxonomic group that includes reptiles and birds. Published in Nature Communications, the work shows that the mammalian eardrum depends on lower jaw formation, while that of diapsids develops from the upper jaw.

22 Apr 2015

Botanical formula improves effect of tamoxifen drug in ER+ human breast cancer

Researchers at the Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Indiana University Health found that a botanical formula for breast health inhibited the growth of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) human breast cancer cells. More importantly, the researchers also found that the formula enhanced the anti-cancer benefits of the drug tamoxifen in the treatment of breast cancer.

22 Apr 2015

Honokiol extract holds promise as adjunct treatment for bladder and kidney cancers

The botanical extract honokiol, a biologically active molecule isolated from the bark of Magnolia spp., holds promise as an adjunct treatment for aggressive bladder and kidney cancers, as reported in two new studies. New research on honokiol in bladder cancer was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2015.

22 Apr 2015

Study finds no association between MMR vaccine and increased risk of autism

In a study that included approximately 95,000 children with older siblings, receipt of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), regardless of whether older siblings had ASD, findings that indicate no harmful association between receipt of MMR vaccine and ASD even among children already at higher risk for ASD, according to a study in the April 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child health.

22 Apr 2015

Manchester scientists make key finding that could help deliver early test for kidney disease

Scientists at The University of Manchester have made an important finding that could help develop an early test for kidney disease.

22 Apr 2015

Winners of GSA poster awards announced at Fungal Genetics Conference

The Genetics Society of America and the community of fungal geneticists are pleased to announce the winners of the GSA poster awards at the 28th Fungal Genetics Conference, which took place in Pacific Grove, CA, March 17-22, 2015.

22 Apr 2015

Electronic cigarettes pose particular risks to the developing brains, organs of young people

Although heavily promoted as a safer cigarette and an aid to quit smoking, electronic cigarettes and the nicotine they deliver pose particular risks to the developing brains and organs of children. Use of electronic cigarettes by school-age children has surpassed traditional cigarette smoking, and it is critical to recognize and understand the risks related to nicotine exposure, addiction, and the poor regulation of these products, as described in the comprehensive Review article "Electronic Cigarettes: Vulnerability of Youth," published in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

22 Apr 2015

Men with prostate cancer benefit from BRCA-targeting drug

Men with prostate cancer benefit from treatment with the pioneering drug olaparib - the first cancer drug to target inherited mutations - according to the results of a major trial presented today (Tuesday).

22 Apr 2015

Novel genetic datashare initiative launched to improve detection of inherited breast and ovarian cancers

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research institution, today launched BRCA Share, a novel datashare initiative they co-founded to provide scientists and laboratory organizations around the world with open access to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic data.

From Quest Diagnostics 22 Apr 2015

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, UMHS collaborate to improve quality of care for Michiganians

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the University of Michigan Health System will collaborate with emergency physicians at participating hospitals across the state to develop best practices to improve the experience and outcomes of patients receiving care in emergency departments.

21 Apr 2015

Smoking and genetics can increase women's likelihood of giving birth to twins

African American mothers who smoke and have a genetic profile that includes a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the TP53 gene have an increased likelihood of having twins, concluded a team of researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

21 Apr 2015

Study opens door to new treatment for hard-to-treat asthmatic children

Researchers have identified a biological basis for asthmatic children who do not respond well to corticosteroid treatment – currently the most effective treatment for chronic asthma and acute asthma attack.

21 Apr 2015

Prenatal antidepressant exposure increases anxiety symptoms

Three-year-old siblings exposed to antidepressants in pregnancy show increased anxiety symptoms compared to their unexposed siblings.

21 Apr 2015

Study attributes mild cognitive defects in women to post-traumatic stress induced by cancer diagnosis

Breast cancer patients often display mild cognitive defects even before the initiation of chemotherapy. A new study by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich researchers now attributes the syndrome to post-traumatic stress induced by diagnosis of the disease.

21 Apr 2015

Allele-specific lncRNA regulates cancer metabolism

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are unusual in that they don't encode proteins like normal RNA. Yet they do play a role in regulating cellular functions and interest cancer researchers.

21 Apr 2015

New CUMC study finds DNA anomalies in kids with chronic kidney disease

A significant proportion of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have unsuspected chromosomal imbalances, including DNA anomalies that have been linked to neurocognitive disorders, according to a new Columbia University Medical Center study.

21 Apr 2015

Extreme morning sickness during pregnancy linked to developmental problems in children

Women who experience extreme morning sickness during pregnancy are three times more likely to have children with developmental issues, including attention disorders and language and speech delays, than woman who have normal nausea and vomiting, a UCLA study has found.

21 Apr 2015

TERT gene alterations co-occur with frequently altered bladder cancer genes

In results presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2015, a collaborative study by the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute reports that the TERT gene promoter was altered in 69 percent of 54 cases of bladder cancer due to variants that occur after birth (called "somatic") and in 56 percent of bladder cancers due to inherited variants (called "germline").

21 Apr 2015

New study sheds light on mechanism that affects AID enzyme

A new study by immunology researchers at the IRCM led by Javier M. Di Noia, PhD, sheds light on a mechanism affecting AID, a crucial enzyme for the immune response. The scientific breakthrough, published in the latest issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, could eventually improve the way we treat the common flu, as well as lymphoma and leukemia.

21 Apr 2015