Medical Condition News

RSS

Scientists take a huge step forward in identifying root causes of psoriasis

Case Western Reserve scientists have taken a huge leap toward identifying root causes of psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition affecting 125 million people around the world. Of the roughly 50,000 proteins in the human body, researchers have zeroed in on four that appear most likely to contribute this chronic disease.

22 Jan 2015

ENIGMA scientists discover eight genetic mutations that may erode or boost brain tissue

In the largest collaborative study of the brain to date, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California led a global consortium of 190 institutions to identify eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain an average of three years. The discovery could lead to targeted therapies and interventions for Alzheimer's disease, autism and other neurological conditions.

22 Jan 2015

Two new drug compounds appear to be effective in treating endometriosis

Two new drug compounds - one of which has already proven useful in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis - appear to be effective in treating endometriosis, a disorder that, like MS, is driven by estrogen and inflammation, scientists report in Science Translational Medicine.

22 Jan 2015

Research leads to new, better way to combat drug-resistant cancers

A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a new platform that can rapidly identify effective drug combinations for lung cancer patients whose tumors have stopped responding to targeted therapy. The research, which was supported in part by the National Foundation for Cancer Research, is a critical milestone on the road to personalized medicine.

22 Jan 2015

Personalized approaches to treating intellectual disability

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have produced an approach that protects animal models against a type of genetic disruption that causes intellectual disability, including serious memory impairments and altered anxiety levels.

22 Jan 2015

Study offers possible explanation for differences between synchronization patterns in autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been studied for many years, but there are still more questions than answers. For example, some research into the brain functions of individuals on the autism spectrum have found a lack of synchronization between different parts of the brain that normally work in tandem. But other studies have found the exact opposite - over-synchronization in the brains of those with ASD.

22 Jan 2015

Microscopic spheres of calcium phosphate linked to AMD development

Microscopic spheres of calcium phosphate have been linked to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness, by UCL-led research.

21 Jan 2015

U.S. News & World Report recognizes Jenny Craig with Best Diets rankings

U.S. News & World Report, a nationally recognized publisher of consumer advice and rankings, recognized Jenny Craig as the 2nd Best Commercial Diet Plan, 2nd Easiest Diet to Follow, and 3rd Best Weight-Loss Diet in its annual Best Diets rankings.

21 Jan 2015

Alzheimer's drug Aricept (donepezil) linked to serious side effects

New warnings have been added to the prescribing information for the Alzheimer's drug Aricept (donepezil) advising of the risk of two rare but potentially serious conditions: muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) and a neurological disorder called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

21 Jan 2015

Walnuts may improve cognitive function

Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to new research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, led by Dr. Lenore Arab. Cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

21 Jan 2015

UH Case Medical Center offers new test for coronary artery disease

Medical tests are stressful. Invasive tests, stress tests and unnecessary surgeries are too, not to mention the costs associated with all of them, but the alternative of undiagnosed heart problems are not. They can be fatal.

21 Jan 2015

Penn, Spark Therapeutics expand strategic relationship to develop treatment for progressive blindness

The University of Pennsylvania has announced an expanded relationship with Spark Therapeutics, a late-stage gene therapy company developing treatments for debilitating, genetic diseases.

21 Jan 2015

AHS provides updated assessment of treatments for acute migraine

The January issue of the American Headache Society journal Headache provides an updated assessment of the best treatments to use when a migraine attack occurs. The assessment will form the basis of new AHS treatment guidelines.

21 Jan 2015

Stomach ulcer bug H. pylori may reduce risk of developing multiple sclerosis

A West Australian team has found evidence that the stomach ulcer bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, is associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), bolstering evidence for the role of the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ in autoimmune disorders.

21 Jan 2015

Study: Mutated ATRX gene may serve as much-needed biomarker for rare neuroendocrine tumors

A somatic mutation in the ATRX gene has recently been shown as a potential molecular marker for aggressive brain tumors, such as gliomas, neuroblastomas and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Now, for the first time, researchers at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center have found that the same mutated gene may serve as a much-needed biomarker for the pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PCC/PGL) that become malignant.

21 Jan 2015

New American Lung Association report calls on California to reduce tobacco-caused death and disease

Once a national leader in tobacco control efforts, progress is at a standstill in California as advances in statewide tobacco control policies have stagnated. These were the findings of the 13th annual American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2015 report released today.

21 Jan 2015

Trovagene, Genomac Research Institute to expand clinical collaboration

Trovagene, Inc., today announced it will expand the clinical collaboration with Genomac Research Institute in Prague, Czech Republic. Trovagene Precision Cancer Monitoring SM technology will be used in two prospective clinical studies for the early detection of emerging oncogene mutations indicative of resistance to targeted therapies used to treat colorectal and lung cancer.

21 Jan 2015

Male stroke patients who live alone are at greater risk of premature death

Men who live alone have a considerably greater long-term risk of dying prematurely than other patients. This is shown in a doctoral thesis that followed 1,090 stroke cases in western Sweden.

21 Jan 2015

New experimental study shows immunotherapy can reduce acute effects of heroin

Immunotherapy could have a place in the treatment of substance abuse in the future. A specific antibody can reduce the acute effects of heroin, according to a new experimental study at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 Jan 2015

Current government-mandated nutrition labeling not effective

Current government-mandated nutrition labeling is ineffective in improving nutrition, but there is a better system available, according to a study by McGill University researchers published in the December issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

21 Jan 2015