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KAIST researchers identify mechanism that fuels a 'domino effect' in cancer drug resistance

KAIST researchers have identified mechanisms that relay prior acquired resistance to the first-line chemotherapy to the second-line targeted therapy, fueling a "domino effect" in cancer drug resistance.

11 Feb 2020

One in five operations with in-network surgeons and facilities could result in surprise bills

As if recovering from surgery wasn't hard enough, a new study shows that one in five operations could result in an unwelcome surprise: a bill for hundreds or thousands of dollars that the patient didn't know they might owe.

11 Feb 2020

Age of puberty in girls the world over becoming lower

A new study on the age of initial breast development as the first sign of puberty in girls shows that over the last 40 years, this has come down by an average of 3 months per decade. The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

11 Feb 2020

A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of adolescent depression

Sedentary behavior during adolescence is a marker of depression in adolescence. A new study reported in The Lancet Psychiatry shows that walking for one hour daily, or doing chores for the same length of time, at the age of 12 years, can reduce the risk of depression at the age of 18 years.

11 Feb 2020

Accumulated brain protein affects genes in Alzheimer's disease

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal Cell Reports shows how the build-up of specific brain cell proteins are linked to altered gene expression that causes the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

11 Feb 2020

Individual response to Ebola predicted by new method

The Ebola virus produces widely varying reactions, from asymptomatic illness to death, in people depending on the individual's susceptibility. But what drives this difference in response? A new study published in the journal Cell Reports on February 2020 goes one step further in understanding how the immune system reacts to the virus causing varying levels of severity of disease between cases.

11 Feb 2020

Heroin use increasing among American adults

Earlier studies have shown a startling sevenfold increase in illnesses and deaths directly traceable to heroin use in the USA over less than 20 years. Along with this epidemic, HIV and hepatitis infections acquired by injections of drugs have also broken out in large clusters in many places. Yet, the extent of heroin use itself has been neglected. The current study looked at this overlooked area of research.

11 Feb 2020

Skin cancer-detecting apps could be missing diagnoses finds study

A new study has warned that Smartphone apps that promise to detect skin cancers from moles or marks over the skin could be missing out on potential cancers. These apps say the researchers, could be missing out melanomas and could be declaring potentially dangerous lesions as safe. The results of the study titled, "Algorithm based smartphone apps to assess risk of skin cancer in adults: systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies," were published this week in The BMJ.

11 Feb 2020

Marijuana use increases false memories finds study

A new study published this week has revealed that the use of marijuana or cannabis can implant false memories. The study titled, "Cannabis increases susceptibility to false memory," was published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Feb 2020

The U.S. can erase cervical cancer in two decades

Cervical cancer is preventable, thanks to the development of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Various strains of HPV, a sexually transmitted infection, play a significant role in the event of cervical cancer. Now, the U.S. can eradicate cervical cancer within the next 20 years, according to a new study.

11 Feb 2020

MGH researchers uncover potential antiviral drug target for treating infectious diseases

As the coronavirus outbreak shows, viruses are a constant threat to humanity. Vaccines are regularly developed and deployed against specific viruses, but that process takes a lot of time, doesn't help everyone who needs protection, and still leaves people exposed to new outbreaks and new viruses.

11 Feb 2020

Coronavirus can live on common surfaces for nine days - how to kill it

When a new pathogen wreaks havoc on the planet, scientists from across the globe race to understand how it behaves and spreads. Now, scientists have found that the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) can survive on metal, plastic, and glass for as long as nine days.

11 Feb 2020

Study finds impact of frailty on long‐term outcomes after emergency surgery

Frailty is the medical term for becoming weaker or experiencing lower levels of activity/energy. Becoming frail as we age increases our risk for poor health, falls, disability, and other serious concerns. This can be especially true for older people facing surgery, up to half of whom are classified as frail.

11 Feb 2020

Macrophages migrate from the blood to attack brain tissue shortly after stroke

Macrophages are part of the innate immune system and essential for brain development and function. Using a novel method, scientists from Jena University Hospital, the University of Bonn and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York (USA) succeeded in visualizing macrophages that were formed in the bone marrow.

11 Feb 2020

Studies analyze impact of soft drink taxation, marketing and labeling laws

Laws affecting the labeling, marketing and taxation of sugary soft drinks impact the behavior of both consumers and manufacturers, according to two studies published this week in PLOS Medicine.

11 Feb 2020

Using synthetic cell scaffolds to replace animal testing in cancer research

In the field of cancer research, the idea that scientists can disrupt cancer growth by changing the environment in which cancerous cells divide is growing in popularity. The primary way researchers have tested this theory is to conduct experiments using animals.

11 Feb 2020

Telemedicine can help pregnant women struggling with opioids

Sarah, a military veteran living on the coast of South Carolina, knew she had a problem. The opioids prescribed for her pain were becoming a headache of their own.

11 Feb 2020

Fossilized dinosaur tail is home to a 60-million-year-old tumor

The fossilized tail of a young dinosaur that lived on a prairie in southern Alberta, Canada, is home to the remains of a 60-million-year-old tumor.

11 Feb 2020

Young sexual minority men do not fully understand their risk for HPV infection

Young sexual minority men -- including those who are gay, bisexual, queer or straight-identified men who have sex with men -- do not fully understand their risk for human papillomavirus due to a lack of information from health care providers, according to Rutgers researchers.

11 Feb 2020

UC research could help identify organ donors at risk of developing kidney disease

Kidney transplantation is the gold standard treatment for end-stage kidney disease and is associated with an advantage over dialysis in both survival and quality of life.

11 Feb 2020