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Fetal surgery for spina bifida makes a huge difference 10 years later

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that children with spina bifida, a congenital spinal disorder, who had corrective surgery in the womb, show significantly more benefit than those whose operations were performed after birth, even a decade later. These children have more of a chance to walk by themselves and a lower risk of needing more surgeries, compared to those whose condition is corrected only after birth.

23 Jan 2020

Long-term air pollution makes rhinitis symptoms worse

A new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that people exposed to polluted air out of doors show more severe symptoms of rhinitis, a very common condition also called a cold. This is due to an inflammation of the nasal mucosa.

23 Jan 2020

New method could help doctors avoid ineffective or unnecessarily risky treatments

In a usual management setting, after a person has had a heart attack or stroke, algorithmic risk models are used to calculate the risk of death for the patient. These algorithms or models utilize various factors such as age of the patient, gender, previous history, family history, ethnicity etc.

23 Jan 2020

Halting metastasis by preventing cancer cells from using fat

Healthy cells normally undergo cell division, but when a genetic mutation causes uncontrolled cell growth, they form a tumor. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and most deaths happen when cancer cells start to metastasize or travel from the mother tumor to other parts of the body.

23 Jan 2020

Being exposed to diesel exhaust particles raises pneumococcal disease risk

Air pollution is a long-standing global problem, which is responsible for 7 million deaths each year, with 7 percent of these attributed to pneumonia. A new study highlights how air pollution affects the airways making the body susceptible to developing the pneumococcal disease.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists uncover genetic information of what keeps us healthy

Genetics plays a role in the overall health and well-being of humans. Genes provide instructions for making proteins, which help determine the structure and function of each cell in the body. Aside from determining the characteristics inherited, genes have been linked to many diseases. Scientists have determined the genetic information of health.

23 Jan 2020

Elagolix drug suppresses ovarian hormone production, prevents heavy menstrual bleeding

About 50 % of women with uterine fibroids--non-cancerous muscle tumors that grow in the uterus--experience heavy menstrual bleeding and other symptoms. Surgery is commonly recommended when these symptoms are severe enough to prompt a woman to seek treatment.

23 Jan 2020

New vaccine against African swine fever appears to be more effective than previous vaccines

Government and academic investigators have developed a vaccine against African swine fever that appears to be far more effective than previously developed vaccines. The research appears this week in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists discover small molecule that may slow or stop Parkinson's progression

A collaboration between scientists at Rutgers University and The Scripps Research Institute led to the discovery of a small molecule that may slow down or stop the progression of Parkinson's disease.

23 Jan 2020

Quality of end-of-life care in ICUs higher than other hospital departments

Family caregivers of the deceased rated the quality of end-of-life care in the intensive care unit (ICU) higher than the end-of-life care in other hospital departments (also called wards), according to new, large Penn Medicine study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

23 Jan 2020

Older refugees more likely to suffer from depression even decades after immigration

Most research on the mental health of refugees focuses on the first few years after resettlement in the host country, but little is known about their long-term mental health.

23 Jan 2020

Landmark study identifies 102 genes associated with autism risk

In the largest genetic sequencing study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, researchers have identified 102 genes associated with risk for autism. The study also shows significant progress towards teasing apart the genes associated with ASD from those associated with intellectual disability and developmental delay, conditions which often overlap.

23 Jan 2020

New study to measure effects of environmental exposure on young women's breasts

A University of Massachusetts Amherst cancer epidemiologist has received a $462,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand her research into the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the breast density of college-age women. High breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer.

23 Jan 2020

New Distinguished Scholar Award aims to mitigate gender gaps in medical research

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - an international leader in medical and scientific training, biomedical research, and patient care - today announced the recipients of the first-of-its-kind Distinguished Scholar Award, a new annual grant sponsored by the Office of Gender Equity in Science and Medicine. The awards aim to mitigate gender gaps in medical research by supporting researchers with additional project resources while they serve as family caretakers.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists use human stem cells to make pain-killing neurons

Researchers at the University of Sydney have used human stem cells to make pain-killing neurons that provide lasting relief in mice, without side effects, in a single treatment.

23 Jan 2020

Researchers identify novel cellular entry factor for AAV vector types

Researchers led by a team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified a novel cellular entry factor for adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) types--the most commonly used viral vectors for in vivo gene therapy. AAVs are vectors-or vehicles--that are created from a virus that is made harmless by molecular engineering, and have shown promise transporting genetic therapy treatments to affected tissues.

23 Jan 2020

People who care for a family member or friend with disability put their health in jeopardy

People who regularly care for or assist a family member or friend with a health problem or disability are more likely to neglect their own health, particularly by not having insurance or putting off necessary health services due to cost, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

23 Jan 2020

Novel drug can simultaneously help diagnose, treat gastric cancer

A novel drug, named "FerriIridium", can simultaneously help diagnose and treat gastric cancer. The initially weakly active precursor (prodrug), based on an iridium-containing compound, is selectively activated only after reaching the interior of a tumor cell. This is possible because of the higher amount of iron present there, report scientists in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

23 Jan 2020

A two-drug combo that halts growth of cancer cells discovered

UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center researchers have discovered a two-drug combo that halts the growth of cancer cells that carry HER2 mutations.

23 Jan 2020

Treatment for low back pain in older adults does not match guidelines

Many Medicare patients with new episodes of low back pain receive care inconsistent with current guidelines - including high use of opioids and advanced imaging tests, reports a study in the February issue of Medical Care.

23 Jan 2020