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Study shows high cost, high side effects and little gain for chemotherapy in older mCRC patients

A study published online ahead of print in the journal Medical Care shows that over a recent 10-year period, the rate of metastatic colorectal cancer patients older than age 75 receiving three or more treatments increased from 2 percent to 53 percent.

26 Feb 2016

Genome sequencing shows association between STIs and Trachoma

For the first time, genome sequencing has been carried out on Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), a bacteria responsible for the disease Trachoma - the world's leading infectious cause of blindness, according to a study in Nature Communications.

26 Feb 2016

Japanese bioengineers tweak E. coli genes to pump out morphine precursor

A common gut microbe could soon be offering us pain relief. Japanese bioengineers have tweaked Escherichia coli genes so that they pump out thebaine, a morphine precursor that can be modified to make painkillers. The genetically modified E. coli produces 300 times more thebaine with minimal risk of unregulated use compared to a recently developed method involving yeast.

26 Feb 2016

Research finding could lay foundation for more accurate diagnosis for rare childhood brain tumor

An international research team has identified four likely new subtypes of a rare brain tumor using molecular techniques that lay the foundation for more accurate diagnosis and tailored therapies for the hard-to-treat cancer. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center led the study, results of which appear today in the scientific journal Cell.

26 Feb 2016

Black men have higher rate and probability of PSA screening compared to non-Hispanic whites

African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer and shorter survival time compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Their mortality rate is more than twice that of their white counterparts. Early diagnosis through PSA screening may help forestall consequent morbidity and mortality.

26 Feb 2016

Aggregated forms of transthyretin can trigger JIA development

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a the most common form of arthritis in children and affects approximately 50,000 individuals in the United States alone. Previous research suggested that autoimmune responses cause JIA, but the specific antigens that are responsible for driving autoimmunity have not been identified.

26 Feb 2016

Kansas State University engineers developing technology to help children with special needs

A Kansas State University engineering team is developing a technology collection that can make a big difference in the lives of children with developmental disabilities.

26 Feb 2016

Scientists develop new optical technique to observe neurotransmitter activity of individual synapses

Columbia University scientists have developed a new optical technique to study how information is transmitted in the brains of mice. Using this method, they found that only a small portion of synapses -- the connections between cells that control brain activity--may be active at any given time.

26 Feb 2016

New Notre Dame research may lead to a therapy for Niemann-Pick Type C disease

Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure. NPC primarily strikes children before and during adolescence and affects one in every 150,000 children. The disease causes cholesterol and other lipids to build up in the body's cells, which results in symptoms such as delayed motor development, deterioration of memory and balance, and seizures.

26 Feb 2016

New UAB study shows connection between ADHD and vision problems in children

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most frequently encountered neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, and a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently published in Optometry and Vision Science shows a relationship between ADHD and vision impairments in children.

25 Feb 2016

Immune-suppressing drug can improve cognitive ability of patients with schizophrenia

A recent study of a handful of patients supports mounting evidence that targeted suppression of inflammation packaged with standard therapy can improve the cognitive ability of patients with schizophrenia, physician-scientists report.

25 Feb 2016

Exercise protects people from depression after heart attack

Researchers know that exercise increases a person's chances of surviving a heart attack. Now it turns out that exercise habits also affect how the body handles a heart attack's aftermaths.

25 Feb 2016

Pancreatic cancer identified as four separate diseases with different genetic triggers, survival rates

An international team led by Australian researchers has studied the genetics of pancreatic cancer, revealing it is actually four separate diseases, each with different genetic triggers and survival rates, paving the way for more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

25 Feb 2016

UNC-Chapel Hill pharmacy researchers use skin cells to destroy brain tumors

In a first for medical science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pharmacy researchers turn skin cells into cancer-hunting stem cells that destroy brain tumors known as glioblastoma - a discovery that can offer, for the first time in more than 30 years, a new and more effective treatment for the disease.

25 Feb 2016

New study allows researchers to see how insulin in islets responds to sugar

"Scientists and doctors have wanted to know how much insulin a person has in their body, but haven't been able to know the exact amount without the patient being deceased and actually removing the pancreas," says Peter Arvan, division chief of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes at the University of Michigan.

25 Feb 2016

Study provides pathways to understand complex neurological disorders

Scientists have now described the engineering of a bright red fluorescent protein-based voltage indicator, providing pathways to understanding complex neurological disorders. Designated as FlicR1 (fluorescent indicator for voltage imaging red), these indicators enable imaging of the electrical activity of many genetically targeted neurons with high spatial and temporal resolution.

25 Feb 2016

Ketamine appears to be safe, effective for difficult-to-sedate ER patients

For the small segment of the emergency population whose acute behavioral disturbance does not respond to traditional sedation, ketamine appears to be effective and safe, according to an Australian study published online last Thursday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Ketamine for Difficult to Sedate Severe Acute Behavioral Disturbance in the Emergency Department").

25 Feb 2016

Zika outbreak highlights need for developing and evaluating new vaccines for pregnant women

The recent outbreak of Zika virus disease and its link to fetal development highlights the need for pregnant women and those of reproductive age to be a priority group for developing and evaluating new vaccines and vaccine guidelines for Zika and other emerging infectious diseases, say the authors of a new Viewpoint article in JAMA.

25 Feb 2016

New analysis of heart structure, function for prevention of cardiac emergencies in basketball players

An analysis of the cardiac structure and function of more than 500 National Basketball Association (NBA) players provides information that can be incorporated into clinical assessments for the prevention of cardiac emergencies in basketball players and the athletic community at large, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology.

25 Feb 2016

Concussion tests may present challenges for athletes who speak English as a second language

Popular sideline vision tests used to help detect immediate signs of concussion may present challenges in the interpretation of results for athletes who speak English as a second language (ESL).

25 Feb 2016

Medical Research News

Study shows high cost, high side effects and little gain for chemotherapy in older mCRC patients

Genome sequencing shows association between STIs and Trachoma

Japanese bioengineers tweak E. coli genes to pump out morphine precursor

Research finding could lay foundation for more accurate diagnosis for rare childhood brain tumor

Black men have higher rate and probability of PSA screening compared to non-Hispanic whites

Aggregated forms of transthyretin can trigger JIA development

Kansas State University engineers developing technology to help children with special needs

Scientists develop new optical technique to observe neurotransmitter activity of individual synapses

New Notre Dame research may lead to a therapy for Niemann-Pick Type C disease

New UAB study shows connection between ADHD and vision problems in children

Immune-suppressing drug can improve cognitive ability of patients with schizophrenia

Exercise protects people from depression after heart attack

Pancreatic cancer identified as four separate diseases with different genetic triggers, survival rates

UNC-Chapel Hill pharmacy researchers use skin cells to destroy brain tumors

New study allows researchers to see how insulin in islets responds to sugar

Study provides pathways to understand complex neurological disorders

Ketamine appears to be safe, effective for difficult-to-sedate ER patients

Zika outbreak highlights need for developing and evaluating new vaccines for pregnant women

New analysis of heart structure, function for prevention of cardiac emergencies in basketball players

Concussion tests may present challenges for athletes who speak English as a second language

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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