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Simple approach to predict viral evolution may improve vaccine efficacy

New results from a study performed at the University of Helsinki suggest that genomic information from circulating influenza viruses can help in producing more efficient seasonal vaccines. The researchers were able to develop a simple approach for reliable real-time tracking and prediction of viral evolution based on whole-genome sequences of influenza viruses.

8 Dec 2015

Scientists reveal why loss of CD73 enzyme in human cancer promotes tumor progression

Scientists have shown for the first time why loss of the enzyme CD73 in human cancer promotes tumor progression.

8 Dec 2015

Most U.S. hospitals did not adopt effective interventions to address crowding in emergency departments

The most crowded emergency departments in the U.S. have not adopted proven interventions to address crowding, a major public health concern.

8 Dec 2015

People exiting prison or jail get access to health services

With the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, an entire new population is eligible for government health care: low-income men.

8 Dec 2015

Coordinated health care not helping people with mental health conditions

People who are diagnosed with mental health conditions did not see improvements in coordination and quality of care as hoped but did not experience large cuts in access as some had feared under an early alternative payment model designed to encourage coordinated health care, according to a team led by researchers from Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

8 Dec 2015

Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer may up Alzheimer's disease risk

Men taking androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the years that followed than those who didn't undergo the therapy, an analysis of medical records from two large hospital systems by Penn Medicine and Stanford University researchers has shown.

8 Dec 2015

Web-based survey system for symptom collection benefits cancer patients

Systematic collection of cancer patients' symptoms using computer surveys was linked to less frequent emergency room admissions, longer average chemotherapy adherence, greater quality of life improvements, and improved survival, according to a new randomized, controlled trial spearheaded by a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher.

8 Dec 2015

Existing compound offers hope for slowing Huntington's disease progression

Currently, there is no treatment to halt the progression of Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs sufferers of their physical and mental abilities. Now, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that an existing compound, previously tested for diabetes, offers hope for slowing HD and its symptoms.

8 Dec 2015

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells may not contribute to late-stage lupus

For years, biomedical researchers have suspected that a specific set of immune cells are responsible for causing disease in lupus patients, but until now they haven't known for sure one way or the other.

8 Dec 2015

CTTV launches new web platform for identifying therapeutic targets

The Centre for Therapeutic Target Validation (CTTV) has launched a new web platform for life-science researchers that helps them identify therapeutic targets for new and repurposed medicines. Today's launch underscores the CTTV's commitment to share its data openly to benefit the broader scientific community.

8 Dec 2015

Penile prostheses benefit men with erectile dysfunction

Most men who receive penile prostheses are very satisfied with the implants, indicating that the intervention is a valid treatment for erectile dysfunction.

8 Dec 2015

Macrophages play key role in maintaining healthy arteries after inflammation

Researchers from the University of Toronto have found that a specific cell type plays a key role in maintaining healthy arteries after inflammation. It's a discovery that could provide treatment options for cardiovascular disease -- one of the leading causes of death in Canada.

8 Dec 2015

NEK7 enzyme acts as on-off switch in innate immune system

UT Southwestern Medical Center and California researchers today provide the first report that an enzyme previously known solely for its role in cell division also acts as an on-off switch in the innate immune system -- the body's first defense against infection.

8 Dec 2015

Young men with HIV engage in risky sexual behavior

Young men who have sex with men and have detectable levels of HIV were more likely to report not using a condom during anal intercourse with a partner not infected with HIV, compared with virologically suppressed young men who have sex with men, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

8 Dec 2015

Researchers discover 'triple attack' technique to target liver cancer tumors

In an interdisciplinary collaboration between prominent academic and industry investigators, researchers have discovered a novel method for repositioning an FDA-approved anti-cancer compound so it can specifically target liver cancer tumors. A 'triple attack' technique combining chemotherapy, thermal ablation, and hyperthermia provided a highly targeted, yet minimally invasive approach.

8 Dec 2015

Stanford researchers invent new technique to dramatically accelerate protein evolution

All living things require proteins, members of a vast family of molecules that nature "makes to order" according to the blueprints in DNA.

8 Dec 2015

Researchers discover unique muscle fibers of upper airways often present in sleep apnea patients

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have discovered unique muscle fibers in the soft palate of the mouth in both infants and adults. The fibers seem to be present in greater number in snorers and sleep apnea patients.

8 Dec 2015

Study provides new insights into relationship between taste, behavior

Evolutionary conserved brainstem circuits are the first relay for gustatory information in the vertebrate brain. While the brainstem circuits act as our life support system and they mediate vital taste related behaviors, the principles of gustatory computations in these circuits are poorly understood.

8 Dec 2015

Researchers identify genes that act as brakes to stop development of aggressive type of leukaemia

Genes that act as brakes to stop the development of an aggressive form of leukaemia have been identified by researchers.

8 Dec 2015

Patients suffering from diabetic foot have significantly impaired cognitive function

In a first-time study, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers revealed a new finding in people with diabetes who suffer from "diabetic foot." Patients with this condition also have significantly impaired cognitive function.

8 Dec 2015