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Universal tumor testing superior to selective strategy in identifying Lynch syndrome among CRC patients

In a comparison of strategies to identify individuals with Lynch syndrome, the most common form of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC), caused by mutations in certain genes (DNA mismatch repair [MMR] genes), universal tumor MMR testing among certain CRC patients had a greater sensitivity for the identification of Lynch syndrome compared with multiple alternative strategies, although the diagnostic improvement was modest, according to a study in the October 17 issue of JAMA.

17 Oct 2012

Trauma in infancy and childhood shapes the brain, learning and behavior

Trauma in infancy and childhood shapes the brain, learning, and behavior, and fuels changes that can last a lifetime, according to new human and animal research released today. The studies delve into the effects of early physical abuse, socioeconomic status (SES), and maternal treatment.

17 Oct 2012

Hereditary genes responsible for pain severity after motor vehicle collisions

Two studies presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 annual meeting found that hereditary genes were responsible for the amount and type of pain experienced after a motor vehicle collision (MVC).

17 Oct 2012

Stat5 protein could serve as biomarker to help guide prostate cancer treatment

Men who had high levels of the activated Stat5 protein in their prostate cancer after a radical prostatectomy were more likely to have a recurrence or die from the disease compared to men who had little to no presence of the growth protein, according to a recent study published in Human Pathology by Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center researchers.

17 Oct 2012

NPR begins series on polio eradication

NPR's "Shots" blog on Monday began a series of stories "reporting on the fight to eradicate the last few pockets of polio," which begins "with a look back at how the U.S. and the rest of the world wiped out the virus for good."

17 Oct 2012

FGF21 hormone markedly increases life span in mice

A study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers finds that a starvation hormone markedly extends life span in mice without the need for calorie restriction.

17 Oct 2012

Blogs recognize Global Handwashing Day

The following blog posts were published in recognition of Global Handwashing Day, observed annually on October 15.

17 Oct 2012

Abnormal visual processing and circuitry in the brain impacts fixational saccades

Little is known about oculomotor function in amblyopia, or "lazy eye," despite the special role of eye movements in vision. A group of scientists has discovered that abnormal visual processing and circuitry in the brain have an impact on fixational saccades (FSs), involuntary eye movements that occur during fixation and are important for the maintenance of vision.

17 Oct 2012

Additional drugs linked to meningitis outbreak

Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday that more people may be at risk as a result of contaminated drugs made by a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy.

17 Oct 2012

Extradural brain stimulation safe and effective for patients with Parkinson's

Electrical stimulation using extradural electrodes—placed underneath the skull but not implanted in the brain—is a safe approach with meaningful benefits for patients with Parkinson's disease, reports the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

17 Oct 2012

Global Fund invites Myanmar to apply for additional funding

"Health workers in Myanmar are confident that efforts to narrow the country's huge gap between access to, and need for, life-saving medicines to treat HIV/AIDS are back on track after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria invited the country to apply for additional funding," IRIN reports.

17 Oct 2012

Study determines how Trop2 protein drives growth of tumor cells in prostate and other epithelial cancers

Researchers led by Tanya Stoyanova and Dr. Owen Witte of UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have determined how a protein known as Trop2 drives the growth of tumor cells in prostate and other epithelial cancers.

17 Oct 2012

CGD introduces online forum to discuss Global Fund reforms

In the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog, Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy and a senior fellow at CGD, introduces the center's new online forum in which they "have asked prominent thinkers and practitioners what reforms the Global Fund should prioritize and how it should best fulfill its mandate of improving the way development aid is managed in addition to advancing the fight against the three diseases as its Board considers new policies and its new Executive Director prepares to takes office."

17 Oct 2012

Salk findings on cold virus proteins may spur new cancer treatments

Cold viruses generally get a bad rap----which they've certainly earned----but new findings by a team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies suggest that these viruses might also be a valuable ally in the fight against cancer.

17 Oct 2012

Wolters Kluwer Health enters agreement to acquire Health Language

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for professionals, students and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Health Language, Inc., a leader in Medical Terminology Management (MTM), a rapidly growing segment of the point-of-care market.

17 Oct 2012

EMR before radiofrequency ablation safe and effective for patients with nodular Barrett's esophagus

A new study shows that endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) before radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with nodular Barrett's esophagus (BE) and advanced neoplasia.

17 Oct 2012

Panelists discuss global health law, innovation, access, justice

Intellectual Property Watch reports on a roundtable on global health law, innovation, access and justice, hosted last week by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and Georgetown Law School.

17 Oct 2012

High-carb diet may increase risk of mild cognitive impairment among older people

People 70 and older who eat food high in carbohydrates have nearly four times the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, and the danger also rises with a diet heavy in sugar, Mayo Clinic researchers have found.

17 Oct 2012

World must 'pull together' to end hunger, stunting among children

Noting "around 170 million children under the age of five are stunted" globally, actor and UNICEF ambassador Mia Farrow writes in a CNN opinion piece, "For too long, stunting has been a silent crisis -- a personal tragedy for each family," but "the suffering of some 170 million children constitutes a global catastrophe that calls for an urgent response." Traveling with UNICEF for more than a decade, Farrow says, "Wherever there is poverty, it is the children who pay the highest price."

17 Oct 2012

Prescription pain medication abuse on the rise among current generation of adolescents

A new study by the University of Colorado Denver reveals that today's adolescents are abusing prescription pain medications like vicodin, valium and oxycontin at a rate 40 percent higher than previous generations.

17 Oct 2012