Using a statistical method developed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, investigators found that survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma not only have more cardiovascular conditions than adults who did not have cancer in childhood, but the problems are more severe. The research, which appears today in the journal The Lancet Oncology, should aid efforts to reduce and better manage the late effects of cancer treatment.
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HOUSTON - (July 25, 2016) -- The study of rhodopsin -- the molecule that allows the eye to detect dim light -- has a long and well-recognized history of more than 100 years. Nevertheless, there is still controversy about the structure in which the molecule exists in the cells of the eye.
Two separate UCLA studies reveal that menopause and the insomnia that often accompanies it make women age faster.
The dual findings, respectively published July 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Biological Psychiatry, suggest these factors could increase women's risk for aging-related diseases and earlier death
The H5 avian influenza A virus that devastated North American poultry farms in 2014-15 was initially spread by migratory waterfowl, but evidence suggests such highly pathogenic flu viruses do not persist in wild birds. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the research, which appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
CINCINNATI -- Metformin, a medication routinely used by millions of people with type 2 diabetes, may also play an unexpected role in blocking a significant cause of preterm birth, according to research findings published July 25.
The early-stage study, based on results from mice bred to be prone to premature birth, was led by a team of scientists at Cincinnati Children's along with colleagues in France and Japan. Their findings were posted online in JCI: The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
MADISON -- Serotonin is best known for eliciting feelings of happiness in the human brain, but scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found the hormone plays a role in milk production in dairy cows -- and may have health implications for breastfeeding women.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (July 25, 2016) -- Full-term babies receive natural protection from their mothers that helps them fight off dangerous infections. However, babies born prematurely lack protective intestinal bacteria and often are unable to be nursed, causing their infection-fighting capabilities to be underdeveloped. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that a manufactured form of lactoferrin, a naturally occurring protein in breast milk, can help protect premature infants from a type of staph infection.
HOUSTON - (July 25, 2016) - Regions in Texas differ widely in adherence to recommended cancer treatment for elderly patients, according to a study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
These differences are not due to the availability of treatment specialists or the presence of teaching hospitals, the study found. The absence of consistent explanations for these treatment differences suggests that variations like these are likely to occur elsewhere nationwide.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - According to studies, approximately one out of every 40 individuals in the United States is a carrier of the gene responsible for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to weaken over time. Researchers at the University of Missouri developed a new molecule in April 2014 that was found to be highly effective in animal models exhibiting SMA. Now, testing of that compound is leading to a better prognosis for mice with the disease and the possibility of potential drugs that will improve outcomes for patients with SMA.
A study by researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Brigham and Women's Hospital and the California Department of Public Health suggests that all babies with a known mutation for cystic fibrosis (CF) and second mutation called the 5T allele should receive additional screening in order to better predict the risk of developing CF later in life.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 25, 2016 - A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a novel way to produce two-dimensional nanosheets by separating bulk materials with nontoxic liquid nitrogen. The environmentally friendly process generates a 20-fold increase in surface area per sheet, which could expand the nanomaterials' commercial applications.
In a study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, researchers developed a "prediction score" to help healthcare professionals determine which older adults might be most at risk for developing pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of sickness and death among older adults. About 40 percent of older adults with pneumonia are hospitalized and face high rates of complications and death. Risk factors for pneumonia include increasing age, chronic lung disease, smoking, being underweight, and having difficulty functioning.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed the first placenta-on-a-chip that can fully model the transport of nutrients across the placental barrier.
The flash-drive-sized device contains two layers of human cells that model the interface between mother and fetus. Microfluidic channels on either side of those layers allow researchers to study how molecules are transported through, or are blocked by, that interface.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The fountain of youth may reside in an embryonic stem cell gene named Nanog.
In a series of experiments at the University at Buffalo, the gene kicked into action dormant cellular processes that are key to preventing weak bones, clogged arteries and other telltale signs of growing old.
The findings, published June 29 in the journal Stem Cells, also show promise in counteracting premature aging disorders such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.