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Research team says vaccination can reduce children's allergy risk

Vaccination can lower children's risk of allergy. Cathleen Muche-Borowski and her coauthors present a clinical practice guideline for allergy prevention in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106[39]: 625-31).

Allergic diseases are becoming increasingly common in Western industrialized countries. As there is still no etiologically based treatment of allergic asthma, hay fever, or atopic eczema, the prevention of these diseases is a matter of special importance.

MDC scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated

During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will develop into new stem cells (self-renewal) or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation. These were the findings of researchers at the laboratory of Dr. Frank Rosenbauer of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch in cooperation with the laboratory of Professor Sten Eirik W. Jacobsen (Lund University, Sweden and the University of Oxford, England).

Homebound termites answer Darwin's 150-year-old question

Staying at home may have given the very first termite youngsters the best opportunity to rule the colony when their parents were killed by their neighbors. This is according to new research supported by the National Science Foundation and published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

EP-100 said to 'seek and destroy' many types of cancer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Oct. 5, 2009 — A new drug designed to "seek and destroy" common cancers such as breast, prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, ovarian, skin and testicular cancers is being tested at TGen Clinical Research Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare.

The Phase 1 clinical trial will help determine if EP-100 is safe and effective for use among patients with solid cancer tumors, with fewer side effects than chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

Ethnic background may be associated with diabetes risk

Chevy Chase, MD— Fat and muscle mass, as potentially determined by a person's ethnic background, may contribute to diabetes risk, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

A simple way for older adults to assess arterial stiffness: reach for the toes

BETHESDA, Md. (Oct. 6, 2009) — How far you can reach beyond your toes from a sitting position – normally used to define the flexibility of a person's body – may be an indicator of how stiff your arteries are.

Silencing JNK2 gene reveals flaw in cancer's defense strategy

Scientists at the University of York have identified and successfully silenced a gene that appears essential to cancer cell survival.

Professor Jo Milner and Dr Shafiq Ahmed, from the YCR P53 Research Unit in the Department of Biology, used a process called RNA interference to target the JNK2 gene in both cancer and healthy cells. The cancer cells died but the healthy cells were unaffected.

High-fat diet impairs muscle health, but early damage goes undetected, study finds

Hamilton, ON (October 5, 2009) – Skeletal muscle plays a critical role in regulating blood sugar levels in the body. But few studies have comprehensively examined how obesity caused by a high-fat diet affects the health of muscle in adolescents who are pre-diabetic.

Researchers identify key Listeria defense mechanism--dendritic cell cross-presentation

A team of University of British Columbia microbiologists has identified a key defence mechanism used by the immune system against Listeria with strong implications for the future development of vaccines.

Listeria is the bacteria that causes listeriosis, a food-borne infection that caused 22 deaths in Canada in an August 2008 outbreak in meat products produced by Maple Leaf Foods.

Mutated FGFR4 protein helps a childhood cancer spread

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a childhood cancer thought to originate from skeletal muscle. In patients whose disease has spread (metastasized) from the initial tumor site the chance of long-term survival is poor. Hopes for a therapy for such patients are not high, as little is known about the factors that control tumor progression and metastasis.

Closing race, poverty and gender gaps in advanced high school course-taking

WASHINGTON, DC—October 5, 2009—The latest research from the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management explores the wide disparities in advanced high school course-taking (such as Advanced Placement courses) among race, poverty, and gender groups in Florida.

Novel breast tissue feature may predict woman's cancer risk

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers have found that certain structural features within breast tissue can indicate a woman's individual cancer risk. The findings appear online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The study shows that acini (AS-ih-nye), the small milk-producing elements in breast lobules, can be counted in sample biopsies. The percentage of acini present per lobule at a given age indicates cancer risk. Researchers say this method is more accurate in predicting risk for an individual than the Gail model (see National Cancer Institute).

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at higher risk of crashes in low visibility

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

In addition to affecting movement, Parkinson's disease affects visual skills, such as the ability to see contrast, and the speed of processing what is seen.

Breast reconstruction varies by race, U-M study finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Latinas who spoke little English were less likely to undergo reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy for breast cancer, according to a study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The study compared breast reconstruction among white women, African-American women, Latina women who were highly acculturated and Latina women who were less acculturated. Acculturation is a measure of how much a person is integrated into American society. For Latinas, a significant factor is whether they speak primarily English or Spanish.

Mediterranean diet associated with reduced risk of depression

Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern—rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish—appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.