Body

Largest review into twin pregnancies reveals ideal delivery time to prevent stillbirths

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have analysed the twin pregnancies of more than 30,000 women to identify the ideal delivery period in an attempt to reduce rates of stillbirth.

In the largest review of its kind the researchers recommend that in the case of pregnancies without complications, women with dichorionic twins (twins with separate placenta) should be offered delivery after 37 weeks. They also recommend that women with monochorionic twins (twins that share the same placenta) should not be offered delivery before 36 weeks.

Research reveals artificial thyroid cancer epidemic

Research led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found doctors around the world are over diagnosing the most common thyroid cancer, creating an artificial epidemic that costs billions of dollars each year in unnecessary medical costs.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Suhail Doi said diagnoses of differentiated thyroid cancer globally had increased three-fold during the past 25 years despite no change to the disease's low death rate.

Mouse studies show experimental TB treatment may do more harm than good

Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence from mouse studies that a "repurposed" drug that would be expected to improve the immune system response of tuberculosis patients may be increasing resistance to the antibiotic drugs these patients must also take.

The findings, which involve one of the new so-called host-directed therapies for TB, are a cautionary note on use of these adjunct approaches designed to fight active TB by increasing the efficiency of antimicrobials drug, rather than working directly against the TB bacillus, as antimicrobials do.

Nano-lipid particles from edible ginger could improve drug delivery for colon cancer, study finds

Edible ginger-derived nano-lipids created from a specific population of ginger nanoparticles show promise for effectively targeting and delivering chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat colon cancer, according to a study by researchers at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Wenzhou Medical University and Southwest University in China.

A tail of gene expression

Imagine trying to fly a kite without a tail. It swoops and loops and wiggles and finally crashes down into the ground. A kite without a tail is unstable, but add a tail at the right place, and your kite will fly steady.

New sensor could help fight deadly bacterial infections

WASHINGTON -- Scientists have built a new sensor that can detect the potentially deadly E.coli bacteria in 15-20 minutes, much faster than traditional lab tests. E.coli can be transmitted in contaminated food and water, posing particular risks to children and the elderly. In the late spring of 2011 a serious outbreak of E.coli bacteria sickened thousands of people in Germany and killed more than 50.

Genetically modified humans? CRISPR/Cas 9 explained (video)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2016 -- Thanks to a new, cheap and accurate DNA-editing technique called CRISPR-Cas9, targeted genetic modification in humans is no longer just the realm of science fiction. Both the British and U.S. governments recently gave scientists the thumbs-up to edit DNA in human embryos and adults using CRISPR. So does this mean that we can trim out genetic diseases or mutations? Or maybe even add in abilities like infrared vision, possibly creating a designer-baby dystopia?

Many college students take remedial courses, but only some benefit, researchers find

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--Steering new college students into remedial classes can boost a poorly prepared student's chances of success, but doesn't appear to benefit students with a stronger academic background, RTI International researchers have found.

Scientists reveal insights into treatment resistance of metastastic breast cancer research

(Bethesda, MD, Sept. 06, 2016) - A prominent physician scientist supported by the National Foundation of Cancer Research (NFCR), Dr. Daniel Haber, and his team at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center have identified a dynamic gene expression in metastatic breast cancer that may contribute to disease progression and resistance to treatment experienced by many patients. Tumors can evolve in response to treatment and they may acquire new genetic features that may make them resistant to drugs and cause disease progression.

PSA failure predicts risk of death only in healthy men

A new study by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has found that a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in healthy men who have previously been treated for prostate cancer is significantly associated with a 1.6-fold increased risk of death. The team also studied men with prostate cancer who had another illness such as a history of heart attack or stroke, and did not find that PSA failure was predictive of the risk of death in these men.

New HIF-2 kidney cancer therapy more effective than current treatment, study shows

DALLAS - September 05, 2016 -A new class of drugs called HIF-2 inhibitors is more effective and better tolerated than the standard of care drug sunitinib in treating kidney cancer, researchers with the Kidney Cancer Program at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

HIF-2 inhibitors, which grew out of research begun more than 20 years ago at UT Southwestern Medical Center, work by interfering with processes that fuel the growth of cells.

Tulane researchers find other layers of immunity in TB/HIV co-infections

Tulane University researchers found some monkeys whose immune systems are depleted by the simian strain of HIV have a second line of defense against tuberculosis. The discovery could have significant impacts on future vaccines for TB. The research led by study author Deepak Kaushal, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Resolution of inflammation: The missing key to improve heart failure prognosis?

Heart failure places a heavy social and economic burden in modern societies. Despite therapeutic advances, its prognosis is still worse than that of most cancers suggesting that important pathophysiological mechanisms remain unidentified. Inflammation contributes to the development and progression of heart failure, regardless of etiologies. Inflammatory response perpetuation may result either from excessive activation of proinflammatory cascades or disturbances in the resolution of inflammation.

High quality evidence suggests vitamin D can reduce asthma attacks

A new Cochrane Review, published in the Cochrane Library today and presented at the ERS International Congress, has found evidence from randomised trials, that taking an oral vitamin D supplement in addition to standard asthma medication is likely to reduce severe asthma attacks.

Asthma is a common chronic disease affecting about 300 million people worldwide. The symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.

Young people exposed to vaping ads less likely to think occasional smoking bad for health

Estimates suggest that among children who try smoking, between one third and one half are likely to become regular smokers within two to three years. However, young people are now more likely to experiment with e-cigarettes than they are with tobacco cigarettes. For example, a 2014 study found that 22% of children aged 11-15 in England had experimented with e-cigarettes, compared to 18% for tobacco cigarettes.