Body

Smoking drastically alters the oral microbiome, the mix of roughly 600 bacterial species that live in people's mouths. This is the finding of a study led by NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center to be published online March 25 in the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Journal.

The researchers say their analysis is the most comprehensive to date to examine the effects of smoking on the make-up and action of bacterial species in the human mouth based on precise genetic testing.

Athens, Ga. - Researchers at the University of Georgia and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today the development of a vaccine that protects against multiple strains of both seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza in mouse models. They published their findings recently in the Journal of Virology.

Researchers from UGA and Sanofi Pasteur, which has a research and development collaboration agreement with UGA, will present their data tomorrow, March 30, at the World Vaccine Congress US 2016 in Washington, D.C.

Using advanced sequencing technologies, University of Oklahoma anthropologists demonstrate that human DNA can be significantly enriched from dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) enabling the reconstruction of whole mitochondrial genomes for maternal ancestry analysis--an alternative to skeletal remains in ancient DNA investigations of human ancestry.

Scientists have shed light on why some people crave salty food, even when they know it can seriously damage their health.

The study helps researchers understand how the brain controls our appetite for salt, and how it impacts on blood pressure levels.

The findings suggest it could soon be possible to offer heart disease patients a medicine that helps them manage their salt intake and curb the adverse effects of high blood pressure.

LA JOLLA, CA - March 29, 2016 - Viruses aren't always bad. In fact, scientists can harness the capabilities of some viruses for good--modifying the viruses to carry drug molecules, for example.

One useful virus has been cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a plant pathogen that can be modified to aid in tumor detection and even chemotherapy.

In a new study, published online ahead of print in the journal Structure, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) report that, based on its structure, a hollowed-out version of CPMV could also be effective in human therapies.

Death from opioid overdose is preventable through timely administration of the antidote naloxone. Several countries now provide take-home naloxone (THN) to opioid users for emergency use, but mostly as pilot schemes and without formal evaluation. A new study published today by the scientific journal Addiction found that take-home naloxone programs reduce overdose mortality and have a low rate of adverse events. The study recommends take-home naloxone as a new standard of care for prevention of heroin overdose deaths.

"Autistic people are cold and feel no empathy." True? It is a pervasive stereotype, but when analyzed through the lens of science, reality turns out to be quite different. According to a study at SISSA, carried out in collaboration with the University of Vienna, when autistic people are placed in "moral dilemma" situations, they show an empathic response similar to the general population.

Abnormal cells in the early embryo are not necessarily a sign that a baby will be born with a birth defect such as Down's syndrome, suggests new research carried out in mice at the University of Cambridge. In a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, scientists show that abnormal cells are eliminated and replaced by healthy cells, repairing - and in many cases completely fixing - the embryo.

The annual economic cost of the nearly 16,000 premature births linked to air pollution in the United States has reached $4.33 billion, according to a report by scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center. The sum includes $760 million spent on prolonged hospital stays and long-term use of medications, as well as $3.57 billion in lost economic productivity due to physical and mental disabilities associated with preterm birth.

Children with Cushing syndrome may be at higher risk for suicide as well as for depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions long after their disease has been successfully treated, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Lyon, France - March 29, 2016 - Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announces published data on a vaccine strategy that elicited a broadly-reactive response against seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza viruses in mice. The article, entitled "Design and characterization of a computationally optimized broadly reactive hemagglutinin vaccine for H1N1 influenza viruses," appears in the current issue of the Journal of Virology.

(PHILADELPHIA) - New technology has enabled doctors to administer higher doses of radiation to prostate cancer patients with fewer side effects. However, a new study shows that escalating the dose may not actually help a patient in the long term, at least not patients with localized prostate cancer. The results were published online last week in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

1. ACP recommends policies to stem rising prescription drug costsFree content: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-2768URL goes live when the embargo lifts

The American College of Physicians (ACP) calls for changes that could slow the rising cost of prescription drugs. The policy paper, Stemming the Escalating Cost of Prescription Drugs, is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. (March 28, 2016)-- Efforts to combat the rapid spread of Zika virus got a boost this week as researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (UTMB) announced the first peer-reviewed publication of a mouse model for Zika infection reported in decades. Several research institutions and companies have vaccine and drug candidates nearly ready to test, but until now a mouse model - a critical stage in preclinical testing - has not been available.

ST. LOUIS-- In a recent review paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, SLU scientist Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., describes the strategies cells use when their DNA faces replication stress, challenges that may derail a cell's ability to reproduce. In this do-or-die situation, cells have several tactics that can help them overcome lesions or other obstacles in order to ensure faithful transmission of their genetic information.