Body

Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that develops in very early forms of nerve cells in the embryo or fetus, and it accounts for the most pediatric deaths for any tumor outside of the brain. The most lethal form of this tumor is often associated with amplification of the gene MYCN, and now scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Philips Institute for Oral Health Research may have developed a combination therapy that uses this gene to kill the cancer, instead of making it grow.

Sometimes, a nematode worm just needs to take a nap. In fact, its life may depend on it. New research has identified a protein that promotes a sleep-like state in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Without the snooze-inducing molecule, worms are more likely to die when confronted with stressful conditions, report researchers in the March 7, 2016 issue of the journal GENETICS.

Many cosmetic companies praise liposomes for their alleged ability to transport juvinating and nourishing agents deep into the skin, but also drug researchers have high hopes for liposomes: If they can carry nourishing agents through the skin, then they can also carry medical agents into the body.

But now a new study from University of Southern Denmark finds that liposomes cannot penetrate the skin's barrier without breaking.

From donating blood, building colossal bridges to social welfare - humans have mastered the art of cooperation better than any other animal species. However, many social dilemmas remain unsolved, such as overfishing of the seas, rising global green-house gas emissions or accommodating large numbers of refugees. While we are, to a greater or smaller extent, in charge of most of our lives, in these dilemmas, representatives - such as elected governments - make decisions for us.

Babies at risk of a serious lung infection could be helped by a therapy based on the body's natural immune defences.

Scientists have found that a compound produced by the body's immune system can kill the virus that causes the disease - known as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Their study - which involved mice and healthy adults - suggests that treatments that encourage the immune system to produce more of this compound could help to protect infected babies from developing a life-threatening illness.

Berkeley -- A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas demonstrates how even a short break from certain kinds of makeup, shampoos and lotions can lead to a significant drop in levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the body.

The results, published Monday, March 7, 2016 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, came from a study of 100 Latina teenagers participating in the Health and Environmental Research on Makeup of Salinas Adolescents (HERMOSA) study.

New research presents strong evidence that the Zika virus can indeed cause a range of abnormalities in pregnant women infected with the virus -- with the effects manifesting any time during pregnancy. Some of the abnormalities noted have not been reported in connection with the virus.

A research group led by YAMAMOTO Satoshi, a research fellow at the Kobe University Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, has shown that measuring quantities of fish DNA in seawater can reveal how many fish inhabit that environment. This discovery could enable quicker and more effective surveys of fish distribution, and has potential applications in long-term monitoring. The findings will be published on March 3 in the online science journal "PLOS ONE".

The American Statistical Association (ASA) has released a "Statement on Statistical Significance and P-Values" with six principles underlying the proper use and interpretation of the p-value. The ASA releases this guidance on p-values to improve the conduct and interpretation of quantitative science and inform the growing emphasis on reproducibility of science research.

Almost every second woman suffers from a bladder infection at some point in her life. Also men are affected by cystitis, though less frequently. In eighty percent of the cases, it is caused by the intestinal bacterium E. coli. It travels along the urethra to the bladder where it triggers painful infections. In "Nature Communications" researchers from the University of Basel and the ETH Zurich explain how this bacterium attaches to the surface of the urinary tract via a protein with a sophisticated locking technique, which prevents it from being flushed out by the urine flow.

A BLOOD test may be able to sound early warning bells that patients with advanced melanoma skin cancer are relapsing, according to a study* published in the journal Cancer Discovery today (Monday).

Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute studied the DNA shed by tumours into the bloodstream - called circulating tumour DNA - in blood samples from seven advanced melanoma patients at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

THE UK diagnoses Wilms' tumours - the most common children's kidney cancer - when they are larger and more advanced compared with those diagnosed in Germany, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study* published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, today (Monday).

Treatment with omalizumab significantly decreases the number of colds in inner-city children with allergic asthma, researchers reported at a press conference today at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2016 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, is an injectable antibody that can be used to treat asthma cases not controlled by inhaled corticosteroids.

Orlando, FL -Genetic research on concussions is progressing in many different avenues. However, researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day, believe there may be a new genetic connection regarding recovery rates following a sports-related concussion.

Orlando, FL - Preseason prevention programs are beneficial to young baseball pitchers, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study, the first to analyze a well-monitored preseason training program, showed numerous arm flexibility and strength improvements in participating athletes that could ultimately diminish the risk of injuries.