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Period Ending August 24, 2007
NEURODEGENERATION: CHRONIC STRESS WORSENS COURSE OF DISEASE
Researchers presenting at the 115th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco have demonstrated for the first time that stress-related increases in central nervous system inflammation are behind the adverse effects of stress in an animal model of MS. Researchers from Texas A&M University used mice to show what role social stress plays in the immune process to influence the course of an MS-like disease. They proposed that stress-induced increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that regulate immune and inflammatory functions, inhibit the clearing of a virus and allow the inflammatory process to run amok. Stress, say the researchers, may interact with viral infections to increase vulnerability to diseases such as MS.
OBESITY: VIRUS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO EPIDEMIC
Infection with a common virus may be a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic sweeping through the United States and other countries, according to scientist at the Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center. In laboratory experiments they showed that infection with human adenovirus-36, long recognized as a cause of respiratory and eye infections in humans, transforms adult stem cells obtained from fat tissue into fat cells. Stem cells not exposed to the virus, in contrast, were unchanged. In addition, the study reported identification of a specific gene in the virus that appears to be involved in this obesity-promoting effect. The findings, which could lead to a vaccine or antiviral medication to help fight viral obesity in the future, were presented at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: MICE PROVIDE NEW CLUES
Mice born without a key brain protein compulsively groom their faces until they bleed and are afraid to venture out of the corner of their cages. When given a replacement dose of the protein in a specific region of the brain, or the drugs used to treat humans suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, many of these mice seem to get better. Duke University Medical Center investigators, in their basic research into how individual brain cells communicate with each other, discovered serendipitously that mice with a genetic mutation that prevents their brain cells from producing one key protein exhibited OCD-like behavior. The finding may have uncovered important clues about a possible mechanism for OCD, a debilitating psychiatric condition affecting up to 2 percent of the world's people. OCD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the world. It is marked by persistent intrusive thoughts, repetitive actions, and anxiety.
SEXUALITY: SURVEY CHARTS BEHAVIOR OF OLDER ADULTS
The first comprehensive national survey of sexual attitudes, behaviors, and problems among older adults in the United States has found that most people ages 57 to 85 think of sexuality as an important part of life and that the frequency of sexual activity, for those who are active, declines only slightly from the 50s to the early 70s. Data from the University of Chicago's National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that many men and women remain sexually active—participating in vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation—well into their 70s and 80s. The survey also found that sexual activity was closely tied to overall health, which was even more important than age. As health declined steadily after the early 70s, so did the prevalence of sexual activity, particularly for women. Despite the unprecedented shift in the age of the population, the researchers said the public, physicians and policymakers lack information on sexual behavior at older ages and on how sexual activities and problems change with age and illness.
OBESITY: GASTRIC BYPASS REDUCES MORTALITY RISK IN PATIENTS
Severely obese patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery significantly reduce their risk of death from coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, according to researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and LDS Hospital. The 14-year study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated 15,850 severely obese patients, half of whom underwent gastric bypass surgery to reduce their weight. The mortality rate from coronary heart disease was 56 percent lower in the surgery group than in the non-surgery (control) group. The surgery group also showed a 60 percent lower death rate from cancer and a 92 percent lower death from diabetes than the non-surgery group.
OVARIAN CANCER: CRANBERRIES MAY IMPROVE CHEMOTHERAPY
Compounds in cranberries may help improve the effectiveness of platinum drugs that are used in chemotherapy to fight ovarian cancer, researchers from Rutgers University and Brown University report. In a presentation at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the scientists said in cell culture studies human ovarian cancer cells resistant to platinum drugs became up to six times more sensitized to the drugs after exposure to the cranberry compounds in comparison to cells that were not exposed to the compounds. Although preliminary, the findings have the potential to save lives and reduce the harmful side effects associated with using high doses of platinum drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer; the researchers say human studies are still needed.
CANCER: PECTIN KILLS PROSTATE CANCER CELLS
A University of Georgia study finds that pectin, a type of fiber found in fruits and vegetables and used in making jams and other foods, kills prostate cancer cells. The study, published in the journal Glycobiology, found that exposing prostate cancer cells to pectin under laboratory conditions reduced the number of cells by up to 40 percent. The researchers found that the cells self-destructed in a process known as apoptosis. Pectin even killed cells that aren't sensitive to hormone therapy and therefore are difficult to treat with current medications. Though the pectin triggered apoptosis in cancerous cells, cell death did not occur in non-cancerous cells. The researchers found large differences in the effects of commercially available pectin. The researchers said that more evidence is needed to support the use of specific pectin supplements, but said that most Americans would do well to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables.
CANCER: VITAMIN D SHOWS CANCER-FIGHTING ABILITIES
As many as 600,000 cases a year of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year by adequate intake of vitamin D, according to researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California at San Diego. In a paper published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, the researchers showed an inverse association of serum vitamin D with risk of colorectal and breast cancer. The researchers maintain that increasing vitamin D levels in populations, particularly those in northern climates, has the potential to both prevent—and possibly serve as an adjunct to existing treatments for—cancer.
VITAMIN E: LACK OF HEART BENEFIT LINKED TO DOSING
The reported failure of vitamin E to prevent heart attacks may be due to under dosing, according to a new study by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The findings, published online in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggest that these earlier studies all had a fundamental flaw—the doses used weren't high enough to have a significant antioxidant effect. In fact, no studies have ever conclusively demonstrated the dose at which vitamin E can be considered an antioxidant drug, the researchers said. Oxidant injury, or oxidative stress, occurs when highly reactive molecules called free radicals attack and damage cellular proteins, lipids, and DNA. Free radicals, which are byproducts of normal metabolism, are produced in excess in certain disease states, including heart disease. Epidemiological data and animal studies suggested that antioxidant compounds like vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene might offer some protection against heart attack in individuals at risk. But subsequent controlled clinical trials of vitamin E—which showed little to no benefit from the vitamin—stymied that hope.
NEURODEGENERATION: WOMEN LOSE WEIGHT AT LEAST A DECADE BEFORE DEVELOPING DEMENTIA
Women who have dementia start losing weight at least 10 years before the disease is diagnosed, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. In a study published in Neurology, the researchers found women who would later develop dementia started losing weight up to 20 years before the disease was diagnosed. On average, those with dementia weighed 12 pounds less than those without the disease the year the disease was diagnosed. One explanation for the weight loss is that, in the very early stages of dementia, people develop apathy, a loss of initiative, and also losses in the sense of smell.
ALZHEIMER'S: VACCINE THWARTS THE DISEASE'S TANGLES
A new study by NYU Medical Center researchers shows for the first time that the immune system can combat the pathological form of tau protein, a key protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease. The researchers created a vaccine in mice that suppresses aggregates of tau. The protein accumulates into harmful tangles in the memory center of the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Their study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found the vaccine successfully slowed the deterioration of motor abilities produced by excessive amounts of tau in the central nervous system of mice.
PERSONALIZED MEDICINE: GENETICS DETERMINES OPTIMAL DOSE OF ANTICOAGULANT
Genetic testing can be used to help personalize the therapeutic dosage of warfarin, a commonly-used anticoagulant, according to research published the journal Blood. Researchers at Washington University Medical Center used a combination of clinical and genetic information to determine the optimal dose of warfarin in knee and hip replacement surgery patients. They tested patients for variants in two genes—one that can impair the body's breakdown of the drug and the other that can increase a person's sensitivity to it. This represents one of the first applications of using an individual's genetic information to guide personal medical care, the researcher said. Because individuals metabolize drugs differently, varying doses of warfarin are needed for the drug to be effective in each patient. Too much warfarin can cause severe bleeding, and too little can cause dangerous blood clots. Currently, there is little guidance for predicting how much of the drug a person will need.
ADHD: NONMEDICAL TREATMENT EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Non-medicinal interventions are highly effective in preventing the behavioral and academic problems associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, according to a five-year study led by researchers at Lehigh University's College of Education. The study, published in School Psychology Review, was the largest of its kind, focusing on children aged 3 to 5 who have shown significant symptoms of ADHD. Using a variety of early intervention strategies, parents reported, on average, a 17 percent decrease in aggression and a 21 percent improvement in their children's social skills. Teachers saw similarly strong results; in the classroom, there was a 28 percent improvement in both categories. Early literacy skills improved up to three times over their baseline status.
MENOPAUSE: HORMONAL CHANGES CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT GAIN
Scientists long have sought to understand how changes in hormones during menopause could account for the increase in appetite and accompanying weight gain that often occurs among aging women. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, in a series of animal experiments described at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, showed how estrogen receptors located in the hypothalamus serve as a master switch to control food intake, energy expenditure, and body fat distribution. When these receptors are destroyed, the animals immediately begin to eat more food, burn less energy, and pack on pounds. The research said their work seems to support a link between estrogen and regulation of obesity, especially the dangerous accumulation of abdominal fat linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The findings may also help scientists develop more targeted hormone replacement therapies, capable of stimulating estrogen receptors in one part of the brain or body while dampening it in the next.
IMAGING: CHEMICALLY-SENSITIVE MRI SCAN CAN BYPASS INVASIVE TESTS
A new chemical compound which could remove the need for patients to undergo certain invasive diagnostic tests in the future has been created by scientists at Durham University. In an article published in the journal Chemical Communications, the scientists report that this new compound could be used in a "chemically-sensitive MRI scan" to help identify the extent of progression of diseases such as cancer, without the need for intrusive biopsies. The researchers said they were the first to design a compound containing fluorine that enables measurements to be taken quickly enough and to be read at the right frequency to have the potential to be used with existing MRI scanners, while being used at sufficiently low doses to be harmless to the patient. Durham University has filed a patent on this new approach and is looking for commercial partners to help develop the research.
ATHEROSCLEROSIS: BREAKTHROUGH PROMISED IN DETECTION
A study led by a team of researchers at Oregon Health & Science University has demonstrated for the first time that molecular imaging with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and targeted microbubbles is effective in detecting at a very early stage inflammatory processes that lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries and is a disease that may start in childhood and progress over many years without producing any clinical symptoms and eventually lead to heart attack, stroke or other serious complications. If the technique, which was tested on animal models in the study, proves viable in humans, it could pave the way for therapies that could prevent the condition from progressing and bringing on coronary heart disease and stroke. Such therapies could be applied at the onset of inflammation years before present screening methods would detect evidence of the stealthily progressive disease.
NANOTECHNOLOGY: TINY PARTICLE COULD LEAD TO DIAGNOSTIC
Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University researchers have created a nanoparticle capable of detecting and imaging trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide in animals. Hydrogen peroxide is thought to be over-produced by cells at the early stages of most diseases. The nanoparticles, thought to be completely nontoxic, could some day be used as a simple, all-purpose diagnostic tool to detect the earliest stages of any disease that involves chronic inflammation—everything from cancer and Alzheimer's to heart disease and arthritis. The hope is that the nanoparticles could some day be used as a simple, all-purpose diagnostic tool for most diseases. In the future, the nanoparticle would be injected by needle into a certain area of the body, such as the heart. If the nanoparticles encountered hydrogen peroxide, they would emit light. Should a doctor see a significant amount of light activity in the area, the doctor would know that the patient may be presenting early signs of a disease in that area of the body.
NEUROLOGY: SIXTY-SECOND TEST COULD HELP EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF BRAIN DISEASES
Until recently physicians have had to rely on time-consuming and uncertain behavioral examinations to diagnose the onset of brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia. Research published in the Journal of Neural Engineering from researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School suggests doctors could soon be able to diagnose the onset of many brain diseases by analyzing the tiny magnetic fields produced by neuron activity in the brain. This is a significant breakthrough for neurologists and psychiatrists as it could present a fast and simple screening test for brain diseases, while also helping differentiate between different brain diseases that have similar symptoms. By comparing the patterns of tiny magnetic charges in healthy brains to those afflicted with common diseases such as Alzheimer's, the researchers have been able to identify the patterns commonly associated with these debilitating diseases.
AUTISM: RESEARCHERS UNLOCK ORIGIN OF DISORDER IN BRAIN
In the first study of its kind, researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered that connections between brain cells in people with autism may be deficient within single regions and not just between regions, as was previously believed. The researchers hope the study will eventually lead to earlier diagnosis and more targeted medications for autism. The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, found considerable differences in the left hemisphere of autism patients' brains, which controls language and logic.
HEART DISEASE: COST EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR LOWERING RISKS
As U.S. policy experts continue to search for ways to re-engineer the country's health-care system, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine shows that a case-management approach helped a diverse group of patients reduce their overall risk of heart disease by roughly 10 percent, and did so in a cost-effective way. Case management makes use of specially trained health-care personnel, such as nurses and dietitians, who help patients manage chronic conditions on a long-term basis. The study estimated the overall cost of the case-management visits at about $1,250 per patient, or about the price of six regular office visits to a primary-care physician. Stafford said that's a relatively small outlay to reduce the risk of a heart attack, which often entails hospital costs of more than $40,000. The effectiveness of case management in providing preventive medical care and counseling has been explored in previous studies involving middle-class patients, the researchers said their study, published in the journal Disease Management, is the first to test the approach in a diverse, low-income patient population.
FDA: AGENCY PROPOSES NEW RULES FOR SUNSCREEN PRODUCTS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new regulation that sets standards for formulating, testing and labeling over-the-counter sunscreen drug products with ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B protection. For more than 30 years, consumers have been able to identify the level of UVB protection provided by sunscreens using only sunburn protection factor or SPF values. The agency said under the new proposal, consumers will also now know the level of UVA protection in sunscreens, which will help them make informed decisions about protecting themselves and their children against the harmful effects of the sun. Sunlight is composed of visible light and ultraviolet light. There are two types of UV light, UVA and UVB. UVA light is responsible for tanning and UVB for sunburn. Both can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer. The proposed regulation creates a rating system for UVA products designed to help consumers identify the level of UVA protection offered by a product.
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