Supermarket Cancer-Fighters

Dr. Oz gave tips on affordable healthy foods in the supermarket that help prevent or slow the growth of some cancers. He gave examples of the types of foods and the chemical processes they perform to prevent cancer cell growth. He added helpful advise on the best preparation methods to retain most of the nutrients and the amount a person should eat each week.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/supermarket-cancer-fighters

Doctors That Solve Medical Mysteries

 Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes news to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Maryland, where a group of world-class specialists have set up a program hoping to solve cases other doctors could not. Getting thousands of mystery cases, they can only accept about 300 patients. Their goal is not only to save patient’s lives, but to also discover new illnesses and new cures. The treat each case like a crime scene: gathering evidence, analyzing results, and finding the cause. Despite the low success rate, NIH proves to be the last hope for patients who have been to the best places and could not find a cure. 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/podcasts/gupta/site/2010/09/28/paging.dr.gupta.09.28.cnn 

Do Allergies Actually Benefit Your Health

The rise of allergic people has caused scientist to study the cause of allergic reactions. They hypothesize that allergies act to trigger the immune system to get rid of toxins in the body. Outside sources initiate an immune response to purge the harmful substances in the body. Scientist argue that the reason people don’t have allergies is because their bodies are able to detoxify on their own and don’t need allergies to defend the it. The research in allergies may help to find cures in other illnesses.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/25/do-allergies-actually-benefit-your-health/?hpt=he_c2

Berries May Delay Memory Decline

Researchers may have found that eating berries helps delay memory deteriorating diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers experimented on a focus group of women since 1980. The women gave researchers information on how many berries they ate per week and their memory was tested every two years. The researchers analyzed that more berry intake improves the memory. They hypothesize that the mitochondria make toxic free radicals that are detrimental to memory. Berries provide flavonoids that act as antioxidants to stop the free radicals before they can damage memory cells. There are still many factors to consider, but berries may prove to help maintaining healthy memory cells.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/26/berries-may-delay-memory-decline/?hpt=he_c2

Damaged Kidney Removed from One Recipient, Thrives in Another

Twenty-seven year old Ray Fearing, who suffers from glomerulosclerosis disease (FSGS), received a donated kidney from sister. However, a few days after the operation, Fearing’s new kidney was getting damaged by the disease and causing worse symptoms. Doctors decided to take the kidney out and asked Fearing if they could use it for another patient. Fearing agreed knowing there are thousands of other patients waiting for organs just like he was. He wanted to help other people, even if the kidney didn’t work with him. The doctors were able to salvage the kidney and transplant it into cardiovascular surgeon, Erwin Gomez. Doctors were unsure if the kidney would still be good because of the scarring from the first transplant and the FSGS damage. However, the kidney not only took to Gomez’s body, but also any FSGS damage reversed itself, proving a rare miracle in the medical world.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/health/kidney-transplanted-twice/index.html?hpt=he_c2

bad case of food poisoning

I always thought that food poisoning was just an inconvenient sickness. Apparently it can cause dramatic brain damage. All because of eating a KFC twister sandwich that was not properly prepared the side effects included severe cognitive, motor and speech impairment and spastic quadriplegia.  The way that food is prepared should be carefully watched because the consequences can be much worse..



http://news.yahoo.com/kfc-ordered-pay-8-3-million-australian-girl-062710563.html;_ylt=AqpJ8kmEQfSvDmvtrgrf9lvVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNzaDE1ZzEyBG1pdANKdW1ib3Ryb24gSGVhbHRoU0YEcGtnA2M4OWJjNjU1LTA5OGEtM2RlMS05YzA0LWFiZWE0NGNiMzBiYgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDanVtYm90cm9uBHZlcgMyYmQzN2IzMC05MDMyLTExZTEtYmViZi0wOGU1MDJhYzdkYWE-;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Steroids not effective against back pain

This article shows a previous treatment being disproved. For a while it was thought that injecting steroids into the back was an effective treatment against the pain, as opposed to pills. However after testing this method it w showed statistically that there is no difference from taking pills. Steroids can be used for a lot of medical issues, but this is apparently not one of them.



http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/27/for-back-pain-steroid-shots-no-more-effective-than-placebo/?ref=health

Cancer prevention

This articles takes a look at how maintaining a healthy diet and keeping in shape may be the best way to battle cancer once diagnosed. I feel like this is sort of a no brainer because doing both of these is good for you overall.



http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/26/first-time-post-cancer-guidelines-unveiled/?hpt=he_c2

Kidney transplant

This is a bittersweet story about a patent waiting ten years until he could receive a donated kidney. After the operation it would not function properly in his body and he had it immediately removed. Instead of throwing it away he offered to give up the kidney to another patent on the list in which it worked.



http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/health/kidney-transplanted-twice/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Baby heads

Apparently as a result of trying to make babies sleep more there has been an increased number of babies with abnormally shaped heads. This is because When they spend more time sleeping on their backs the babies skull is not fully molded yet and it can shift. This shows how there are studies for just about anythig, especially where cause and effect is concerned.



http://news.yahoo.com/more-babies-today-irregular-head-shape-expert-180411486.html;_ylt=At.BUZEyU2w0O8gyJg5QnODVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNoNHMycmtmBG1pdAMEcGtnA2FhYWRmMjMwLWIxNjMtM2YxNy04MDZiLThmOTE2OWRhZDg3MgRwb3MDNQRzZWMDbG5fUGFyZW50aW5nX2dhbAR2ZXIDZWE2ZDA3YmQtOTBlNS0xMWUxLWJmZjctZGQ0NjgzMGI4NWEy;_ylv=3

Liver Cancer

This is an interesting article regarding liver cancer.  My group in class has the opportunity to do our project on this organ but did not have enough room to add all the interesting things we would have liked.  This article talks about the new research in Japan on liver cancer.   They have research that supports that green tea fights against  blood and liver cancer.  This break threw could be huge as liver cancer is the most common type of cancer in under developed countries.  Hope you enjoy.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027379_tea_green.html

Geneticists Identify Genes Linked to Pygmies' Small Stature

A recent study of West African pygmies has revealed a little more knowledge about the somewhat unknown details of the small-statured people of Africa. It has been a mystery why the pygmy people are so much shorter(averaging 4'11") than their close relatives in the area. The research outlined in this articles reveals that the several genes that decide how tall a person is can be radically different across the world. Initially thought to be a way of adapting to the unforgiving climate and surrounding terrain, the article gives evidence to suggest it is simply the way their genes work.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426174100.htm

Mechanism That Could Contribute to Problems in Alzheimer's Identified

Alzheimer's disease has been an issue biologists and doctors have been studying for quite some time trying to figure out why it occurs. The reason is still somewhat unclear, but this article highlights some of the recent developements in understanding the disease. It explains that researches have recently found evidence that suggests a certain protein deficiency in the brain has been linked to the disease. This knowledge brings us slightly closer to a possible cure for the horrible disease.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426135230.htm

Learning Mechanism of the Adult Brain Revealed

The article explains breifly how the brain developes and stabalizes as we grow older. It explains that younger brains are better at learning new things because they are more easily altered, while older brains are more solid. The artcile goes on to explain a discovery that revealed that an older brain is still capable of "pruning" certain pathways, giving hope to cure mental illnesses even in adults.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426104851.htm

Red meat consumption linked to increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality

 

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/12/red_meat_consumption_linked_to_increased_risk_of_total_cardiovascular_and_cancer_mortality_.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

A study from Harvard School of Public Health, researchers have found links between red meat consumption and various death-causing complications.  Components of red meat that cause this include heme iron, saturated fat, sodium, nitrates, and carcinogens from cooking.  “One daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 13% increased risk of mortality”, the study states.  Other, more healthy, meat options include various types of poultry and fish. 

Detecting breast cancer’s fingerprint in a droplet of blood

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/05/detecting_breast_cancers_fingerprint_in_a_droplet_of_blood_.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

For many years multiple proteins have been measured in the blood.  A new study looked at healthy and breast cancer patients and analyzed 32 proteins in the blood, finding a subset of 6 that establish a fingerprint for breast cancer.  There is still much work to be done, but they are hopeful that one day there may be a blood test for breast cancer that comes from this study!

New Stem Cell Found in the Brain

 

 

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/23/new_stem_cell_found_in_the_brain.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

Researchers at Lund University have discovered a new stem cell in the brain that can form many new brain cells.  It is hoped that with these new stems cells, they will be able to use them to treat brain injuries; the plastic properties suggest great potential in these stem cells though the function is still unclear.  As with any other stem cell research, it is surrounded with much debate and uncertainty. 

Just a Few Cell Clones can Make Heart Muscle

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/25/just_a_few_cell_clones_can_make_heart_muscle.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center used zebrafish and a color-imaging technology to track heart cells.  They found that a very small number of cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) in young animals lead to the thousands of cardiomyocytes that form the heart.  This will hopefully help doctors as they try to clone appropriate cells and make transplant hearts.

Intense light prevents, treats heart attacks

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/25/intense_light_prevents_treats_heart_attacks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29

Interesting story – is it possible to prevent a heart attack with sunlight?  This study out of University of Colorado suggests that the circadian rhythm, or the bodies clock, is linked with dark and light.  According to the article, “The study showed that the Period 2 protein is vital for that change in fuel…therefore could make heart metabolism more efficient …strong daylight activated Period 2 in animals and minimized damage from a heart attack.” Cool!