Archives

Exercise is good for more than just your waistline. A recent study suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman's overall risk of cancer -- but only if she gets a good night's sleep. Otherwise, lack of sleep can undermine exercise's cancer prevention benefits.

A virus that causes cold-like symptoms in humans originated in birds and may have crossed the species barrier around 200 years ago, according to an article in the Journal of General Virology. Scientists hope their findings will help us understand how potentially deadly viruses emerge in humans.

The brain's serotonergic system plays an important role in alcohol preference and consumption. New findings show that specific DNA sequence variations of the serotonin transporter gene can influence drinking intensity among alcohol-dependent individuals.

Researchers who have been following the health of more than 120,000 residents of the Netherlands for more than two decades have found that smoking is associated with two forms of esophageal cancer as well as a form of stomach cancer, and that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to one form of esophageal cancer.

A new method of characterizing breast lesions found during an MRI exam could result in fewer biopsies of benign tumors with the benefits of reduced pain and expense for patients and providers, according to a new article.

Researchers have found multiple receptors on the outside of the body's killer immune system cells which they believe can be selectively targeted to keep the cells in superb infection and disease-fighting condition. In a study published in Nature Immunology, the researchers describe their discovery of seven different receptors on T cells that can tamp down immune responses during a prolonged battle with an infectious pathogen or against developing cancer.

A European team of scientists are embarking on new research to develop food allergy treatments. Classical treatment with allergen-specific immunotherapy, where a patient received monthly injections with an allergen extract for three to five years, is effective but dangerous due to anaphylactic side-effects. In the FAST project, scientists will use modified variants of allergic proteins that are hypoallergenic and therefore safer. The proteins will be purified to increase effectiveness and dosage control easier.

There is concern that bioterrorists might obtain smallpox from a laboratory and release it into the population. However researchers found that lifetime protection is obtained from just one vaccination, even when that vaccination occurred as much as 88 years ago. They conclude that in the event of a smallpox bioterrorist attack, vaccinia smallpox vaccine should be used first on individuals who have not been vaccinated previously.

Research shows for the first time that a group-based psychological treatment, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, could be a viable alternative to prescription drugs for people suffering from long-term depression. In this study, MBCT proved as effective as maintenance anti-depressants in preventing a relapse and more effective in enhancing peoples' quality of life. The study also showed MBCT to be as cost-effective as prescription drugs in helping people with a history of depression stay well in the longer-term.

Cancer researchers have discovered a potential treatment for a group of tumors that have resisted previous targeted therapy approaches. They found that blocking 2 cell signaling pathways leads to a dramatic shrinkage of K-Ras-mutated tumors in an animal model.