Health

Australian scientists have discovered an inherited gene defect which can predispose some people to developing acute leukaemia.

Researchers from the Centre for Cancer Biology at SA Pathology says those at high risk of developing the disease can be identified, monitored and treated much sooner — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Injecting modified bacteria related to those which cause tuberculosis could protect against the lung disease, US scientists say.

Experiments on mice showed the injections could completely eliminate tuberculosis bacteria in some cases, Nature Medicine reports.

The only TB vaccine — the BCG jab — is not very effective.

The research is in its early stages and the potential for a human vaccine is unknown, campaign group TB Alert says — via redwolf.newsvine.com

However, in my time studying, discussing, and thinking about these issues, I came across a new horn of the dilemma. I discovered that the severely mentally ill members of our country are smokers in massive numbers. For example, more than 80% of schizophrenics are smokers (some studies show numbers as high as 95%). The self-reported reasons for smoking by schizophrenics are the same as those for the general population: relaxation and habit. However, there has been a growing body of evidence, which many have now termed proof, that schizophrenics are using cigarette smoking as a means of self-medication — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Reconnecting severed blood vessels is mostly done the same way today — with sutures — as it was 100 years ago, when the French surgeon Alexis Carrel won a Nobel Prize for advancing the technique. Now, a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has developed a sutureless method that appears to be a faster, safer and easier alternative.

In animal studies, a team led by Stanford microsurgeon Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, used a poloxamer gel and bioadhesive rather than a needle and thread to join together blood vessels, a procedure called vascular anastomosis. Results of the research were published online 28 August in Nature Medicine. Lead authors of the study were postdoctoral scholar Edward Chang, MD, and surgery resident Michael Galvez, MD — via redwolf.newsvine.com

The fear of having a mechanical drill crammed into one’s mouth is enough to keep many people from regularly seeing a dentist. New technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds that is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place could soon be providing a pain-free way of tackling the first signs of tooth decay. It uses a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the damaged tooth’s surface to stimulate the tooth to regenerate itself.

The fluid developed by researchers in the University of Leeds’ School of Chemistry contains a peptide known as P 11-4 that will assemble into fibres under certain conditions. When applied to a tooth, the fluid seeps into the micro-pores that form when the acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves the mineral in the teeth — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Scientists have discovered a molecule in the blood that could help doctors spot the very earliest signs of ovarian cancer and prevent thousands of women from dying — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Once a patient has left hospital, how can doctors track his or her physical condition? Conventional technology is too bulky or obtrusive, but rub-on electronics that stick to the skin like a temporary tattoo could revolutionise medical monitoring — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Vitamin D deficiency is putting Australians at risk of developing diabetes, a landmark study has shown.

The largest study of its kind found that people with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels. It could lead to at-risk patients using vitamin D supplements along with diet and exercise to stop the development of the potentially deadly condition — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Using a nanosensor tattoo and a modified iPhone, cyclists could closely monitor sodium levels to prevent dehydration, and anemic patients could track their blood oxygen levels.

Heather Clark, a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University, is leading a team working to make this possible. The team begins by injecting a solution containing carefully chosen nanoparticles into the skin. This leaves no visible mark, but the nanoparticles will fluoresce when exposed to a target molecule, such as sodium or glucose. A modified iPhone then tracks changes in the level of fluorescence, which indicates the amount of sodium or glucose present. Clark presented this work at the BioMethods Boston conference at Harvard Medical School last week — via redwolf.newsvine.com

New Australian research has found a link between glandular fever and multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS affects 20,000 people in Australia and is a condition where the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Many of those diagnosed are young, healthy women.

Now a new study from the Australian National University (ANU) has found those who have glandular fever antibodies have a much greater risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

The research, published in the journal Neurology, could lead to new treatments for the condition — via redwolf.newsvine.com