UC Davis biomedical engineer Prof. Alexander Revzin has developed a “lab on a chip” device for HIV testing. Revzin’s microfluidic device uses antibodies to “capture” white blood cells called T cells that are affected by HIV. In addition to physically binding these cells the test detects the types and levels of inflammatory proteins (cytokines) released [...]
Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
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Pesticide Exposure May Contribute to ADHD, Study Finds
July 25th, 2010 A team of scientists from the University of Montreal and Harvard University has discovered that exposure to organophosphate pesticides may be associated with increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the investigation found a connection between exposure pesticides and the presence of symptoms of ADHD. The study focused [...]
Wood Smoke Exposure Multiplies Damage from Smoking, Increases Risk of COPD
July 20th, 2010 Smokers who are exposed to wood smoke, either through home heating and cooking or through ambient neighborhood pollution, are not only at increased risk of COPD, but are also more likely to have epigenetic changes in the DNA that further increase their risk of COPD and related pulmonary problems. Together, smoking, wood smoke exposure and [...]
Acupuncture Improves Exercise Tolerance in Heart Patients, German Study Finds
July 16th, 2010 Acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure, according to new research from Germany. The finding comes from a clinical pilot study by the team headed by Dr. Johannes Backs, physician and study director at the Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology — Medical Director: Professor Dr. Hugo [...]
Gene That Regulates Hair Growth Identified
July 16th, 2010 Activation of the gene Lhx2 leads to increased hair growth. This is shown by Leif Carlsson’s research team at Umeå University in Sweden in an article in the latest web edition of the scientific journal PLoS Genetics. The findings partly refute earlier research results in the field. Hair is important for temperature regulation, physical protection, [...]
Polyphenols in Red Wine and Green Tea Halt Prostate Cancer Growth, Study Suggests
July 16th, 2010 In what could lead to a major advance in the treatment of prostate cancer, scientists now know exactly why polyphenols in red wine and green tea inhibit cancer growth. This new discovery, published online in The FASEB Journal, explains how antioxidants in red wine and green tea produce a combined effect to disrupt an important [...]
Plastic Chips Monitor Body Functions, Research Suggests
July 16th, 2010 Each year, about 80,000 people in Germany become seriously ill from occlusions of veins caused by blood clots. Such thromboses can cause pulmonary embolism or even heart attacks. Even airline passengers at long distance flights can be affected by deep vein thrombosis. But with the new system, a fast and easy test of a risk [...]
Olive-Oil Enriched Diet Helps Breast Cancer Survivors Lose More Weight
July 1st, 2010 Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that olive oil may offer another potential health benefit — it produces greater weight loss in breast cancer survivors compared to a more traditional low-fat diet. The findings may be of significance to women with breast cancer, since excess weight at the time of diagnosis, or even moderate [...]
Substance in Breast Milk Kills Cancer Cells, Study Suggests
June 25th, 2010 A substance found in breast milk can kill cancer cells, reveal studies carried out by researchers at Lund University and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Although the special substance, known as HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumour cells), was discovered in breast milk several years ago, it is only now that it has been [...]
More Choline for Pregnant, Nursing Women Could Reduce Down Syndrome Dysfunction, Guard Against Dementia
June 17th, 2010 More choline during pregnancy and nursing could provide lasting cognitive and emotional benefits to individuals with Down syndrome and protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a new Cornell study of mice. The findings, published June 2 inBehavioral Neuroscience, could help lead to increasing the maternal dietary recommendations for choline (currently 450 milligrams [...]