Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Apr 24, 2012 01:54 PM EDT

'Junk DNA' Can Sense Viral Infection

Once considered unimportant "junk DNA," scientists have learned that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) - RNA molecules that do not translate into proteins - play a crucial role in cellular function. Mutations in ncRNA are associated with a number of conditions, such as cancer, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.

Apr 24, 2012 11:05 AM EDT

Family History of Liver Cancer Increases Risk of Developing the Disease

A family history of liver cancer is reported to increase risk of developing hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), independent of hepatitis according to findings published in the May issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The study also shows 70-fold el...

Apr 24, 2012 10:38 AM EDT

Fewer Complications, Better Outcomes with Robot-assisted Prostate Cancer Surgery

Robot-assisted surgery is now both more common and far more successful than radical "open" surgery to treat prostate cancer in the United States, according to a new Henry Ford Hospital study published in the current issue of the medical journal European Urology.

Apr 24, 2012 09:23 AM EDT

Nano-devices that Cross Blood-brain Barrier Open Door to Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have developed nano-devices that successfully cross the brain-blood barrier and deliver a drug that tames brain-damaging inflammation in rabbits with cerebral palsy.

Apr 24, 2012 06:19 AM EDT

Aspirin Tied to Lower Lung Cancer Risk in Women

In a new study of more than 1,200 Asian women, those who took aspirin at least a couple of times a week had a much lower risk of developing lung cancer -- whether or not they had ever smoked.

Apr 24, 2012 06:13 AM EDT

Evidence Behind Autism Drugs May be Biased: Study

Doctors' belief that certain antidepressants can help to treat repetitive behaviors in kids with autism may be based on incomplete information, according to a new review of published and unpublished research.

Apr 24, 2012 05:53 AM EDT

Worm Turns Sheep Clone to "Good" fat-China Scientists

Chinese scientists have cloned a genetically modified sheep containing a "good" type of fat found naturally in nuts, seeds, fish and leafy greens that helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

Apr 23, 2012 04:58 PM EDT

That Impulsive, Moody Preschooler May Grow up to be a Problem Gambler

Give me the child at 3 and I will give you the adult compulsive gambler. That is the striking finding of a new study in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.

Apr 23, 2012 03:18 PM EDT

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Announces Breakthrough for Degenerative Vision Disorder

A research team, led by John Guy, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has pioneered a novel technological treatment for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), an inherited genetic defect that causes rapid, permanent...

Apr 23, 2012 01:41 PM EDT

Vitamin E in Diet Protects Against Many Cancers

Next time you need to choose between vegetable oil and margarine in that favorite recipe, think about your health and reach for the oil.

Apr 23, 2012 01:30 PM EDT

Olympic Boxing May Damage the Brain

Olympic boxers can exhibit changes in brain fluids after bouts, which indicates nerve cell damage. This is shown in a study of 30 top-level Swedish boxers that was conducted at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in collaboration with the Swedish Boxing Federation, publi...

Apr 23, 2012 01:01 PM EDT

Study Suggests Smoking, But not Nicotine, Reduces Risk for Rare Tumor

New research confirms an association between smoking and a reduced risk for a rare benign tumor near the brain, but the addition of smokeless tobacco to the analysis suggests nicotine is not the protective substance.