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New ‘biopsy in a blood test’ to detect cancer

ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2012) — Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Health, and collaborating cancer doctors have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of an advanced blood test for detecting and examining circulating tumor cells (CTCs) — breakaway cells from patients’ solid tumors — from cancer patients. The findings, reported in five new papers, show that the highly sensitive blood analysis provides information that may soon be comparable to that from some types of surgical biopsies.

Tax ‘toxic’ sugar, physicians urge

Sugar is so toxic that it should be taxed and slapped with regulations like alcohol, some U.S. researchers argue. In a commentary published in Wednesday’s issue of the journal Nature, physicians from the University of California, San Francisco, state that rising global rates of major killers such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes aren’t caused by obesity as commonly thought. It has been suggested that sales of sugary foods and drinks be limited during the school day.

Here is what real commitment to your marriage means

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2012) — What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage. “When people say, ‘I’m committed to my relationship,’ they can mean two things,” stated study co-author Benjamin Karney, a professor of psychology and co-director of the Relationship Institute at UCLA. “One thing they can mean is, ‘I really like this relationship and ...

8 Alberta deaths linked to ecstasy-like drug

An eighth death in southern Alberta has been linked to an ecstasy-like drug. On the street, MDMA is often called ecstasy, usually referring to branded pills and sometimes thought to be a “dirtier” version of MDMA, containing other unknown substances. RCMP released details Tuesday of a 38-year-old Red Deer man who died Dec. 10. The “dominant” drug in the man’s system was PMMA. The death is the latest attributed to the drug in a six-month period. PMMA is five times ...

Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections

ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2012) — Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium that is frequently associated with chronic (non-healing) wounds. Bacteria that infect wounds can clump together forming ‘biofilms’, which form ...

Liberals outline Ontario health reforms

Ontario’s Liberal government wants more routine medical procedures performed in not-for-profit clinics instead of in more costly hospitals, Health Minister Deb Matthews announced Monday. It would be more cost effective and result in better patient outcomes if some procedures were done in a non-hospital setting, Matthews stated in a speech to the Toronto Board of Trade. “If we can get faster access for patients, if we can get high quality at a lower cost, (and) take pressure off hospitals so ...

Inherited risk factors for childhood leukemia are more common in Hispanic patients, study finds

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2012) — Hispanic kids are more likely than those from other racial and ethnic backgrounds to be diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and are more likely to die of their disease. Work led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists has pinpointed genetic factors behind the grim statistics. Researchers studying a gene called ARID5B linked eight common variants of the gene to an increased risk of not only developing pediatric ALL but of having the cancer ...

Sidney Crosby suffered neck injury

Both the agent for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins confirmed Saturday that the fallen superstar’s latest setback has been the result of a neck injury. Pat Brisson, Crosby’s agent, stated his client’s latest absence from hockey occurred because he may have suffered fractures to the C1 and C2 vertebrae. Brisson added that his client’s goal remains to play again this season and he didn’t see this diagnosis as a setback. There remains, however, no timetable for Crosby’s return.

That which does not kill yeast makes it stronger

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2012) — Cells trying to keep pace with constantly changing environmental conditions need to strike a fine balance between maintaining their genomic integrity and allowing enough genetic flexibility to adapt to inhospitable conditions. In their latest study, researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research were able to show that under stressful conditions yeast genomes become unstable, readily acquiring or losing whole chromosomes to enable rapid adaption.

Are we over-diagnosing autism? The psychiatric debate

The American Psychiatric Association sent shivers through the mental health community last week when it stated it was re-examining its list of disorders and would be proposing a more narrow definition of autism, one that might exclude up to three-quarters of the cases that exhibit milder symptoms. Understandably, parents and caregivers of autistic kids worried that the new definition might shut the door to costly treatments for kids who have been diagnosed with the condition in ever-greater numbers in recent ...