Gene therapy may restore sense of smell

Can’t smell anything? This discovery may give you hope – Gene therapy in mice restores sense of smell, may also aid research into other diseases caused by cilia defects, U-M researchers say – Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time — a hopeful sign for people who can’t smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease. The achievement in curing congenital anosmia — the medical term for lifelong inability to detect odors — may also aid research on other conditions that also stem from problems with the cilia.

Reversing Alzheimer’s gene blockade can restore memory

Reversing Alzheimer’s gene ‘blockade’ can restore memory, other cognitive functions — Neuroscientists show that HDAC2 enzyme could be a good target for new drugs – MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Drug resistant MRSA in livestock infects humans

Drug-proof ‘pig MRSA’ makes leap from livestock to humans — Pig-to-Human ‘Superbug’ May Be Due to Animal Antibiotics – A strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria that humans contract from livestock was originally a human strain, but it developed resistance to antibiotics once it was picked up by farm animals. The findings illustrate a very close link between antibiotic use on the farm and potentially lethal human infections.

Cancer screening guideline process revised by American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society revises cancer screening guideline process — New effort prioritizes transparency, consistency and rigor – The American Cancer Society has revised its guideline formation process to achieve greater transparency, consistency, and rigor in creating guidance about cancer screening. The new methods align with new principles from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM).

1 in 5 Americans has hearing loss, US

1 in 5 Americans has hearing loss — New nationally representative estimate shows wide scope of problem of loss of hearing – 20% of Americans over the age of 12 experience hearing loss in at least one ear. Nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss so severe that it may make communication difficult, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers and published in the Nov. 14 Archives of Internal Medicine.

Microwaved purple potatoes may reduce BP in obese

Microwaved purple potatoes may reduce blood pressure in people with obesity and high blood pressure – A couple servings of spuds a day reduces blood pressure almost as much as oatmeal without causing weight gain, revealed by researchers.

Follow up helps detect melanoma earlier

Follow-Up Program Helps Detect Melanoma Earlier in High-Risk Patients – A follow-up program for patients at high risk of developing skin cancer appears to be associated with the detection of melanomas at early stages and with good prognosis.

AMD prevalence lowered in US

Study Evaluates Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States – An estimated 6.5 percent of Americans age 40 and older have the eye disease age related macular degeneration, a lower rate than was reported 15 years ago, according to a report in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

International clinical trial tests targeted drug for melanoma skin cancer

International clinical trial tests targeted drug for melanoma — Rush University Medical Center enrolls first US patient – Rush University Medical Center has just enrolled the first U.S. patient in an international clinical trial testing a novel drug to treat certain kinds of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that in its advanced stages currently has few effective treatments.

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