Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Scientists Cure Cirrhosis in Rats
Japanese scientists successfully cured liver cirrhosis in rats and say this treatment may be available for use in humans within five years, Agence France-Presse reported.
The Sapporo Medical University team used a tiny vitamin A-laced sac containing a genetic material to block the production of collagen, which contributes to hardening of the liver. This treatment proved effective even on rats with full-blown cirrhosis.
The research was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
"We want to carry out clinical tests with private companies and put this to practical use within five years," one of the researchers told AFP.
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Antidepressant May Offer New Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis
The antidepressant drug amitriptyline shows promise as a treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF), according to German researchers who conducted tests on mice.
In mice, the drug (sold under brand names such as Elavil, Endep and Vanatrip) reduced levels in the lung of a fatty molecule called ceramide, Agence France-Presse reported.
An accumulation of ceramide results in the death of lung cells and inflammation, causing bacterial infection, which is the leading cause of death among CF patients.
The researchers said amitriptyline could offer a "new and important" strategy to control infection. However, they added the drug would have to be carefully dosed so that it didn't totally eliminate ceramide, which plays an important role in cell maintenance, AFP reported.
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
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3 New Bowel Cancer Gene Mutations Identified
British scientists have identified three new gene mutations that increase the risk of bowel cancer, including one mutation that increases risk in people of European descent, but not in Japanese people.
It's the first time that a racial difference in a bowel cancer gene mutation has been identified, and could improve understanding of why Japanese people tend to be more resistant to the disease, BBC News reported.
Using these three new gene mutations and four previously identified mutations, scientists hope to develop methods of identifying people at high risk for the disease in order to diagnose it at an early stage or to prevent it. Currently, bowel cancer often isn't detected until it's well-advanced, which greatly lowers the chances of successful treatment.
This study is "an important step forward in our knowledge of the causes of bowel cancer, bringing us ever closer to a genetic test for those at high risk of the disease," said research leader Professor Malcolm Dunlop, of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, BBC News reported.
The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.
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6 More Type 2 Diabetes Genetic Markers Identified
Six more genetic variants have been identified that may contribute to a person's risk of getting type 2 diabetes. This brings the number of genetic traits to 16 associated with type 2 diabetes, which affects almost 21 million Americans and 400 million people worldwide, according to a news release from the U.S. government's National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
An international team of scientists had previously identified 10 genetic factors that might contribute to a person's chances of getting type 2 diabetes, but the additional six were a surprise, according to the news release. One of the genetic variants had been associated with prostate cancer risk.
"Each of these genes, therefore, provides new clues to the processes that go wrong when diabetes develops," said one of the senior authors, Dr. Mark McCarthy, of the University of Oxford in England. "And each provides an opportunity for the generation of new approaches for treating or preventing this condition."
The analysis is published in the latest online edition of Nature Genetics, and it was based on data from more than 70,000 people. An international research team from more than 40 centers in Europe and North America contributed to the findings.
Individually, the genetic markers heighten the possibility of getting diabetes only very slightly, the NIH news release said, but collectively, they may be able to be a powerful predictive tool. Scientists are analyzing the findings to develop a practical diagnostic model.
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2 Stents Implanted at Same Time Increase Clotting Risk: Study
Heart patients who have two coronary stents used during an emergency procedure have more than four times the chance than other patients of having a clot inside one of the stents that can block blood flow to the heart.
This finding by Dutch researchers presented in Chicago March 29 at a scientific session sponsored by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) concluded that one-in-six stent patients could expect a single incident of stent thrombosis, which could lead to a heart attack. But those who had more than one stent used at the same time had four times the risk of thrombosis.
A stent is a tiny, wire mesh tube the forces the walls of a clogged artery open, but medical experts are still debating whether its benefits consistently outweigh possible disadvantages.
According to a joint news release from the ACC and SCAI, cardiologist Dr. Jochem Wouter van Werkum and his colleagues examined the results of 437 heart patients who received stents between 2004 and 2007. There were 74 incidents of stent thrombosis (16.9 percent), the study found. But when more than one stent had been used, the likelihood of stent thrombosis increased 4.2 times.
The conclusion: Additional stent placement at the time of emergency treatment for the first stent thrombosis should be avoided, the researchers said.
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Dole Fresh Fruit Joins Cantaloupe Recall
In response to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in 16 states, the Dole Fresh Fruit Company has joined the recall of cantaloupes grown in Honduras and shipped by an independent grower, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised U.S. grocery companies, produce wholesalers and food service operators March 22 to remove cantaloupes from the Honduran grower and packer Agropecuaria Montelibano, because of the possibility they contain the bacterium Salmonella Litchfield, which can cause intestinal illness in humans. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
On March 27, Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Simply Fresh Fruit Inc. issued recalls, the wire service reported. Whole cantaloupes were recalled by Chiquita, and Simply Fresh Fruit identified cut fruit products, the AP said.
Dole Fresh Fruit, headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., said its recalled cantaloupes had been distributed in the United States and Canada in cardboard cartons with the brand "Dole" and "Product of Honduras" printed on the side panels, according to the wire service.
Although the three fruit companies have helped in identifying the suspect cantaloupes, it may still be difficult for consumers to determine the origin of fruit they buy. The FDA is asking people who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from the Honduran grower in question. If it did, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes, the FDA said.
Fifty cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported in 16 states with 14 hospitalizations, the FDA said. There have been no fatalities. The affected states span the country: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The FDA also has issued the following tips for making sure the cantaloupes you buy are fresh: Purchase cantaloupes that are not bruised or damaged; if buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice; after purchase, refrigerate cantaloupes promptly; wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling fresh cantaloupes; scrub whole cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before eating; if there happens to be a bruised or damaged area on a cantaloupe, cut away those parts before eating it.
