Research Roundup: Autism; Breast Cancer; Fertility; Immune Response
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
ScienceDaily:
Fruit Fly Study Uncovers Functional Significance Of Gene Mutations Associated With Autism
About 1 in 44 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by the age of 8, according to the 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance. How a child's DNA contributes to the development of ASD has been more of a mystery. Recently, clinicians and scientists have looked more closely at new, or de novo, DNA changes, meaning they only are present in affected individuals but not in the parents. Researchers have seen that these changes could be responsible for about 30% of ASD. However, which de novo variants play a role in causing ASD remains unknown. (Baylor College of Medicine, 3/15)
ScienceDaily:
Molecular Networks Could Explain Racial Disparity In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Deaths
Different activity in two molecular networks could help explain why triple negative breast cancers tend to be more aggressive in African American (AA) women compared with white American (WA) women, a new study suggests. (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 3/15)
ScienceDaily:
Weight Loss Doesn't Help Pregnancy Chances, Study Finds
Women who are obese and struggling to become pregnant are often advised to lose weight, but a new study finds no fertility benefits from weight loss. (University of Virginia Health System, 3/14)
ScienceDaily:
The Immune System Is Very Complicated, But Now, It's On A Chip
Scientists have a new tool to help them tease out the immune system's mysteries. Researchers cultured human B and T cells inside a microfluidic Organ Chip and coaxed them to form functional lymphoid follicles (LFs) -- structures that reside in lymph nodes and other parts of the human body and mediate immune responses. (Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, 3/15)
ScienceDaily:
'Healthspan' Increasing Even For People With Common Chronic Conditions
The number of healthy years a person lives is, on average, increasing even for people with common chronic conditions, according to a new study publishing March 15th in PLOS Medicine by Holly Bennett of Newcastle University, UK, and colleagues. (PLOS, 3/15)
ScienceDaily:
Close The Blinds During Sleep To Protect Your Health
Exposure to even moderate ambient lighting during nighttime sleep, compared to sleeping in a dimly lit room, harms your cardiovascular function during sleep and increases your insulin resistance the following morning, reports a new study. Just a single night of exposure to moderate room lighting during sleep can impair glucose and cardiovascular regulation, which are risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. (Northwestern University, 3/14)
ScienceDaily:
Ready, Set ... GO! Scientists Discover A Brain Circuit That Triggers The Execution Of Planned Movement
Planned movement is essential to our daily lives, and it often requires delayed execution. As children, we stood crouched and ready but waited for the shout of 'GO!' before sprinting from the starting line. As adults, we wait until the traffic light turns green before making a turn. New research explores how cues in our environment can trigger planned movement. (Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, 3/14)
