Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
HealthDay: Frequent Marijuana Use Linked To Higher Stress Hormone Levels
Marijuana may help you unwind — but using it too often could have the opposite effect on your stress response. Researchers say adults who use pot frequently wake up with higher levels of cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone." (7/24)
MedPage Today: Lymphedema In Breast Cancer: Longer Radiation Course Not Better
Results should spark practice change in centers that still use standard fractionation. (Bassett, 7/27)
Medical Xpress: A Lipid Regulator Of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling May Shape Heart And Lung Development
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have uncovered a regulatory mechanism for signaling of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a pathway essential for embryonic development. The findings, published in Nature Communications, provide insight into how this pathway may be modulated in diseases such as cancer. (7/28)
Medical Xpress: Human Brainpower May Get Boost From Immune Cells That Mature Slowly
Microglia are the most common immune cells in the brain, where they defend against intruders and engulf damaged neurons. Now, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have discovered for the first time that, just like human neurons, human microglia mature especially slowly compared with microglia in other animals. "This slow development may help human microglia influence the human brain in ways that enable our powerful cognitive abilities," said Carlos Diaz-Salazar, Ph.D., the lead author of a new Neuron study on the subject, who took part in this research while at the lab of Franck Polleux, Ph.D. (7/27)
The New York Times: Can This New Enzyme Turn Back The Clock In Bodily Tissues?
In a recent study, scientists devised a way of reversing the buildup of compounds that lead to some age-related diseases. (Callaway, 7/24)
