Eating lots of meat, especially if it is overcooked, increases the risk of bladder cancer, say experts. Frying, grilling and barbecuing until meat is charred can form cancer-causing chemicals, research shows. In a study, people whose diets included well-done meats were over twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than those who preferred meats rare. The research findings, based on over 1,700, people were presented at a US cancer research conference. Read More…

While uncircumcised men don’t seem to be at higher risk of acquiring human papillomavirus (HPV), it takes them longer to clear the virus from their bodies, new research shows. Because HPV causes genital warts and certain cancers, the finding, say researchers, could help explain why uncircumcised men have a higher risk of such penile cancers. It could also play a role in how likely their partners are to develop infections. “Our study demonstrates that the apparent protective influence of circumcision against genital HPV infection may not involve a reduction in new infections but rather...

Children with ADHD may respond to instant rewards “in the same way as they do to medication”, says the BBC. The news is based on a study in which children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were assessed through a computer based task that offered them extra points for less impulsive behaviour. This important study, albeit small, furthers our understanding of how ADHD affects particular brain activity and the way that interventions such as medication and motivational conditions can alter that response. Read More…

By Stuart Fox From rabies to bird flu to HIV, diseases passing from animals to humans is a well-known phenomenon. But a virus jumping from plants to humans? Never. At least, that’s what doctors thought until Didier Raoult of the University of the Mediterranean in Marseilles, France, discovered that the mild mottle virus found in peppers may be causing fever, aches, and itching in humans. If validated, this would mark the first time a plant virus has been found to cause problems in people. Read More…

A supplement made from grape seeds can destroy leukaemia cells, say scientists. By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent In laboratory experiments, commercially-available grapeseed extract forced the cancer cells to “commit suicide”, found the researchers. Within 24 hours, 76 per cent of leukaemia cells exposed to the extract died through a process of natural self-destruction called apoptosis. Healthy cells remained unharmed. The researchers believe the discovery could open the door to promising new treatments for the disease which affects more than 24,000 adults and children a year....

Scientists believe that they have found a cure for skin cancer. A vaccine being tested in the UK has helped been shown to help some patients fully recover from melanoma, even in its advanced stages. It attacks tumour cells, leaving healthy cells undamaged and carries agents that boost the body’s response to skin cancer. Dr Howard Kaufman, of Chicago’s Rush University Medical Centre, said: “Our study shows we may have a cure for some advanced melanoma patients and a drug which has real benefits for others. “This will save thousands of lives a year.” Read More…...

Parkinson’s disease could be diagnosed earlier by measuring changes in the sound of the voice, according to researchers. By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent In most cases the devastating neurological disease is identified only at an advanced stage, once sufferers have started to show symptoms. Now researchers in Israel and America have found a way of measuring speech patterns, inaudible to the human ear, to test if apparently healthy people have the condition. Symptoms of the disease include stiff muscles, tremors and the loss of balance. However, by the time that patients begin to show...

By Daily Mail Reporter A face cream derived from breast milk could help to beat acne in teenagers. Scientists have found a component of mother’s milk called lauric acid, which also occurs in coconut oil, that can help reduce irritation and spots. They hope a cream made with the naturally-occurring acid will avoid side effects including redness and burning caused by conventional antibiotic treatments. Read More…

Human embryos “with two mothers” have been created by scientists in a breakthrough that could eradicate a host of hereditary diseases. By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent The embryos, each containing genetic material from one man and two women, have been produced in a project that could lead to the first genetically altered babies being born in Britain. The research was hailed as a “ray of hope” yesterday for thousands of families afflicted by rare genetic diseases which can lead to heart failure, blindness, diabetes and even death in childhood. Read More…

A baldness gene has been identified by scientists who now hope to develop a cure. A mutation in the APCDD1 gene makes hair follicles shrink, leading to thin hair. Dr Angela Christiano, who led the study at Columbia University in New York, said manipulating the gene’s actions “may have an effect on hair follicle growth for the first time in humans”.