Pulmonary Research: Nanoparticulate carbon black particles start emphysema ♦ ,Regeneration in adult lungs ♦ Air pollution, traffic linked to deaths, organ rejection in lung transplant patients

Five genetic regions implicated in cystic fibrosis severity If you have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, you will have cystic fibrosis. But the severity of your disease will depend partly on many other genes. Five regions of the human genome are home to the genetic variations that play major roles in disease severity.

Air pollution, traffic linked to deaths, organ rejection in lung transplant patients Research shows that lung transplant patients in Europe who live on or near busy roads with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die or to experience chronic organ rejection, than those living in less polluted areas.

First classification of severe asthma Severe asthma can have a devastating effect on sufferers, affecting their ability to work or go to school and to lead normal lives. It is difficult to treat because it is not a single disease entity. Now, for the first time, a group of researchers has succeeded in defining three distinct types of severe asthma by analyzing sputum samples from a group of patients.

Pinpointing gene that regulates repair, regeneration in adult lungs The whimsically named sonic hedgehog gene, best known for controlling embryonic development, also maintains the normal physiological state and repair process of an adult healthy lung, if damaged.

Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema When pathologists perform autopsies on smokers who died with severe emphysema, they find that lungs are black in appearance. Until recently, researchers and physicians could only guess at the composition of the material that gave the black color to the lungs of smokers. In two papers, researchers identify that black material as mostly insoluble nanoparticulate carbon black, tiny specks that result from the incomplete combustion of organic material, such as tobacco

Pulmonary Research: Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma ♦ Next anti-tuberculosis drug ♦ Telomeres linked to origins of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Telomeres linked to origins of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Researchers have now discovered that telomeres, the structures that protect the chromosomes, are at the origin of pulmonary fibrosis. This is the first time that telomere damage has been identified as a cause of the disease.

.First trial of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis to show beneficial effect on lung function  For the first time gene therapy for cystic fibrosis has shown a significant benefit in lung function compared with placebo, in a phase 2 randomized trial. The technique replaces the defective gene response for cystic fibrosis by using inhaled molecules of DNA to deliver a normal working copy of the gene to lung cells

Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma Investigators have discovered the precise molecular steps that enable immune cells implicated in certain forms of asthma and allergy to develop and survive in the body. The findings reveal a new pathway that scientists could use to develop more effective treatments and therapies for the chronic lung disorder

The next anti-tuberculosis drug may already be in your local pharmacy Testing thousands of approved drugs, scientists have identified an unlikely anti-tuberculosis drug: the over-the-counter antacid lansoprazole (Prevacid). Tuberculosis continues to be a global pandemic, second only to AIDS as the greatest single-agent killer in the world. In 2013 alone, the TB bug Mycobacterium tuberculosis caused 1.5 million deaths and almost nine million new infections.

Pulmonary research: Global air quality guidelines could prevent 2. 1 million deaths ♦ Lung transplant survival rates good for cystic fibrosis patients ♦ Cure for debilitating heart and lung disease

Community acquired pneumonia increases long-term morbidity, mortality Having had community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) greatly increases the risk of long-term morbidity and mortality compared to the general population who have never had CAP, according to a new study from researchers in Canada, the longest and largest outcomes study of patients with CAP reported to date.

Lung transplant survival rates good for cystic fibrosis patients The five-year survival rate for Canadians with cystic fibrosis who have received a lung transplant is 67 percent, new research finds. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections, obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

Breakthrough points to cure for debilitating heart and lung disease A protein that targets the effects of a faulty gene could offer the first treatment targeting the major genetic cause of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Meeting global air quality guidelines could prevent 2. 1 million deaths per year Improving air quality could potentially avoid millions of pollution-related deaths each year. That finding comes from a team of environmental engineering and public health researchers who developed a global model of how changes in outdoor air pollution could lead to changes in the rates of health problems such as heart attack, stroke and lung cancer. The researchers were surprised to find the importance of cleaning air not just in the dirtiest parts of the world -- which they expected to find -- but also in cleaner environments like the United States, Canada and Europe

Pulmonary Research:Air pollution and impaired lung function risk factors for cognitive decline ♦ Risk factors can predict the risk for COPD ♦ Protein causes cystic fibrosis

Certain risk factors can predict the risk for COPD exacerbations in patients using inhaled medications Gastroesophageal reflux disease, being female, and certain scores on the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire were associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in subjects using long-acting controller medication.

Air pollution and impaired lung function prove independent risk factors for cognitive decline Studies have shown that both air pollution and impaired lung function can cause cognitive deficits, but it was unclear whether air pollution diminishes cognition by reducing breathing ability first or whether air pollution represents an independent risk factor for cognitive deficit. Now a new study found air pollution directly affects cognition and is not mediated by lung function.

Pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea Pulmonary rehabilitation treatment could be a valuable addition to comprehensive therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Key component in protein that causes cystic fibrosis identified Nearly 70,000 people worldwide are living with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease. There currently is no cure but researchers have now identified a key component in the protein that causes the disease.The finding may lead to the development of new medications and improved therapies

Adding genetic information changes risk profile of smokers and results in greater adherence to CT lung screening Researchers have found that adding genetic information to a former or current smokers clinical risk profile results in a reclassification of their risk for lung cancer in about one in four patients. Preliminary findings from their lung cancer screening feasibility study also suggests that those whose genetic and clinical risk placed them in the highest risk category were more likely to adhere to follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans during screening.

Pulmonary Research: Electronic cigarette flavorings alter lung function ♦ Aspirin use may slow progression of early emphysema ♦New combination of drugs treat cystic fibrosis

Regular aspirin use may slow progression of early emphysema Regular use of aspirin may help slow the progression of early emphysema, a study shows

Shorter stature appears to lead to higher mortality rates, longer waiting times for lung transplantation Lung transplant candidates who are about 5’3” or shorter have longer waiting times than taller candidates and are more likely to die within a year while waiting for a lung transplan

Promising research trials find new combination of drugs treat underlying cause of most common form of cystic fibrosis Results from clinical trials show that a new combination of medications can successfully treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis for patients 12 and older with two copies of the F508del gene mutation -- the most common form of the life-threatening, genetic disease found in over half of the CF population.

Electronic cigarette flavorings alter lung function at the cellular level Certain flavorings used in electronic cigarette liquid may alter important cellular functions in lung tissue, according to new research. These changes in cell viability, cell proliferation, and calcium signaling are flavor-dependent. Coupling these results with chemicals identified in each flavor could prove useful in identifying flavors or chemical constituents that produce adverse effects in users.

Revising guidelines for testosterone testing could more accurately diagnose deficiency Some men suffering from testosterone deficiency may be missed under current clinical guidelines while others are misdiagnosed with testosterone deficiencys. The researchers call for a revision of the clinical guidelines to ensure that men are receiving the best possible care.

Women's Health: Popular media influences choice of childbirth ♦ When do mothers need others? ♦ Non-hormonal management of menopausal symptoms

Popular media influences choice of childbirth Women's magazines influence whether women decide to have a more natural childbirth or not, with most of the messages biased towards promoting the benefits of medicalized birth.

Female cystic fibrosis patients need more contraceptive guidance Only half of women with cystic fibrosis report using contraception and frequently apt to become pregnant unintentionally. As recently as the 1960s, children with cystic fibrosis -- an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to form in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs -- often died before attending elementary school. Today many people with the disease live into their 30s, 40s and beyond

Non-hormonal management of menopausal vasomotor symptoms Hot flashes are a common menopausal symptom. They tend to intensify during the perimenopause and usually subside within 5 years after the final menstrual period. However in some women frequent hot flashes are a long term problem and may last for more than 7 years.

'Thinspiration' images of women on social media sites examined Some of the most popular social media sites are filled with images of extremely thin women that might be harmful to those who view them -- whether they are seeking them or not, according to research. The images were often cropped to remove heads or focus on just a few body parts.

When do mothers need others? New research examines how mothers underwent a remarkable transition from the past – when they had one dependent offspring at a time, ended support of their young at weaning and received no help from others – to the present, when mothers often have multiple kids who help rear other children.

Health Research:Rise in adults living with cystic fibrosis ♦ Melatonin can help you get a good night's sleep ♦ green tea could help improve MRIs + more

Dramatic rise expected in adults living with cystic fibrosis  The number of people living with cystic fibrosis into adulthood is expected to increase dramatically by 2025, prompting calls for the development of adult cystic fibrosis services to meet the demand.Continue Reading

Melatonin can help you get a good night's sleep in a noisy environment  Using melatonin could provide more and better quality sleep compared to using an eye mask and earplugs in a simulated noisy and illuminated environment. This study was carried out on healthy subjects but could have future implications for intensive care unit patients.Continue Reading

How green tea could help improve MRIs  Green tea could have a new role -- to improve the image quality of MRIs. Scientists report that they successfully used compounds from green tea to help image cancer tumors in mice Continue Reading

Bacterial conversation counteracts antibiotic damage   Scientists have shown that bacteria living in the intestine both 'talk' and 'listen' to each other. Using small molecules in place of words, these microbial conversations changed the numbers of certain species of bacteria in the gut and started to restore the huge damage caused by antibiotic treatment.Continue reading

First stem cell-based approach to treat type 2 diabetes   A combination of human stem cell transplantation and antidiabetic drugs proved to be highly effective at improving body weight and glucose metabolism in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. The findings could set the stage for clinical trials to test the first stem cell-based approach for insulin replacement in patients with type 2 diabetes.Continue Reading