April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego have created a new technology that has far-reaching implications for regenerative medicine. The results of the project have been reported in Advanced Materials.

The team has been able to fabricate, in seconds, microscale three-dimensional (3D) structures out of soft biocompatible hydrogels. This could lead to better systems for growing and studying cells, including stem cells, in the laboratory. In the long-term, the goal is to be able to print biological tissues for regenerative medicine. For example, repairing the damage caused by a heart attack by replacing it with tissue from a printer.

Professor Shaochen Chen developed this new biofabrication technology, called dynamic optical projection stereolithography (DOPsL). Current fabrication techniques, such as photolithography and micro-contact printing, are limited to generating simple geometries or 2D patterns. Stereolithography is best known for its ability to print large objects such as tools and car parts.

The difference between earlier stereolithography and DOPsL, Chen says, is in the micro- and nanoscale resolution required to print tissues that mimic nature´s fine-grained details, including blood vessels, which are essential for distributing nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Without the ability to print vasculature, an engineered liver or kidney, for example, is useless in regenerative medicine. With DOPsL, Chen´s team was able to achieve more complex geometries common in nature such as flowers, spirals and hemispheres. Other current 3D fabrication techniques, such as two-photon photopolymerization, can take hours to fabricate a 3D part.

The system uses a computer projection system and precisely controlled micromirrors to shine light on a selected area of a solution containing photo-sensitive biopolymers and cells. This begins the solidification process, which forms one layer of solid structure at a time, but in a continuous fashion. The Obama administration in March launched a $1 billion investment in advanced manufacturing technologies, including creating the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute with $30 million in federal funding to focus on 3D printing. The term “additive manufacturing” refers to the way 3D structures are built layering very thin materials.

The development of this new technology is part of a grant that Chen received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chen’s research group focuses on fabrication of nanostructured biomaterials and nanophotonics for biomedical engineering.

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

Chemists from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass) were recently able to create a sensor that works like the nose to “sniff” out and diagnose cancers.

In particular, the sensor is a quick and sensitive way of detecting metastatic cell types at various microscopic levels. The research is important in helping scientists understand metastatic cancers, which can spread among organs and tissues. The findings were recently featured in the journal ACS Nano.

“With this tool, we can now actually detect and identify metastasized tumor cells in living animal tissue rapidly and effectively using the ℠nose´ strategy. We were the first group to use this approach in cells, which is relatively straightforward. Now we´ve done it in tissues and organs, which are very much more complex. With this advance, we´re much closer to the promise of a general diagnostic test,” explained Vincent Rotello, a chemist at UMass, in a news release.

In the study, the researchers looked at a lung cancer metastasis model in mice that was pre-clinical and non-small-cell. They were able to “smell” out different cancer types with the help of a sensory array system developed by gold nanoparticles and proteins. The sensor was able to function similarly to how the human nose can determine odors and remember the smells. The team of investigators utilized a group of gold nanoparticle sensors with green fluorescent protein (GFP) that identified cancers by giving each a signature marking based off of a pattern of proteins found in cancer cells.

“Smell ℠A´ generates a pattern in the nose, a unique set of activated receptors, and these are different for every smell we encounter. Smell ℠B´ has a different pattern. Your brain will instantly recognize each, even if the only time you ever smelled it was 40 years ago. In the same way, we can tune or teach our nanoparticle array to recognize many healthy tissues, so it can immediately recognize something that´s even a little bit ℠off,´ that is, very subtly different from normal. It´s like a ℠check engine´ light, and assigns a different pattern to each ℠wrong´ tissue. The sensitivity is exquisite, and very powerful,” Rotello continued.

In the project, the scientists trained a nanoparticle-GFP sensor array to identify healthy tissue and mouse tumor samples. As such, they were able to differentiate between healthy tissue and metastasis efficiently. This provides a quick way of determining cancer and other disease with the help of micro-biopsies.

The research was based on past findings by Rotello and fellow scientists on a “chemical nose” of nanoparticles and polymers to distinguish between cancerous and normal cells. Previously, scientists identified cancer cells with a biological receptor method where a protein was attached to the wall of a cancer cell. However, a difficulty in this approach was recognizing the correct receptor prior to the experiment.

“It´s sensitive to really subtle differences,” remarked Rotello. “Even though two cheeses may look the same, our noses can tell a nicely ripe one from a cheese that´s a few days past tasting good. In the same way, once we train the sensor array we can identify whether a tissue sample is healthy or not and what kind of cancer it is with very high accuracy. The sensitivity is impressive from a sample of only about 2,000 cells, a microbiopsy that´s less invasive for patients.”

In future studies, the researchers plan to examine new sensor array methods in human tissue samples.

“Overall, this array-based sensing strategy presents the prospect of unbiased phenotype screening of tissue states arising from genetic variations and differentiation state,” concluded Rotello.

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

A new study by German researchers found that a light-sensitive element that was mixed with the anesthetic propofol was able to be managed by light and the mixture could possibly be used to treat particular eye disorders.

To begin, the scientists believe that inhibitory neurotransmitters can limit the activity of neurons and this reduction effect acts as the foundation for different anesthetics. In particular, propofol can work with receptors on neural cell membranes that usually attach to the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). By attaching to GABA, this allows for negatively charged ion cells to move into the cell via open protein channels. As a result, the cell decreases in its response to incoming stimulus due to the increased amount of electrical potential throughout the membrane. The researchers discovered that propofol was able to increase the response effect, serves as an aesthetic, and allow the GABA receptor to be regulated by light.

“By attaching a molecular switch to propofol, we have obtained a light-sensitive molecule that is a more potent anesthetic than propofol itself, in the dark,” commented Dirk Trauner, a professor of Chemical Biology and Genetics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (LMU), in a prepared statement.

The team of investigators utilized a group of tadpoles in their experiment to prove that light was an important variable in the compound´s anesthetic effect. For example, when the tadpoles were exposed to a low concentration of propofol, they were anesthetized. On the other hand, when brightened with violet light, the tadpoles were revitalized but the revitalization only lasted when the light was on. In the dark, the tadpoles stayed unmoving. The scientists discovered that the effect of light could be reversed as the tadpoles became as they were before when they were placed in their normal aquarium.

Based on the findings, the new compound could be utilized to help treat particular types of blindness like retinitis pigmentosa, a condition where the photoreceptors are gradually damaged and causes the loss of sight.

“The inner cells also bear GABA receptors on their surfaces, and in principle they could be turned into light-responsive cells with the help of the new compound, which would allow us to bypass the defective photoreceptors,” explained Trauner in the statement.

The scientists at LMU have conducted similar research projects in the past. In February, chemists led by Trauner announced that they were able to stop the activity of pain-sensitive neurons with an agent that functioned as a photosensitive switch. This “pain switch” helps researchers better understand the neurobiology of pain. As well, this past January, Trauner´s team was also able to successfully convert a “blind” receptor molecule into a photoreceptor. The project was completed with the help of a molecular genetics technique that attached a light-controlled chemical “switch” to a macromolecular receptor that is activated by acetylcholine, an endogenous neurotransmitter. With this optical switch that could control a “blind” neuroreceptor, the researchers were able to better understand the role of the natural receptor in the brain. With these various projects underway, the group of researchers will continue to focus on studies that can allow patients who suffer from blindness to regain their sight.

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

Completing a jog in the early morning at the park. Using weights for strength training at the gym. These are just a few exercises that individuals can participate in to increase physical fitness. For those who are feeling sore muscles or have irritated joints after any strenuous physical activity, be wary of certain products that may cause more injury than necessary. In particular, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that serious skin injuries have resulted from the use of particular over-the-counter (OTC) products that were applied to the skin to relieve mild muscle and joint pain.

With these OTC products, the agency noted that the injuries ranged from first- to third-degree chemical burns. When consumers had applied the products, they had felt a warm or cool sensation on their skin. Reuters reports that the FDA found 43 cases of serious burns due to the use of OTC topical muscle and joint pain relievers. Even with the number of cases over the years, the agency has not required that companies to include a warning label on the products regarding the burns.

“These products should not cause pain or skin damage; however, there have been rare cases of serious burns following their use. Some of the burns had serious complications requiring hospitalization,” the agency wrote in a prepared a statement.

In the past, these OTC products have been utilized to provide temporary relief from joint aches and minor muscle pain. They included ingredients such as menthol, methyl, salite, or capsaicin. Available in different forms like creams, lotions, ointments, and patches, the products are marketed in relation to different brand-names like Bengay, Capzasin, Flexall, Icy Hot, and Mentholatum.

The overall recommendation from the FDA is that consumers who notice some form of skin injury after applying the OTC product should stop using the product and consult a doctor immediately. Injuries to the skin include blistering, swelling, or pain on the skin. In addition, according to CNN, the FDA is advising consumers to not use the products on skin that is irritated or damaged. Individuals should also refrain from placing bandages on top of the product applied on the skin.

Furthermore, healthcare professionals should also discuss with their patients on how to correctly use the products and let them know about the possible risks of using the product. Any healthcare professionals who notice adverse events or side effects related to the OTC products are encouraged to contact the FDA as well.

“There’s no way to predict who will have this kind of reaction to a topical pain reliever for muscles and joints,” Dr. Jane Filie, a medical officer in the Division of Nonprescription Regulation Development (DNRD) under the FDA, told CNN.

According to the Associated Press, in 2008, Health Canada alerted consumers to refrain from using Kwan Loong Medicated Oil. The product included chloroform, which could cause burns and irritation to the user, and methyl salicylate, an ingredient not recommended for use by individuals who are allergic to salicylates or those who are taking anticoagulant medicines.

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April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) are challenging long held assumptions about the relationship between food and exercise. Common wisdom has assumed you could “work up an appetite” with a vigorous workout. Turns out, that might not be true.

New research, published online in October’s issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, shows that 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the morning actually reduces a person’s motivation for food.

Professors James LeCheminant and Michael Larson measured the neural activity of 35 women (18 normal-weight and 17 clinically obese) while they viewed food images, both following a morning of exercise and a morning without exercise. They found their attentional response to the food pictures decreased after the brisk workout.

“This study provides evidence that exercise not only affects energy output, but it also may affect how people respond to food cues,” LeCheminant said.

Day one, each woman spent 45 minutes in a brisk walk on a treadmill. Within an hour of the walk, electrodes attached to each participant’s scalp measured their brain waves. An EEG machine measured their neural activity while they looked at 240 images — 120 of plated food meals and 120 of flowers (which served as a control).

The same experiment was conducted one week later on the same day of the week and at the same time of the morning, but without the exercise. Participants recorded their food consumption and physical activity on the experiment days, as well.

The 45-minute exercise bout not only produced lower brain responses to the food images, but also resulted in an increase in total physical activity that day, regardless of body mass index.

“We wanted to see if obesity influenced food motivation, but it didn´t,” LeCheminant said. “However, it was clear that the exercise bout was playing a role in their neural responses to the pictures of food.”

The women ate approximately the same amount of food on both days, the exercise did not cause them to eat more to “make up” for the extra calories burned.

This is one of the first studies to look specifically at neurologically-determined food motivation in response to exercise. Researchers still need to determine how long the diminished food motivation lasts after exercise and to what extent it persists with consistent, long-term exercise.

“The subject of food motivation and weight loss is so complex,” Larson said. “There are many things that influence eating and exercise is just one element.”

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

The sooner you quit smoking the greater your chances are of staving off a host of smoking-related health issues, including emphysema, lung cancer and heart disease. However, butting out that last cigarette is easier said than done. And its not just adult smokers who have a difficult time quitting the habit.

A new study finds that teens experience many of the same negative psychological effects during abstinence as adults do, even if they had been smoking only a short time. Although, there are some exceptions to these findings, according to researchers at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

“Adolescents are showing – even relatively early in the dependence process – significant, strong, negative effects just after acute abstinence from smoking,” said L. Cinnamon Bidwell, assistant professor in psychiatry and human behavior at Brown´s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. “Our study shows what those specific effects are.”

In controlled experiments, teens who refrained from lighting up for nearly one day experienced withdrawal symptoms, smoking urges, negative changes in mood, and higher provoked cravings at levels similar to those previously measured in adults. Teens who abstained differed from the adults in two measures, however. They didn´t become more irritated by certain test sounds and they didn´t lose the capacity to still feel happy.

“In terms of the subjective negative reactions and the urge reactions, their patterns look remarkably similar to adults,” said Suzanne Colby, associate professor (research) in psychiatry and human behavior at the Brown center. “That is really interesting because they are smoking fewer cigarettes per day and they´ve just been smokers for a shorter period of time.”

In the study, published last week in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Bidwell, Colby, and their colleagues, measured a variety of psychological effects on 96 teens between 13 and 19 years of age. The teens were placed in three experimental groups: 22 nonsmokers, 47 smokers whom they asked to abstain for almost a full day, and 27 smokers whom they allowed to continue smoking. On average the smokers involved in the study smoked an average of 9 cigarettes per day and had been smoking for two years.

The standardized measurements were taken in two sessions for each group. For the abstainers the first session occurred before abstention and the second occurred during it. The researchers measured the smokers´ expired carbon monoxide levels in the first session to establish a baseline. The second session was used to confirm whether the teens had abstained or not.

The team found that measured craving levels in teens were just as high for neutral “provoked” cues, such as a pencil and paper, as they were for overt cues, such as a lit cigarette of their favorite brand. These teens´ craving levels and negative affect levels were already on high, said the researchers.

It was not that abstaining teens were having elevated levels of craving when shown smoking cues versus the neutral ones, the team said, but that their craving levels were already on high regardless of experimental cues. But when compared to those who continued to smoke or those who never smoked, the abstainers were found to exhibit stronger “peak” reaction from smoking specific cues than the other groups did.

“Our findings point to withdrawal, urge (both un-cued and peak provoked), and negative affect (both un-cued and peak provoked) as candidate mediators for treatment efficacy in adolescents and suggest that future treatment trials should be designed to test mediation through these mechanisms,” the authors wrote. “It remains unclear whether the lack of efficacy emerges because these treatments do not effectively reduce abstinence effects or, alternatively, because the theoretical approach is incorrect (e.g. these treatments are effective at reducing abstinence effects but reducing the negative effects abstinence does not improve cessation outcomes).”

At least now, researchers understand that abstinence in teens is just as intense as it is for older, more experienced smokers.

Funding for this research was granted by the National Cancer Institute.

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Medical researchers from the University of Melbourne believe that a simple blood test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, aka Mad Cow disease, is a step closer following a recent breakthrough.

Using newly available genetic sequencing, researchers have discovered cells infected with prions (the infectious protein responsible for these diseases) release particles which contain easily recognized signature genes.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy are not related to each other (although variant CJD is a form that is related to Mad Cow disease), however they share some similar traits that make this blood test effective for both.

CJD is a form of brain damage that leads to a rapid decrease of mental function and bodily movement, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It is thought to be caused by a prion, which causes normal proteins to fold abnormally and affects their ability to function properly. CJD is very rare, around 1 in 1 million people have it, and symptoms usually start in the patient’s late 50’s. Variant CJD (vCJD) accounts for less than 1% of cases, and it tends to affect younger people.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, Mad Cow, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. All breeds of cattle are susceptible, and the heat of cooking the meat does not affect the infectious prion. Transmission seems to occur when healthy cattle are exposed to tainted tissues from infected cattle, for example meat and bone meal from cattle being added to feed. Mad Cow disease was linked to the deaths of nearly 200 people in Great Britain who consumed meat from the infected animals in the late 1980’s.

Associate Professor Andrew Hill – from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bio21 Institute – said these particles travel in the blood stream, making a diagnostic blood test a possibility.

Since 2000, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service has not accepted blood from anybody who lived in the UK for more than six months between 1980 and 1996, or who received a blood transfusion in the UK after 1980. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put an indefinite deferment period for blood donations on people who spent more than three months in the UK between 1980 and 1996, as of May 2002.

“This might provide a way to screen people who have spent time in the UK, who currently face restrictions on their ability to donate blood,” Hill said. “With a simple blood test nurses could deem a prospective donor´s blood as healthy, with the potential to significantly boost critical blood stocks.”

In the study, published in Nucleic Acids Research, Dr. Shayne Bellingham said the breakthrough might also help detect other human neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“This is an exciting new field where we can test for conditions in the brain and throughout the body, without being invasive,” Bellingham said.

The researchers´ genetic testing focused on a form of cell discharge called exosomes. If exosomes were infected with prions they were found to also carry a specific signature of small genes called microRNA´s.

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

A group of researchers from the United Kingdom who worked with deaf gerbils were recently able to give the animals the ability to hear again. The study is the first of its kind to replace damaged nerve cells with stem cells.

The study, published recently in the journal Nature, discovered that hearing can improve when nerves were placed in the ear of the gerbils. Gerbils were the focus of the study as they have a hearing range similar to that of humans. The researchers believe that, even with these new findings, it will still be difficult to treat humans who have a hearing disability.

“The research is tremendously encouraging and gives us real hope that it will be possible to fix the actual cause of some types of hearing loss in the future,” remarked Ralph Holme, head of biomedical research for the charity Action on Hearing Loss, in an article by the BBC. “For the millions of people for whom hearing loss is eroding their quality of life, this can’t come soon enough.”

According to the BBC, activities like listening to the radio or chatting with a friend require a change of sounds waves in the air to electrical signals; these messages are sent to the brain to be deciphered and occur with the help of tiny hairs in the inner ear. With one in 10 people who have extensive hearing loss have nerve cells that are damaged, scientists from the University of Sheffield worked to replace the spiral ganglion neurons with new nerve cells.

“It is a big moment, it really is a major development,” mentioned David Moore, the director of the Medical Research Council´s Institute of Hearing Research, in the BBC article. “The biggest issue is actually getting into the part of the inner ear where they’ll do some good. It’s extremely tiny and very difficult to get to and that will be a really formidable undertaking.”

The researchers targeted deafness related to neurons of the auditory nerve, as opposed to deafness from damaged hair cells that can be overcome by cochlear implants.

“We have concentrated on trying to fix the problem at the neuronal level. The cochlear implant is a device that functionally replaces the hair cell — it takes sound and transforms it into an electrical signal,” noted Dr. Marcelo Rivolta, a researcher at the University of Sheffield, in a U.S. News article. “But for the cochlear implant to work, you have to have a good connection to the brain.”

In the study, the stem cells were taken from a human embryo to be cultured in a test tube. The researchers then added a mix of chemicals to the stem cells, changing them into cells that were like the spiral ganglion neurons and injected into the inner ears of 18 gerbils that were deafened with a drug that damaged their auditory nerves. The group of investigators measured the improvement in hearing by tracking the brainwaves. The study took place over a ten-week period, with the gerbils demonstrating an average improvement of 45 percent in hearing range. Some gerbils had much success, with hearing improving up to 90 percent, while a little under a third of the gerbils did not have any response to the treatment.

“It would mean going from being so deaf that you wouldn’t be able to hear a lorry or truck in the street to the point where you would be able to hear a conversation,” remarked Rivolta in an article by the BBC. “It is not a complete cure, they will not be able to hear a whisper, but they would certainly be able to maintain a conversation in a room.”

The researchers are excited about the findings of the study.

“These results should stimulate further research into the development of a cell-based therapy for deafness,” wrote the researchers in the report.

Other scientists are excited about the possibility of working with stems cells to reproduce stem cells for the inner ear.

“It is clearly of interest for a lot of people because the potential is dramatic,” Dr. John Goddard, a neurotologist at the House Clinic, told U.S. News. “The specific article sheds additional light that there is some potential there for regrowth, or regeneration, of sensory cells. But this is going to take many years.”

Furthermore, organizations focused on hearing impairment believe that the results of the study could be a step forward for the deaf community in terms of fixing hearing loss in the future.

“For the millions of people for whom hearing loss is eroding their quality of life, this can’t come soon enough,” remarked Holme of Action on Hearing Loss, which assisted in funding the study, in a Reuter´s article.

However, according to The Telegraph, the team of investigators believes that mores studies need to be done to identify whether the benefits of the treatments are safe for humans and can last long-term.

“Stem cells have been used in animal models of deafness before, mostly the mouse, with different results, but none have shown functional recovery. What we have shown here is functional recovery using human stem cells, which is unique,” explained Rivolta in The Telegraph article. “It is difficult to say when we might be able to treat patients. We are hoping in a few years, but first we need to understand more about the biology of the system and whether it is sustainable in time and safe.”

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

A study by researchers from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Virginia Tech shows that exposure to diets high in fat or a large amount of estrogen during pregnancy can heighten the risk of breast cancer for numerous subsequent generations of female offspring, including daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

The study´s results, recently featured in Nature Communications, highlighted the elevated risk of “familial” breast cancer due to biological causes that are linked to the mother´s diet during pregnancy. The effects, however, were not only inherited by the fetus but also by subsequent fetal germ cells, which are able to pass the mammary cancer risk on to following generations.

The research project also looked at the specific biological causes of the inheritable breast cancer cells, including high-fat diets and high levels of the hormone estrogen. Researchers found that these risk factors apparently lead to differences in DNA methylation patterns in future generations of offspring, making female descendants more susceptible to carcinogens.

DNA methylation plays an important part in the normal developmental and cell differentiation process, turning certain genes on or off, and helping specialized cells “remember” gene expression patterns. For this project, Virginia Tech researchers created mathematical models and machine-learning techniques to better understand the changes in the DNA methylation status.

“We know that maternal diet can have long lasting effects on an offspring’s health, but this study demonstrates, for the first time, that a high fat diet or excess estrogen can affect multiple generations of a rat’s offspring, resulting in an increase in breast cancer not only in their daughters, but granddaughters and great granddaughters,” commented senior investigator Leena Hilakivi-Clarke, a professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi, in a prepared statement.

The research project was a collaborative effort among scientists from Finland and the United States. The researchers examined three groups of pregnant rats and their offspring, two groups of which were exposed to cancer-inducing risk factors. The first group of rats was given a high fat diet before and during pregnancy. Compared to rats in the control group that consumed a normal diet during pregnancy, this group of rats experienced a heightened breast cancer risk of 55 to 60 percent in both the daughters and granddaughters.

“We also found that if the mother was fed a high fat diet before conception and throughout pregnancy, the risk of increased breast cancer was transmitted to granddaughters through either males or females exposed to the high fat diet in utero,” stated lead investigator Sonia de Assis, a postdoctoral researcher in Hilakivi-Clarke’s laboratory, in the statement.

During the last week of pregnancy, the second group of rats was given a diet that contained additional estrogen. The scientists discovered that the daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of the rats exposed to excess estrogen had a 50 percent higher rate of breast cancer compared to the rats from the control group. They also found that there were epigenetic changes in the mammary glands of three generations of the rats who had been exposed to increased estrogen. Epigenetic changes involve modifications in the expression of genes from one generation to the next that do not involve a change in the underlying DNA sequence.

The researchers found that diets high in fat and diets with excess estrogen caused the later generations of female rats to have a high number of structures in the breast known as terminal end buds, which are often the targets of cancer-causing agents.

“Germ cells–cells involved in reproduction–first develop during the fetal period and in utero exposures, such as the ones in our study, could disrupt their normal epigenetic marks and affect how genes are turned on or turned off,” continued de Assis in the statement.

“Those alterations then can be passed on and affect the risk of disease, in this case breast cancer, in subsequent generations.”

The researchers believe that the findings from the study can help explain why some cases in human related to high-fat diets and excess estrogen could be connected to inherited epigenetic changes, a form of cellular differentiation.

“We know from human studies that daughters whose mothers took the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) to reduce pregnancy complications, or who had a birth weight of more than 8.8 pounds are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Our study suggests their offspring may also be at risk,” said Hilakivi-Clarke in the statement.

The team also suggested that the epigenetic inheritance of breast cancer could possibly be diagnosed through blood testing.

“We have shown for the first time that altered DNA methylations modulated by specific diet in normal development are heritable and transgenerational,” commented Yue “Joseph” Wang, the Grant A. Dove Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech Research Center, in the statement.

“We also identified key methylation alteration sites that may be involved or responsible for increased breast cancer risk, which may serve as novel biomarkers for scientists to develop novel and targeted prevention strategies.”

The scientists believe that the study could help researchers to better understand the impact of a mother´s diet on the development of breast cancer in subsequent generations.

“It’s easy to see how this study possibly has human health implications to be considered since fatty foods are endemic in our society, and low levels of chronic exposure to endocrine disruptors – substances that have hormonal activity such as estrogen – have been found in food and drinking water,” remarked de Assis in the statement.

The researchers also hope to utilize the study´s findings for future research projects.

“Ultimately, it may be possible to undo or prevent this harmful methylation and decrease the risk of breast cancer,” concluded Wang in the statement. “A next step will be to study the timing of the intervention and the impacts of the methylation as it occurs in the early, middle or end of the pregnancy. The promising news is pharmacologic or other interventions may be able to reverse the harmful exposure.”

Michael Harper for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

One drug maker took to the stage on Monday in San Francisco to announce some very encouraging and positive results at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).

According to the results from preclinical studies, Visterra, Inc. may have found a viable preventative drug against Influenza. Called VIS410, this drug is an engineered human antibody which can be used to ward off Influenza infections, as well as prevent the virus from spreading in times of epidemics and outbreaks.

VIS410 works by targeting hemagglutinin (HA) which is present across all subtypes of the Influenza A virus. Although this HA is resistant to the development of mutations, VIS410 is still able to neutralize these strains of Influenza A in vitro.

Testing the drug even further, Visterra injected mice with a lethal dose of Influenza virus before later injecting them with VIS410. Then, the researchers injected another group of mice with VIS410 before giving them the same lethal dose of the flu virus. These tests proved to be incredibly encouraging for the drug, as 100% of those mice who had first been injected with VIS410 survived the subsequent injection of the Influenza A virus. Likewise, 100% of those mice who had first been injected with the deadly virus were then able to recover from the injection within 72 hours after it had been administered.

“This data with VIS410 shows several ways that this drug candidate has promise for fighting influenza, including possible pandemic strains,” explained Chief Medical Officer of Visterra, Dr. Donna Ambrosino in a press statement.

“With VIS410, we have designed an antibody that targets the viral hemagglutinin protein (HA) to enable to healthy person or patient to prevent or treat an established infection. Secondly, we have designed VIS410 as an antibody that neutralizes both groups of viral strains for influenza A, Group 1 and Group 2 viruses, opening the potential for a single monoclonal antibody to provide protection from all influenza A strains.”

Visterra gave an oral presentation explaining these results entitled “Design of a Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Targeting Influenza A” Monday at the ICAAC conference in San Francisco. By using their own, proprietary platform, Visterra was able to not only identify the common HA in Influenza A, but also target it in an accurate and yet potent way.

Using this platform, the drug company designed more than 50 human antibodies which can be used to bind and neutralize these viruses. In the mice tests, doses as small as 2.5 mg to 10 mg were sufficient enough to provide protection from deadly flu outbreaks. Furthermore, when the same amount is administered after an infection, VIS410 can completely treat the outbreak with a 100% survival rate, based on Visterra´s testing.

Visterra, Inc´s CEO was understandably very proud, saying, “We are highly encouraged by these VIS410 results, which suggest that an antibody approach such as Visterra´s may be a turning point in the development of a new universal approach for both seasonal and pandemic influenza.”

“This study confirms proof of concept for our proprietary platform to identify unique targets that guide the engineering of novel drugs that are designed to be highly effective in the prevention or treatment of infectious disease.”

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

The unconscious mind plays a key role in the placebo effect, researchers have found, allowing them to identify a novel mechanism that helps explain the power of placebos and nocebos.

The new finding demonstrates that the placebo effect can be activated outside of conscious awareness, and provide an explanation for how patients can show clinical improvement even when they receive treatments devoid of active ingredients or of known therapeutic efficacy. The study was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“In this study, we used a novel experimental design and found that placebo and nocebo [negative placebo] effects rely on brain mechanisms that are not dependent on cognitive awareness,” explains Karin Jensen, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry and the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Program in Placebo Studies (PiPS) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School. “A person can have a placebo or nocebo response even if he or she is unaware of any suggestion of improvement or anticipation of getting worse.”

Scientists have long believed that the placebo effect was related to conscious beliefs or thoughts, and that when given an inert pill or therapy, patients get better because they have the expectation that they will get better. Or in the case of nocebos, they get worse because they anticipate that they will get worse.

Recently, though, scientists have recognized that people’s expectation of reward or threat is learned quickly and automatically without needing to consciously register the idea in their brains. Neuroimaging studies of the human brain have suggested that certain structures, such as the striatum and the amygdala, can process incoming stimuli before they reach conscious awareness, and, as a result, may mediate non-conscious effects on human cognition and behavior.

The scientists set out to determine whether placebo and nocebo responses might be activated outside of a person’s conscious awareness, even if he or she has no expectation of either improving or declining.

Most of us know that a placebo is an inert treatment that makes the patient or test subject feel better through the power of suggestion. A nocebo works the same way, suggestion and conditioning, but it creates negative effects.

According to the Harvard Medical School’s Health Publications, “A placebo makes patients feel better for reasons unrelated to the specific healing properties of the treatment. A nocebo makes patients feel worse (or does other harm) in the same way. Common symptoms are drowsiness, headache, mild dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and stomach upset.” An example of a nocebo is a study where volunteers were told that a mild electrical current would be passed through their heads and it might cause a headache. No current was actually passed, but two-thirds of the participants developed headaches.

The research team, including scientists from Plymouth University and the Karolinska Institute, studied 40 healthy volunteers (24 female; 16 male, median age 23). Two experiments were conducted: In the first, researchers administered heat stimulation to participants’ arms while simultaneously showing them images of male human faces on a computer screen. The heat stimulation stayed the same throughout, but the faces shown displayed two responses: one associated with low pain stimulations and one with high pain.

Participants were then asked to rate their pain experience on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being no pain and 100 being the worst pain imaginable. As predicted, the pain ratings correlated with the previously learned associations, with a pain rating of 19 when the subjects saw the low pain face while the high pain face resulted in subjects’ mean reports of 53 on the pain scale (nocebo effect).

In the second experiment, the participants were given the same level of heat stimulation while the same faces were flashed on a screen too quickly for conscious recognition. The participants again rated their pain, and despite a lack of consciously recognizable cues, the participants reported a mean pain rating of 25 in response to the low pain face (placebo effect) and a mean pain rating of 44 in response to the high pain face (nocebo response) even though they did not consciously recognize the faces on the screen.

“Such a mechanism would generally be expected to be more automatic and fundamental to our behavior compared to deliberate judgments and expectations,” explains Jian Kong of MGH and the PiPS. “Most important, this study provides a unique model that allows us to further investigate placebo and nocebo mechanisms by using tools such as neuroimaging.”

As PiPS Director Ted Kaptchuk notes, “It’s not what patients think will happen [that influences outcomes] it’s what the nonconscious mind anticipates despite any conscious thoughts. This mechanism is automatic, fast and powerful, and does not depend on deliberation and judgment. These findings open an entirely new door towards understanding placebos and the ritual of medicine.”

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

Next time you´re shopping, take note of the products that you´re purchasing to clean the kitchen, disinfect the bathroom or scrub the floors. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that, while many household cleaners are known to have toxic substances, other so-called “green” cleaners contain harmful ingredients as well.

The findings, included in the EWG´s Online Guide to Healthy Cleaning, reveal how various cleaning products may include toxic ingredients and can be connected to a variety of health complications like asthma and allergic reactions. According to the EWG, it is the first online guide to offer a grading system that rates 2,000 different household cleaning products on a scale from “A” to “F” on the disclosure of substances and safety of contents. These products include items like bathroom cleaners, laundry soaps and stain removers.

“Keeping your home clean shouldn´t put you and your family at risk, and with EWG´s new online guide you won´t have to,” remarked Rebecca Sutton, an EWG senior scientist, in a prepared statement.

“Quite a few cleaning products that line store shelves are packed with toxic chemicals that can wreak havoc with your health, including many that harm the lungs. The good news is, there are plenty of cleaning products that will get the job done without exposing you to hazardous substances.”

The organization discovered that only seven percent of the 2,000 cleaners offered enough information regarding their ingredients. Over a period of 14 months, scientists at EWG looked at company websites, product labels and technical documents. They also compared the substances in the cleaners to results found in various medical and scientific journals as well as international databases on substance toxicity.

While cosmetics, drugs and food products sold in the U.S. are legally required to have ingredient labels, cleaning products are not subject to this rule. As such, the scientists discovered that some companies included information on only some of their ingredients on product labels and websites. A small number of companies only listed a few ingredients or used vague terms in describing the contents, and some companies provided no information at all about the substances contained in their product.

The guide further detailed the health impact cleaning products can have in the office. According to a Forbes article by contributor Amy Westervelt, the U.S. Department of Labor´s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires that manufacturers provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) on products that could be potentially harmful in the workplace. For instance, the cleaning products used by custodians in office buildings are required to have the data sheets. However, the products sold to the individual consumer for at-home use do not include the lists of ingredients.

For the study, the EWG collaborated with other organizations such as Women´s Voice for the Earth.

“Women´s Voice for the Earth has been a terrific partner in our efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals from cleaning products, and we applaud its research and advocacy on behalf of human health,” said Sutton in the statement.

The EWG hopes that the online guide may be of use to consumers, and instead of using certain commercial products, the organization advises consumers to look into safer alternatives. For example, the EWG noted that individuals can open windows or use fans in place of air fresheners since air fresheners contain substances that can cause asthma and allergies. Another recommendation is to use a small amount of vinegar in your washing machine rinse cycle instead of using fabric softener or dryer sheets which can exacerbate allergies, cause asthma and irritation of the lungs.

“There is simply no excuse for companies who hide ingredients and make toxic products,” said Erin Switalski, Executive Director of Women´s Voices for the Earth. “That´s why we are so pleased that EWG is releasing this new database. This tool will give women the information they need to vote with their pocketbooks until we have regulations in place that assure all products are safe.”

Some companies are already disputing the results of the EWG´s guide.

“It distorts information about products,” Brian Sansoni, a representative of the American Cleaning Institute, told WebMD. “It could mislead people.”

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Love smoking that Mary Jane? Well, a new study says that your passion for rolling up that five-leafed friend might be affecting your nether regions if you´re a dude, bro.

University of Southern California (USC) researchers wrote in the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society that they have linked marijuana smoking to an increased risk of developing testicular cancer.

Testicular cancer is most commonly diagnosed in men between the ages of 15 and 45, and malignancy — the tendency for cancerous tumors to spread uncontrollably — is becoming more common in the condition.

Researchers decided to use science to determine whether recreational drug use had anything to do with the rising frequency of these potentially deadly tumors.

Victoria Cortessis, MSPH, PhD, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles and colleagues looked at self-reported history of recreational drug use in 163 young men who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The team compared the men’s data with that of 292 healthy men of the same age and race.

The researchers found that men who had a history of using marijuana were twice as likely to have subtypes of testicular cancer called non-seminoma as well as mixed germ cell tumors. These tumors typically occur in younger men and carry a worse prognosis than the seminoma subtype.

Through the study, the researchers were able to confirm the findings of two previous reports in the American Cancer Society´s official journal Cancer by linking marijuana use with testicular cancer.

“We do not know what marijuana triggers in the testis that may lead to carcinogenesis, although we speculate that it may be acting through the endocannabinoid system — the cellular network that responds to the active ingredient in marijuana — since this system has been shown to be important in the formation of sperm,” Cortessis said in a press release.

The latest research surprisingly found that a history of using cocaine had a reduced risk of both subtypes of testicular cancer. However, this doesn’t mean the findings should give you the green light to put down the bong and pick up the blow.

The findings suggest that men with testicular cancer are simply not willing to give up as much information about their past history with recreational drug use as the other 292 healthy candidates.

The authors of the study suspect that the ivory line drug may actually kill sperm-producing germ cells, which has been observed in experiments with laboratory animals before.

“If this is correct, then ‘prevention’ would come at a high price,” Cortessis said in a press release. “Although germ cells can not develop cancer if they are first destroyed, fertility would also be impaired. Since this is the first study in which an association between cocaine use and lower testis cancer risk is noted, additional epidemiological studies are needed to validate the results.”

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

A woman cleaning a house in Houston, Texas was admitted to an area hospital for treatment and observation after showing signs of an upper respiratory infection that officials are calling possible hantavirus. The woman had been cleaning the house for a future episode of TLC´s popular reality show “Hoarding: Buried Alive.”

The house in the Woodlands area of Houston is under quarantine, and has been since Friday. A deputy has remained outside the home keeping people at a safe distance from the residence. The woman, who is now recovering after her short stay in the hospital, had initially tested positive for hantavirus, but health officials said another test will be needed to confirm the disease, according to ABC News affiliate ABC13.

As many as 30 people–including cleanup and filming crew–had been in and out of the house over the past few weeks. Film producers declined to comment on the incident.

Hantavirus has already been making headlines after three people have so far died from hantavirus infection after visiting Yosemite National Park between June and August. It is too early to tell if the Houston case is related to the Yosemite infections. But because it can take up to six weeks for symptoms to appear, it is possible the woman picked up the virus elsewhere than the home in Houston. Still, officials are taking every precaution.

The virus is carried by rodents and is spread to humans through saliva, urine and feces, and can cause deadly hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease can be contracted by inhaling dust particles that contain the dried up particles of rodent droppings. Humans can also become infected by touching contaminated surfaces, eating contaminated food or being bit by an infected rodent. The disease is not transmissible between humans.

Montgomery County Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott said the house may offer “an extreme case of rodent infestation” and during cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, etc., it is easy to stir up the dust and inhale potential airborne illnesses like hantavirus.

“There’s evidence of rodents, mice, snakes, possums in and around the home, which is not unusual in a hoarding situation because there’s so much material,” Escott told MyFoxHouston. “It’s impossible to keep it clean and track the rodent population.”

A state laboratory is now testing samples from the home; if samples come back positive for hantavirus, then state health officials and, possibly, the CDC, will get involved.

Escott told ABC13 that neighbors around the area should be on the lookout for rodents. “The best way to prevent spread of the disease is to control the rodents in the home. If rodents are found in the home, then they need to make sure that they use folks who are licensed to clean homes,” he added.

“If there were rodents in this home that potentially had hantavirus that means there are others in the community that are likely carrying the disease,” Escott warned.

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

A team of American researchers has discovered a major cause of asthma that could lead to effective prevention and treatment of the disease.

According to their recent report in the journal Nature Medicine, the team of immunologists and pediatricians found that a viral infection in newborns leads to the impairment of regulatory aspects of the immune system, increasing the risk of asthma later in life.

In their experiment, researchers repeatedly exposed infant mice to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through their mother´s milk. The disease eventually stripped the immune cells of their regulatory ability to stop inflammation in its lung’s passages after being exposed to a pathogen or irritant.

When an irritant enters the airways of a person with asthma, the immune system reacts to it as if it were a pathogen, causing the airways to become inflamed and produce mucus that makes breathing difficult. This study illustrates that early exposure to RSV makes it hard for the body to tolerate the response of its own immune system, making it susceptible to asthma.

Previous research has shown a connection between repeated lung exposures to RSV and developing asthma later in life. A 2010 study by Swedish scientists showed that 39 percent of infants taken to hospital with RSV had asthma when they were 18. They also noted that 9 percent of their control group developed asthma without contracting RSV.

The latest study, which was led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh´s School of Medicine, expands on that research by providing evidence for a mechanism that drives the drop in immune tolerance.

Their experiments showed that the virus suppressed regulatory T cells. According to the report, repeated exposure to RSV led to a “complete loss of suppressive function” of the regulatory T cells. This ultimately led to the mice developing asthma-like symptoms.

Researchers said the results of their study pointed to a period in early development when the immune system´s regulatory cells were vulnerable to being “crippled”. They added that this knowledge could lead to new treatments and prevention measures.

“This research provides vital information on how viruses interact with our immune cells and why this might lead to an increased risk of asthma,” said Malayka Rahman, from Asthma UK. “What’s really exciting is the potential of these findings to translate into new treatments for asthma in the future.”

The University of Pittsburgh study comes on the heels of a British study published earlier this month that showed boosting asthmatics’ immune systems can help reduce the number of asthma attacks due to viral infection.

According to the results of that report, the treatment could prevent up to 80 percent of infections that trigger asthma attacks.

“We have demonstrated the potential of a treatment, simply breathed in by the patient, which significantly reduces worsening of asthma symptoms and the patient’s need to use their asthma inhaler in response to common cold infection,” said lead author Ratko Djukanovic, a respiratory specialist at the University of Southampton. “By presenting an immune system protein molecule, interferon beta, to the patient’s lungs we can prime their body to challenge infections more effectively.”

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports – Your Universe Online

As many as half of all women could be suffering from sleep apnea, if a study published in an August edition of the European Respiratory Journal is any indication.

As part of the research, experts from Umeå University and Uppsala University, both in Sweden, recruited a random population sample of 400 women, had them complete a questionnaire and monitored them while they were sleeping, Reuters reporter Kerry Grens said on Friday.

Of those women, “half experienced at least five episodes an hour when they stopped breathing for longer than 10 seconds, the minimum definition of sleep apnea,” Grens noted. “Among women with hypertension or who were obese — two risk factors for sleep apnea — the numbers were even higher, reaching 80 to 84%of women.”

According to Anthony Bond of the Daily Mail, lead author Dr. Karl Franklin, a professor at Umea University, and colleagues selected 400 female subjects, ages 20 to 70, from a population sample of 10,000 people. Each of them were fitted with sensors that measured their heart rate, eye movement, leg movement, blood oxygen levels, brain waves, and air flow.

“The study, which was funded by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, found that apnea became more common in the older age groups,” Bond added. “Among women aged 20-44, one quarter had sleep apnea, compared to 56 percent of women aged 45-54 and 75% of women aged 55-70“¦ Severe sleep apnea, which involves more than 30 breathing disruptions per hour, was far less common“¦Just 4.6% of women 45-54 and 14% of women 55-70 had severe cases.”

Their work, which was supported by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, suggests that doctors should regularly check obese women, as well as those who have hypertension, for sleep apnea, which Grens says has been linked to increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

Men who have a high risk for heart disease have lower blood pressure after drinking non-alcohol red wine, according to a study published in the journal Circulation Research.

Researchers from University of Barcelona, Spain found that non-alcoholic red wine increased participants’ levels of nitric oxide, which helped to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Nitric oxide is a molecule in the body that helps blood vessels relax, while also allowing more blood to reach your heart and organs.

The team studied 67 men with diabetes or three or more cardiovascular risk factors who ate a common diet, plus drank either 10 ounces of red wine, non-alcohol red wine, or about three ounces of gin. All of the men tried each diet or beverage combination for a four week period.

Both the red wine and nonalcoholic wine contained an equal amount of polyphenols, which is an antioxidant that decreases blood pressure.

The men had little reduction in blood pressure during the red wine phase, while there was no change when drinking gin. But after drinking nonalcoholic red wine, the team found that the men’s blood pressure decreased by about 6mmHg in systolic and 2mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.

Ultimately, the team says that drinking nonalcoholic wine reduced the risk of heart disease by 14 percent, and stroke by as much as 20 percent.

The team found that the alcohol in red wine weakens its ability to lower blood pressure, but polyphenols are still present when the alcohol is removed.

“The non-alcoholic part of the wine — namely polyphenols — exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system,” researcher Ramon Estruch, MD, PhD of the University of Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, said in a statement.. “Polyphenols also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may be useful to prevent other disease such as diabetes.”

Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said this is good news for those who do not want to drink alcohol.

“Certain people don´t want to drink alcohol, so here we have an alternative way for them to get the heart health benefits,” she told Denise Mann of WebMD. “It´s not so much the alcohol as it is the polyphenols in red wine.”

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online

Researchers from the University of Chicago recently found that, while grandparents are an increasingly valuable source of child care in the United State, they also vary in terms of their age, resources, and the needs of the children.

The study is based on the National Institute on Aging Survey from the University of Michigan and demonstrates that 60 percent of grandparents offer some form of care for their grandchildren during a 10-year-period. 70 percent of the grandparents who provided care did so for two years or more. 61 percent of grandparents provide a minimum of 50 hours of care a year for grandchildren. The results of the study were recently published in the September issue of the Journal of Family Issues.

“Our findings show that different groups of grandparents are likely to provide different types of care. Importantly grandparents with less income and less education, or who are from minority groups, are more likely to take on care for their grandchildren,” explained co-author Linda Waite, an expert on aging who serves as the Lucy Flower Professor in Sociology at UChicago, in a prepared statement.

The results of the research reflect recent U.S. Census data that demonstrated the importance of grandparents in providing child care. According to the 2010 Census, eight percent of grandparents lived with their grandchildren and 2.7 million grandparents provide for their grandchildren´s needs. This contrasts to 2.4 million grandparents who had child care responsibilities in 2006.

“We took people who didn’t live with their grandchildren and looked at how many hours of care they provide,” Waite told USA Today.

Based off of the 1998-2008 Health and Retirement Study, considered one of the most extensive surveys completed on grandparenting, the research looked at different types of grandparent care. The Health and Retirement Study included interviews from 13,614 grandparents, who were 50-years-old and older, during two-year intervals to better understand the level of care-giving. The paper reported that grandparents are found in multi-generational households, where a grandparent resides with a grandchild and grandchildren, as well as skipped generation households, where the grandparent acts as the head of the household and cares for the grandchild without the presence of the child´s parents.

The paper provided a number of findings. In particular, grandparents of African American and Hispanic descent are more likely than Whites to initiate and continue a multi-generation household or begin a skipped generation household. As well, while African American grandparents have a greater likelihood of beginning a skipped generation household, Hispanic grandparents have a greater chance of starting a multi-generational household. Apart from ethnic differences, those grandparents who have more education and higher incomes are more likely to offer babysitting. In terms of gender, grandmothers have a greater likelihood of providing babysitting than grandfathers.

“People who were fairly advantaged were likely to babysit,” commented Waite in an article by USA Today. “That seems to be people who want to stay in touch with grandchildren and maybe want to give their kids a break.”

The other 39 percent of grandparents who didn´t provide babysitting were not able to do so due to poor health and long distance from grandchildren or discovered that their teenage children did not necessarily need it.

According to USA Today, another survey of a nationwide sample of 1,008 grandparents who were 45 years of age and older, included similar results. The online research was conducted in April by the MetLife Mature Market Institute and Generations United.

“Grandparents are being asked to help financially and relieve the financial burden of child care, by taking care of their grandchildren,” noted Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, in the USA Today article. “They have a tendency to be healthier and want to be involved in their grandchildren’s lives. They’re not as interested in moving away from their families. If anything, they would move to be closer to their grandchildren.”

The researchers believe that the findings of both studies will have future public policy implications. In particular, child welfare agencies are depending more and more on family members, specifically grandparents, to take over care of children when parents are not able to. As well, data from the U.S. Census displays that 60 percent of grandparents who care for their grandchildren are also part of the labor force.

“Day care assistance may be particularly needed by middle-aged grandparents who are juggling multiple role obligations – as parent, a grandparent and a paid employee,” wrote Waite in the paper.