Recent health science news from Purdue University

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Below are some recent health-related stories from Purdue University. These and more health stories are available here.

Calling all dogs and dog owners: Your input is needed

It's a dog's life – and more than 40 researchers from across the United States are taking part in a study on the general health and wellness of our canine companions to find out just what that means. The findings will not only shed light on how dogs age healthfully, but could also have health implications for humans.

To learn more, go here. 

Purdue scientists develop way to track salmonella infection in real time

Bacteria like salmonella hijack a person’s cell proteins to develop a defense against an immune response. Understanding how that works is difficult because scientists haven’t been able to track the hundreds of proteins involved in real time. A team led by a Purdue researcher has developed a chemical method for labeling a living bacteria and tracking it as it invades a host cell. The findings could help improve understanding of bacterial infections and lead to the development of new drugs.

To learn more, go here. 

Nursing faculty raise the alert on vaping products

Indiana leads the nation in deaths from vaping-related illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, there have been 42 deaths across the nation, four of these in Indiana. Deborah Spoerner, a clinical assistant professor in Purdue's School of Nursing, said that while anyone is susceptible to lung damage from vaping, youths are particularly vulnerable. Purdue Extension has released a publication to help spread the word about the potential dangers of vaping.

To learn more, go here. 

An engineering approach to reduce the pain of chemotherapy

A common side effect of chemotherapy is peripheral neuropathy, caused by nerve damage to the arms, legs, hands and feet. An interdisciplinary team of pain researchers, engineers and medical experts are working to better predict which patients will have side effects from chemotherapy drugs and develop therapeutic cures for those side effects.

To learn more, go here

Food pantries can help improve nutrition, diet quality

Among the more than 37 million Americans living in food-insecure households, food pantries provide a valuable resource. A Purdue nutrition scientist has found that the dietary quality of people improves when they use food pantries more frequently.

To learn more,  go here.

A digital approach to proteins and cancer

What if scientists could create more effective drugs to treat cancers and other diseases by better targeting specific sites on proteins in the body? Purdue researchers have developed software designed to aid in the study of proteins that are linked to serious diseases to help in the drug discovery process. Proteins play a crucial role in the growth of cancer in the body by stimulating molecules responsible for tumor growth.

To learn more, go here. 

Media contact: Steve Tally, 765-494-9809, steve@purdue.edu, @sciencewriter