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THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A genetic variant associated with Alzheimer's disease increases the risk of dementia in people with Parkinson's disease, researchers say. The finding could lead to new treatments for dementia in Parkinson's patients, according to the team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, slow movement and impaired balance. Eighty percent of patients diagnosed with Parkinson's develop dementia within 20 years. Those who carry a particular variant of the gene APOE have an especially high risk, the study authors said. The researchers found that Parkinson's-related proteins spread more rapidly through the brains of mice with the high-risk APOE4...

THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In a first, scientists have used gene-editing technology to create "designer" immune system cells that can fight tumors and survive for months in cancer patients' bodies. It's a proof of principle, the researchers say -- and an early step toward bringing the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR into cancer treatment. CRISPR allows researchers to precisely "snip" bits of DNA within a cell and make repairs to a flawed gene or perform other alterations. For years, scientists have been developing and studying CRISPR in the lab, in part to better understand the genetics underlying various diseases. Ultimately, though, researchers hope to use the technology to cure diseases caused by specific genetic mutations -- or, in the case of cancer, to...

THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Schools may strive to teach kids that sharing is caring, but a new study suggests that altruism begins in infancy and can be influenced by others. It's been unclear when people start to display altruism, which can include sharing resources such as food with others in need. "We think altruism is important to study because it is one of the most distinctive aspects of being human. It is an important part of the moral fabric of society," said lead study author Rodolfo Cortes Barragan. He is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, in Seattle. "We adults help each other when we see another in need and we do this even if there is a cost to the self," he said in a university news release....

THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Most women won't be surprised by this finding: Less than one-third of women worldwide are satisfied with the size of their breasts. But a new study suggests that what many women may not realize is their dissatisfaction could have implications for their health. Surveys of more than 18,500 women in 40 countries, average age 34, found that 48% wanted larger breasts, 23% wanted smaller breasts, and only 29% were satisfied with the size of their breasts. More troubling was the fact that women who were unhappy with their breast size said they were less likely to do breast self-examination and were less confident about detecting changes with their breasts -- two important self-care practices for the early detection of breast cancer. "Our...