Latest news from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on Newswise en-us Copyright 2024 Newswise 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/microplastics-algal-blooms-seafood-safety-are-public-health-concerns-addressed-by-new-oceans-and-human-health-centers/?sc=rsin /articles/microplastics-algal-blooms-seafood-safety-are-public-health-concerns-addressed-by-new-oceans-and-human-health-centers/?sc=rsin Tue, 16 Apr 2024 13:00:43 EST Millions of tons of small pieces of plastic, referred to as microplastics are finding their way into the world's oceans. To address plastics and other problems that could affect human health, the NIH and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two centers as part of a marine-related health research program. Each Center will focus on a different aspect of the interplay between environmental science, climate change, and human health in the ocean or Great Lakes. Together the two agencies plan to invest more than $42 million over five years for the centers program, continuing a two-decade long collaboration. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/reduced-blood-lead-levels-linked-to-lower-blood-pressure-in-american-indians/?sc=rsin /articles/reduced-blood-lead-levels-linked-to-lower-blood-pressure-in-american-indians/?sc=rsin Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:00:00 EST Researchers have linked a decade-long decline in the blood lead levels of American Indian adults to long-term cardiovascular health benefits, including reduced blood pressure levels and a reduction in a marker associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/sister-study-turns-20/?sc=rsin /articles/sister-study-turns-20/?sc=rsin Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:05:12 EST To commemorate this 20-year milestone and to mark National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NIEHS developed a suite of products including a 10-minute video available in English and available with Spanish captions, to showcase how the Sister Study started, what it has accomplished, and to spotlight the participants who make it all possible. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/high-levels-of-particulate-air-pollution-associated-with-increased-breast-cancer-incidence/?sc=rsin /articles/high-levels-of-particulate-air-pollution-associated-with-increased-breast-cancer-incidence/?sc=rsin Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:30:50 EST Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/women-treated-for-breast-cancer-may-age-faster-than-cancer-free-women/?sc=rsin /articles/women-treated-for-breast-cancer-may-age-faster-than-cancer-free-women/?sc=rsin Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:05:26 EST Women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer have increased biological aging compared to women who remain free of breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators. Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, the association with faster biological aging was most pronounced for those who received radiation therapy, while surgery showed no association with biological aging. This finding suggests that developing cancer is not what increases the aging effect. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/nih-statement-on-world-asthma-day-2023/?sc=rsin /articles/nih-statement-on-world-asthma-day-2023/?sc=rsin Tue, 02 May 2023 09:50:55 EST The National Institutes of Health recognizes World Asthma Day and the innovative research that is helping to shed light on the disease, pave the way for effective treatments, and improve the lives of people who have asthma. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/toxic-protein-linked-to-muscular-dystrophy-and-arhinia/?sc=rsin /articles/toxic-protein-linked-to-muscular-dystrophy-and-arhinia/?sc=rsin Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:00:00 EST Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues have found that a toxic protein made by the body called DUX4 may be the cause of two very different rare genetic disorders. For patients who have facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), or a rare facial malformation called arhinia, this research discovery may eventually lead to therapies that can help people with these rare diseases. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/nih-s-climate-and-health-initiative-tackles-global-health-effects-associated-with-a-changing-climate/?sc=rsin /articles/nih-s-climate-and-health-initiative-tackles-global-health-effects-associated-with-a-changing-climate/?sc=rsin Fri, 04 Nov 2022 19:30:00 EST National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/new-3d-model-shows-how-cadmium-exposure-may-affect-heart-development/?sc=rsin /articles/new-3d-model-shows-how-cadmium-exposure-may-affect-heart-development/?sc=rsin Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:55:59 EST Researchers have developed a three-dimensional model that shows how exposure to cadmium might lead to congenital heart disease. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-with-higher-uterine-cancer-risk/?sc=rsin /articles/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-with-higher-uterine-cancer-risk/?sc=rsin Mon, 17 Oct 2022 09:35:30 EST Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers found no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products that the women reported using, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/oil-spill-cleanup-workers-more-likely-to-have-asthma-symptoms/?sc=rsin /articles/oil-spill-cleanup-workers-more-likely-to-have-asthma-symptoms/?sc=rsin Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:05:50 EST Researchers from the Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study (GuLF STUDY) found that workers involved in cleaning up the nation's largest oil spill were 60% more likely than those who did not work on the cleanup to be diagnosed with asthma or experience asthma symptoms one to three years after the spill. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/nih-first-to-develop-3d-structure-of-twinkle-protein/?sc=rsin /articles/nih-first-to-develop-3d-structure-of-twinkle-protein/?sc=rsin Fri, 05 Aug 2022 14:05:24 EST Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have developed a three-dimensional structure that allows them to see how and where disease mutations on the twinkle protein can lead to mitochondrial diseases. The protein is involved in helping cells use energy our bodies convert from food. Prior to the development of this 3D structure, researchers only had models and were unable to determine how these mutations contribute to disease. Mitochondrial diseases are a group of inherited conditions that affect 1 in 5,000 people and have very few treatments. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/preterm-birth-more-likely-with-exposure-to-phthalates/?sc=rsin /articles/preterm-birth-more-likely-with-exposure-to-phthalates/?sc=rsin Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:00:00 EST Pregnant women who were exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth, according to new research by the National Institutes of Health. Phthalates are chemicals used in personal care products, such as cosmetics, as well as in solvents, detergents, and food packaging. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/eight-substances-added-to-15th-report-on-carcinogens/?sc=rsin /articles/eight-substances-added-to-15th-report-on-carcinogens/?sc=rsin Thu, 23 Dec 2021 08:00:00 EST Eight substances have been added to the Report on Carcinogens, bringing the total list to 256 substances that are known, or reasonably anticipated, to cause cancer in humans. This is the 15th Report on Carcinogens, which is a cumulative report, mandated by Congress and prepared by the National Toxicology Program (NTP). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/researchers-target-a-mouse-s-own-cells-rather-than-using-antibiotics-to-treat-pneumonia2/?sc=rsin /articles/researchers-target-a-mouse-s-own-cells-rather-than-using-antibiotics-to-treat-pneumonia2/?sc=rsin Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:05:36 EST Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a therapy that targets host cells rather than bacterial cells in treating bacterial pneumonia in rodents. The method involves white blood cells of the immune system called macrophages that eat bacteria, and a group of compounds that are naturally produced in mice and humans. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/male-hormones-regulate-stomach-inflammation-in-mice/?sc=rsin /articles/male-hormones-regulate-stomach-inflammation-in-mice/?sc=rsin Fri, 14 May 2021 11:30:50 EST Scientists at the National Institutes of Health determined that stomach inflammation is regulated differently in male and female mice after finding that androgens, or male sex hormones, play a critical role in preventing inflammation in the stomach. The study was published in Gastroenterology. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/niehs-earns-well-building-rating-amid-pandemic/?sc=rsin /articles/niehs-earns-well-building-rating-amid-pandemic/?sc=rsin Mon, 12 Apr 2021 09:00:49 EST On March 30, 2021, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) became the first federal agency to achieve the International WELL Building Institute's Health-Safety Rating. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/preterm-birth-prolonged-labor-influenced-by-progesterone-balance/?sc=rsin /articles/preterm-birth-prolonged-labor-influenced-by-progesterone-balance/?sc=rsin Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:30:28 EST New research by the National Institutes of Health found that unbalanced progesterone signals may cause some pregnant women to experience preterm labor or prolonged labor. The study in mice -- published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- provides novel insights for developing treatments. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/study-of-mosquito-protein-could-lead-to-treatments-against-life-threatening-viruses/?sc=rsin /articles/study-of-mosquito-protein-could-lead-to-treatments-against-life-threatening-viruses/?sc=rsin Wed, 10 Mar 2021 12:05:33 EST The mosquito protein AEG12 strongly inhibits the family of viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Zika and weakly inhibits coronaviruses, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators. They found that AEG12 works by destabilizing the viral envelope, breaking its protective covering. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) /articles/nih-study-shows-hyaluronan-is-effective-in-treating-chronic-lung-disease/?sc=rsin /articles/nih-study-shows-hyaluronan-is-effective-in-treating-chronic-lung-disease/?sc=rsin Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:10:08 EST NIH researchers and their collaborators found that inhaling unfragmented hyaluronan improves lung function in patients suffering from severe exacerbation of COPD. Hyaluronan is a sugar secreted by living tissue that acts as a scaffold for cells. Utilized as a treatment, hyaluronan decreased the number of days in the hospital. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)