Pediatric nutrition research has shown the important effects of early-life nutrition on a baby’s development - especially the gastrointestinal tract - and more recent research indicates that nutrition may also have an influence on an infant’s brain as it develops. Does nutrition in the first weeks of life play a bigger role in later behavioral outcomes like memory and fine motor skills?

A research team led by investigators of the Rockefeller University in New York and Prof Florian Klein, University Hospital Cologne and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), has tested a new HIV neutralising antibody, called 10-1074, in humans. The results of the trial have just been published in Nature Medicine.

A drug that's commonly used to treat high blood pressure is being repurposed for a rare tissue cancer in Europe. The medication, named propranolol, was recently granted Orphan Drug Designation by the European Commission (EC). The designation signifies that the EC supports the use of a drug to treat patients because of its significant benefit to those living with a rare disease - in this case, soft tissue sarcoma.

A new study shows that a rat model of metabolic syndrome fed a high-sugar and high-cholesterol diet and given blue maize extract showed significant improvement in systolic blood pressure, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels compared to those not given the extract. The natural antioxidants present in blue maize may help protect against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer,

Quality of life of patients doing yoga improved, according to the conclusions of "Results of a Pilot Yoga Intervention to Improve Pediatric Cancer Patients' Quality of Life and Physical Activity and Parents' Well-being". This study, published in the January 2017 issue of "Rehabilitation Oncology", concluded: "Our findings support the notion that yoga for pediatric cancer patients during active treatment is feasible and potentially helpful in improving both patients' and parents' well-being."

Low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) are often used in place of added sugars such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup in food and beverage products. While these artificial sweeteners offer less calories, their effects on weight management and long-term health are still under investigation. A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reports that 41% of adults and 25% of children currently consume at least one LCS item on a regular basis.

Deregulation and inhibition of the immune system contributes to cancer development. Many therapeutic strategies aim to re-stimulate the immune system to recognize cancer cells and target them for destruction. Researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center report that a dendritic cell vaccine that targets the HER2 protein on breast cancer cells is safe and effectively stimulates the immune system leading to regression of early-stage breast cancer.