The weekly roundup - April 29th

This week on Science Today, we learned that a major risk factor for breast cancer is a woman’s breast structure – specifically, what’s called breast density. Karla Kerlikowske of the University of California, San Francisco explains it’s a radiologic term because on a mammogram, doctors look at how much dense tissue someone has versus how much fat tissue. "We found breast density was four times more likely to account for the development of breast cancer than having a first degree relative who'd had breast cancer." So Kerlikowske recommends that women in this risk group should pay extra attention to screening. Meanwhile, at UCLA, we talked to Karen Gylys at the School of Nursing, who says when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, some simple lifestyle changes can make a huge difference – even in patients who are already cognitively impaired. "So things like exercise, things like Mediterranean diet, fish oil, there’s evidence that that these things can move the dial on neuropsychiatric tests in elderly subjects and in some studies in elderly subjects who are beginning to be impaired." And the added benefit? These lifestyle changes are also good for your heart. Now while we’re on the subject of the brain – have you ever heard of a mini brain? Jokes aside, it’s an emerging 3D technology created from adult stem cells. "Mini brains can allow you to ask some questions that are more challenging to ask about a single cell, essentially in isolation vs. what happens when cells are moving through more of a three-dimensional space and interacting with each other in three-dimensions as well." That’s neurologist Lauren Weiss at the University of California, San Francisco. She’s been studying brain disorders in the lab looking at neurons grown from skin cells and says a mini-brain is the next step in research because it recreates the structure of a real brain. Well, that’s it for this weekly update. To hear full episodes about the latest research at the University of California, please subscribe to Science Today on iTunes or follow us on Soundcloud. You’ll be more informed if you do! Thank for listening, I’m Larissa Branin - have a great weekend!