(April 17, 2012 | CNN) Blood test for early-onset depression promising. — How does a parent know if their child or teen is experiencing normal adolescent sadness or moodiness or – a more serious form of depression? The answer may one day lie in a simple blood test, if the results of a new early study are confirmed in larger populations. Redei’s research team discovered eleven blood biomarkers for early-onset majordepression. The results are published in Translational Psychiatry. Early-onset major depressive disorder is a mental illness that affects people under 25.  “Not diagnosed, depression affects how teens relate to others. The No. 1 cause of death among the depressed is suicide,” explains Redei. “If teens are depressed and not treated, there can be drug abuse, dropping out of school.

- Predicted on Hay House Radio 12/12/11 and Wings of Love 1/4/12

(April 12, 2012 | ScienceDaily) Engineered Stem Cells Seek out and Kill HIV in Living Mice — Expanding on previous research providing proof that human stem cells can be genetically engineered into HIV-fighting cells, a team of UCLA researchers have now demonstrated that these cells can actually attack HIV-infected cells in a living organism. The study, published April 12 in the journal PLoS Pathogens, demonstrates for the first time that engineering stem cells to form immune cells that target HIV is effective in suppressing the virus in living tissues in an animal model, said lead investigator Scott G. Kitchen, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA AIDS Institute. “We believe that this study lays the groundwork for the potential use of this type of an approach in combating HIV infection in infected individuals, in hopes of eradicating the virus from the body,” he said. In this current study, the researchers similarly engineered human blood stem cells and found that they can form mature T cells that can attack HIV in tissues where the virus resides and replicates. In a series of tests on the mice’s peripheral blood, plasma and organs conducted two weeks and six weeks after introducing the engineered cells, the researchers found that the number of CD4 “helper” T cells — which become depleted as a result of HIV infection — increased, while levels of HIV in the blood decreased. CD4 cells are white blood cells that are an important component of the immune system, helping to fight off infections. These results indicated that the engineered cells were capable of developing and migrating to the organs to fight infection there

- Predicted on Hay House Radio 12/12/11 and Wings of Love 1/4/12 

(January 5, 2012 | Psych Central) Deep Brain Stimulation Effective For Depression, Bipolar Disorder — A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression. The study, led by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, found that DBS works in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder. “Depression is a serious and debilitating medical illness,” says Helen S. Mayberg, MD. Participants received single-blind stimulation for four weeks, not knowing if the DBS system was on or off. A significant decrease in depression and an increase in function were associated with continuing stimulation, the researchers note.

Update 4/13/12: Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN called this treatment brand new and “very effective.”

- Predicted on HayHouse Radio 12/12/11 and Wings of Love 1/4/12

(April 11, 2012 | CNN) Tsunami warning after two massive earthquakes – 8.6 and 8.2—rock Indonesia. Jakarta, Indonesia — A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra Wednesday afternoon, triggering a tsunami watch for the Indian Ocean, which was later canceled. The quake struck about 434 kilometers (270 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, and had a magnitude of 8.6, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A second large quake, with a magnitude of 8.2, occurred off the west coast of Sumatra about two hours later, the USGS said.

- Predicted on HayHouse Radio December 12, 2011

(April 7, 2012 | NewsCore) Manhunt underway for “lone wolf gunman” behind unprecedented Tulsa shooting spree, 3 Dead TULSA, Okla. – The FBI joined the manhunt Saturday for a “lone wolf” gunman suspected of killing three people and injuring two others in four separate shootings in Tulsa. The victims were seemingly shot at random in the street during a roughly seven-hour period early Friday. Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan told reporters local authorities are working with the FBI and-US Marshals Service “to determine who the suspect is in this case and bring him to justice.” Jordan said “Identifying a lone wolf suspect who acted independently is going to be a real challenge.”

- Predicted on ‘Beyond the Gate’ 2/19/2012