Health Highlights: Dec. 3, 2007

Mar. 23 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Study Identifies Brain Chemical Involved in Exercise "High"

Yale University scientists have identified a brain chemical associated with the natural "high" of exercise and suggest that a drug based on that chemical could provide an effective treatment for depression, BBC News reported.

The researchers found that a gene called VGF -- located in the brain's hippocampus -- is more active during exercise. The gene is linked to a growth factor chemical involved in the development of nerve cells.

The Yale team then made a version of this chemical and tested it in mice. It seemed to affect the rodents' behavior in a way somewhat similar to the way antidepressants affect humans, BBC News reported.

The research appears in the journal Nature Medicine.

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Cancer Cells Softer Than Normal Cells

The surfaces of living cancer cells are more than 70 percent softer than those of healthy cells, says an American study in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The softer surfaces were detected in lung, breast and pancreatic cancers.

The finding by University of California, Los Angeles scientists could help increase detection of cancer cells that might otherwise escape notice, Agence France-Presse reported.

For this study, the researchers collected body fluid from suspected cancer patients and used atomic force microscopes to apply pressure to individual cells. The cells' surfaces were tested using a sharp probe attached to a mechanical arm.

"Our work shows that mechanical analysis can distinguish cancerous cells from normal ones even when they show similar shapes," the researchers concluded. They said the increased softness that occurs when normal cells become cancerous makes it easier for cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body, AFP reported.

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China Reports 17th Bird Flu Victim

China has reported its 17th human victim of H5N1 bird flu, the country's official Xinhua news agency said Monday.