Fatty acids such as those found in corn oil turn on genes that stimulate tumor growth
Omega-6 fatty acids–such as those found in corn oil–caused human prostate tumors in cell culture to grow twice as quickly as tumors to which omega-6 fats had not been added, according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
An omega-6 fatty acid known as arachidonic acid turns on a gene signaling pathway that leads directly to tumor growth, according to prin
Conceptual model of krill’s life history sheds light on forces that drove its evolution
Although Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are one of the best-studied organisms of the open sea, key aspects of their life cycle have remained murky. Understanding krill is important because they are vital prey for fish, birds, and marine mammals, yet they are vulnerable to fishing pressure and environmental change. In the February 2006 issue of BioScience, the monthly journal of t
Findings may lead to future predictive test for preeclampsia
Mayo Clinic researchers have found an association between abnormally high levels of a protein named HtrA1 and preeclampsia, a sudden and dangerous rise in blood pressure that can result in premature delivery, disability or death for mother and fetus. The condition, which affects 5 to 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide, constitutes a medical emergency and often requires a Caesarean section delivery. The condition is est
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have reported a discovery at the cellular level that suggests possibilities for drug therapy for kidney disease.
Over 600,000 people in the U.S. are affected by the inherited kidney disease known as ADPKD, short for autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease. In the U.S. this is more than the number of individuals affected by cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, Down’s syndrome, and sickle cell anemia c
Shanghai conference featured over 100 noted scientists from US, Europe and Asia
China has experienced tremendous growth within the past decade. Its economic boom and growing domestic market is now paralleled by its ascendancy in the life sciences, and the country’s scientists are rapidly rising to the cutting edge in areas such as neuroscience, chemical biology, and many other fields. Moreover, the global threat posed by infectious diseases such as the H5N1 bird flu virus, SAR
UCLA paleobiologist J. William Schopf and colleagues have produced 3-D images of ancient fossils — 650 million to 850 million years old — preserved in rocks, an achievement that has never been done before.
If a future space mission to Mars brings rocks back to Earth, Schopf said the techniques he has used, called confocal laser scanning microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, could enable scientists to look at microscopic fossils inside the rocks to search for signs of life, such as
Findings illuminate how ’junk’ DNA accumulates in the human genome
In experiments with transgenic mice, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers discovered the remaining steps in the complicated process of how the largest class of jumping genes replicates and inserts themselves within the human genome. Haig H. Kazazian, Jr. MD, Chair of the Department of Genetics, and colleagues at Penn published their findings in the February issue of Genome Research.
A simple but groundbreaking experiment performed more than 70 years ago finally has been explained by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The solution sheds new light on fluid turbulence — the last major unsolved problem in classical physics.
“Turbulence is the jittery, swirling behavior of a gas or liquid when flowing next to a wall or around an obstacle,” said Gustavo Gioia, a professor of theoretical and applied mechanics at Illinois. “Although
Patient compliance and cosmetic benefits indicate positive role of this novel non-melanoma skin cancer therapy
New five year clinical trial results have demonstrated the high efficacy and long-term response rates of Metvix® photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT) in NMSC compared to current standard treatments cryotherapy and surgery. As NMSC is the most common form of skin cancer in Caucasians and, like all skin cancers, has been increasing over recent decades, new methods to effectively t
The next generation of artificial bone may rely on a few secrets from the sea. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have harnessed the way seawater freezes to develop a porous, scaffolding-like material that is four times stronger than material currently used in synthetic bone.
Although still in the investigational stages, variations of this substance could also be used in a myriad of applications in which strengt
The old adage tells that oil doesn’t mix with water. It doesn’t do much for creatures in the water either, as demonstrated by new research on the effects of water-borne oil on seabirds along the Atlantic Coast in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
Chronic oil pollution has been a long-standing problem along a 4,200-mile stretch of coast from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. Existing laws are not solving the problem, said University of Washington biologist Dee Boersma, co-aut
British researchers have developed a “biobullet” that could help control an invasive mollusk that has ravaged U.S. waterways for nearly two decades clogging water pipes, virtually wiping out some native mussels species and causing billions of dollars in industrial damage. The new microcapsules, which contain toxins that dissolve within a zebra mussel’s digestive tract, offer a safe and cost-effective way of eliminating one of the world’s “most important economic pests” without harmin
Although people with diabetes are twice as likely as the general population to develop depression, the cause of this increased risk is not well understood. Now, a Joslin Diabetes Center-led collaboration has documented for the first time subtle changes in the gray matter of the brain of type 1 diabetes patients compared to control subjects who did not have diabetes. They made these observations using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a relatively new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology that all
Does IQ explain socioeconomic inequalities in health? Evidence from a population based cohort study in the west of Scotland BMJ Online First
Intelligence may play an important role in health inequalities, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.
Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in health is an important issue and the target of many governments. Understanding the causes of socioeconomic inequalities in health is crucial if effective interventions are to be ident
Malignant melanoma is a dangerous, aggressive form of cancer and approximately 54,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, according to the American Cancer Society. Interestingly, there are many similarities between malignant melanoma in horses and malignant melanoma in people.
Recognizing the extraordinary opportunity for translational research that the disease represents, Dr. John L. Robertson, a professor in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virgini
A new survey of subway injuries provides a rare glimpse into what happens to people who are hit by oncoming trains. In New York City, where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reports that 7 million passengers ride the transit system daily, there is no publicly available record of such tragedies. NYU School of Medicine trauma specialists, who conducted the survey at Bellevue Hospital Center, explored who is most at risk for severe subway injuries, why accidents occur, and which preventati
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