Could vital information about many human diseases be deciphered from genes inside freshwater flatworms? A definitive yes is not the answer yet, but research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has provided an important advance for pursuing both that idea and the biology of stem cells.
In a paper appearing on line this week ahead of regular publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report the sequencing and analysis of 27,161 e
Study using novel protein purification strategy shows that TRAF3 triggers interferon release while curbing inflammation, according to St. Jude
A protein called TRAF3, with a previously unknown job in immune cells, is actually a key part of a mechanism that triggers release of anti-virus molecules called type I interferons (IFNs) as part of the body’s rapid response against these invaders, according to investigators that include a scientist continuing this work at St. Jude Ch
A new case study by Mayo Clinic researchers provides preliminary evidence to suggest a component of green tea may lead to clinical improvement in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Findings are published online in Leukemia Research.
In the small case study, the researchers report on four patients who appeared to have an improvement in the clinical state of their disease after starting over-the-counter products containing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an extra
Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System have opened a new clinical trial to try and help people with emphysema breathe better. The study will test the safety and effectiveness of a bronchoscopic valve, an experimental device designed to channel air to healthier portions of the lung. The idea is to improve a patient’s physical functioning, tolerance for exercise and general quality of life.
The study device works by limiting airflow to a selected portion of the lun
Older trees may have less capacity for taking in carbon dioxide
Trees in the Amazon tropical forests are old. Really old, in fact, which comes as a surprise to a team of American and Brazilian researchers studying tree growth in the world’s largest tropical region.
Using radiocarbon dating methods, the team, which includes UC Irvine’s Susan Trumbore, found that up to half of all trees greater than 10 centimeters in diameter are more than 300 years old. Some of the tree
Research released at ACNP Annual Meeting
A new study, presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s (ACNP) Annual Meeting, has identified a specific gene that is necessary for the development of connections between the brain and the spinal cord. This research, conducted by Stanford University through a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could be critical for future understanding of the development of the human brain and possibly the treatment
Harvard School of Dental Medicine Researcher Announces Findings Today
Today, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) researcher Martin Nweeia, DMD, DDS, answers a marine science question that has eluded the scientific community for hundreds of years: why does the narwhal, or “unicorn,” whale have an 8-foot-long tooth emerging from its head, and what is its function? Nweeia, a clinical instructor in restorative dentistry and biomaterials sciences at HSDM, will be presenting his
Smaller is better
Georgia Tech scientists and engineers are pursuing the dictum that “smaller is better” to develop a new breed of highly-integrated silicon-based microchips capable of operating in ultra-sophisticated radar systems – and in new generations of NASA spacecraft.
Their research is focused on silicon-germanium (SiGe) integrated circuit technology, which can provide cost savings, compact size and improved efficiency in the same way that advances in silicon
A multi-institutional team, led by University of Chicago researchers, has taken a crucial step toward understanding and treating Rett syndrome (RS), a rare and often-misdiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 10,000 children, mostly females.
In a study published in the Dec. 14, 2005, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers describe in a mouse model for RS the source of erratic breathing, which has important implications for children with RS.
Laboratory studies show that cocaine causes changes in brain that increase vulnerability to environmental toxins in both adults and in offspring who were exposed to cocaine before birth, according to St. Jude
Adults who abuse cocaine might increase their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), and pregnant women who abuse cocaine could increase the risk of their children developing PD later in life, according to results of laboratory studies performed by investigator
Illness takes a psychological toll on patient’s family
Parents of children with cancer commonly suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress, both during treatment and years after their children survive the disease, say researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The researchers recommend that hospital staff members routinely screen parents for such stress symptoms during a child’s treatment, and offer appropriate psychosocial treatments.
“We have found, time a
The lens in the developing eye acts as a TGFbeta signaling center that controls differentiation, survival and formation of multiple eye structures deriving from the neural crest. A study published today in the open access journal Journal of Biology shows that neural crest (NC) derived cells contribute to both anterior and posterior parts of the developing mammalian eye. NC cells migrate properly in the eye but fail to differentiate in the absence of TGFbeta signaling. The activity of TGFbeta is medi
In an analysis combining data from 13 studies, high intake of dietary fiber was not associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study in the December 14 issue of JAMA.
Dietary fiber has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to background information in the article. However, the results of numerous epidemiological studies have been inconsistent. Ecological correlation studies and many case-control studies have found an inverse ass
News from the Cell Biology Meeting in San Francisco
Children diagnosed with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) race through life against an unfairly fast clock. Cases are extremely rare–one in 8 million births–but time plays cruel tricks on HGPS newborns. They begin life in apparent good health but by six–eighteen months develop the first signs of premature aging, including hair loss, stiff joints, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Typically, the HGPS race through life
News from the Cell Biology Meeting in San Francisco
Cancer works its malignant will by standing cell life on its head. No form of cancer is better at flipping normal cell mechanisms for growth and movement into sinister contraptions for evasion and invasion than aggressive colorectal tumors. Kidnapping is a particular talent, especially along the cancer’s invasive edges. That’s where Avri Ben-Ze’ev and colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and elsew
Scythe protein is critical to the normal development of the lungs, kidney and brain, according to St. Jude
A protein called Scythe determines which cells live and which die during the growth and development of the mammalian embryo, according to investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The St. Jude study is the first to show that Scythe plays a critical role during development of mammals by selectively regulating when and where specific cells eithe
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