From the beginning, arteries and veins are different in the way they branch into vascular networks, say Dartmouth heart researchers. They have identified a new defect limited to arterial development.
The discovery, reported in the June issue of Developmental Cell, upends some theories about the origins of blood vessels and could change the nature of vascular biology research that seeks to harness the mechanisms of blood vessel growth for treatment.
“This is the first
Pre-cooked mussels?
Based on current trends for both air and water temperatures, by 2100 the body temperatures of California mussels — found along thousands of miles of coast in the northeast Pacific Ocean and not just in California –- could increase between about 2 degrees F and 6.5 F depending on where they live.
For areas where mussels already are living close to the edge, chances are that increases of 6.5 F will kill them, researchers say.
Unlike humans,
The authors describe the discovery of a novel class of mutations that disrupt the function of a gene and thereby cause a specific phenotype. The mutation created the appearance of an “illegitimate” microRNA (miRNA) recognition site in a gene that did not have it in its normal form. In this study, the gene concerned is the myostatin. This gene is expressed in the skeletal muscle and the function of the derived protein is to inhibit muscular growth. The mutation discovered among sheep exposed a recogn
MIT scientists have discovered a way to monitor a crucial molecule as it goes about its business within living cells. The molecule, nitric oxide (NO), plays critical roles in the human body – from the destruction of invading microorganisms to the relaying of neural signals. But catching NO at work has long eluded scientists because it often exists in minute concentrations and for only short periods of time. Now, MIT chemists have developed a bright fluorescent sensor that
The young biotech start up company PRIMACYT has developed a long-term human hepatocyte culture system that may be used as a biosensor for the analysis of drugs, food additives, and chemicals. The entrepreneur team has developed serum-free long-term culture techniques for hepatocytes. Currently, several other companies are validating this culture technique in a multi-center study. The technology is presented on international conferences in San Francisco, USA April 2006 and Linz, Austria June 20
A type of protein linked to cancer prevention in humans may also play a role in ageing, according to findings published in the journal Science today (2 June). The internationally funded research, carried out at the Buck Institute in the USA and the University of Manchester in the UK, found that proteins which prevent cancer in humans by stopping damaged cells from dividing, also determine lifespan in microscopic worms.
The findings raise the question of whether genetic variations
The Spaniards may have been right all along – a siesta after a hearty lunch is natural, new research suggests.
Scientists at The University of Manchester have for the first time uncovered how brain cells or ‘neurons’ that keep us alert become turned off after we eat.
The findings – published in the scientific journal Neuron this week – have implications for treating obesity and eating disorders as well as understanding levels of consciousness.
“It has been known f
Glycobiology is a hot new topic, a science that has arrived and blossomed in the last decade.
The latest issue of The Biochemist puts glycobiology in perspective with an authoritative article on its origin by Professor Raymond Dwek and with reports from the cutting edge of this fascinating and vitally important new discipline. Read how it is making significant discoveries in the fields of molecular biology and in the fight against disease.
Also: the discovery of muscle bi
Jefferson Scientists Identify Gene Mutation Potentially Involved in Breast Cancer Initiation
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found evidence suggesting that a mutation in a gene that normally helps block the formation of breast tumors could play a role in the initiation of a major form of breast cancer.
The team, led by cell b
Scientists investigating the genetic makeup of rhesus macaque monkeys, a key species used in biomedical research, have found the rhesus in Nepal may provide a suitable alternative to alleviate a critical shortage of laboratory animals used in work to develop vaccines against diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Writing in the cover story of the current issue of the American Journal of Primatology, researchers headed by Randall Kyes of the University of Washington report that the Nepali
Researchers found that they could eliminate the rewarding effect of cocaine on mice by genetically manipulating a key target of the drug in the animal’s brain.
While the researchers aren’t suggesting that these genetic modifications be made in humans, the work brings to light the key protein that controls cocaine’s effects in the body, which may help scientists develop medications that achieve the same results and therefore help addicts overcome their dependence.
For the first time, scientists describe the busy microbial world inside
For the first time, scientists have defined the collective genome of the human gut, or colon. Up to 100 trillion microbes, representing more than 1,000 species, make up a motley “microbiome” that allows humans to digest much of what we eat, including some vitamins, sugars, and fiber.
In a study published in the June 2 issue of Science, scientists at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and their c
Any owner of a freshwater aquarium likely has had guppies (Poecilia reticulata), those small brightly colored fish with a propensity for breeding. Now guppy populations manipulated in natural habitats in Trinidad have taught researchers an evolutionary lesson on the survival of a rare genetic trait. Reporting in the June 1 issue of the journal Nature, scientists from six institutions detail how male guppies with the most colorful – and most rare – patterns are more likely than their more c
One of the body’s basic survival mechanisms is the neural machinery that triggers the hungry brain to the alertness needed for seeking food. That same machinery swings the other way after a hearty meal, as exemplified by the long and honored custom of the siesta. However, scientists have understood little about how the basic energy molecule, glucose, regulates such wakefulness and other energy-related behaviors.
Now, in an article in the June 1, 2006, Neuron, Denis Burdakov of t
Researchers identify common sequence differences in human DNA that confer genetic susceptibility to lung cancer
In the largest genome-wide scan for lung cancer-susceptibility genes to date, scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research have identified 64 gene variants that may predispose some individuals to lung cancer. These genetic variants are known as “low-penetrance alleles” because they only occasionally stimulate tumor development. The study, which appears today in the sc
“Printing” on the micrometer scale is the technology of the future for the production of the electronic components used for such things as flat-screen monitors or (bio)sensors. Metal surfaces a few tens of square centimeters in size can already be structured without much experimental difficulty through a combination of microcontact printing and an etching process. Researchers are currently working to develop a simple production technology that is also broadly applicable for large surfaces. A team a
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