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December 2004
December 7
Cracking
The Genomic Code: Gene Decoding Revealed At Atomic Level
A recent finding by a North Carolina State University biochemist advances
the fundamental biology of how genetic information, encoded in DNA, is decoded
for the production of proteins.
Antibiotics
get new lease of life
Drug-resistant bacteria can be forced to eject their protective DNA.
Persistent
coughs melt away with chocolate
An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine
than traditional remedies, researchers suggest.
A
New Target For a Fat-Fighting Drug. THURSDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDayNews)
A newly discovered enzyme that plays a major role in fat metabolism could
be a target for a different kind of weight-loss drug, Austrian researchers
report.
Zapped
human eggs divide without sperm
The new technique could supply embryonic stem cells for research while avoiding
ethical issues as embryos are not required.
"Brain"
in Dish Pilots Flight Simulator
Scientists have grown a "brain" in a petri dish that can fly a
simulated F-22 fighter airplane. It's all part of a quest to build "living"
computers.
November 2004
November 21
Autism
Linked to Brain Inflammation. TUESDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDayNews)
People with autism are prone to brain inflammation associated with immune
system dysfunction, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine.
Sick
Kids Researchers Confirm That Cancer Stem Cells Initiate And Grow Brain
Tumours
Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) and the University
of Toronto (U of T) have confirmed that childhood and adult brain tumours
originate from cancer stem cells and that these stem cells fuel and maintain
tumour growth. This discovery has led to development of a mouse model for
human brain tumours and opens the door for new therapeutic targets for the
treatment of brain tumours.
November 8
Scientists
working on ways to deny death
Cambridge University biogerontologist Dr. Aubrey de Grey reckons "we
have a 50-50 chance of developing a human rejuvenation therapy that works"
(David Yount, Scripps Howard News Service)
In search
of the 'God gene'
Dr. Dean Hamer, a molecular geneticist, argues persuasively that genes predispose
humans to believe that "spirituality is one of our basic human inheritances,"
and that, indeed, there is a specific individual gene associated with faith
(The New York Times)
Critics
attack landmark decision on gene screening
A momentous decision that could lead in time to wholesale screening of embryos
for diseases they may develop as adults was made in an undemocratic manner
by an unelected authority behind closed doors, it was alleged yesterday
(The Guardian, London)
Breathing
with Hepatitis
According to the hygiene hypothesis, the soaring rates of asthma, hay fever,
eczema and other allergies in the past two decades have resulted from the
overly sanitized conditions of industrial countries. Because children are
exposed to fewer bacteria and viruses, the theory goes, their immune systems
tend to overreact to otherwise harmless substances such as pollen and dander.
The hypothesis, however, fails to explain why some people are more susceptible
than others or why those in dirty environments still develop asthma. But
now a genetic study has pointed out a plausible mechanism for allergy development:
it suggests that the hepatitis A virus, which thrives in polluted environments,
may protect people from asthma.
Compound
Slows Key Step in Alzheimer's
Small molecules make better drugs than large ones do, because they can more
easily enter cells and gum up chosen chemically active sites. But their
size makes it hard for them to stop larger molecules like proteins from
interacting with one another, which is critical to many diseases. Now, borrowing
a trick from soil bacteria, researchers have designed a small molecule that
effectively forms a new drug on the spot by teaming up with a large protein
that is common inside cells. The resulting complex binds to fragments of
beta-amyloid protein and keeps them from sticking together to form the "plaques"
that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Mouse
Study Upends Theory of Down Syndrome's Cause
Down syndrome affects about one in 700 babies born each year and is characterized
by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21. In some rare cases, dubbed
segmental trisomy, only a specific section of the chromosome is present
in triplicate. As a result, many scientists studying the condition considered
genes found in that region of the chromosome suspect in the disorder. But
new findings indicate that the cause of the disease may be more complicated
than that.
New
'Superaspirin' Prevents Colon Cancer in Mice. TUESDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDayNews)
An aspirin that is "thousands of times more powerful" than traditional
forms of the drug but has no gastrointestinal side effects looks promising
in animal studies, researchers say. The drug, called nitric oxide-donating
aspirin, or nitroaspirin, appears to help prevent colon cancer in mice without
raising the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding, researchers reported
Oct. 19 at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Seattle.
October 2004
October 24
Stem
Cells Secrete Healing Chemicals
Many stem-cell researchers hope to treat diseases by recruiting these adaptable
cells to replace others that have been damaged. New work demonstrates a
different approach, which rescued mice that otherwise would have died from
a genetic heart defect before birth. Instead of replacing the defective
cells, embryonic stem (ES) cells released chemical signals that caused the
defective heart tissue to grow properly.
Harvard has human
cloning plans
Institute seeks nod to create embryos using genes from patients with diabetes,
Parkinson's.
Malaria vaccines
get real
Trial offers evidence that an effective vaccine is feasible - but WHO expresses
caution.
Wax discovery surprises
Unexpectedly, plants use a lipid transporter like those in mammalian cells
to transport wax.
Amphibians
Suffering Unprecedented Decline, Global Study Finds
The first worldwide assessment of amphibians--the group that includes frogs,
toads, salamanders and caecilians--concludes that they are in even more
trouble than mammals and birds are. The study classifies nearly a third
of the 5,743 known amphibian species as threatened.
NASA Helps Find
Lifelong Gene Activity In Live Organisms Moffett Field CA (SPX) Oct
25, 2004
NASA scientists and their academic colleagues are providing valuable insights
into how DNA encodes instructions for control of basic biological functions.
Their research may change the understanding of human diseases.
October 10
New
Drug Treatments Offer Hope to Leukemia Patients. TUESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDayNews)
Scientists call them "molecularly targeted" drugs, and they represent
a remarkable gain in the war against blood cancers.
Plea
to clone human embryos
The scientist who created Dolly the sheep applied yesterday for a licence
to clone human embryos to try to find a cure for motor neurone disease.
(Times, London)
Scientists Sequence
Genome Of Organism Central To Biosphere's Carbon Cycle. Berkeley CA
(SPX) Oct 04, 2004
The first ever genomic map of a diatom, part of a family of microscopic
ocean algae that are among the Earth's most important inhabitants, has yielded
surprising insights about the way they may be using nitrogen, fats and silica
in order to thrive.
Olfactory research
wins Nobel
Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Axel and Buck for research into
the sense of smell.
September 2004
September 13
The
Search For A Kinder, Gentler Chemotherapy. Atlanta (September 9, 2004)
Painful and damaging chemotherapy may one day be a thing of the past. Researchers
at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University have developed
nano-sized particles that can target and trick cancer cells into absorbing
them. Once inside, the particles may soon be able to deliver a pharmaceutical
payload, killing the tumor from within, avoiding the destruction of healthy
cells responsible for much of the damage caused by traditional chemotherapy.
The research is published in the August 25 edition of the Journal of the
American Chemical Society.
Researchers:
Atkins Works ... But for How Long? THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDayNews)
Shedding more light on the popular but largely untested Atkins diet, a new
analysis suggests that replacing carbohydrates with fatty foods is safe
-- at least for six months.
GM fish
produce cheap blood-clotting agent
Genetically modified fish are designed to make a cheap blood-clotting factor
- it could help treat haemophiliacs and accident victims.
Proteins
slow the progress of Parkinson's disease.
Two proteins have proved effective in fighting Parkinson's disease in rats
- work towards a human therapy is underway.
Seeds
of a Micro Revolution
Plant studies reveal a slew of miRNAs and some real surprises.
August 2004
August 31
Researchers
Uncover Secrets Of Immune System’s Munitions Factory
Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered a new component
of the machinery immune cells use to generate a remarkably diverse array
of antibodies from a relatively small number of genes.
Images
Reveal How Rotavirus - Leading Cause Of Diarrhea - Enters Cells
High-resolution images constructed by researchers at Children's Hospital
Boston (CHB) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) reveal the molecular rearrangements
that rotavirus – the most common cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea
and vomiting in children worldwide – uses to break into cells.
Small
Bumps Could Make A Big Difference For Hip Replacement August 10, 2004
When patients undergo hip replacement surgery, they can hope for 10 to 15
years of use before the implant wears out. After that, they will need another
artificial hip--a surgery that will probably be less successful than the
first one.
August 23
Pollen-blocking
cream cuts hayfever
The nasal cream captures pollen particles before they trigger an allergic
response, markedly reducing hayfever symptoms.
Mouse
Model Of Rare Disease Offers Clues To Aging And Cancer Development
Scientists have developed the first mouse model of a rare disease in which
people age rapidly and start developing cancers and other diseases associated
with the elderly when they are only about 30 years old.
August 17
UK
GIVES GO-AHEAD TO THERAPEUTIC CLONING
British researchers receive stem-cell licence.
ALZHEIMER'S
LINKED TO LOWBROW JOBS
Mentally stimulating careers may protect against dementia.
How bacteria fight
antibiotics
Two mechanisms of antibiotic tolerance are demonstrated in separate studies
in Science.
August 8
Francis Crick
Remembered. Moffett Field CA (SPX) Aug 02, 2004
The British molecular biologist Francis Harry Crick died on Wednesday at
the age of 88. Crick changed our understanding of life when, in 1953, he
and James Watson announced that DNA came packaged in an elegant double helix
structure. Crick reportedly claimed they had found 'the secret of life,'
and many scientists agree.
Vision And Recommendations For Microbiology In The 21st Century.
Mice cloned from
cancer cell
Nuclear transfer of a melanoma cell nucleus reveals epigenetic changes to
be reprogrammable.
BRANCHING
GENE COULD BEAUTIFY BUSHES
Genetic discovery shows how plants organize their shape.
July 2004
July 25
Researchers
Uncover Surprising Degree Of Large-scale Variation In The Human Genome
A new study by Michael Wigler's group at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has
revealed surprising differences in the DNA of normal cells from different
people.
Green
light for 'designer babies' to save siblings
The last barrier to the creation of babies specifically to save the life
of an ailing brother or sister was swept away by the fertility regulatory
body yesterday to the delight of scientists and alarm of those who fear
the advent of a designer baby age (The Guardian, London).
Scientists
Discover New Intricacies In How Ulcer Bugs Stick To Stomach. St. Louis,
July 22, 2004
Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori,
the primary cause of ulcers and a contributor to stomach cancers, have uncovered
new intricacies in the way the bacterium sticks to the lining of the human
stomach.
Chagas parasite
invades genome
Typanosomacruzi kinetoplast DNA found in the genomes of infected patients
and animals.
July 18
Cell
Study Leap Forward For Tissue Engineering, Diseases
University of Toronto researchers have discovered a key mechanism in tissue
formation that could have implications for tissue engineering, as well as
for diseases such as spina bifida and cancer.
Could
we defeat the menopause?
Mouse ovaries offer up secret of new egg cells.
Cinnamon
Oil Kills Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET
Cinnamon oil shows promise as a great-smelling, environmentally friendly
pesticide, with the ability to kill mosquito larvae.
Compound
Underlying Smoke's Positive Effect on Plants Identified
After viewing the damage that forest fires can wreak, it might seem counterintuitive
that some plants fare better after being exposed to smoke. This phenomenon
has been observed in a number of species, but it was unclear just what bestowed
these benefits. New research reveals the active ingredient in smoke that
improves plant germination.
July 10
Scans uncover secrets
of the womb.
A new type of ultrasound scan has produced vivid pictures of a 12 week-old
foetus "walking" in the womb. The new images also show foetuses
apparently yawning and rubbing its eyes.
"Mighty
mouse" gene found in humans
A gene that doubles muscle in mice shows similar effects in a strapping
young boy, offering treatment hope for muscle wasting diseases.
Introduction to Bioinformatics.
by Robert Jones. 06/11/2004
Bioinformatics is the intersection of molecular biology and computer science.
For software developers, it's a fascinating and challenging area in which
to work.
Bioinformatics and Comparative
Genomics. by Robert Jones 06/29/2004
The complete DNA sequence of the Human Genome is a remarkable achievement
for molecular biology and represents the work of many people in a number
of large sequencing centers. Far from resting on their laurels, those centers
have gone on to sequence the genomes of the mouse, rat, pufferfish, zebrafish,
chicken, chimpanzee ... you name it they're sequencing it.
June 2004
June 20
Cure hoped for
Huntington's sufferers
Gene therapy succeeds in mice with brain disease.
Molecule
That 'Blocks' Key Bacterial Enzyme May Lead To New Antibiotics
Rutgers scientists have deciphered the complex mechanics of microcin J25
(MccJ25), a tiny, natural molecule that acts like a cork in a bottle to
block a key bacterial enzyme – potentially leading to a new generation
of antibiotics.
Old dog learns
new tricks
Mutt's memory feats aid studies of language development.
June 13
An Eye
On The Tongue. Montreal (SPX) Jun 04, 2004
Sitting blindfolded with a device equipped with 144 pixels in his mouth,
any journalist would wonder about his career choice. But after a few minutes
of experimentation, you have to recognize that the system developed by neuropsychologist
Maurice Ptito of Université de Montréal, together with colleagues
in Denmark and the United States , to allow blind people to "see with
their tongue" appears strangely effective.
Mastering a task
puts part of brain to sleep
Local snoozing implies that slumber makes for better learning.
Spinal
cord injury treatment raises hope
Experts say the results look promising, but caution that with just 16 people
treated so far, it is too early to draw any conclusions.
Power
implant aims to run on body heat
The project hopes to tackle a big drawback of life-saving implants like
pacemakers - their batteries running out.
Chocolate
Compounds Boost Blood Vessel Function
Good news for chocoholics: the treat may help your heart. According to a
report published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College
of Nutrition, small daily doses of dark chocolate are associated with
improved blood vessel function in healthy people.
Yale Scientists
Visualize Molecular Detail Of RNA Splicing Complex. New Haven CT (SPX)
Jun 04, 2004
Scientists in the department of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at
Yale revealed the crystal structure of the first described enzymatic RNA
- what it looks like and how it reacts - in the journal Nature.
May 2004
May 30
Shortened
Chromosomes Linked To Early Stages Of Cancer Development
Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have evidence
that abnormally short telomeres - the end-caps on chromosomes that normally
preserve genetic integrity -appear to play a role in the early development
of many types of cancer.
Loyola
Decides To Test New Blood Substitute In Trauma Patients At The Scene Of
Injury
Loyola University Health System plans to test PolyHeme, an investigational
oxygen-carrying blood substitute designed to increase survival of critically
injured and bleeding trauma patients at the scene of injury.
May 23
Corn syrup linked
to diabetes
Epidemic reflects rise in refined sugars. 12 May 2004
Plants purify
poisoned water
Ferns suck up arsenic quickly and cheaply. 12 May 2004
Zinc
Therapy Accelerates Recovery From Pneumonia
Treating young children with zinc in addition to standard antibiotics greatly
reduces the duration of severe pneumonia.
Regular
Mini Doses of Caffeine More Energizing Than Morning Mug
Many people start their day with a big cup of coffee, hoping that the jolt
of caffeine will invigorate them. But there might be a better way to stay
awake for long periods. Scientists say low doses of caffeine administered
at regular intervals provide improved pick-me-up benefits.
Longest
scientific study yet backs Atkins diet
New research supports the claimed benefits of the controversial low-carbohydrate
diet.
May 16
Nanobodies
Herald A New Era In Cancer Therapy. Brussels (SPX) May 13, 2004
The vast majority of the current medicines for treating tumors - the so-called
chemotherapeutics - are seldom specific. Indeed, because a chemotherapy
treatment is not only toxic to cancer cells but to the body's normal cells
as well, patients often experience severe side effects.
Gene
therapy fights HIV in human tests
A new form of gene therapy slashes replication of the HIV virus in cells
from people infected with drug-resistant strains.
Molecule
cuts off fat's food supply
A magic bullet that destroys the blood vessels that feed fat tissue enables
mice to lose a third of their body weight.
May 9
Newly-described
Route To Cancer Solves A Mystery In Lung Cancer
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are
describing an entirely new way by which cells can become cancerous. And
they say their finding provides an answer to a mystery in lung and other
cancers.
Insulin-producing
Pancreatic Cells Are Replenished By Duplication.
Researchers at Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) have discovered that insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas
that are attacked in type 1 diabetes are replenished through duplication
of existing cells rather than through differentiation of adult stem cells.
Scientists
'See' Effects of Aging in the Brain
For many people, increasing forgetfulness is an unwelcome side effect of
growing old. But just how the human brain reacts to aging, independent of
specific diseases such as Alzheimer's, has proved difficult to discern.
A recent report identifies a specific section of the brain that is most
vulnerable during the twilight years.
Brain
Cells Show Gender Difference. TUESDAY, May 4 (HealthDayNews)
Injured brain cells die differently in females and males, and that means
the two genders may need different treatments for brain injuries, says a
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh study.
Scientists
Uncover How Brain Retrieves And Stores Older Memories
Scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) and UCLA have pinpointed
for the first time a region of the brain responsible for storing and retrieving
distant memories.
May 2
Fatherless
Mice Created in Lab
Men--who needs them? The sentiment has been voiced by countless lovelorn
women, but from a reproductive standpoint, we mammals need males a great
deal. Many plants and lower animals, such as insects and reptiles, can reproduce
asexually using only maternal DNA through a process termed parthenogenesis.
This mechanism does not occur naturally in mammals, and researchers have
long been unable to induce it in the laboratory. Now scientists report having
created the first fatherless mice, one of which has survived to adulthood
and given birth to her own young.
Cloned
Cows Manufacture Cancer Treatment
The products most closely associated with cows are milk and beef. But European
scientists say that the animals can be bred to generate antitumor drugs.
The findings could lead to a novel way of manufacturing antibodies for tumor
therapy on a large scale.
Bone marrow stem
cells help mend broken hearts
Human trials yield promising results 27 April 2004.
Alzheimer's
gene therapy trial shows early promise
Injecting genetically modified skin cells directly into a severely affected
part of the brain markedly reduces the decline in patients.
Spinach
pigments proposed as blindness cure
Adding the light-absorbing proteins to nerve cells in the retina could make
them fire when struck by light.
Researchers
Describe Long-perplexing 'Magic Spot' On Bacteria
Scientists have unraveled the behavior of one key component of bacteria,
a finding that may lead to better, more effective antibiotics.
Web Site
Logs 20,000 Human Genes. April 20, 2004
A detailed functional map of more than 20,000 human genes has been published
on the Internet by an international research team.
April 2004
April 25
Memory bottleneck
limits intelligence
Single spot in brain determines size of visual scratch pad. The number
of things you can hold in your mind at once has been traced to one penny-sized
part of the brain. The finding surprises researchers who assumed this aspect
of our intelligence would be distributed over many parts of the brain. Instead,
the area appears to form a bottleneck that might limit our cognitive abilities,
researchers say. 15 April 2004.
'Virgin
birth' mammal rewrites rules of biology
The mouse is the daughter of two female parents, but experts are sceptical
that the technique could help two women have a biological child.
April 11
Headaches
Don't Have to Rule Your Life
By Rita Mullin. Minor occasional headaches happen to most of us, but serious,
regular headaches are another matter altogether and can seriously interfere
with your enjoyment of life. Here are ten tips for reducing your headache
risk.
Zinc
Supplements Could Help Treat ADHD
An article published in BMC Psychiatry this week shows that zinc supplements
could increase the effectiveness of stimulants.
Clemson
Research Advances Progress Toward Bone Therapies, Replacements, Materials
The latest issue of Science reports a discovery by a Clemson scientist that
challenges 40 years of marine biomineralization.
Brains like feeling
fat
Mapping mental responses to texture could lead to designer foods. 5 April
2004.
Appetite may
be hard-wired
Our future weight could be set in first weeks of life. 2 April 2004.
Quick test to
diagnose deadly infections
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be pinned down in hours. 1 April 2004.
Liquorice extract
sweetens old age
Carbenoxolone could aid verbal memory. 30 March 2004.
Diet
of worms can cure bowel disease
Successful trials mean a drinkable concoction containing thousands of pig
whipworm eggs could soon be launched.
April 4
Self-Assembling
Proteins Could Help Repair Human Tissue. Baltimore - Mar 29, 2004
Protein hydrogels can be genetically engineered to promote the growth of
specific cells Johns Hopkins University researchers have created a new class
of artificial proteins that can assemble themselves into a gel and encourage
the growth of selected cell types. This biomaterial, which can be tailored
to send different biological signals to cells, is expected to help scientists
who are developing new ways to repair injured or diseased body parts.
Mosquitoes could
fight malaria
Researchers identify gene that makes insects attack parasite. 26 March 2004.
HIV discovery
allows targeting of vaccines
Researchers identify virus strains that frequently infect victims. 26 March
2004.
Too
Much Sleep Not a Good Thing SATURDAY, March 27 (HealthDayNews)
Like most everything else, sleep is best done in moderation. Spending too
many hours in bed each night can cause as many problems as getting too few
hours of sack time, according to a University of California, San Diego study
in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. The study found people who
sleep more than eight hours a night (long sleepers) and people who get less
than seven hours of slumber both report more sleep complaints than people
who get just the right amount of shuteye -- between seven and eight hours
per night.
Embryonic
Stem Cells Induced To Develop Into Bone Marrow And Blood Cells.
Researchers at Northwestern University have devised a method to induce embryonic
stem cells to develop into bone marrow and blood cells.
March 2004
March 28
Building
The Whole Cell From Pieces: Researchers Tackle The Cell Jigsaw Puzzle
Scientists have taken a significant leap forward in understanding the complex
ways that molecules work together in cells.
Scientists
Crack Genome Sequence Of A Major Parasitic Pathogen
University of Minnesota researchers have completed sequencing the genome
of an intestinal parasite that affects healthy humans and animals and that
can be fatal to those with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS patients.
St.
Jude shows how disorderliness in some proteins lets them interact with a
diversity of molecules.
Discovery of the sequence of events in the binding of p27 to a protein complex
is a model for explaining how 30 to 40 percent of the body’s proteins
exploit their flexibility in order to do different tasks in the cell.
Early
Vitamin E Supplements Stem Development Of Hallmark Alzheimer's Symptoms
In Mice
Vitamin E, a well-known antioxidant, has been used to treat Alzheimer's
disease, but with mixed results, especially in patients with advanced symptoms.
A risk factor for Alzheimer's is oxidative stress, a clinical condition
characterized by an excessive production of reactive chemicals in the brain,
which can damage important regions of this organ.
Liquid lens mimics
human eye
Fluid device could find its way into pocket-sized gadgets. 19 March 2004.
March 21
Embryo created
using frozen ovary
Resurrected tissue offers fertility hope to cancer patients. 9 March 2004.
Ovaries may lay
new eggs
Possible stem cells in ovaries prompt fertility boosting ideas. 11 March
2004.
Ricin vaccine
protects mice from poisoning
Skin patch could offer simple treatment route. 15 March 2004.
Chip
takes over lab routine
Stamp-sized device could assess workings of single cell. 15 March 2004.
Cheap
blood test heralds speedy stroke diagnosis
The test could help patients get the right treatment as soon as possible
and, in future, distinguish between different kinds of strokes.
New monkey
virus jumps to humans.
The discovery of a new class of monkey virus jumping into humans has reinforced
claims that HIV came from bushmeat hunting. It also suggests that viruses
jump species much more often than thought - raising the risk that new viral
diseases will eventually develop in humans.
New
Drug May Help Fight Some Lung Cancers.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the only Chicago area hospital currently
enrolling participants in a research study to find out if the drug Tarceva,
also know as erlotinib, may help fight bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma
(BAC), a type of non-small cell lung cancer generally considered resistant
to chemotherapy.
March 14
New artificial
blood shows promise.
Numerous past attempts to develop synthetic blood have failed because doctors
got the basic science wrong, claim researchers.
Heart therapy
raises hopes and concerns
Experimental treatment with blood stem cells causes complications.
Fat cells boost
blood vessel growth
Could liposuction left-overs help repair hearts?
Loss
Of Smell Linked To Key Protein In Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have linked
smell loss in mice with excessive levels of a key protein associated with
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Smell loss is well documented as one
of the early and first clinical signs of such diseases.
Nutrient
during pregnancy 'super-charges' brain.
Extra choline boosts the brains of offspring by making crucial areas bigger
and faster, suggests a rat study.
Dogma
on mammals' eggs scrambled
Biologists have insisted for years that female mammals, including women,
only have the eggs they are born with - not any more.
March 7
Mysterious
virus may thwart HIV
Having a secondary infection with a little-understood virus appears to protect
HIV patients from developing AIDS and death.
Diabetes may
be linked to early hearing loss
Studies point to danger of deafness and mental decline in old age. 27 February
2004.
Vitamin B2 may
help treat sepsis
Vitamin's anti-bacterial effect fights blood poisoning in mice. 26 February
2004.
Faulty
DNA Replication Linked To Neurological Diseases.
Lengthy sequences of DNA -- with their component triplet of nucleotides
repeated hundreds, even thousands of times -- are known to be abnormal,
causing rare but devastating neurological diseases. But how does the DNA
get this way? How does it go haywire, multiplying out of control?
February 2004
February 29
Drug may help
treat SARS
Interferon helps infected monkeys breathe more easily. 23 February 2004.
Test may lower
antibiotic use
New method could cut unnecessary prescriptions. 20 February 2004.
Mix
Of Chemicals Plus Stress Damages Brain, Liver In Animals And Likely In Humans
Stress is a well known culprit in disease, but now researchers have shown
that stress can intensify the effects of relatively safe chemicals, making
them very harmful to the brain and liver in animals and likely in humans,
as well.
New
Findings On Memory Could Enhance Learning WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
New research in monkeys may provide a clue about how the brain manages vast
amounts of information and remembers what it needs. Researchers at Wake
Forest University Baptist Medical Center have identified brain cells that
streamline and simplify sensory information – markedly reducing the
brain's workload.
FDA
Approves First Angiogenesis Inhibitor To Treat Colorectal Cancer
The FDA has approved Avastin (bevacizumab) as a first-line treatment for
patients with metastatic colorectal cancer -- cancer that has spread to
other parts of the body.
Scientists
See How Placebo Effect Eases Pain
The concept of a placebo effect, by which patients get better from the mere
illusion of treatment, has intrigued scientists since it was first proposed
in 1955. Since then debate has centered on whether it truly exists and,
if it does, how it works. The results of a new study offer fresh evidence
in support of the existence of a placebo effect, and suggest how a brain
influenced by this effect changes its response to pain.
February 22
Silent sound zaps
cancer
Ultrasound cuts side effects when used to remove tumours. 16 February 2004
Researcher
Successfully Vaccinates Some Patients Against Lung Cancer
John Nemunaitis, M.D., oncologist and researcher at the Mary Crowley Medical
Research Center (MCMRC) at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, has
developed a vaccine that suppresses lung cancer in some patients.
Hormone
Transforms Fat Cells from Foes to Friends, Rat Study Suggests
Set against the backdrop of an increasingly overweight population, the 1994
discovery of the fat-regulating protein leptin was widely heralded as a
boon for obesity research. The hormone continues to be a focus of investigation.
New work suggests that increasing leptin levels in the body can fundamentally
change the nature of fat cells--from idle storage containers to fat-burning
machines.
Chemical
Turns Mouse Stem Cells Into Heart Muscles. San Diego - Feb 18, 2004
A group of researchers from The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at
The Scripps Research Institute and from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis
Research Foundation (GNF) has identified a small synthetic molecule that
can control the fate of embryonic stem cells.
Neural Aging Walks
Tall: Aerobic activity fuels elderly brains, minds.
Moderate amounts of regular walking improve brain function and attention
in formerly sedentary seniors.
Biochemical
Clues To Long Lifespan Revealed: Findings Extend Longevity Research From
Yeast And Worms To Mammals
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have discovered how two key cellular
influences on lifespan work together, providing insights that may help reveal
aging mechanisms in humans.
February 15
US
researchers losing edge in stem cell work
For American biologists, accustomed to being research leaders in so many
areas, the announcement this week that South Koreans were the first to successfully
clone a human embryo was humbling—and a call to arms (The Boston Globe)
Clot-busting
corkscrew aids stroke patients
New technique may help reverse paralysis. 6 February 2004
Bird flu sweeps
through Asia
Fear of a human pandemic grows as avian influenza spreads. 5 February 2004
Designer mice
make heart-friendly nutrients
Genetic advance could put healthier eggs and meat on supermarket shelves.
5 February 2004
Super-sniffer
mice smell good
Rodents missing a single protein can detect the weakest scents. 5 February
2004
February 8
Migraines
Linked to Brain Lesions
Some migraine sufferers may be at an increased risk for brain lesions, according
to the results of a new study. The findings could indicate that the debilitating
headache is, in certain cases, a progressive brain disease.
Drug may give
cells a fresh start
A chemical could switch adult cells from one type to another. 30 January
2004
Protein points
to risk of colon cancer
Blood test might replace colonoscopies. 4 February 2004
Calcium Superchargers.
Foods such as yogurts supplemented with fiberlike sugars are developing
into the latest wave in functional foods—commercial goods seeded with
ingredients that boost their nutritiousness or healthfulness.
Researchers
Determine Reason For Deadly Spread Of 1918 Influenza
The explosive spread of the influenza virus during the 1918 pandemic that
killed some 20 million people worldwide was likely enabled by the unique
structure of a protein on the virus's surface, researchers are reporting.
The newly determined structure of the viral protein reveals that the 1918
strain of influenza underwent subtle alterations that enabled it to bind
with deadly efficiency to human cells, while retaining the basic properties
of the avian virus from which it evolved.
New
MS Research Shows Remarkable Findings. Montreal, February 5, 2004
New research findings from the Research Institute of the McGill University
Health Center (MUHC) provide hope for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
"We have identified a key enzyme that triggers MS-like disease in an
animal model," says MUHC neuroscientist and Professor of Medicine at
McGill University, Dr. Sam David. "We also show that blocking this
enzyme has a remarkable effect in preventing disease and relapses."
University
Of Chicago Study Overturns Conclusion Of Historic Human Genome Data.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered there is extensive
gene "traffic" on the mammalian X chromosome and overturn a conventional
theory about how the genes evolved on the sex chromosome.
Seeing
How Plants Split Water Could Provide Key To Our Future Energy Needs
The possibility of using the Earth's abundant supply of water as a cheap
source of hydrogen is a step closer thanks to researchers from Imperial
College London. By mimicking the method plants use to split water, researchers
say that a highly energy efficient way to form cheap supplies of hydrogen
fuel may be possible in the future.
February 1
Self-assembling
scaffold for spinal-cord repair
'Liquid' bridge could help severed nerve cells grow. 23 January 2004
Sleep boosts
lateral thinking
Study shows the value of sleeping on a problem. 22 January 2004
How fluoride firms
up teeth
Computer models show that fluoride locks calcium into your pearly whites.
22 January 2004
Do plants act
like computers?
Leaves appear to regulate their 'breathing' by conducting simple calculations.
21 January 2004
Molecular
Level Discovery Could Play Role In Development Of New Antibiotics. CHAMPAIGN,
Ill.
Chemists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have uncovered
the molecular activity of an enzyme responsible for naturally turning a
small protein into a potent antibiotic known as a lantibiotic.
January 2004
January 25
Simple sugar
eases Huntington's disease in mice
Discovery provides taste of a possible route for human drug development.
19 January 2004.
Ebola spreads
from animals to hunters
Future outbreaks may be hard to predict, tests suggest. 16 January 2004.
Vitamin D health
benefit boon?
Supplements lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. 13
January 2004.
Sleeper Effects:
Slumber may fortify memory, stir insight.
In two separate studies, researchers found that a specific sleep stage may
amplify recent memories and that sleep can inspire problem-solving insights.
January 18
Easy breathing
Anti-mucus molecule may help asthma sufferers. Biologists have hit upon
a molecule that can prevent the airways of asthmatic mice from clogging
up. The finding may help human sufferers of respiratory diseases. Nature,
12 January 2004
Alzheimer's disease
cause identified?
Amyloid beta protein may trigger mental decline. Researchers may have pinpointed
the cause of Alzheimer's disease - a rogue protein called amyloid beta (Aß)
that forms plaques in the brain. Dementia-prone mice with low levels of
Aß are spared the disease, research reveals. Drugs that reduce this
protein in humans may have the same protective effect. Nature, 8 January
2004
Chicken
Soups Really Works. MONDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDayNews)
A cure for the common cold may still be out of reach, but temporary relief
could be right in your kitchen cupboard. Chicken soup apparently does more
than work wonders on the soul. Some doctors and researchers -- not to mention
grandma -- say chicken soup actually helps reduce the inflammation and mucus
production so characteristic of a cold.
Predicting miscarriage
A key protein could help tell when a pregnancy will fail, weeks in advance.
About half of all fertilized eggs are aborted, often before the woman knows
she is pregnant. Among known pregnancies, roughly 10-15% of pregnancies
are spontaneously lost. Yet doctors often can't foretell which ones will
fail. One of the few known hints is a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin
(hCG), whose levels fall around the time of a miscarriage. Nature, 9 January
2004
Pig-human
chimeras contain cell surprise
The animals develop totally fused cells, with potentially serious implications
for xenotransplantation and even the origin of HIV.
January 11
Stem-cell 'secret
of youth' found
A humble marine snail has helped scientists to unravel the signals that
keep stem cells young.
Prion proteins
may store memories
Study hints at vital job for two-faced proteins.
'Drugs
don't work' admission triggers news response
A newspaper report in which Allen Roses, Senior VP, Genetics Research at
GlaxoSmithKline, admitted that most prescription drugs do not work for most
people, triggered an incredible response worldwide.
Drug Discovery News Review of 2003.
Herbal
medicine boom threatens plants
Natural remedies have become so popular that many wild plants are now being
harvested to the point of extinction, say botanists.
Systematic
genome-wide screens of gene function
High-throughput genome-wide screens offer many advantages over traditional
approaches, not least of which is speed. Such systematic functional screens
have been successfully carried out in yeast, but are becoming feasible in
higher organisms, including human cells. Anne E. Carpenter & David M.
Sabatini
January 4
Researchers make
breakthrough with adult stem cells
The battle over stem-cell research is fraught with spin and counterspin,
and it's not just limited to embryonic stem cell issues. As others have
noted, research into adult stem-cells has been ignored or grossly misrepresented
as partisans attempt to convince the public that scientists must create
and destroy human life for research purposes. Predictably, major news that
researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have made a breakthrough in
turning adult cells into "precursor cells" has gone almost completely
unmentioned by the mainstream media (it may have as much to do with its
Christmas announcement as with media bias). But the discovery may make the
debate over embryonic stem cell research wholly obsolete.
Placebo
Effect: Harnessing Your Mind's Power To Heal.
It’s true that some people who participate in research studies and
take inactive medications called placebos do see health improvements. People
taking placebos have experienced reduced pain, healed ulcers, eased nausea
and even warts disappeared. Stimulus response: People may have a trained
positive response to taking a pill or receiving treatment, whether it’s
real or not. Beliefs or expectations, including the meaning you attach to
a treatment: A person with positive expectations of the treatment may experience
the placebo effect more than someone with lower expectations. Relationship
with your doctor: A person whose doctor is supportive and positive may experience
more benefit from a placebo -- or the standard treatment -- than someone
who doesn’t have that relationship.