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Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
International study points to inflammation as a cause of plaque buildup in heart vessels Fifteen new genetic regions associated with coronary artery disease have been identified by a large, international consortium of scientists -- including researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine -- taking a significant step forward in understanding the root causes of this deadly disease. Contact: Tracie White Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Stanford researchers discover master regulator of skin development The surface of your skin, called the epidermis, is a complex mixture of many different cell types -- each with a very specific job. The production, or differentiation, of such a sophisticated tissue requires an immense amount of coordination at the cellular level, and glitches in the process can have disastrous consequences. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a master regulator of this differentiation process. Contact: Krista Conger Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Glowing fish shed light on metabolism A tiny, translucent zebrafish that glows green when its liver makes glucose has helped an international team of researchers identify a compound that regulates whole-body metabolism and appears to protect obese mice from signs of metabolic disorders. Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
A better way to make chemicals? For the first time, scientists have studied a mechanochemical milling reaction in real time, using highly penetrating X-rays to observe the surprisingly rapid transformations as the mill mixed, ground, and transformed simple ingredients into a complex product. This research, reported in Nature Chemistry, promises to advance scientists' understanding of processes central to the pharmaceutical, metallurgical, cement and mineral industries – and could open new opportunities in "green chemistry" and environmentally friendly chemical synthesis. Contact: Chris Chipello Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Surprising results from study of non-epileptic seizures A Loyola University Medical Center neurologist is reporting surprising results of a study of patients who experience both epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. Contact: Jim Ritter Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Cell surface transporters exploited for cancer drug delivery According to Whitehead Institute researchers, a protein known as monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), which is highly expressed in a subset of metabolically altered cancer cells, is needed for the entry of the investigational cancer drug 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) into malignant cells. This work may open a new avenue for cancer therapeutic research, as other transport molecules have already been identified on the surface of certain cancer cells. Contact: Nicole Rura Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Childhood trauma leaves mark on DNA of some victims Gene-environment interaction causes lifelong dysregulation of stress hormones. Contact: Barbara Meyer Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Origin of intelligence and mental illness linked to ancient genetic accident Scientists have discovered for the first time how humans -- and other mammals -- have evolved to have intelligence. Researchers have identified the moment in history when the genes that enabled us to think and reason evolved. Contact: Tara Womersley Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Scientists find 'bully' genes in common childhood tumor In a genome sequencing study of 74 neuroblastoma tumors in children, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that patients with changes in two genes, ARID1A and ARID1B, survive only a quarter as long as patients without the changes. The discovery could eventually lead to early identification of patients with aggressive neuroblastomas who may need additional treatments. Contact: Vanessa Wasta Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Scientists at Scripps Research Institute discover how 2 proteins help keep cells healthy Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined how two proteins help create organelles, or specialized subunits within a cell, that play a vital role in maintaining cell health. This discovery opens the door for research on substances that could interfere with the formation of these organelles and lead to new therapies for cancer. Contact: Mika Ono Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Genes linked to low birth weight, adult shortness and later diabetes risk An international team of genetics researchers has discovered four new gene regions that contribute to low birth weight. Three of those regions influence adult metabolism, and appear to affect longer-term outcomes such as adult height, risk of type 2 diabetes and adult blood pressure. The cumulative effect of the genes is equivalent to the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy. Contact: John Ascenzi Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
New gene-sequencing tools offer clues to highest-risk form of a childhood cancer Using powerful gene-analysis tools, researchers have discovered mutations in two related genes, ARID1A and ARID1B, that are involved in the most aggressive form of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma. While these findings do not immediately improve clinical treatments, they identify a novel pathway that is defective in these cancers, a pathway that scientists can now study to develop potential new therapies. Contact: Rachel Salis-Silverman Public Release: 2-Dec-2012
Insights into the genetic causes of coronary artery disease and heart attacks By identifying a further 15 genetic regions and 104 independent genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease, one of the most common causes of death in the worldwith, researchers have identified some of the most prominent biological pathways that underlie the disease. These pathways that control CAD could be targets for the development of new drug treatments in the future. Contact: Aileen Sheehy Public Release: 1-Dec-2012
X-ray analysis deciphers master regulator important for skin cancer With the X-ray vision of DESY's light source DORIS, a research team from Hamburg and Iceland has uncovered the molecular structure of a master regulator central to the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. The results, published in the scientific journal "Genes & Development", throw new light on the workings of the so-called Microphthalmia-associated Transcription Factor MITF, that is not only connected to skin cancer, but also to a variety of hereditary diseases. Contact: Thomas Zoufal Public Release: 1-Dec-2012
Researchers identify a mechanism for the transformation of colon polyps The causes underlying the development of certain types of common cancers have not yet been elucidated. In order to better determine the origin and the sequence of events responsible for the onset of colon cancer, the teams led by Thanos Halazonetis and Stylianos Antonarakis, professors at the UNIGE, Switzerland, have sequenced the DNA of biopsied tissue from colon polyps. The results show that these precancerous lesions have a specific profile. Contact: Thanos Halazonetis Public Release: 1-Dec-2012
Extended sleep reduces pain sensitivity A new study suggests that extending nightly sleep in mildly sleepy, healthy adults increases daytime alertness and reduces pain sensitivity. Contact: Lynn Celmer Public Release: 1-Dec-2012
Lung cancer patients with pockets of resistance prolong disease control by 'weeding the garden' This study of 65 patients showed that continuing either crizotinib or erlotinib after the treatment of resistant pockets with focused radiation ("weeding the garden") was associated with more than half a year of additional cancer control. Contact: Garth Sundem Public Release: 1-Dec-2012
Steroid injection linked with significant bone loss in postmenopausal women treated for back pain Postmenopausal women suffered significant bone density loss in their hip after they were treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study Bone density loss after six months was six times greater when compared to the typical bone density loss seen in a year in a postmenopausal woman who doesn't receive steroid injection, researchers say. Contact: David Olejarz Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
Emerging vector-borne diseases create new public health challenge Human activities are advancing the spread of vector-borne, zoonotic diseases such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease and dengue fever, report scientists publishing a series of papers today in the journal the Lancet. Contact: Cheryl Dybas Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
Vitamin D tied to women's cognitive performance Two new studies appearing in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences show that vitamin D may be a vital component for the cognitive health of women as they age. Contact: Todd Kluss Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
Emerging vector-borne diseases create new public health challenges West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of "vector-borne zoonotic diseases," caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks. Land-use change, globalization of trade and travel, and social upheaval are driving the emergence of such diseases in many regions. Contact: Tim Stephens Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
When eating for 2 becomes a weighty issue Two-thirds of Australian mums-to-be are in the dark when it comes to how much weight they should gain during pregnancy. Contact: Alita Pashley Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
Electrically spun fabric offers dual defense against pregnancy, HIV Electrically spun cloth with nanometer-sized fibers show promise as a cheap, versatile platform to simultaneously offer contraception and prevent HIV. New funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will further test the system's versatility and feasibility. Contact: Hannah Hickey Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
More neurologists and neurosurgeons are associated with fewer deaths from strokes in the US Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, have found an association in the United States between a higher density of neurologists and neurosurgeons and a decreased risk of death from stroke. The authors conclude that the availability of local neurologists and neurosurgeons may be important for the overall likelihood of surviving a stroke, and thus specialist education and practice throughout the US should be promoted. Contact: Jo Ann M. Eliason Public Release: 30-Nov-2012
Obese children more vulnerable to food advertising Rates of childhood obesity have tripled in the past 30 years; food marketing has been implicated as one contributing factor. Every year, companies spend over $10 billion in the US marketing food and beverages to children; 98 percent of the food products advertised to children on television are high in fat, sugar, or sodium. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers used neuroimaging to study the effects of food logos on obese and healthy weight children. Contact: Becky Lindeman |