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Week 36
"Rheumatism video"
discloses centre of inflammation at an early stage
The method developed by PTB could in rheumatism diagnostics become an alternative to
expensive nuclear spin images. It can strike anyone: Rheumatism occurs just as often as
diabetes, arteriosclerosis and cancer combined - approx. 1 % of the population is stricken
with the disease, which in exact medical terminology is called "rheumatoid
arthritis". Mostly it begins with initial inflammation in the finger joints. If it is
discovered in time and a treatment is begun, the chances are good that the dreaded joint
damage can be averted. Now the scientists of the PTB, Berlin Institute, in a cooperation
project with several partners have developed such an early detection method. Their optical
imaging method for rheumatism works with a fluorescent dye which is stimulated by
near-infrared light and is absolutely harmless. With this method, centres of rheumatism
can be detected at an earlier stage than is possible with an X-ray apparatus and is less
expensive than a magnetic resonance tomograph. Following the promising results of a
clinical preliminary study still ongoing, the Berlin medical technology company
"mivenion" acquired licensing rights from PTB in order to prepare a larger
study. Also the statutory health insurance companies have already shown interest in the
imaging method which should make rheumatism diagnostics and treatment distinctly more cost
effective – particularly as a new, specific rheumatism contrast medium could in
future improve it still another step. Hope for people ill with rheumatism – and an
example for the successful technology transfer of the research results of PTB.
Study Shows Carvedilol is Effective
in Preventing Variceal Bleeding in Cirrhotic Patients
Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for developing portal hypertension that can lead to
the formation, dilation, and rupture of esophageal varices. The annual incidence of
esophageal varices is approximately 5% and one third of those will bleed. In a recent
study, researchers from the University of Edinburgh determined carvedilol was more
effective in the prevention of variceal hemorrhaging than variceal band ligation (VBL), a
common treatment used for the past 20 years. The results of the first clinical trial to
test carvedilol for prevention of variceal hemorrhage are available in Hepatology, a
journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study
of Liver Diseases. Dhiraj Tripathi and colleagues at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
enlisted 152 cirrhotic patients with grade II or larger esophageal varices that had not
bled in this study. Researchers treated 77 patients with carvedilol, a non-cardioselective
beta-blocker (NSBB) marketed under the trade name Eucardic (Roche), while 75 patients
underwent VBL every two weeks until eradication. Patients were administered carvedilol
orally at a starting dose of 6.25 mg per day, increasing to a target dose of 12.5 mg per
day.
Parkinson’s disease - iron
accumulation to the point of demise
Investigation of the human brain discloses a distinct dark discoloration of the substantia
nigra and locus coeruleus within parts of the brainstem. This is due to the bluish to
brown-black pigment neuromelanin, which is only present in the human brain and that of a
few other mammals (primates, cows, horses, some breeds of sheep). Research into
neuromelanin is particularly interesting because the substantia nigra of patients with PD
fades in colour during the course of the disease. The pigment is most common in
dopaminergic neurons, which mostly die-off in PD patients. Dopamine is an important
neurotransmitter. Motor control is impaired if dopaminergic cells decay. This in turn
results in the symptoms typical of Parkinson’s disease such as resting tremor,
increasing postural instability and poor coordination of general movements.After the
researchers from Bochum and Würzburg had been able to clarify the composition and
production of the neuromelanin granules four years ago, they began investigating the inner
life of neuromelanin granules in greater detail. The significance of the currently
obtained data is that the selective necrosis of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia
nigra is accompanied by an accumulation of ferrous ions (Fe3+). The homeostasis of the
iron content is evidently damaged and this intensifies as the disease progresses. Elevated
quantities of free Fe3+ result - inter alia - in an increased formation of cell-damaging
free radicals which ultimately leads to necrosis of the cells. Neuromelanin is capable of
bonding ferrous ions (and other heavy metals). For many decades, it had been uncertain
whether the cells are protected by the pigment “intercepting” ferrous ions, or
whether the accumulation of the iron was actually responsible for damaging the cells. Data
gained during the past few years indicates that neuromelanin primarily plays a protective
role for the neurons.
Detecting bias in the reporting of
clinical trials
A study by researchers at the University of Leicester has revealed new ways to spot
whether medical research has hidden biases. Writing in the prestigious British Medical
Journal, Santiago Moreno and his colleagues demonstrate how to spot ‘publication
bias’ in the reporting of clinical trials which potentially form the basis of
Government and NHS health policies. They also show what mathematical adjustments can be
made to remove such unintended distortion of data. Health policies are founded on
‘clinical trials’: experiments done in a laboratory or with groups of patients,
which produce statistical results (because no two individuals are alike). Experimental
results are published in medical journals after being thoroughly checked to ensure that
all the methods used were fair and accurate – but ‘publication bias’ can
affect what gets published. For example, trials with negative results – showing that
a treatment doesn’t work – may be less likely to be published than those showing
that it does. And this can create a distorted view of the treatment’s effectiveness
when policy-makers have to decide on whether it is worthwhile. The University of Leicester
researchers- examined two new methods of statistical analysis, using data on
anti-depressant use available from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The FDA’s data is considered ‘gold standard’ – free from bias
– so it can be used to check whether statistics collected from journals, when
adjusted, provide a true picture.
Fine-tuning an anti-cancer drug -
Learning from evolution
Cancer remains a deadly threat despite the best efforts of science. New hopes were raised
a few years ago with the discovery that the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells could be
thwarted by blocking the action of proteasomes. Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet
Muenchen (TUM) have illuminated a reaction pathway that does just that, in collaboration
with researchers from Nereus Pharmaceuticals, based in San Diego, California. In the
current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, they report insights that could
potentially lead to the development of custom-tailored anti-cancer drugs. What makes
cancer cells so dangerous is that they proliferate much more rapidly than other cells. An
important contribution to this capability is made by a particular group of proteins, the
so-called kinases. And it's against the kinases that many cancer drugs in development
today take aim. Another promising approach came to light a few years ago with the
discovery that the proliferation of cancer cells could also be arrested through proteasome
inhibition. Yet the first drug to employ this strategy caused a number of severe
side-effects. Despite that, the drug is expected to generate revenues of more than a
billion U.S. dollars this year.
An antioxidant enzyme that protects
spermatozoa
GPx5, an antioxidant protein that protects immature spermatozoa once they have left the
testicle, has been identified by the GReD Unit (1) (CNRS / INSERM / Universités de
Clermont-Ferrand). This discovery by Joël Drevet and his team establishes a link between
post-testicular oxidative stress and degradation of the DNA in male gametes. These
findings, which presage a major clinical impact – particularly in the context of
medically-assisted procreation (MAP) – have been published in the Journal of Clinical
Investigation (JCI). Spermatozoa form in the testicles and then leave to mature in the
epididymis, where they acquire their fertilizing capacities. During these maturation
stages, vulnerable spermatozoa are subjected to oxidative stress that can damage membrane
lipids or even DNA. To prevent this oxidative damage during their maturation and storage
between two ejaculations, the gametes are partially protected by GPx5 (2), an antioxidant
enzyme secreted by the epididymal epithelium.
Research shows why low vitamin D
raises heart disease risks in diabetics
Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in
patients with diabetes, and researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis now think they know why. They have found that diabetics deficient in vitamin D can't
process cholesterol normally, so it builds up in their blood vessels, increasing the risk
of heart attack and stroke. The new research has identified a mechanism linking low
vitamin D levels to heart disease risk and may lead to ways to fix the problem, simply by
increasing levels of vitamin D. "Vitamin D inhibits the uptake of cholesterol by
cells called macrophages," says principal investigator Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D.,
a Washington University endocrinologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "When people are
deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells eat more cholesterol, and they can't get rid
of it. The macrophages get clogged with cholesterol and become what scientists call foam
cells, which are one of the earliest markers of atherosclerosis."
Daylight could help control our
weight
Exciting research into Brown adipose tissue (BAT) — brown fat, which is found in
abundance in hibernating animals and newborn babies — could lead to new ways of
preventing obesity. Studies have already shown that BAT activity in adults is reduced with
obesity. Therefore, promoting BAT function could prevent or reduce obesity in some people.
New research, led by Michael Symonds, Professor of Developmental Physiology in the School
of Clincal Sciences at The University of Nottingham, has shown — for the first time
— that daylight is a major factor in controlling BAT activity.Professor Symonds said:
“Our research has suggested a previously unknown mechanism for controlling BAT
function in humans and this could potentially lead to new treatments for the prevention or
reversal of obesity.” Winter was traditionally a time of the year that was
accompanied with increased thermal demands and thus energy expenditure, but the
body’s requirements for BAT has been reduced in recent times by central heating plus
global warming. BAT is capable of producing up to 300 times more heat per unit mass
compared with all other tissues.
Study Demonstrates How We Support
Our False Beliefs
In a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Sociological Inquiry,
sociologists from four major research institutions focus on one of the most curious
aspects of the 2004 presidential election: the strength and resilience of the belief among
many Americans that Saddam Hussein was linked to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Although
this belief influenced the 2004 election, they claim it did not result from pro-Bush
propaganda, but from an urgent need by many Americans to seek justification for a war
already in progress.
Mouse brain rewires its neural
circuits to recuperate from damaged neural function after stroke
Japanese research group led by Professor Junichi Nabekura in National Institute for
Physiological Sciences, NIPS, Japan, found that, after cerebral stroke in one side of the
mouse brain, another side of the brain rewires its neural circuits to recuperate from
damaged neural function. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) supported this
study. They report their finding in Journal of Neuroscience, on August 12, 2009.
Mount Sinai first with new
technique to prevent a major cause for heart-related stroke
Physicians at The Mount Sinai Medical Center were the first in the country to perform a
non-surgical procedure using sutures to tie off a left atrial appendage (LAA), which is
the source of blood clots leading to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
AFib is the most common sustained heart-rhythm disorder in the United States. The
procedure was performed Wednesday by Vivek Y. Reddy, MD, Professor of Medicine and
Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at Mount Sinai Heart, and his colleague,
Srinivas R. Dukkipati, MD, Director of Mount Sinai's Experimental Electrophysiology
Laboratory. With the patient under general anesthesia, the physicians guided two catheters
into the patient's heart to seal the LAA with a pre-tied suture loop. The technique is a
safe alternative to drug therapies such as the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin) that can
have serious side effects, as well as open-heart surgery, and more invasive implant
surgery. "People who take Coumadin because of atrial fibrillation include active and
otherwise healthy people, as well as elderly people for whom the drug may be
contraindicated," said Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and
Chair of the American/European Guidelines of Atrial Fibrillation. Drs. Reddy and Dukkipati
joined Mount Sinai this month to focus on building the institution's services for
heart-rhythm disorders. They had been performing pre-clinical testing of the non-surgical
LAA device, and this procedure represents its first application in people in the United
States. "We are very proud of the recruitment of Dr. Reddy and his exceptionally
talented team," said Wayne Keathley, President and Chief Operating Officer of The
Mount Sinai Hospital. "Their pioneering work has the potential to redirect the field
of cardiac rhythm disorders."
Gene discovery reveals a critical
protein's function in hearing
Discovery of a deafness-causing gene defect in mice has helped identify a new protein that
protects sensory cells in the ear, according to a study led by University of Iowa
researchers. The findings, which also involved Kansas State University, appear in the Aug.
21 issue of the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. In humans, hereditary deafness is one
of the most common birth defects, yet most genes involved in hearing are unidentified.
Mice are used as research models because mouse and human auditory genetics are very
similar. Using a deaf mouse model generated at The Jackson Laboratory, the team identified
the deafness-causing defect in the claudin-9 gene. The mutated gene fails to produce
normal claudin-9 protein, which, the University of Iowa team showed, is needed to maintain
the proper distribution of potassium in the inner ear. "Genes in the claudin family
number at least 24 and produce proteins that prevent ions, including potassium, from
moving between cells," said the paper's senior author Botond Banfi, M.D., Ph.D.,
assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology in the University of Iowa Carver College
of Medicine. "Sensory cells in the hearing organ are bathed in a high potassium
solution on one side and in a low potassium solution on the other side. We found that
claudin-9 is very important in keeping the amount of potassium on the two sides separate.
This separation protects sensory cells from potassium intoxication." When claudin-9
is mutated, potassium floods the wrong part of the sensory cells, killing most and leaving
the remaining ones functionally defective.
Getting Antibiotics Out of Ethanol
Dr. John Cannell on vitamin D -
Skip the flu shot, just get vitamin D
Geert
911 - A Danish scientist Niels
Harrit, on nano-thermite in the WTC dust
Niels Harrit and 8 other scientists found
nano-thermite in the dust from the World Trade Center.
He is interviewed on danish TV2 News.
People can see a full transcript, news,
forum and the video in high quality here: Link
Another site in danish is encouraging
people to stand forward demanding a new investigation here: Link
The full report from the scientists can be
found here: Link
The Beautiful Planet Earth 2
The Day I Died
One of the best documentaries made
about Near Death Experiences, by the BBC. Featuring many top scientists that have studied
NDEs and other related incidents. The BBC has refused to replay this documentary, and has
stopped it from being sold as a dvd. They dont want to get accused of supporting 'fringe'
theories.
90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story
of Death & Life
After colliding with a semi-truck, Don
Piper died and went to heaven. Ninety minutes later he returned to life on earth. After
years of silence, he is now sharing his life-changing story.
Earth (2009)-Trailer HD-Nature
Documentary
Crude (2009) Trailer HD 480p
Three years in the making, this riveting
new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brothers Keeper, Paradise Lost,
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) tells the epic story of one of the largest and most
controversial legal cases on the planet. An inside look at the infamous $27 billion Amazon
Chernobyl case, Crude is a real-life, high stakes legal drama involving global politics,
the environmental movement, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, multinational
corporate power, and the fate of disappearing indigenous cultures.
Researchers find that employees who
are engaged in their work have happier home life
A Kansas State University study shows that invigorated and dedicated employees carry over
their positive work experiences for a happier home life. K-State psychology researchers
studied how positive work experiences extend into family life and facilitate family
interactions. They found that employees who are engaged in their work, which includes
higher levels of vigor, more dedication and absorption in daily activities, have better
moods and more satisfaction at home. The K-State research group included Clive Fullagar,
professor of psychology; Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of psychology; and Maura
Mills, graduate student in psychology, Manhattan. They presented the research in April at
the annual conference for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in New
Orleans. The study was partially funded by K-State's Center for Engagement and Community
Development. "Our research indicated that individuals who were engaged in positive
experiences at work and who shared those experiences with significant others perceived
themselves as better able to deal with issues at home, became better companions and became
more effective overall in the home environment," Culbertson said. The researchers
tracked 67 extension agents for two-weeks to determine the relationship between daily work
engagement and work-to-family facilitation. The participants responded to two daily
surveys, one at the end of their workday and the other immediately before going to bed for
the night. They also completed a separate survey prior to the start of the two-week period
and another after the daily data collection had ended. Culbertson said stress at work and
stress at home interact in ways that affect outcomes in both domains. The study results
suggested that engagement is significantly related to daily mood, and mood also is
positively correlated with work-family facilitation. The researchers found that both work
engagement and work-to-family facilitation vary considerably from day-to-day.
Why “thick” blood
protects from a heart attack
“Thick” blood can cause heart attack and stroke, but also prevent them.
Scientists at Heidelberg University Hospital have explained the mechanism of this clinical
paradox for the first time on an animal model. Mice with a greater tendency to form blood
clots have larger plaques in their vessels, but they are more stable. Thus, there is less
risk that these plaques will rupture and obstruct circulation. The results of the study
have been published in the prestigious journal Circulation. In principle, the more blood
coagulates, the greater is the risk of vascular obstruction. Anticoagulants protect
against these complications. But clinical studies have thus far not proven that an
increased clotting tendency also has a detrimental effect for plaque development. Dr.
Berend Isermann, consultant at Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Internal
Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry (Medical Director: Professor Dr. Peter Nawroth), and his
team have now found an explanation for this.
When cells run out of fuel
Parkinson's disease is caused by the degeneration of neurons in the midbrain. The
mechanisms leading to the loss of these neurons, however, are largely unknown. Recent
research revealed that about ten per cent of cases are caused by defects in so-called
Parkinson-associated genes. Furthermore, mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses, seem to
play a major role. New results from researchers at the LMU Munich under the lead of
associate professor Dr. Konstanze Winklhofer and Professor Christian Haass connect both
phenomena, showing that two Parkinson genes maintain the function of mitochondria.
"Diseases like Parkinson's where at least some cases are unambiguously related to the
dysfunction of specific genes offer a promising research opportunity," explains
biochemist Dr. Konstanze Winklhofer "When we understand the function of these genes,
we can learn a lot about the causes of the disease, its progress and possible new
therapies." Professor Wolfgang Wurst and his group of the Institute for Developmental
Genetics at the Helmholtz Center Munich also contributed to this work. (Journal of
Biological Chemistry, 21 August, 2009)Four million individuals are estimated to suffer
from Parkinson's disease worldwide. This neurodegenerative disorder is characterized by
rigid muscles, uncontrollable tremor and slowing – or even loss of – voluntary
movements. It is caused by the death of nerve cells in a midbrain area called substantia
nigra. These neurons secrete dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in the control of
movements. Thus, a loss of dopamine-producing neurons causes a dysbalance in the
regulation of movements. "Functionally impaired mitochondria have been recognized to
trigger Parkinson's disease already in the early eighties," Dr. Konstanze Winklhofer
says, an associate professor at the Adolf-Butenandt Institute of the
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich. At this time it was discovered by
accident that mitochondrial toxins can induce Parkinson's disease. The relevance of
mitochondria to the loss of neurons seems plausible – after all, mitochondria supply
the cells with energy in form of adenosine triphosphate and play a substantial role in the
regulation of cell death.
Smoking may worsen malnutrition in
developing nations
A new study finds that smokers in rural Indonesia finance their habit by dipping into the
family food budget—which ultimately results in poorer nutrition for their children.
The findings suggest that the costs of smoking in the developing world go well beyond the
immediate health risks, according to authors Steven Block and Patrick Webb of Tufts
University. The study is published in the October issue of Economic Development and
Cultural Change. Using surveys of 33,000 mostly poor households in Java, Indonesia, the
researchers found that the average family with at least one smoker spends 10 percent of
its already tight budget on tobacco. Sixty-eight percent of a smoking family's budget goes
to food, and 22 percent for non-food, non-tobacco purchases. The average non-smoking
family, on the other hand, spends 75 percent of its income on food and 25 percent for
non-food items. "This suggests that 70 percent of the expenditures on tobacco
products are financed by a reduction in food expenditures," the researchers write.
That decreased spending on food appears to have real nutritional consequences for children
of smokers. The study found that smokers' children tend to be slightly shorter for their
ages than the children of non-smokers. Height is often used by health researchers as a
general barometer for nutrition in children. The decrease in child nutrition associated
with a parent who smokes is "an intuitive but rarely documented empirical
finding," the researchers write.
Cancer patients who are separated
when diagnosed have worse survival rates
Among unmarried cancer patients, those who are separated at the time of diagnosis do not
live as long as widowed, divorced, and never married patients. That is the conclusion of a
new study to be published in the November 1, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal
of the American Cancer Society. The authors of the study say its results suggest that the
stress associated with marital separation may compromise an individual's immune system and
lead to a greater susceptibility to cancer. Research has shown that personal relationships
have a significant role in physical health—specifically that good relationships are
beneficial and poor relationships are deleterious. Also, many studies of cancer prognosis
have found that patients who are married live longer than those who are single. However,
little information is available regarding differences in survival among the various types
of people who are unmarried. To look for trends in cancer survival among patients who are
separated, divorced, widowed, and never married, researchers led by Gwen Sprehn, Ph.D., of
the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis analyzed data from the
Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, a population-based cancer
registry in the United States. The researchers assessed the 5 and 10 year survival rates
of 3.79 million patients diagnosed with cancer between 1973 and 2004. They found that
married patients had the highest 5 and 10 year survival rates, at 63.3 percent and 57.5
percent respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, separation carried the poorest
survival outcome. Specifically, the 5 and 10 year survival rates for separated patients
were 45.4 percent and 36.8 percent respectively. The 5 and 10 year survival rates of
widowed patients were the next lowest, at 47.2 percent and 40.9 percent respectively; for
divorced patients, the respective survival rates were 52.4 percent and 45.6 percent; and
for never married patients, they were 57.3 percent and 51.7 percent. The authors
hypothesized that the stress of separation may compromise the immune system and thus
create a greater vulnerability to cancer. While additional research is needed, the
researchers say certain interventions might help patients today. For example,
psychological interventions to reduce stress may impact the immune system and improve
survival.
'Glow-in-the-dark' red blood cells
made from human stem cells
Victorian stem cell scientists from Monash University have modified a human embryonic stem
cell (hESC) line to glow red when the stem cells become red blood cells. The modified hESC
line, ErythRED, represents a major step forward to the eventual aim of generating mature,
fully functional red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells. The research, conducted
by a team led by Professors Andrew Elefanty and Ed Stanley at the Monash Immunology and
Stem Cell Laboratories that included scientists at the Murdoch Children's Research
Institute, was published in today's issue of the prestigious journal, Nature Methods. The
work, funded by the Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC), will help scientists to track the
differentiation of embryonic stem cells into red blood cells. Whilst hESCs have the
potential to turn into any cell type in the body, it remains a scientific challenge to
reliably turn these stem cells into specific cell types such as red blood cells. The
development of the ErythRED embryonic stem cell line, which fluoresces red when
haemoglobin genes are switched on, is an important development that will help researchers
to optimise the conditions that generate these cells. Professor Joe Sambrook, Scientific
Director of the ASCC said that "The elegant work of the Elefanty-Stanley group
unlocks the entrance to the long sought and elusive differentiation pathway that leads to
expression of adult haemoglobin genes" "Not only will the ErythRED cell line
lead to more efficient creation of red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells, but
these cells are a crucial tool for monitoring the behaviour of the cells when transplanted
into animal models" said Professor Andrew Elefanty.
Some skin cancer may be mediated by
primary cilia activity
Tiny, solitary spikes that stick out of nearly every cell in the body play a central role
in a type of skin cancer, new research has found. The discovery in mice shows that the
microscopic structures known as primary cilia can either suppress or promote this skin
cancer, depending on the mutation triggering the disease. The finding suggests that drugs
that boost or block primary cilia activity could offer a new strategy against cancer.
Unlike the more familiar motile cilia, primary cilia do not move, and only one pokes out
of each cell. They have recently been discovered to play an essential role in assuring
normal embryological development. The new study focused on basal cell carcinoma, the most
common cancer in the United States. It is published in the August 23, 2009 advanced online
issue of "Nature Medicine." A companion article in the same issue reports a
similar discovery regarding a type of brain tumor in children known as medulloblastoma.
(See related UCSF news release on this finding.) The two studies were led by scientists at
the University of California, San Francisco, and they are the first demonstrations that
primary cilia are required for some kinds of cancer. They are also the first reports that
these cilia can protrude from cancer cells, as they do from most normal cells. If the
basal cell carcinoma finding is confirmed in people, the discovery raises the possibility
of new cancer treatment strategies, said Jeremy Reiter, MD, PhD, senior author of that
paper. Reiter is assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics, an investigator at
the Cardiovascular Research Institute, the Diabetes Center and the Eli and Edythe Broad
Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF. In July, President Obama
named him as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and
Engineers for his research on the links between cilia and cancer. Although they are
relegated to the outskirts of the cell, primary cilia help determine which genes are
turned on in the nucleus. Two cilia proteins, called Smoothened and Gli, are pivotal in
this process. When mutated, they can trigger basal cell carcinoma and other cancers.
Clinical trials are already underway to treat cancer with drugs that block the activity of
one of these rogue proteins.
Some brain tumors may be mediated
by tiny filament on cells
UCSF scientists have discovered that a tiny filament extending from cells, until recently
regarded as a remnant of evolution, may play a role in the most common malignant brain
tumor in children. The study, conducted in mice and in human brain tissue of
medulloblastomas, coincides with a study by another team of UCSF scientists showing that
the structure, known as primary cilium, also may play a role in basal cell carcinoma, the
most common form of skin cancer. (See related UCSF news release.) The findings, both
reported online on August 23, 2009 in "Nature Medicine," are the first direct
evidence of a role of primary cilia in cancer, which the researchers say could lead to a
new strategy for diagnosing subtypes of cancers and to potential targets for therapy.
"These findings are very exciting," says the senior of the medulloblastoma
study, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD, UCSF Heather and Melanie Muss Professor of Neurological
Surgery and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem
Cell Research at UCSF. "In the last few years, primary cilia have been shown to be
essential for the cell-signaling that drives both human development, including the
differentiation of stem cells into neurons, and some diseases, including polycystic kidney
disease. The fact that the two UCSF studies implicate primary cilia in two totally
different tissues suggests the finding is likely to be very general." Significantly,
in both UCSF studies, the findings in mice revealed that primary cilia had opposing roles
in cancers depending on which mutated genes initiated the aberrant cell-signaling events
to begin with. When one particular mutated protein was activated, removal of the cilium
prevented the onset of disease; when another particular gene was activated, absence of the
cilium allowed cancers to develop. Remarkably, an analysis of human tissue in the
medulloblastoma study revealed that primary cilia were present in a subset of human
tumors, but absent in others. The presence and absence correlated with the cell-signaling
pathways that were activated in the tumors. This suggests, the researchers say, that, as
in mice, some tumors in humans need to remove the primary cilia to grow, while other
require its presence to grow.
On a trip to Rwanda, explore had the
opportunity to visit four families of wild mountain gorillas, a species with only 720
remaining members. Their guide is Craig Sholley, who has been intimately involved in the
preservation of African wildlife for more than 30 years. The team's thrilling interaction
with these peaceful creatures - who share 98.6% of their genetic makeup with humans - is a
startling reminder of their own humanity. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Dog Bless You From
In the United States alone, as many as ten
million animals enter shelters each year and millions must be euthanized due to lack of
space. explore visits the Animal Shelter of Wood River Valley -- the first no kill shelter
in Idaho -- and finds out how the shelter staff rescues, protects, and finds homes for
abandoned dogs and cats. Distributed by TubeMogul.
Guardians of the Sea: Wild Dolphins
Guided by the principle of "in their
world, on their terms," Denise Herzing and her team of researchers track and observe
a pod of wild Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas. Using non-invasive techniques to
build trust, they can see how the dolphins behave in the most natural setting: their own
home. Charles Annenberg Weingarten and the Explore team get a firsthand look into the
underwater world of these highly social and intelligent creatures.
Explore Water
The explore Team travels to India, China,
Costa Rica, and the Arctic to see the impact of humanity on the planet's most important
resource: water. explore™ (http://explore.org) is a multimedia organization
that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary
causes. Both educational and inspirational, explore creates a portal into the soul of
humanity by championing the selfless acts of others.
Charcoal-making threatens
Mozambique forests
2012 New Trailer in HD 1080p
New Exclusive Trailer for the apocalytic
movie 2012 with John Cusak and Thandie Newton.
UFO files: Finally the truth about
Rendlesham Forest?
The 'British Roswell' is back in the
spotlight as newly-released documents reveal details about the Rendlesham Forest Incident.
..
Microbiologists find defense
molecule that senses respiratory viruses
A cellular molecule that not only can sense two common respiratory viruses but also can
direct cells to mount a defense has been identified by microbiologists at The University
of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The finding, published online Sunday, Aug.
23, by the journal Nature Immunology, could lead to new therapies for human respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza A (commonly known as flu), both of which are serious
threats to people with weak immune systems, particularly infants up to age 1 and senior
citizens age 65 and older. "This molecule could be used to boost host immune defenses
and stimulate vaccine efficacy against RSV and influenza A, especially among high-risk
individuals," said senior author Santanu Bose, Ph.D., assistant professor of
microbiology and immunology. Dr. Bose's laboratory team includes graduate student Ahmed
Sabbath and research scientists Te-Hung Chang and Rosalinda Harnack.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Primary Suicide Risk Factor for Veterans
Researchers working with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have found that post-traumatic
stress disorder, the current most common mental disorder among veterans returning from
service in the Middle East, is associated with an increased risk for thoughts of suicide.
New study suggests the brain
predicts what eyes in motion will see
When the eyes move, objects in the line of sight suddenly jump to a different place on the
retina, but the mind perceives the scene as stable and continuous. A new study reports
that the brain predicts the consequences of eye movement even before the eyes take in a
new scene. The study, "Looking ahead: The perceived direction of gaze shifts before
the eyes move," published in the Association for Research in Vision and
Ophthalmology's peer-reviewed Journal of Vision, asked subjects to shift their eyes to a
clock with a fast-moving hand and report the time on the clock when their eyes landed on
it. The average reported time was 39 milliseconds before the actual time. As a control
task, the clock moved instead of the eyes, and the reported arrival times averaged 27
milliseconds after the actual time. "We've revealed a moment in time when things are
not perceived as they actually are," said lead researcher Amelia Hunt, PhD, of the
University of Aberdeen's School of Psychology. "These findings serve as a reminder
that every aspect of our experience is constructed by our brains."
Not only the gene itself, its
abnormal regulation can also trigger short stature
Mutations of gene regulators involved in growth disorders to an unexpected extent / Human
geneticists in Heidelberg publish in the Journal of Medical Genetics. A specific gene is
particularly frequently involved in the development of short stature. Researchers in
Heidelberg have now discovered that sequences of genetic material on the X and Y
chromosome that regulate this gene are also crucial for growth in children. These gene
regulators determine how frequently a gene is copied, thus how effective it is. In many
cases, the mutation of one regulatory sequence of the SHOX gene is sufficient to give rise
to the full-blown syndrome. Professor Gudrun Rappold, Director of the Department of Human
Molecular Genetics at Heidelberg University Hospital and her team of researchers have
published their results in the Journal of Medical Genetics. These results could open up
new possibilities for diagnosing the cause of short stature and initiating treatment
before it is too late. The so-called SHOX gene (short stature homeobox gene) is
responsible for the normal growth of bones and is often mutated in short-stature patients.
Short stature is considered when final height of an individual is no more than 160 cm
(men) or 150 cm (women). There are many causes, e.g. hormone disorders, malnutrition,
chronic disease, or a genetic disorder. If, in addition to short stature, other symptoms
such as short forearms and lower legs or other bone malformations also occur, it is
considered a syndrome. However, often no exact cause can be determined and other typical
features are lacking – this is then known as idiopathic short stature.
A potential therapeutic agent for
hepatic fibrosis
Accumulating evidence suggests that connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) plays a central
role in fibrotic conditions in many organ systems. Fibrosis is a scarring condition that
is characterized by excessive collagen production that impedes normal cell function and
can cause organ dysfunction and failure. A hallmark of fibrosing injury in the liver is
the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) which become highly proliferative,
synthesize increased levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-? and CCN2, and produce
excessive amounts of collagen. Previous studies have not investigated the effect of CCN2
antagonism in HSCs of human origin. A research team led by Dr. David Brigstock addresses
this question. Their work will be published on August 14, 2009 in World Journal of
Gastroenterology.
LLNL research reveals how blast
waves may cause human brain injury even without direct head impacts
New research on the effects of blast waves could lead to an enhanced understanding of head
injuries and improved military helmet design.Using numerical hydrodynamic computer
simulations, Lawrence Livermore scientists Willy Moss and Michael King, along with
University of Rochester colleague Eric Blackman, have discovered that nonlethal blasts can
induce enough skull flexure to generate potentially damaging loads in the brain, even
without direct head impact.
Washing Away Painful Wounds
More than six million people in the U.S. suffer from persistent wounds — open sores
that never seem to heal or, once apparently healed, return with a vengeance. The bedridden
elderly and infirm are prone to painful and dangerous pressure ulcers, and diabetics are
susceptible to wounds caused by a lack of blood flow to the extremities. "The problem
is chronic," says Prof. Amihay Freeman of TAU's Department of Molecular Microbiology
and Biotechnology. To solve it, he's developed a unique device that uses a solution to
whisk away dead tissue, bathing the wound while keeping dangerous bacteria away.
Employees' Loyalty to Workplace
Damaged by Unfair Treatment
In organizational settings, managers as well as others in leadership roles should perhaps
think twice before ridiculing subordinate employees on their choice of lunch, attire, or
habits, or generally acting disrespectfully towards them. Recent research from the Journal
of Management Studies shows that when an employee believes that he or she has been treated
unfairly, the employee is not likely to forgive and forget.The research, headed by Michael
S. Cole, PhD at the Texas Christian University, tracks the downward spiral process which
is triggered when an employee experiences perceived injustices at the work. Such events
create a major stressor which may potentially lead to damaged psychological well being and
extreme emotional exhaustion, which directly affect a worker’s ability to cope with
workload demands and performance-related expectations.
Getting wired - how the brain does
it
In a new study, researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The
Neuro), McGill University have found an important mechanism involved in setting up the
vast communications network of connections in the brain.A signaling pathway involving
interactions between a schizophrenia-linked gene product, Calcineurin, and a transcription
factor known as Nuclear Factor in Activated T-cells (NFAT) contributes to the connectivity
at nerve cell (neuron) junctions or synapses and affects the extent of nerve cell
projections or dendritic branches, in the visual system. The results of this study,
published in the journal Neuron, may bring hope to adults suffering from brain injuries
and offer the possibility of early diagnosis, treatments and therapies for schizophrenia,
autism or other developmental disorders where abnormal neurological wiring is thought to
occur early in life. In early brain development, there is an overabundance of unspecified
connections between neurons. During development (and learning), these connections are
pruned, leaving the stronger and more specific ones. This refinement occurs in response to
a set of inputs from the environment, and is traditionally thought to be mediated through
changes at synapses - the specialized junctions through which neurons communicate with
each other.
Pitt study finds molecular link
between insulin resistance and inflammation
An exploration of the molecular links between insulin resistance and inflammation may have
revealed a novel target for diabetes treatment, say scientists at the John G. Rangos Sr.
Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Their findings were published
earlier this month in the online version of Diabetes, one of the journals of the American
Diabetes Association. Signs of low-grade systemic inflammation are not uncommon among
people who have the pre-diabetic condition known as metabolic syndrome, as well as in
animal models of obesity and type 2, or insulin-resistant, diabetes, said senior author H.
Henry Dong, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine. "But it's not yet clear if there is a cause-and-effect
relationship between chronic exposure to low-grade inflammation and the onset of insulin
resistance," he explained. "Other studies have shown that in patients who have
inflammation and diabetes, insulin-sensitizing drugs seem to reduce inflammation while
anti-inflammatory therapies improve sensitivity to insulin." Dr. Dong's team examined
the role played by a protein called Forkhead Box 01 (Fox01), which his previous research
showed contributes to elevations in triglycerides in an animal model of obesity and
diabetes.
People vary widely in ability to
eliminate arsenic from the body
Large variations exist in peoples' ability to eliminate arsenic from the body, according
to a new study that questions existing standards for evaluating the human health risks
from the potentially toxic substance. The study found that some people eliminate more than
90 percent of the arsenic consumed in the diet. Others store arsenic in their bodies,
where it can have harmful effects. The research, based on the first application of new
methods for studying arsenic, is scheduled for the Sept. 21 issue of ACS's Chemical
Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal. In the study, Kevin Francesconi and colleagues
point out that drinking water in many parts of the world, including some regions of the
United States, contain amounts of arsenic that exceed the World Health Organization's
maximum acceptable levels. Consumption of seafood, the article notes, is another major
source of arsenic contamination. Health effects from chronic arsenic exposure include skin
and internal cancers, cardiovascular disease, and possibly diabetes, it adds. The
scientists describe monitoring arsenic excretion in the urine of human volunteers. They
found that ability to eliminate arsenic from the body varied greatly, with some
participants excreting up to 95 percent of the ingested arsenic but others eliminating as
little as four percent. "This observed individual variability in handling [arsenic]
exposure has considerable implications for the risk assessment of arsenic ingestion,"
the paper states. It adds that further study is needed to assess potential risks to humans
consuming seafood products. "The data presented here suggest that the long held view
that seafood arsenic is harmless because it is present mainly as organoarsenic compounds
needs to be reassessed."
Nuisance or nutrient? Kudzu shows
promise as a dietary supplement
Kudzu, the nuisance vine that has overgrown almost 10 million acres in the southeastern
United States, may sprout into a dietary supplement. Scientists in Alabama and Iowa are
reporting the first evidence that root extracts from kudzu show promise as a dietary
supplement for a high-risk condition — the metabolic syndrome — that affects
almost 50 million people in the United States alone. Their study appears in the current
issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication. J.
Michael Wyss and colleagues note in the new study that people with metabolic syndrome have
obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and problems with their body's
ability to use insulin. Those disorders mean a high risk for heart attacks, strokes, and
other diseases. Scientists have been seeking natural substances that can treat the
metabolic syndrome. The new study evaluated kudzu root extracts, which contain healthful
substances called isoflavones. People in China and Japan long have used kudzu supplements
as a health food. The study found that a kudzu root extract had beneficial effects lab
rats used as a model for research on the metabolic syndrome. After two months of taking
the extract, the rats had lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and insulin
levels that a control group not given the extract. Kudzu root "may provide a dietary
supplement that significantly decreases the risk and severity of stroke and cardiovascular
disease in at-risk individuals," the article notes.
A better test to detect DNA for
diagnosing diease, investigating crimes
Researchers in Singapore are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows
promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to
detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other
purposes. The new lab-on-a-chip test could lead to wider, more convenient use of DNA
testing, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the Sept. 2 issue of the
Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication. In the new study, Zhiqiang
Gao and colleagues note that current methods for detecting DNA involve the used of the
polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique "amplifies" or makes multiple
copies of trace amounts of DNA, much as a photocopier produces multiple copies of
documents, in order to detect the genetic material more easily. The amplification step is
one reason why tests involving PCR can be too expensive, cumbersome, and imprecise for
wider use. The researchers describe development of a so-called "nanogap sensor"
that appears to overcome those obstacles. The process uses a pair of micro-sized metal
electrodes separated by a nanogap, 1/50,000 the width of a human hair, in combination with
special chemical probes, to capture tiny segments of DNA. The newly formed
"circuit" then translates the presence of DNA into an electrical signal so that
it can be measured by a computer. In laboratory tests, the sensor showed
"excellent" sensitivity at detecting trace amounts of human DNA and may
eliminate the need for DNA amplification altogether, the researchers say.
Heat forms potentially harmful
substance in high-fructose corn syrup
Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous
levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey
bees. Their study, which appears in the current issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could also help keep the substance out of soft drinks and
dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF),
forms mainly from heating fructose. In the new study, Blaise LeBlanc and Gillian Eggleston
and colleagues note HFCS's ubiquitous usage as a sweetener in beverages and processed
foods. Some commercial beekeepers also feed it to bees to increase reproduction and honey
production. When exposed to warm temperatures, HFCS can form HMF and kill honeybees. Some
researchers believe that HMF may be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious
disease that has killed at least one-third of the honeybee population in the United
States. The scientists measured levels of HMF in HFCS products from different
manufacturers over a period of 35 days at different temperatures. As temperatures rose,
levels of HMF increased steadily. Levels jumped dramatically at about 120 degrees
Fahrenheit. "The data are important for commercial beekeepers, for manufacturers of
HFCS, and for purposes of food storage. Because HFCS is incorporated as a sweetener in
many processed foods, the data from this study are important for human health as
well," the report states. It adds that studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in
humans. In addition, HMF breaks down in the body to other substances potentially more
harmful than HMF.
UCLA scientists uncover immune
system's role in bone loss
Got high cholesterol? You might want to consider a bone density test. A new UCLA study
sheds light on the link between high cholesterol and osteoporosis and identifies a new way
that the body's immune cells play a role in bone loss. Published Aug. 20 in the journal
Clinical Immunology, the research could lead to new immune-based approaches for treating
osteoporosis. Affecting 10 million Americans, the disease causes fragile bones and
increases the risk of fractures, resulting in lost independence and mobility. Scientists
have long recognized the relationship between high cholesterol and osteoporosis, but
pinpointing the exact mechanism connecting the two has proved elusive.
UCF discovery could open door to
obesity, diabetes treatments
At a time of alarming increases in obesity and associated diseases -- and fiery debates
about the cost of health care -- a UCF research team has identified a new genetic
mechanism that controls the body's fat-building process. The discovery could open the door
to new treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes, and it has the potential to help
hundreds of millions of people and dramatically cut health care costs. A research team led
by Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of UCF's Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in the
College of Medicine, found that a gene called MCPIP (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1
Induced Protein) controls the development of fat cells. Until now, a different protein,
known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), has been
universally accepted as the master controller of fat cell formation, known as
adipogenesis. The UCF findings give scientists a new direction for developing drugs that
could benefit the more than 300 million people worldwide who are clinically obese -- and
who have much higher risks of suffering from chronic disease and disability. In addition,
it is projected that more than 300 million people will be diabetic by the year 2025.
Kolattukudy said MCPIP is potentially an ideal target for drugs that would prevent the
body from becoming resistant to insulin and prone to type 2 diabetes.
New tools for sustainable farming
Environmentalists are just as fond of talking about it as are politicians, economists or
marketing experts – "sustainability" has become a buzzword. The problem is
that the term sustainability can refer to many things and have manifold interpretations.
Agricultural scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have shed light on the
subject. Together with colleagues in theoretical and applied science they have managed to
give the term "sustainability" a more definite meaning. They have helped to make
this multi-faceted concept quantifiable – a benefit to farmers, food manufacturers
and consumers alike. Not to live at the expense of the environment and of coming
generations, but rather to strike a balance between exploitation and renewal when using
resources – this is a central idea of sustainability. It originated in forestry and
can be reduced to one basic principle: Never fell more trees in a forest than can grow
back. Today the idea of sustainability has taken on significance in all sectors of the
economy, but the crux lies in the implementation. "Regenerative systems tend to be
very complex. Farmers aiming at running their enterprises in a sustainable way need a
solid basis for their decision-making," says Prof. Kurt-Juergen Huelsbergen from the
Chair of Organic Farming and Crop Production Systems at the Technische Universitaet
Muenchen. The research question was: How can the sustainability status of farms with
available operating data be determined and systematically improved? The goal was very
ambitious – to improve the environmental balance of agricultural enterprises without
compromising their operating efficiency and social performance. In years of meticulous
work to this end, the team of researchers developed indicators and models to analyze,
assess and optimize the sustainability of agricultural enterprises. After all, sustainable
farming really does benefit everybody: It conserves natural resources, saves energy,
reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers, and fosters a healthier environment, more
competitive farms and safe foodstuffs.
Fine-tuning an anti-cancer drug
Cancer remains a deadly threat despite the best efforts of science. New hopes were raised
a few years ago with the discovery that the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells could be
thwarted by blocking the action of proteasomes. Biochemists at the Technische Universität
München (TUM) have illuminated a reaction pathway that does just that, in collaboration
with researchers from Nereus Pharmaceuticals, based in San Diego, California. In the
current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, they report insights that could
potentially lead to the development of custom-tailored anti-cancer drugs.
Antimicrobial antibodies in celiac
disease - Trick or treat?
Anti-microbial antibody formation has been reported in celiac disease. Relatively high
positivity rates were observed for the conventional antibodies, for example, ASCA,
anti-OmpW, and anti-I2, and they were known to decrease after a successful gluten
free-diet. The importance of newly discovered inflammatory bowel disease-associated
antibodies (including anti-glycan antibodies and anti-OMP) in celiac disease is not sure.
The presence of anti-microbial antibodies in relation to clinical presentation of the
disease and NOD2/CARD15 mutations was also not investigated. A research article to be
published on August 21, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this
question. Hungarian researchers from the University of Debrecen in Debrecen and the
Semmelweis University in Budapest have shown in a well-characterized CD cohort that the
anti-glycan antibody positivity is a common feature of celiac disease at the time of
diagnosis and is lost after long-term gluten-free diet. The positivity rate and titers at
diagnosis are as high as observed in Crohn's disease. The presence of anti-glycan
antibodies is associated with the presenting symptoms, especially with severe
malabsorption but not with mutations in NOD2/CARD15. No higher prevalence of
anti-microbial antibodies is observed in the unaffected, first-degree relatives of this
patient cohort.
CER study demonstrated asthma
patients had better overall results with oral controllers
Mayo Clinic Proceedings published a peer-reviewed comparative effectiveness study
performed by HealthCore, Inc. in its August edition. The study demonstrated that asthma
patients in general had better clinical outcomes with oral controllers than inhaled
corticosteroids. "WellPoint's National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee requested
the comparative effectiveness study to help ensure that its drug formulary for asthma
therapies was aligned with their real-world use and outcomes," said Dr. Joseph
Singer, vice president of clinical affairs for HealthCore, the outcomes research
subsidiary for WellPoint, Inc. "We believe the study to be the first comprehensive
comparative effectiveness research study on all asthma controller medications."
"Clinical superiority of the inhaled products has been well documented in clinical
trials and the HealthCore study confirmed this for those who take their medication
properly," Singer said. "However, we were surprised to discover that in looking
at all patients in real-world settings, oral controllers appeared to be a better choice of
treatment because of better compliance. Patients with the best outcomes were those who
were compliant with inhaled corticosteroids." The study, "Impact of Asthma
Controller Medications on Clinical, Economic and Patient-Reported Outcomes," revealed
that users of oral controllers were significantly better at adhering to their medication
than users of inhaled corticosteroids and probably obtained greater treatment benefit.
After the study was complete in 2008, WellPoint's National Pharmacy and Therapeutics
Committee chose to keep the oral controller used by the vast majority of its members on
the same preferred formulary tier and lift its prior authorization requirement.
Scientists get first close look at
stimulated brain
For over a century, scientists have been using electrical stimulation to explore and treat
the human brain. The technique has helped identify regions responsible for specific neural
functions—for instance, the motor cortex and pleasure center—and has been used
to treat a variety of conditions from Parkinson's disease to depression. Yet no one has
been able to see what actually happens at the cellular level when the brain is
electrically prodded. Now, with the aid of optical imaging technology, researchers in the
lab of HMS neurobiology professor Clay Reid have taken the first look at this process.
They found that the neural response to electrical currents isn't localized, as some had
previously thought. That is, not all neurons immediately surrounding an electrode fire
when a charge is delivered. Rather, a scattered and widely distributed set of neurons
switch on. These findings, which will appear in the August 27 issue of Neuron, promise to
end a longstanding debate about how neurons react to electrical stimulation.
Traditionally, observing neurons during electrical stimulation has been problematic. First
author Mark Histed, a postdoctoral fellow in Reid's lab, explains, "When you are
stimulating electrically you are using relatively high voltages, and those high voltages
make it almost impossible to record the very small currents that neurons produce." To
sidestep this obstacle, Histed, Reid and postdoctoral fellow Vincent Bonin used a
relatively new form of optical imaging called two-photon microscopy. The technique allowed
them to track calcium levels in the neurons of mice as they were being exposed to
electrical stimulation. When calcium levels increased, a chemical that had been introduced
into the tissue brightened. Since calcium levels spike every time a neuron fires, the team
could literally see the neurons flash each time they were activated. More importantly,
they could monitor which neurons were being triggered. According to Histed, these findings
run counter to a long-standing hypothesis. "One prior theory was that at low
currents, the neurons in a tiny ball around the electrode would activate, and if you
increased the current, a larger ball would activate, but you would still only activate
cells within that ball. What we showed was that, even at the lowest currents, you have
cells very far away that are activated, so it's not just a tiny ball around the electrode
tip that increases in size, but instead a very large, sparse pattern that fills in as the
current is increased."
For the first time, Whitehead Institute researchers have shown definitively that mutations
associated with prion diseases are sufficient to cause a transmissible neurodegenerative
disease.The discovery is reported in the August 27 edition of the journal Neuron. Until
now, two theories about the role mutations play in prion diseases have been at odds.
According to one theory, mutations make carriers more susceptible to prions in the
environment. Alternatively, mutations themselves might cause the disease and the
spontaneous generation of transmissible prions. Prions cause several diseases, including
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE, or
"mad cow disease") in cows, and scrapie in sheep. Some prion diseases, like BSE,
can be transmitted from feed animals to humans. Deciphering the origins of prion diseases
could help farmers and policy-makers determine how best to control a prion disease
outbreak in livestock and to prevent prion transmission to humans. Prions are misfolded
versions of a protein called PrP. In its normal form, PrP is expressed in the brain and
other neural tissues. But specific events, such as exposure to prions from the
environment, can cause PrP to change from its normal shape to that of a prion. Once in the
prion shape, the protein can convert other normal PrP proteins to the abnormal shape. As
PrP proteins convert to prions, they form long chains that damage brain and nerve cells,
causing the neurodegenerative and behavioral symptoms characteristic of prion diseases. To
determine if a mutation in the PrP gene can cause a transmissible prion disease, Walker
Jackson, first author of the Neuron article and a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of
Whitehead Member Susan Lindquist, engineered a knock-in mouse expressing a PrP gene
carrying the mutation associated with the human prion disease fatal familial insomnia
(FFI).
New technique could eliminate
inherited mitochondrial disease
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed an experimental
technique with the potential to prevent a class of hereditary disorders passed on from
mother to child. The technique, as yet conducted only in nonhuman primates, involves
transferring the hereditary material from one female's egg into another female's egg from
which the hereditary material has been removed. The resultant eggs, which were fertilized
with donor sperm, implanted in females and carried to term, produced offspring free of the
mother's mitochondria, but which instead possess the mitochondria from the donated egg
cell. Mitochondria are tiny structures within cells that help provide energy to power the
cell's activities. They are passed on from mother to child, in the fluid (called
cytoplasm) contained inside the egg cell. In recent years, defects in mitochondria have
been linked with a variety of conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, infertility, and such
neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The
technique raises the possibility that mitochondria associated with a hereditary disorder
could be prevented from being passed on to the next generation. "Recent findings
suggest that mitochondrial disorders play a role in at least some proportion of many human
disorders," said Duane Alexander, M.D, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which provided funding for the
study. "Pending further research, the findings hold the potential of allowing a
couple to have a child who is biologically their own, but is free of any conditions
associated with defects in maternal mitochondria."
It's not all in your head -
Descending neural mechanisms of placebo-induced pain control
A new study reveals that when it comes to pain control, the "placebo effect"
involves evolutionarily old pain control pathways in the human brainstem, the part of the
brain that is continuous with the spinal cord. The research, published by Cell Press in
the August 27th issue of the journal Neuron, provides fascinating mechanistic insight into
how and why simply expecting that a treatment will reduce pain can act as an effective
analgesic. Placebo analgesia refers to an individual's relief from pain following
administration of a chemically inert substance and is thought to be due to a person's
belief that a potent pain medication was administered. Endogenous opioids, which are
naturally produced by the brain in small amounts and play a key role in the relief of pain
and anxiety, have been implicated in placebo analgesia. Brain imaging studies have shown
that placebo analgesia stimulates release of endogenous opioids from higher brain regions
associated with pain modulation and is associated with a decrease in signals from
pain-sensitive areas. "It has been hypothesized that placebo analgesia also recruits
the opioidergic descending pain control system, which inhibits pain processing in the
spinal cord and, therefore, subsequently reduces pain-related responses in the brain,
leading to a decreased pain experience," explains lead study author Falk Eippert from
the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. However, thus far this has not
been demonstrated experimentally. Eippert and colleagues employed sophisticated brain
imaging techniques to examine both higher cortical and lower brainstem responses in two
groups of subjects: one receiving a drug called naloxone, which blocks opioid signaling,
and one group with a natural opioid state. Expectations of pain relief were induced in
both groups using an established placebo analgesia paradigm.
European REACH legislation for
chemicals may require more animals and funds than estimated
The European Union's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of
Chemical) legislation is intended as a comprehensive safety evaluation for commercial
chemicals used in consumer products that are traded in Europe at amounts more than one ton
per year. However, implementation of the regulation may require 54 million research
animals and €9.5 billion ($13.4 billion) over the next 10 years, which represents 20
times the number of animals and six times the cost anticipated in previous estimates,
according to an analysis led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health. Currently, the EU uses approximately 900,000 animals at a cost of €600
million ($847 million) per year to evaluate new chemicals, drugs, pesticides and food
additives. A commentary on the research is published in the August 26 edition of Nature.
The full analysis will appear the same day as an electronic prepublication of the
September 2009 edition of the journal ALTEX, Alternatives to Animal Experimentation.
"As a toxicologist, I support the aims of REACH—it is the biggest investment
into consumer safety ever," said study author, Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD,
Doerenkamp-Zbinden Professor and Chair for Evidence-based Toxicology and director of the
Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
"However, I am concerned that we have underestimated the scale of the challenge.
Investment into developing alternative research methods to meet REACH goals is urgently
needed." According to Hartung and co-author Constanza Rovida, estimates for the
number of chemicals to be covered by REACH range from 68,000 to 101,000, which is higher
than the earlier estimate of 29,000 chemicals. The analysis was based on the conservative
estimate of 68,000 registered chemicals. Results showed that 90 percent of the projected
animal use and 70 percent of the projected cost would come from research into reproductive
toxicity testing. This often requires that data be collected from two species of test
animals and their offspring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations do not
include two-species provisions.
Quarantine or $1000 a day fine for
refusing the vaccine
Avatar Movie Trailer [HD]
Letter to the Met
The police demanded to know the location of
the Camp for Climate Action 2009 - this is our response.
Climate Camp 16.09.07
Climate Camp 08 - Police Violence, Scargill
- Meridian 0408
Another UFO sensation took place in China
in December, when Chinese authorities released a video that had been kept secret for 20
years. The three-minute film was shot by a Chinese pilot above the city of Shanghai on
August 27, 1987, and featured a shining object flying high in the sky.
