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Week 38
Cities Organized Like Human Brains
Cities are organized like brains, and the evolution of cities mirrors the evolution of
human and animal brains, according to a new study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute. Just as advanced mammalian brains require a robust neural network to achieve
richer and more complex thought, large cities require advanced highways and transportation
systems to allow larger and more productive populations. The new study unearthed a
striking similarity in how larger brains and cities deal with the difficult problem of
maintaining sufficient interconnectedness. “Natural selection has passively guided
the evolution of mammalian brains throughout time, just as politicians and entrepreneurs
have indirectly shaped the organization of cities large and small,” said Mark
Changizi, a neurobiology expert and assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive
Science at Rensselaer, who led the study. “It seems both of these invisible hands
have arrived at a similar conclusion: brains and cities, as they grow larger, have to be
similarly densely interconnected to function optimally.”
Hedgehog trial results suggest
antitumor activity in basal cell skin cancer
A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine reports a potential new
investigational therapy for advanced and metastatic basal cell skin cancer tested at the
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare and other sites appears to
demonstrate tumor shrinkage and limited side effects in patients. “Inhibition of the
Hedgehog Pathway in Advanced Basal-Cell Carcinoma” is authored by lead investigator
Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, a world-renowned expert in developing new drugs for patients with
cancer. Dr. Von Hoff is an oncologist and chief scientific officer at the Virginia G.
Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, physician-in-chief at Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) and chief scientific officer at US Oncology.
Estrogen supplements not as
effective as claimed
Dietary supplements claiming to help postmenopausal women with bone health may not be
doing what they say, according to new research from Purdue University. "We found that
some plant-derived isoflavones have a modest effect on suppressing bone loss during
post-menopause, but more concerning is many dietary supplements that claim to have the
power of estrogen do not," said Connie Weaver, distinguished professor of foods and
nutrition. "It's buyer beware. Some of the supplements in our study claimed to be
substitutes for estrogen, yet they weren't effective at all or weren't as effective as
some of the current treatments for osteoporosis." Women who are menopausal or
postmenopausal produce less estrogen, and that leads to bone loss. More than 2 million
women in the United States reach menopause each year, according to the National Women's
Health Resource Center. Estrogen hormone replacement therapy was the traditional
treatment, but it is no longer recommended for the long term because of links to stroke,
embolism and breast cancer. Some individuals have harmful side effects with long-term use
of bisphosphonates, the current main class of osteoporosis treatment drugs. "This is
a reminder that it's better to build up a good healthy skeleton than to rely on a drug to
fix it later," Weaver said. "Healthy bones can be maintained by a good diet that
is rich in calcium and regular exercise that includes strength training."
Head of CDC Says Swine Flu Has Been
Mild All Over the World
Dr Thomas Frieden head of CDC on C-Span
said the 90,000 deaths predicted in the US were high and based on deaths in other
countries we won't see that here unless the virus mutates. I might add in Australia where
the flu season is winding down they had 147 deaths instead of the predicted 3,000 and the
strain did not mutate. Other doctors are saying the same thing, this flu is much milder
than what we were led to believe, which led to billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical
companies and researchers of the swine flu according to Dr. Tom Jefferson of the Cochrane
Collaboration, an epidemiologist that researches flu with other scientists for 15 yrs.
Earthlings
EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary
about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment,
and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called
"non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin
Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby
Argentina's Food Farmers Trumped by
Soy
In this episode of Latin Pulse we focus on
the struggle between Argentine food farmers and transnational soy producers. The soy
producers bribe landowners and buy lands inhabited by indigenous tribes such as the Toba,
Mocoví and Wichí among others, and bulldoze the forest to plant Monsanto soy.
Sustainable World: Johannesburg,
South Africa
Short documentary made for CNBC which
examines positive solutions to environmental problems.
Einstein Study: New Treatment for
Diabetic Wounds
Michael Brownlee, M.D., on a drug that
dramatically shortened diabetic wound healing time in mice.
John Voight on Huckabee
John Voight talks about his objections to
Obama's health care plan, civil unrest, government intrusion into our lives and the
overall conversion of our country into a socialist nation.
BBC World, Develop or Die: Vietnam
3 part documentary series for BBC World
about development issues in Asia, presented by Zeinab Badawi. I filmed the Vietnam
sequences including this one about big tourism developments.
Einstein Study: New Test for HIV
Microbicide Safety
An Inconsistent Truth Teaser
Trailer
Global warming and climate change - is it
real or the biggest scam and swindle in history? Hosted by award winning radio host Phil
Valentine and from director Shayne Edwards, this documentary film explores all sides of
the science and gives a voice to the over 31,000 scientists that signed the Oregon
Petition declaring it to be a hoax. It investigates the true motives of the UN and those
who signed the Kyoto Treaty.
Growing green roofs
One way to maximize the eco-friendly factor of a structure is to include a green
roof—and this doesn't refer to the paint color. "Greening" a roof, or
covering a roof with vegetation, is gaining popularity in North America, where the number
of green roofs increased 30% from 2006 to 2007. Benefits of green roofs include improved
storm water management, energy conservation, reduced noise and air pollution, improved
biodiversity, and even a better return on investment than traditional roofing. But a
healthy roof requires the selection of a species that can survive extreme climates and
propagate easily to reduce erosion and weed growth. Kristin L. Getter of Michigan State
University's Department of Horticulture led a study to determine the effect of the growing
medium's depth on the success of green roofs. The research study, published in a recent
issue of HortScience, focused on Sedum, a variety of succulent known for its drought
tolerance. Plots were constructed using the drainage mats and waterproofing systems
typical of green roofs, but the growing material varied in depth from 4 cm, 7 cm, and 10
cm. Twelve species of Sedum were planted, fertilized, and watered once. The moisture of
the growing material was measured at random times each week. Measurements of chlorophyll
fluorescence were taken to monitor the health of the plants during a variety of
environmental conditions. Plants were monitored over the course of four years. Since the
average lifespan of the inorganic components of a green roof is about 45 years, the
researchers determined that it was important to study the longevity of the plants. The
study found that the shallowest plot had the lowest moisture levels on average and dried
the fastest after a rain. At the 4-cm depth, four species failed to exhibit significant
growth over the 4-year period.
Scientists begin to untangle root
cause of Alzheimer's disease
N60" might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Alzheimer's
disease, but thanks to researchers from the United States, South Korea and France, this
might change. That's because these researchers have found that the N60 section of a
protein called "RanBP9" might be the key that unlocks an entirely new class of
Alzheimer's drugs, and with them, hope. In a research report published online in The FASEB
Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), these scientists describe how the N60 fragment of the
RanBP9 protein increases the production of the amyloid beta protein, which is present in
excessive amounts in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease."Most experts
believe that if the creation of amyloid beta protein can be halted or slowed, the
devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease may also be stopped or slowed too. Knowing
which portion of the RanBP9 protein to target is particularly important because it gives
researchers a more specific focus for developing new Alzheimer's drugs. According to David
Kang, assistant professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, and
one of the researchers involved in the work, "Our study suggests that targeting
RanBP9 expression and/or N60 fragment generation may lead to novel strategies to combat
this devastating disease." To make this discovery, Kang and colleagues examined
extracts from brains with Alzheimer's disease and age-matched healthy controls and found
that the N60 section of RanBP9 was increased in Alzheimer's brain. When control DNA,
full-length RanBP9 DNA, and RanBP9-N60 DNA were individually expressed in cultured cells,
they found that cells expressing the full length RanBP9 protein had an increased amount of
the amyloid beta protein that was 3-fold over control, and cells expressing the RanBP9
protein and N60 section had an increased amount of the amyloid beta protein that was
5-fold over control. "Alzheimer's might seem hopeless to some, but this research
shows that we're closer than ever to unraveling both the protein tangles and mysteries
surrounding this devastating disease," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief
of The FASEB Journal.
It pays to quit smoking before
surgery
People who start nicotine replacement therapy at least four weeks before surgery can halve
their risk of poor wound healing. This is what the German Institute for Quality and
Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) concludes in information published on
informedhealthonline.org today. Quitting smoking in times of stress is not easy "It
is not easy to quit smoking just before an operation," appreciates Professor Peter
Sawicki, the Institute's Director. "But people who smoke are more likely to have
complications after surgery than people who do not smoke," he adds. IQWiG has now
analysed current research results that show that nicotine replacement therapy can help
people quit smoking and avoid complications after surgery. Nicotine replacement therapy
helps reduce withdrawal symptoms when people stop smoking by giving them nicotine through
a patch or chewing gum. Trials showed that only 14 percent of the patients who smoked had
problems with wound healing if they had nicotine replacement therapy at least four weeks
before surgery, compared to 28 percent of the patients who did not have nicotine
replacement therapy. Poor wound healing is one of the most common complications after
surgery. "Anaesthetics and surgery put a strain on the body's oxygen supply as it
is," explains Professor Sawicki. "Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that is
available in the blood even more, making it more difficult for wounds to heal – a
process which requires oxygen."
Experts warn over health check
brain scans
A new study has voiced concern about the growing market for brain screening tests, which
people can buy as part of a general health MOT. Researchers warn that paid-for brain scans
– increasingly popular with healthy people who want to allay fears about undiagnosed
brain cancer and stroke – may do more harm than good. They reach their conclusion
having analysed the results of almost 20,000 brain scans from people who undertook the
tests for a variety of reasons, such as general health MOTs or volunteering for medical
research. None of them had any symptoms suggesting that they had an underlying brain
condition. The researchers found that almost three per cent of healthy people had an
abnormality on a brain MRI scan and warn that even when an incidental abnormality –
such as a weakened blood vessel in the brain or a benign tumour – is discovered,
there is no clear medical evidence that treatment would do more good than harm. The
experts say this lack of evidence can create anxiety, with many patients feeling that a
tough choice has to be made between risky, potentially unnecessary surgery or leaving
their condition untreated. Dr Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, an MRC clinician scientist at the
University of Edinburgh, said: "The difficulty with these health check-ups is that in
the small number of people who do harbour some undiagnosed brain condition, there is not a
clear next step. "We do not have enough medical evidence to know whether we should
treat the abnormalities or just leave them be. Until we have that knowledge, we cannot be
sure that commercial screening benefits people with incidental findings on their brain
scan. Furthermore, there is little evidence that "peace of mind" lasts for the
people with normal brain scans."
Supermarkets pave way for
introduction of GM food to UK
Some of the biggest supermarkets have held
secret talks to consider the best way to introduce more GM food to Britain as the price of
stocks 'untainted' by genetic modification rises.
Mercury Found in Blood of One-Third
of American Women
The level of inorganic mercury in the blood
of American women has been increasing since 1999 and it is now found in the blood of one
in three women, according to a new analysis of government data for more than 6,000
American women. "My study found compelling evidence that inorganic mercury deposition
within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and overall in the
population over time," said author Dan Laks, a neuroscience researcher at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
WHO Admits to Releasing Pandemic
Virus into Population via 'Mock-Up' Vaccines
The document on the WHO website linked
below states that it is common procedure to release pandemic viruses into the population
in order to get a jump ahead of the real pandemic, so as to fast track the vaccine for
when it is needed. In Europe, some manufacturers have conducted advance studies using a
so-called "mock-up" vaccine. Mock-up vaccines contain an active ingredient for
an influenza virus that
has not circulated recently in human populations and thus mimics the novelty of a pandemic
virus. According to the website, “Such advance studies can greatly expedite
regulatory approval.”
US drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to pay
$2.3bn (£1.4bn) in the largest healthcare fraud settlement in the history of the
Department of Justice. It comes after the firm was found to have illegally promoted four
drugs for uses which had not been approved by medical regulators. A subsidiary of the firm
pleaded guilty to misbranding drugs "with the intent to defraud or mislead".
New study shows those blinded by
brain injury may still 'see'
Except in clumsy moments, we rarely knock over the box of cereal or glass of orange juice
as we reach for our morning cup of coffee. New research at The University of Western
Ontario has helped unlock the mystery of how our brain allows us to avoid these undesired
objects. The study, led by Canada Research Chair in Visual Neuroscience Mel Goodale, lead
author Chris Striemer and colleagues in Western's Department of Psychology, has been
published in the current issue of the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. "We automatically choose a path for our hand that avoids hitting any
obstacles that may be in the way," says Goodale. "Every day, we perform hundreds
of actions of this sort without giving a moment's thought as to how we accomplish these
deceptively simple tasks." In the study, a patient who had become completely blind on
his left side following a stroke to the main visual area of the brain was asked to avoid
obstacles as he reached out to touch a target in his right – or 'good' – visual
field. Not surprisingly, he was able to avoid them as any normal-sighted individual would.
Amazingly, however, when obstacles were placed on his blind side, he was still able to
avoid them – even though he never reported having seen them. "The patient's
behaviour shows he is sensitive to the location of obstacles he is completely unaware
of," Striemer says. "The patient seemed to be as surprised as we were that he
could respond to these 'unseen' obstacles," Goodale adds.
Human brain could be replicated in
10 years
A model that replicates the functions of the human brain is feasible in 10 years according
to neuroscientist Professor Henry Markram of the Brain Mind Institute in Switzerland.
‘I absolutely believe it is technically and biologically possible. The only
uncertainty is financial. It is an extremely expensive project and not all is yet
secured.' The apparent complexity of the human mind is not a barrier to building a
‘replica' brain claims Professor Markram. ‘The brain is of course extremely
complex because it has trillions of synapses, billions of neurons, millions of proteins,
and thousands of genes. But they are still finite in number. Today's technology is already
highly sophisticated and it allows us to reverse engineer the brain rapidly'. An example
of the capability already in place is that today's robots can do screenings and mappings
tens of thousands of times faster than human scientists and technicians. Another hurdle on
the path to a model human brain is that 100 years of neuroscience discovery has led to
millions of fragments of data and knowledge that have never been brought together and
exploited fully. ‘Actually no- one even knows what we already understand about the
brain', says Professor Markram, ‘A model would serve to bring this all together and
then allow anyone to test whatever theory you want about the brain. The biggest challenge
is to understand how electrical-magnetic-chemical patterns in the brain convert into our
perception of reality. We think we see with our eyes, but in fact most of what we
‘see' is generated as a projection by your brain. So what are we actually looking at
when we look at something ‘outside' of us?' For Professor Markram, the most exciting
part of his research is putting together the hundreds of thousands of small pieces of data
that his lab has collected over the past 15 years, and seeing what a microcircuit of the
brain looks like. ‘When we first switched it on it already started to display some
interesting emergent properties. But this is just the beginning because we know now that
it is possible to build it. As we progress we are learning about design secrets of our
brains which were unimaginable before. In fact the brain uses some simple rules to solve
highly complex problems and extracting each of these rules one by one is very exciting.
For example we have been surprised at finding simple design principles that allow billions
of neurons to connect to each other. I think we will understand how the brain is designed
and works before we have finished building it'.
Funniest Parrot Ever!
Eating Locally in Pierce County
Eating Locally in Pierce County is a
documentary about local food in Tacoma, and where it could go in the future.
Darwin and your brain
How has your brain been shaped by recent
evolution? Can an evolutionary perspective shed light on consciousness, madness, and
genius? Dr. Crespi is University Professor of Evolutionary Biology at SFU, and he presents
his recently-published, provocative theories, supported by the latest human genome data,
on how evolution has made our brains and how our brains have made us who we are.
Blood Of The Vikings
In several BBC television episodes of
Meet the Ancestors Julian Richards has shown himself to be an enthusiastic explorer of the
past and an able advocate of the imaginative reconstruction of the lives of those who
peopled it. In Blood of the Vikings, the book accompanying another BBC series, he
investigates the reality behind the images everyone has of the Vikings as fearsome and
barbaric warriors who raided civilised settlements mercilessly in the 9th and 10th
centuries. The book reflects his travels for the TV series. Richards pops up, as curious
and inquisitive as always, in a Norwegian replica of a Viking house, in the Orkneys, in
Dublin and in other places where the legacy of the Vikings lives on. However, Blood of the
Vikingsis more than just "the book of the series". As an archaeologist, Richards
has worked largely on prehistoric Britain and he admits that he began this project knowing
only a little about the Vikings. He has been a quick learner. At its heart, his book tells
more than the story of his journeys to Viking sites. It provides an enjoyable and personal
account of Viking history and culture and, particularly, of the confrontation between
Danish Vikings and King Alfred's Wessex, a confrontation which did much to shape an
"English" sense of identity. It shows, just as clearly as the DNA experiments
which it quotes, that a little of the blood of the Vikings runs in all British veins.
--Nick Rennison
Pesticides - Easier detection of
pollution and impact in rivers
The long-term effects of pesticides on living organisms in rivers and on water quality can
now be assessed more easily. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research (UFZ) have developed a tool that can estimate the harmful effect of pesticides,
such as those flushed into rivers and streams from agricultural land, within minutes.
"It used to be very difficult to detect which chronic effects occur," explains
Dr Matthias Liess, head of the UFZ’s System Ecotoxicology Department. In their new
approach, the Helmholtz researchers exploit the fact that pesticides cause characteristic
changes to the composition of the life community that is affected. "You just need to
find out which living creatures, e.g. insects and crabs, are found at a certain point
along the river and in what numbers," Liess explains. The authorities responsible for
water management usually have such data available, he adds. Liess and his colleagues have
now set up a Web application where this data can be entered and evaluated to show
immediately how high the level of pollution in the rivers under investigation actually is.
Users download an Excel table from the website and then enter the numbers of each kind of
organism found at each sampling site. Once the table is complete it is fed into the
‘SPEAR calculator’ and the user enters the region in which the samples were
taken. The calculator immediately shows what the water quality in the area in question is
like. Regional data is currently available for Germany, France, Finland and Western
Siberia, but the system has also been tested in the UK and in Australia. There is no
charge for using the service.
UM scientists pinpoint critical
molecule to celiac disease, possibly other autoimmune disorders
It was nine years ago that University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers
discovered that a mysterious human protein called zonulin played a critical role in celiac
disease and other autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Now,
scientists have solved the mystery of zonulin's identity, putting a face to the name, in a
sense. Scientists led by Alessio Fasano, M.D., have identified zonulin as a molecule in
the human body called haptoglobin 2 precursor. Pinpointing the precise molecule that makes
up the mysterious protein will enable a more detailed and thorough study of zonulin and
its relationship to a series of inflammatory disorders. The discovery was reported in a
new study by Dr. Fasano, published the week of September 7, 2009 in the online version of
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Fasano is a professor of
pediatrics, medicine and physiology and director of the Mucosal Biology Research Center
and the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Haptoglobin is a molecule that has been known to scientists for many years. It was
identified as a marker of inflammation in the body. Haptoglobin 1 is the original form of
the haptoglobin molecule, and scientists believe it evolved 800 million years ago.
Haptoglobin 2 is a permutation found only in humans. It's believed the mutation occurred
in India about 2 million years ago, spreading gradually among increasing numbers of people
throughout the world. Dr. Fasano's study revealed that zonulin is the precursor molecule
for haptoglobin 2 — that is, it is an immature molecule that matures into haptoglobin
2. It was previously believed that such precursor molecules served no purpose in the body
other than to mature into the molecules they were destined to become. But Dr. Fasano's
study identifies precursor haptoglobin 2 as the first precursor molecule that serves
another function entirely — opening a gateway in the gut, or intestines, to let
gluten in. People with celiac disease suffer from a sensitivity to gluten. "While
apes, monkeys and chimpanzees do not have haptoglobin 2, 80 percent of human beings have
it," says Dr. Fasano. "Apes, monkeys and chimpanzees rarely develop autoimmune
disorders. Human beings suffer from more than 70 different kinds of such conditions. We
believe the presence of this pre-haptoglobin 2 is responsible for this difference between
species." "This molecule could be a critical missing piece of the puzzle to lead
to a treatment for celiac disease, other autoimmune disorders and allergies and even
cancer, all of which are related to an exaggerated production of zonulin/pre-haptoglobin 2
and to the loss of the protective barrier of cells lining the gut and other areas of the
body, like the blood brain barrier," says Dr. Fasano.
Half of the fish consumed globally
is now raised on farms, study finds
Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed
globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the
industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine
resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea,
the authors conclude. Their findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "Aquaculture is set to reach
a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human
consumption," the authors wrote. Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed
fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain
omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s,
which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the
National Institutes of Health. "The huge expansion is being driven by demand,"
said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at
Stanford University and director of the Stanford Program on Food Security and the
Environment. "As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most
healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot
of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need."
Study of huge numbers of genetic
mutations point to oxidative stress as underlying cause
A study that tracked genetic mutations through the human equivalent of about 5,000 years
has demonstrated for the first time that oxidative DNA damage is a primary cause of the
process of mutation - the fuel for evolution but also a leading cause of aging, cancer and
other diseases. The research, just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, also indicated that natural selection is affecting the parts of the genome that
don't contain genes – supposedly "junk" DNA that increasingly appears to
have important roles in life processes that are very poorly understood. The analysis was
done by scientists at Oregon State University, Indiana University, the University of
Florida and University of New Hampshire, in studies supported by the National Institutes
of Health. This research was unusual, scientists say, because the model animal used for
the study, a type of roundworm called C. elegans, was tracked through 250 generations and
in that period of time accumulated 391 genetic mutations through normal life processes.
That's more than 10 times as many mutations as have ever before been tracked in a study
such as this. Several Nobel Prizes have been awarded based on studies done with this
roundworm, which was the first animal to have its entire genome sequenced. And despite
their vast evolutionary separation as life forms, this tiny roundworm and humans still
share comparable forms of DNA maintenance. "Genetic mutations in animals are actually
pretty rare, they don't happen very often unless they are induced by something," said
Dee Denver, an assistant professor of zoology at OSU and principal investigator on the
study. "The value of using this roundworm is that it reaches reproductive age in
about four days, so we can study changes that happen through hundreds of generations,
using advanced genome sequencing technology." Genetic mutations can take various
forms, such as a disruption in the sequence of DNA bases, larger deletions of whole
sections of DNA, or other events. They are a fundamental part of the biological process of
life and the basis of evolution, allowing organisms to change – sometimes in ways
that are good and lead to greater survival value, sometimes bad and leading to decline or
death. But the process is difficult to study and a real understanding of the driving
forces behind mutation, its frequency, and the types of mutation that happen most often
has been elusive, researchers say. A primary finding of the new study is that a
predominant number of genetic mutations – most, but not all of them – are linked
to guanine, one of the four basic nucleotides that make up DNA and form the genetic code
of life. Guanine is known to be particularly sensitive to oxidative damage.
'Liposuction leftovers' easily
converted to IPS cells, Stanford study shows
Globs of human fat removed during liposuction conceal versatile cells that are more
quickly and easily coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, than are
the skin cells most often used by researchers, according to a new study from Stanford's
School of Medicine. "We've identified a great natural resource," said Stanford
surgery professor and co-author of the research, Michael Longaker, MD, who has called the
readily available liposuction leftovers "liquid gold." Reprogramming adult cells
to function like embryonic stem cells is one way researchers hope to create
patient-specific cell lines to regenerate tissue or to study specific diseases in the
laboratory. "Thirty to 40 percent of adults in this country are obese," agreed
cardiologist Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, the paper's senior author. "Not only can we start
with a lot of cells, we can reprogram them much more efficiently. Fibroblasts, or skin
cells, must be grown in the lab for three weeks or more before they can be reprogrammed.
But these stem cells from fat are ready to go right away." The fact that the cells
can also be converted without the need for mouse-derived "feeder cells" may make
them an ideal starting material for human therapies. Feeder cells are often used when
growing human skin cells outside the body, but physicians worry that cross-species
contamination could make them unsuitable for human use. The findings will be published
online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Longaker is the
deputy director of Stanford's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute and
director of children's surgical research at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Wu is an
assistant professor of cardiology and radiology, and a member of Stanford's Cardiovascular
Institute. Even those of us who are not obese would probably be happy to part with a
couple of pounds (or more) of flab. Nestled within this unwanted latticework of fat cells
and collagen are multipotent cells called adipose, or fat, stem cells. Unlike highly
specialized skin-cell fibroblasts, these cells in the fat have a relatively wide portfolio
of differentiation options—becoming fat, bone or muscle as needed. It's this
pre-existing flexibility, the researchers believe, that gives these cell an edge over the
skin cells. "These cells are not as far along on the differentiation pathway, so
they're easier to back up to an earlier state," said first author and postdoctoral
scholar Ning Sun, PhD, who conducted the research in both Longaker's and Wu's
laboratories. "They are more embryonic-like than fibroblasts, which take more effort
to reprogram."
Team reveals molecular mechanism
underlying a form of diabetes
By investigating a rare and severe form of diabetes in children, University of Iowa
researchers have discovered a new molecular mechanism that regulates specialized
pancreatic cells and insulin secretion. The mechanism involves a protein called ankyrin,
which UI researchers previously linked to potentially fatal human heart arrhythmias.The
findings, which appear this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, may help identify new molecular targets for treating both rare and
common forms of diabetes and hyperinsulinemia. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates that 23.6 million people have diabetes in the United States. The
condition doubles the risk of death and includes complications such as heart disease,
stroke, eye and kidney problems, and peripheral vascular disease. The University of Iowa
team, working with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, used animal and
cellular models to focus on a gene mutation linked with permanent neonatal diabetes
mellitus. Children with this genetic form of diabetes have symptoms by age 6 months and
require lifelong dependence on insulin to maintain proper glucose levels. The team
discovered that the specific human gene mutation disrupts the ability of the protein
ankyrin to regulate a key protein complex known as the KATP channel. "We have known
for some time that human mutations in the KATP channel complex may cause diabetes or
hyperinsulinemia," said Faith Kline, Ph.D., the study's lead author and postdoctoral
fellow in internal medicine in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
"Now we know something about how this specific KATP channel mutation results in
disease. "The KATP channel essentially functions as a gatekeeper for insulin
secretion by pancreatic beta cells. Without proper regulation by this gatekeeper, the
pancreatic beta cells are unable to efficiently regulate insulin secretion." In a
healthy individual, pancreatic beta cells respond to changes in blood glucose levels by
secreting the appropriate amount of insulin. Beta cell dysfunction may result in abnormal
blood glucose regulation and severe diabetes.
Link between depression, early
stages of chronic kidney disease found by researchers
One in five patients with chronic kidney disease is depressed, even before beginning
long-term dialysis therapy or developing end-stage renal disease, UT Southwestern Medical
Center researchers have found. The study, based on a pool of 272 participants, is the
first to examine the rate of depression among these patients using the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM IV), which is considered the
gold-standard in evaluating depression. “Because patients in the early stages of
chronic kidney disease are at increased risk for clinical depression, we as nephrologists
should consider screening our patients for depression in clinic,” said Dr. Susan
Hedayati, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and a staff
nephrologist at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She is the lead author of the
study, available online and in the current issue of the American Journal of Kidney
Diseases.
Mayo Clinic researchers find lung
cancer oncogene holds key to turning off cancer stem cells
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found that the lung cancer oncogene
PKCiota is necessary for the proliferation of lung cancer stem cells. These stem cells are
rare and powerful master cells that manufacture the other cells that make up lung tumors
and are resistant to chemotherapy treatment. Their study, published in the Oct. 1 issue of
Cancer Research, also shows that an agent, aurothiomalate, being tested at Mayo Clinic in
a phase I clinical trial substantially inhibits growth of these cancer stem cells.
"Our data indicate that PKCiota is required for the earliest steps in the development
of lung cancer, which is the expansion of tumor-initiating cells or cancer stem
cells," says the study's senior author, Alan Fields, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology
in the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at
Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida.
Undergrad academic performance
linked to neural signals
Students will have to use their brains to get good grades at school this year, according
to new University of Toronto research that relates brain activity to undergraduate
academic performance. In the first study ever to link academic performance to a neural
signal, participants performed a Stroop task – a well-known test of cognitive control
– while hooked up to EEG electrodes that measured their brain activity. U of T
researchers monitored a brain signal known as the error-related negativity (ERN) in each
participant's brain while they completed the task. ERN signals are observed approximately
100 milliseconds after a mistake is made, and are involved in cognitive control and
self-regulation. Large ERN signals indicate a participant is responding strongly when
they've made a mistake; smaller ERN signals indicate they are less responsive to their
mistakes. The researchers then compared the size of each participant's ERN signals to
their official university transcript grades. "Those students with larger ERN signals
did significantly better in school, showing that these neural signals have important real
world implications," says doctoral researcher Jacob Hirsh. Hirsh says students with
large ERN signals are more responsive to their own errors than are students with smaller
ERNs. Those with large ERN signals are more likely to slow down in order to correct their
mistakes and avoid future errors, which could contribute to better grades. Because the
size of the ERN is only 50 per cent determined by genetics, though, Hirsh says students
may be able to improve their ERN signals by attending to their mistakes, thereby helping
to improve their academic performance. "The ERN is not set in stone," he says.
It's also key to note that having extremely large ERN signals is not ideal either, says
Dr. Michael Inzlicht, UofT Psychology Professor and co-author on the paper. "Students
with a small ERN may have more trouble in school, but people with a large ERN can suffer
from crippling anxiety because they respond strongly to the smallest perceived errors in
their own behaviour," says Inzlicht. "It all comes down to this: what is the
optimal response to an error?"
Big Pharma Cash Cow
The companies that make up the
pharmaceutical industry are among the largest corporations in the world. In 2004 their
combined global sales were over half a trillion dollars, with Pfizer and Johnson &
Johnson leading the pack. Together, these businesses have come to be known as Big Pharma.
In the US, the core of Big Pharmas immense profits is from sales of prescription
medication. And since these drugs can only be prescribed by medical professionals, most of
the industrys promotional and marketing activities are directed at doctors, pharmacists
and other health care providers. The companies of Big Pharma hope these campaigns will
lead to new prescriptions for their brands. In recent years, Big Pharma has pushed its way
into the traditional doctor/patient relationship and found a new way to increase sales -
by targeting patients directly and independently, largely through television advertising.
Between 1996 and 2004, industry spending on Direct to Consumer Advertising (or DTC) rose
over 500 percent. Now, even before walking into their doctors offices, patients have
already been exposed to millions of dollars worth of persuasive advertising that
encourages them to ask their doctor how a particular brand of drug might help them. In
this new landscape, the most vital question for American consumers is this: How might the
influence of one of the most powerful for-profit industries in the world affect the way we
think about our health and well-being?
This six-gill shark (Hexanchus) was filmed
during a submersible dive off the northeast coast of Molokai at a depth of 1000m (3280ft).
The 2 red laser dots are 6 inches apart, resulting in a length of about 18 ft for the
shark. Great ecstatic live commentary by University of Hawaii Oceanography Professor Jeff
Drazen! Many thanks to Dr. Craig Smith (University of Hawaii) and Dr. Eric Vetter for
permitting release of this footage which was obtained as part of their research data set.
Possible Cancer Risk with Lantus
(insulin glargine) may be associated with
an increased risk of cancer. Three of four observational studies published recently in the
journal Diabetologia suggested an increased cancer risk associated with Lantus. All of the
studies had drawbacks or inconsistencies that preclude drawing any firm conclusions about
whether the drug is actually associated with an increased risk of cancer. FDA is reviewing
many sources of safety data for Lantus, including these four newly published studies, to
better understand whether this drug poses a cancer risk. The agency is also deciding
whether any additional safety studies will be needed. FDA will keep practitioners and
patients informed as new information becomes available. In the meantime, FDA is cautioning
patients not to stop taking their insulin without consulting a physician, since
uncontrolled blood sugar levels can have serious immediate and long-term effects.
A message from Michael Moore
Capitalism A Love Story
The Awakening 2009
Using Dendritic Cells to Create
Cancer Vaccines
Edgar Engleman, MD, medical director of the
Stanford Blood Center, discusses his research involving the use of a special type of white
blood cell as a treatment for cancer. Engleman, who is also a professor of pathology at
the Stanford School of Medicine, and his team of researchers have been interested in
dendritic cells, or DCs, which can provoke an immune response in the body.
One of Connecticut's top health officials
says closing schools and wearing facemasks won't prevent the expected spread of swine flu
this fall.
Autoimmune response can induce
pancreatic tumor rejection
Immune responses are capable of killing tumors before they can be directed toward normal
body tissue, according to new scientific findings published in Cancer Research, a journal
of the American Association for Cancer Research. "There are extremely precise
mechanistic methods augmenting the ability of the immune system to distinguish between
normal tissues and tumors," said lead researcher Richard G. Vile, Ph.D.
"Understanding the multiple checks and safeguards against autoimmunity should allow
us to understand more closely how to generate antitumor immunity." Vile, professor of
immunology in the Department of Molecular Medicine and the Department of Immunology at the
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and professor of biological therapy at the University of
Leeds, United Kingdom, along with other colleagues, induced pathological damage to a
normal organ, in this case the pancreas, with the immune adjuvant hsp70. They investigated
whether that damage could lead to the development of T-cell responses against the normal
pancreas. Inflammatory killing of the normal pancreas induced a Th-1-like, anti-self
response to pancreatic antigens. Rapid suppression and damage to the pancreas induced a
very strong suppressive regulatory T-cell response — Treg. Even after Treg cells were
depleted, Vile and colleagues found that Th-1-like response was insufficient to induce
significant ongoing autoimmunity. "We believe that although there are additional
mechanisms that prevent autoimmunity, simply removing the Treg uncovered a good antitumor
response," Vile said. "We were not expecting that it would be possible to cure
tumors without autoimmunity. Our prediction was that we would have to generate potent
autoimmunity and then the tumors would be rejected." Based on this study, the
researchers suggested that it is more difficult than presumed to induce autoimmunity
against the pancreas because multiple immune safeguards exist to prevent potentially
autoimmune T-cells from destroying the normal pancreas. Further, when comparing the
immunoprotective mechanisms of different tissues, profound differences exist in response
to pathogen-like damage.
Prevent Periodontitis to Reduce the
Risk of Head and Neck Cancer
Chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, is an independent risk factor for head and
neck squamous cell carcinoma. This suggests the need for increased efforts to prevent and
treat periodontitis as a possible means to reduce the risk of this form of cancer.
"Prevent periodontitis; if you have it already, get treatment and maintain good oral
hygiene," said Mine Tezal, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of
Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, and NYS Center
of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences at the University of Buffalo. She is
also a research scientist in the Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Prosthetics at
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, which is where the study was conducted. Results of this
study are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the
American Association for Cancer Research. Chronic periodontitis is characterized by
progressive loss of the bone and soft tissue attachment that surround the teeth. The
researchers assessed the role of chronic periodontitis on head and neck squamous cell
carcinoma, as well as the individual roles on three subsites: oral cavity, oropharyngeal
and laryngeal. They used radiographic measurement of bone loss to measure periodontitis
among 463 patients; 207 of whom were controls. Findings showed that chronic periodontitis
might represent a clinical high-risk profile for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
The strength of the association was greatest in the oral cavity, followed by the
oropharynx and larynx, according to Tezal.
Seizure drug enhances sleep for
women with hot flashes
Gabapentin, a drug initially used to treat seizures, improves sleep quality in menopausal
women with hot flashes, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers report online
and in the September issue of the Journal of Women's Health.Approximately 40 percent of
menopausal women experience sleep disruption, often in the form of difficulty with sleep
initiation and frequent nighttime awakenings. The study is the first to show sustained
benefits in sleep quality from gabapentin, which Rochester researchers already have
demonstrated alleviates hot flashes. "Gabapentin improves sleep quality but does not
have the potential dependency problems of some other sleep medications and does not
involve the use of hormone replacement therapy," said Michael E. Yurcheshen, M.D.,
assistant professor of Neurology and the lead author of the article. "It has minimal
side effects and it is a generic drug," said Yurcheshen, who is based at the Strong
Sleep Disorders Center. "That makes it a very attractive treatment for these problems
in this patient population." For the current study, researchers used data from a
previously published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of gabapentin in
59 postmenopausal women who experienced seven to 20 hot flashes daily. The subjects took
either 300 milligrams of gabapentin three times a day or a placebo. The research used a
factor analysis of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a well-known and validated
questionnaire, to evaluate sleep. The results showed overall improvement in the sleep
quality score, even after 12 weeks of treatment.
Measuring nitrate concentrations in
leafy green vegetables
Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, Asian greens, and spinach can accumulate high
concentrations of nitrate–nitrogen (NO3-N), which are potentially harmful if consumed
by humans. To measure NO3-N concentration in plant tissue, many laboratories use ion
selective electrodes (ISEs). Relatively inexpensive and portable ISE nutrient monitoring
devices, including the Cardy NO3-N meter, are widely used to measure fresh plant sap NO3-N
levels. Although conventional means of measuring plant tissue NO3-N are accurate and
reliable, they often require sophisticated equipment and trained technicians and can be
time-consuming, expensive, and impractical outside of a laboratory setting. A team of
researchers from Washington State University undertook a study to determine if rapid,
less-expensive tissue processing and analysis methods can substitute for more laborious,
expensive procedures to assess quality in leafy green vegetables. Scientists Kristy
Ott-Borrelli, Richard Koenig, and Carol Miles recently published the results of their
study that compared fresh sap expressed from whole leaves and analyzed with a Cardy meter
with the analysis of dry leaf tissue extracts analyzed with a benchtop ion selective
electrode and an automated colorimetric method for determining NO3-N concentration.
Ott-Borrelli explained the impetus for the study, stating; "It would be advantageous
for growers to have rapid and inexpensive methods to accurately measure plant tissue
NO3-N, allowing them to make fertility and harvest management decisions for these
crops." Samples for the study were taken from a larger experiment in which 24
varieties of lettuce, Asian greens, and spinach were harvested three times at two
locations during winter. Results from ISE and colorimetric analysis of the same dry leaf
tissue extracts had a strong relationship (r2 = 0.92). The ISE was relatively easy to
operate and affordable, suggesting it is an adequate substitute for automated colorimetric
analysis of dry plant tissue extracts.
Enzyme inhibitor takes an
unexpected approach toward blocking cancer-promoting protein
Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center have discovered a unique method of attack that may
be used to inhibit signaling enzymes called kinases, which often have a role in sustaining
drug-resistant cancerous cells. They have confirmed that IPA-3, a small molecular
inhibitor of a kinase called PAK1, targets the enzyme's regulatory domain, mimicking how
enzymes are naturally regulated within cells. "Typically, research has focused on
ways of blocking the active site of enzymes, the part of the enzyme that performs a
particular task," says Jeffrey R. Peterson, Ph.D, an assistant professor Fox Chase's
Cancer Genetics and Signaling program and co-author of the article. "The structure of
active site, however, is often shared among kinases, which makes it tough to target a
particular kinase without accidentally inhibiting a related enzyme." "By
targeting PAK1's specific regulatory domain, IPA-3 is highly selective molecule that takes
a more-or-less backdoor approach to shutting down a kinase, " Peterson says. "If
we can create drugs that take advantage of this mechanism, we could create new combination
therapies that will allow doctors to kill what might otherwise be drug-resistant
cells." Peterson and Julien Viaud, a postdoctoral researcher in the Peterson lab,
published their findings in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, available online
now. The researchers previously identified IPA-3 from a screen of 33,000 candidates, and
the molecule has since gone on to become an important subject of study by cancer
laboratories around the world. In the article, the researchers use a variety of techniques
to define how IPA-3 interacts with PAK1. "We found definitive proof that IPA-3 fit
into and binds to PAK1's autoregulatory domain, the part of the enzyme where it can,
essentially, shut itself off when necessary," Peterson says. "Our tests also
demonstrate that IPA-3 is highly selective for PAK1, which means that it is less likely it
will also turn off other kinases unintentionally."
Healthy older brains not
significantly smaller than younger brains, new imaging study shows
The belief that healthy older brains are substantially smaller than younger brains may
stem from studies that did not screen out people whose undetected, slowly developing brain
disease was killing off cells in key areas, according to new research. As a result,
previous findings may have overestimated atrophy and underestimated normal size for the
older brain. The new study tested participants in Holland's long-term Maastricht Aging
Study who were free of neurological problems such as dementia, Parkinson's disease or
stroke. Once participants were deemed otherwise healthy, they took neuropsychological
tests, including a screening test for dementia, at baseline and every three years
afterward for nine years. According to the report in the September Neuropsychology,
published by the American Psychological Association, participants were also given MRI
scans at Year 3 to measure seven different parts of the brain, including the memory-laden
hippocampus, the areas around it, and the frontal and cingulate areas of the cognitively
critical cortex. After examining behavioral data collected from 1994 to 2005 (with scans
taken between 1997 and 1999 depending on when people entered the study), the researchers
divided participants into two groups: one group with 35 cognitively healthy people who
stayed free of dementia (average starting age 69.1 years), and the other group with 30
people who showed substantial cognitive decline but were still dementia-free (average
starting age 69.2 years). That cognitive decline was measured by drops of at least 30
percent on two or more of six core tests of verbal learning and fluency, recall,
processing speed, and complex information processing, and/or drops of 3 or more points, or
scores of 24 or lower (raising suspicion for cognitive impairment), on the Mini-Mental
State Examination screening tool for dementia. In contrast to the 35 people who stayed
healthy, the 30 people who declined cognitively over nine years showed a significant
effect for age in the hippocampus and parahippocampal areas, and in the frontal and
cingulate cortices. In short, among the people whose cognition got worse, older
participants had smaller brain areas than younger participants.
Team reveals molecular mechanism
underlying a form of diabetes
By investigating a rare and severe form of diabetes in children, University of Iowa
researchers have discovered a new molecular mechanism that regulates specialized
pancreatic cells and insulin secretion. The mechanism involves a protein called ankyrin,
which UI researchers previously linked to potentially fatal human heart arrhythmias.The
findings, which appear this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, may help identify new molecular targets for treating both rare and
common forms of diabetes and hyperinsulinemia. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates that 23.6 million people have diabetes in the United States. The
condition doubles the risk of death and includes complications such as heart disease,
stroke, eye and kidney problems, and peripheral vascular disease. The University of Iowa
team, working with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, used animal and
cellular models to focus on a gene mutation linked with permanent neonatal diabetes
mellitus. Children with this genetic form of diabetes have symptoms by age 6 months and
require lifelong dependence on insulin to maintain proper glucose levels. The team
discovered that the specific human gene mutation disrupts the ability of the protein
ankyrin to regulate a key protein complex known as the KATP channel. "We have known
for some time that human mutations in the KATP channel complex may cause diabetes or
hyperinsulinemia," said Faith Kline, Ph.D., the study's lead author and postdoctoral
fellow in internal medicine in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
"Now we know something about how this specific KATP channel mutation results in
disease. "The KATP channel essentially functions as a gatekeeper for insulin
secretion by pancreatic beta cells. Without proper regulation by this gatekeeper, the
pancreatic beta cells are unable to efficiently regulate insulin secretion." In a
healthy individual, pancreatic beta cells respond to changes in blood glucose levels by
secreting the appropriate amount of insulin. Beta cell dysfunction may result in abnormal
blood glucose regulation and severe diabetes.
