Special Reports
Protein Plays Different Roles In Growth Of Normal And Cancerous Mouse Cell Lines (24/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have found that inhibition of the same protein produces different effects in mouse cell lines depending on whether those cell lines expressing normal or cancerous forms of Kit, a cell surface receptor. These findings, appearing in the journal Blood online on November 12, reveal a potential new target for treating certain blood cell disorders.
Genetic discovery paves way to decode sense of smell in mammals (24/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Duke University Medical Center geneticists have discovered new proteins that help the olfactory system in mammals organize properly. Thus the proteins are key to the ability of mammals, including humans, to detect and respond appropriately to chemicals in the environment via their sense of smell. The finding in mice paves the way for scientists to unravel the underlying code that allows the brain to interpret smells, according to the researchers.
Heart Responds To Fasting By Remodeling Vital Energy-producing Components (24/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) St. Louis - Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a previously unsuspected response by mouse heart muscle cells to fasting conditions: the cells' power generators, the mitochondria, appear to remodel and consume extra internal walls or membranes in an effort to supply energy to the rest of the cell.
Biogen, Elan Win U.S. Approval for New MS Drug (24/11)
(REUTERS.CO.UK) WASHINGTON - A once-a-month drug for treating multiple sclerosis that appears to cut relapses of the autoimmune disorder was approved on Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Tysabri, developed by Biogen Idec Inc. and Elan Corp. and formerly called Antegren, is the first kind of drug to prevent inflamed cells from escaping into the tissue of the brain, where they can cause unpredictable neurological problems.
Federal funds given for regenerative medicine center (24/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) and University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC) have been awarded $4.5 million in seed funding to establish the National Center for Regenerative Medicine as part of the omnibus appropriation bill approved by Congress this week. Additional funding for the center is expected over the next five years.
Ocean plunge reveals many new species (24/11)
(CBC.CA) WASHINGTON - Scientists are discovering more than two new species of fish a week on average in their survey of the world's oceans. Researchers from more than 70 countries are collaborating on the world's first Census of Marine Life, a $1-billion US project due to report findings in 2010.
Enzyme Essential To Sperm Movement Provides Target For New Contraceptive Approach (24/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) A team of researchers has determined that an enzyme in sperm is necessary for sperm movement. Mice bred to lack this enzyme produce sperm that cannot swim toward egg cells to fertilize them. The enzyme, known as GAPDS, is essentially the same as an enzyme produced in human sperm. The researchers believe that designing a drug to disable the enzyme might provide the basis for an effective new form of male contraception. Similarly, an understanding of the enzyme and related chemical reactions might lead to insights into treatment for some forms of male infertility.
Animal bacteria linked to Crohn’s disease (24/11)
(MSNBC.MSN.COM) LONDON - A bacterium that causes intestinal illness in cattle and sheep could also be responsible for Crohn’s disease, researchers said on Friday. Crohn’s disease is an inflammation in the small intestine that affects about a million people worldwide. Scientists are not sure what causes it but they suspect it is due to a reaction by the body’s immune system to a virus or bacterium.
Skeletal Muscle Cells as Source for Regenerating Nerve Tissue (24/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Cells from skeletal muscle could be an important source of stem cells for repairing damaged muscle or nerve tissue, suggest authors of a research article in this week's issue of THE LANCET.
Exposure to monkey virus, cancer linked (24/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) ROCKVILLE, Md - Maryland researchers have found evidence in North American zoo workers that exposure to a monkey virus may be related to cancer. The study by the National Cancer Institute, the Johns Hopkins University and other groups, to be published in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, focused on 254 zoo workers, 109 of whom handled primates extensively and the remainder not at all.
Stanford Study Reveals That Cells Linked To Asthma And Eczema Also Help Cure Deadly Illness In Mice (17/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) STANFORD, Calif. - Mast cells are immune cells known mostly for their unwanted effects: they cause the wheezing of asthma, the itching of eczema, the sneezing and runny nose of hay fever and, in extreme cases, the life-threatening shock of anaphylaxis. But researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that these cells also have some very beneficial effects.
Study: Dieting With a Pet May Be Effective (17/11)
(APNEWS.MYWAY.COM) LAS VEGAS - People looking for a way to lose weight may want to trade in pills for a pooch. A first-of-its-kind experiment to put people and their pets on a diet and exercise program found that both lost weight and kept it off, though dogs did better than their owners and didn't drive them crazy begging for food.
Compound in apples may help fight Alzheimer's disease (17/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) A potent antioxidant abundant in apples and some other fruits and vegetables appears to protect brain cells against oxidative stress, a tissue-damaging process associated with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, according to a new study in rat brain cells conducted by researchers at Cornell University in New York.
New Protein Identified in Development of Lung Cancer (17/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) A newly-identified protein that can flag an important tumor suppressor gene for destruction may be a key player in the development of lung cancer.
Who Urged to Allow Gene-modified Smallpox Research (17/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) WASHINGTON - Advisers to the World Health Organization have pressed the body to allow a few scientists to genetically modify the smallpox virus to make it easier to study, a WHO spokesman said on Thursday. It may take weeks or months for the WHO to decide on the emotive issue, which involves a fearsome disease that has been wiped out in nature by vaccination but which experts believe could be used in a biological attack.
Extending Immune Cell Life Fights HIV (17/11)
(FORBES.COM) Boosting a cellular protein called telomerase may help ward off HIV, say UCLA scientists. They found that telomerase prevents premature aging of immune cells that combat HIV, enabling them to divide indefinitely as they defend the body against HIV.
Drugs May Not Protect Against Cat Allergies (17/11)
(HEALTHDAY.COM) People allergic to cats may not be getting adequate relief from their prescription drugs even though more of the medications contain ingredients aimed at attacking these irritants, a new study finds.
Aromatase Inhibitors Recommended for Breast Cancer (17/11)
(HEALTHDAY.COM) A group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors should be used after surgery to treat postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, new guidelines recommend.
Coping With Dry Eyes (17/11)
(IVANHOE.COM) SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Dry eye syndrome is a common and often painful condition that affects millions of Americans. Over-the-counter remedies can help, but some can do more harm than good. Here's why the right treatment is important. Accountant Debbie Noble spends most of her day in front of a computer screen, a task that's good for her job, but bad for her eyes. "I was experiencing tired, dry, scratchy, straining kind of vision," she tells Ivanhoe.
Gene therapy promising for Fabry disease (17/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) TORONTO - University of Toronto researchers have developed a gene therapy that shows promise for early and sustained correction of Fabry disease. Fabry disease is an inherited disorder whose sufferers have a life expectancy of only 40 to 50 years and it is one of about 40 lysosomal storage disorders that collectively affect approximately one in 7,700 people.
What makes a fast racehorse? (10/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Around 80 per cent of modern thoroughbred racehorses have in their pedigree the 18th century horse Eclipse, which went its entire racing career unbeaten. 200 years later the question of what makes a fast racehorse still perplexes trainers and racing fans but researchers at The Royal Veterinary College may have found the answer to this and other questions on animal locomotion.
Thyroid hormone promotes remyelination in model of chronic demyelination (10/11)
(REUTERSHEALTH.COM) NEW YORK - Treatment with thyroid hormone accelerates remyelination in rats with a chronic demyelinating-inflammatory disease, according to a report in the November 16th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors believe this therapy could be useful for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Spatial structure, dispersal, and management of a recovering raptor population (10/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Most wild species experience considerable variation in habitat quality. Ecological theory that considers how organisms disperse between good and bad habitats has shown that such spatial structure can strongly influence population dynamics, but real-world implications have rarely been found. In this study, researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz show that the spatial structure of Peregrine Falcons in California has profoundly influenced the management and recovery of this species.
Method raises promise of heart stem cells (10/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) NEW ORLEANS, Nov 08, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists Monday said they have developed an efficient method for obtaining heart stem cells from tiny amounts of biopsied heart tissue. The development, which was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions meeting in New Orleans, opens the possibility of using a patient's own stem cells to repair heart damage due to a heart attack or heart disease.
Engineered Stem Cells Can Home In On Tumors And Deliver Drug Payload In Mice (10/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have perfected a delivery system for anticancer treatment that zeroes in on a tumor and becomes part of its supporting tissue. This new “cellular vehicle” then pumps drugs directly into cancer cells to disable them, but leaves normal tissue alone.
Anti-diabetes drugs show pancreatic cancer-fighting properties (10/11)
(REUTERSHEALTH.COM) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The oral anti-diabetic thiazolidinediones (TZDs), such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, could offer a valuable complement to conventional chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, Italian researchers report in the November issue of Gut.
Sexual competition drives evolution of a sex-related gene (10/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) In what could be termed a truly seminal discovery, researchers have shown that when females are more promiscuous, males have to work harder -- at the genetic level, that is. More specifically, they determined that a protein controlling semen viscosity evolves more rapidly in primate species with promiscuous females than in monogamous species. The finding demonstrates that sexual competition among males is evident at the molecular level, as well as at behavioral and physiological levels.
Cloning of flies is latest buzz (10/11)
(NEWS.BBC.CO.UK) Flies are the latest animals to be cloned, the journal Genetics reports. Five genetically identical fruit flies were produced at the lab of Dr Vett Lloyd at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Fly Control Does Not Stop Ulcer Bug Infection (10/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) NEW YORK - The stomach bug H. pylori has come to be seen as the cause of most if not all stomach ulcers, but just why so many people carry the infection has been a mystery. One idea, that flies are to blame, does not seem to be the answer, according to new research. Dr. S. J. Allen, from the University of Wales in Swansea, UK, and colleagues note that H. pylori has no known environmental "reservoir" other than in humans. However, they explain in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, it has been proposed that flies may also be a reservoir -- and carrier -- because H. pylori infection rates are high in poor areas, and flies are everywhere in such locations.
Retinal Stem Cells Can Regenerate After Transplant (10/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) University of Toronto researchers have shown that human retinal stem cells transplanted into the eyes of mice and chicks can successfully regenerate. The research, published in the Oct. 19 issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, documents the development of transplanted human retinal stem cells into light-sensing photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, the cells which bounce light and images back onto the retina.
Gene Therapy Approach Reverses Diabetic Neuropathy In Animal Model, Pitt Study Finds (03/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) SAN DIEGO – Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have demonstrated for the first time that gene therapy can reverse diabetic neuropathy. While their studies have so far only involved mice, the results are significant because they provide the earliest evidence that such an approach might some day help people with diabetes, in whom neuropathy is a common complication that causes irreversible nerve damage. Details of the research were presented today at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, being held Oct. 23 – 27 in San Diego.
Viruses may trigger autoimmune diseases (03/11)
(MNLM.NIH.GOV) SAN DIEGO, Nov 02, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Viruses alone may not cause autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis but can accelerate them in genetically predisposed people, U.S. researchers report. Scientists found mice predisposed to diabetes were more likely to develop the disease if exposed to a virus. Diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of diseases where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Researchers believe the body may act correctly to repel an invading virus but then extend its attack to molecules similar to those in the virus. Normal cells containing those molecules may then be damaged.
Genetically Endowed Worm May Substitute For Rodents In Some Toxicology Testing (03/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) DURHAM, N.C. -- A primitive roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is being evaluated in a Duke University laboratory as a cheaper and quicker alternative to rats and mice in testing chemicals for several kinds of toxicity.
Anthrax toxin inhibitor prevents anthrax infection in animals (03/11)
(REUTERSHEALTH.COM) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - ToxBlox, a recombinant form of anthrax protective antigen, protects animals from anthrax infection and death, according to data reported Sunday in Washington, DC at the 44th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
Is The Zebra Fish Leading Us To New Therapies? (03/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) A little over a year ago, the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), the D. Collen Research Foundation, and the Catholic University of Leuven invested in the acquisition of a new technology provided by the zebra fish. This small aquarium fish can be used to aid the study of the function of human genes. That this investment is reaping returns is evident from the study that VIB researchers at the Catholic University of Leuven are publishing today in the renowned journal Nature. They have shown for the first time that new blood vessels do not grow in random directions, but that they are guided by specific signal molecules. This is a major step in the development of new targeted forms of therapeutic angiogenesis.
Engineered stem cells home in on tumors and deliver drug payload in mice (03/11)
(MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM) Researchers at The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center have perfected a delivery system for anticancer treatment that zeroes in on a tumor and becomes part of its supporting tissue. This new "cellular vehicle" then pumps drugs directly into cancer cells to disable them, but leaves normal tissue alone.
Tufts Veterinary School Scientists Decode Cryptosporidium Genome (03/11)
(SCIENCEDAILY.COM) NORTH GRAFTON, Mass. - A team of scientists at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine has helped decode the genome sequence of Cryptosporidium hominis, an insidious parasite identified as one of the most common causes of waterborne diseases in humans and classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a potential bioterrorist agent. The researchers' findings are reported in today's issue of the journal Nature.
The supermice that resist cancer (03/11)
(NEWS.BBC.CO.UK) Scientists have bred a family of "supermice" that are highly resistant to cancer. The mice have three instead of two copies of genes that keep cell division in check.
Laser And Ultrasound Help Wounds Heal, in Rats (03/11)
(NLM.NIH.GOV) NEW YORK - Laser therapy and ultrasound promote wound healing, Turkish researchers have shown in animal experiments. In the study, 124 rats with experimental back wounds were treated with ultrasound therapy, fake-ultrasound, laser therapy, or fake-laser for 10 days.
Special Reports:
Nobel Laureates Back Animal Research
Winners of Nobel prizes in physiology or medicine
overwhelmingly support responsible use of animals in research, according to
Seriously Ill For Medical
Research (SIMR) of Bedfordshire, England. SIMR has carried out a survey of
Nobel prize winners in physiology or medicine to find the views of top medical
researchers worldwide on the need for animals in medical research.
The centenary of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896
seemed an ideal opportunity. "We are concerned that animal rights propaganda has
undue influence in the media, leading to confusion amongst the public and
patients about animal research. SIMR wants to help sort out science fact from
science fiction," said the late Andrew Blake of SIMR.
Questionnaires were sent to all living Nobel
laureates in medicine or physiology. They were asked to indicate their level of
agreement with five statements on the use of animals in medcal research. Their
responses show unanimous support on the need to use animals in medical research.
The complete survey results are available at the
SIMR website. To review the achievements of these great scientists, see a
Timeline
of Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine.
info@pirweb.org