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Bioinformatics used to advance human disease research

The use of computers to advance human disease research - known as bioinformatics -- has received a major boost from researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI).

18 Jun 2006

Transcription factors act not only in isolation to regulate distinct sets of genes

Scientists eager to help develop a new generation of pharmaceuticals are studying cellular proteins called transcription factors, which bind to upstream sequences of genes to turn the expression of those genes on or off.

18 Jun 2006

Researchers identify new keys to regulation of bacterial gene expression

The cellular process of transcription, in which the enzyme RNA polymerase constructs chains of RNA from information contained in DNA, depends upon previously underappreciated sections of both the DNA promoter region and RNA polymerase

18 Jun 2006

Researchers identify mechanism that regulates how many new cells are produced by each intestinal stem cell

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified an important mechanism that regulates how many new cells are produced by each intestinal stem cell.

18 Jun 2006

Vegetables may reduce hardening of arteries

New research suggests one reason vegetables may be so good for us - a study in mice found that a mixture of five common vegetables reduced hardening of the arteries by 38 percent compared to animals eating a non-vegetable diet.

18 Jun 2006

Discovery of gene behind iron accumulation in brain has implications for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have identified the gene behind a group of rare, progressive childhood disorders caused by an abnormal buildup of iron in the brain.

18 Jun 2006

Most head lice are resistant to a common treatment

According to new research the British school nurse has her work cut out because it appears that most head lice are resistant to a common treatment used to eradicate them.

18 Jun 2006

Burkitt lymphoma gene expression signature identified

An international research study involving the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the National Cancer Institute and 10 other institutions has successfully identified the gene expression signature for Burkitt lymphoma.

14 Jun 2006

Hierarchical control of dopamine neuron-firing patterns by nicotinic receptors

Understanding what makes people crave the high of nicotine is a key to developing treatment for this highly addictive drug.

14 Jun 2006

Pesticides increase risk of developing Parkinson's disease

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that using pesticides for farming or other purposes increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease for men.

14 Jun 2006

Broca's area and the hierarchical organization of human behavior

Researchers have discovered that Broca's area in the brain - best known as the region that evolved to manage speech production - is a major "executive" center in the brain for organizing hierarchies of behaviors.

14 Jun 2006

Brain chemistry finding suggests new target for addiction treatments

Ask anyone who has been addicted to drugs and they'll tell you that the mere sight of someone using their drug of choice - or even people, places, or objects associated with drug use - can trigger an intense desire for the drug.

14 Jun 2006

Stem cell breakthrough

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Calgary have found that stem cells derived from adult skin can create neural cell types that can be transplanted into and function in mouse models of disease.

14 Jun 2006

Evidence of RNA in structures essential to cell division

Evidence for the first time that centrosomes, which play a key role in cell division, may carry their own genetic machinery, answering a controversial question of long standing.

14 Jun 2006

Know your fats because now trans fats are the bad guys

A new study has found that trans fats redistribute body fat to the abdomen, creating the deadly "apple" body shape and it can happen on a calorie-controlled diet.

14 Jun 2006

Vaccine to treat Alzheimer's effective and safe

According to researchers in Japan they have developed a DNA vaccine that reduces the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mice without causing side-effects.

13 Jun 2006

Coffee may help prevent cirrhosis of the liver

Researchers in the U.S. suggest that drinking coffee may help protect against alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver.

12 Jun 2006

Mechanism for neurodenegerative diseases linked to transport proteins

Hampering the transport of proteins within cells may underlie several adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's, ALS and Kennedy disease. Understanding how this cell transport is blocked in these diseases may offer targets for future therapy.

9 Jun 2006

Japanese researchers using PET imaging detect the beginnings of atherosclerosis

Using positron emission tomography (PET), the medical isotope 15O-water and cold pressor tests, Japanese researchers were able to detect the beginnings of atherosclerosis - before the disease became clinically evident.

9 Jun 2006

Terminally ill cancer patients continue to receive aggressive treatment at end of life

The increasing use of chemotherapy and intensive hospital treatment for cancer patients in their last two weeks of life continued at least into the late 1990s despite the growth of the hospice movement that emphasizes comforting personal bonds and controlling pain and discomfort

9 Jun 2006