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TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

A gene involved in some forms of intellectual disability has been identified by scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as published this month in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The gene is called TRAPPC9.

16 Dec 2009

Participating in social service programs can delay cognitive decline in older adults

Volunteer service, such as tutoring children, can help older adults delay or reverse declining brain function, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

15 Dec 2009

Dendritic cell changes suggest new strategy to identify and treat debilitating lung disease

A new study links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, with increased activity of cells that act as sentinels to activate the body's immune system.

15 Dec 2009

Springer and BSRA sign three-year agreement

Springer has just signed an agreement with the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) to enter into an affiliation with the journal Biogerontology for an initial period of three years.

15 Dec 2009

Discrepancy in dance confidence between men and women due to genetic make-up

Men may shuffle on to the dance floor this Christmas, but once there, they will be impressed by their moves, according to research carried out by the 'Doctor of Dance' at the University of Hertfordshire.

15 Dec 2009

CCB reports single busiest sales day in its 32 year history

California Cryobank (CCB), one of the world's oldest and most successful sperm banks, announced that Cyber Monday, the day following this year's Thanksgiving weekend, was the single busiest sales day in the 32 year history of the company.

15 Dec 2009

Alaska-Scientists identify a novel antifreeze molecule, xylomannan

Alaska-Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain protein, this new molecule, called xylomannan, has little or no protein.

15 Dec 2009

New technique may help diagnose treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cancer.

15 Dec 2009

Pure populations of immature cells that enable male reproduction isolated and transplanted

Reproductive researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have succeeded in isolating and transplanting pure populations of the immature cells that enable male reproduction in two species-human spermatogonia and mouse gonocytes. These germline stem cells, taken from testis biopsies, demonstrated viability following transplantation to mouse testes within a controlled laboratory setting.

15 Dec 2009

University of Alberta researchers make math and science real for high-school students

University of Alberta education professor Stephen Norris and mathematics professor Gerda de Vries used the virus as a theoretical tool when they designed materials for use in an advanced high-school math course.

15 Dec 2009

Over three hundred proteins investigated to understand the mechanism that allows limbs to regenerate

The most comprehensive study to date of the proteins in a species of salamander that can regrow appendages may provide important clues to how similar regeneration could be induced in humans.

15 Dec 2009

Mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway and causes multi-tissue degenerative disease

It's important to finish what you start, say Jeong-Sun Ju and researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. In the December 14, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org), Ju et al. reveal how a mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway through to cause a multi-tissue degenerative disease.

15 Dec 2009

Psychologists study how different sub-scenarios affect moral judgment

Picture the following hypothetical scenario: A trolley is headed toward five helpless victims. The trolley can be redirected so that only one person's life is at stake. Psychologists and philosophers have been using moral dilemmas like this for years asking, would you redirect the train?

15 Dec 2009

Nanoprobes deliver drugs directly to the right tumor cellular compartments

Tiny nanoprobes have shown to be effective in delivering cancer drugs more directly to tumor cells - mitigating the damage to nearby healthy cells - and Purdue University research has shown that the nanoprobes are getting the drugs to right cellular compartments.

15 Dec 2009

Findings suggest variations in accelerated aging disorders

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have provided the most extensive account to date of the unique observable characteristics seen in patients with an extremely rare premature aging syndrome.

15 Dec 2009

Tendons control bone formation that leads to strong skeletal system

In all vertebrates, including humans, bones, muscles and tendons work together to give the skeleton its characteristic balance of stability and movement. Now, new research uncovers a previously unrecognized interaction between tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and the developing embryonic skeleton.

15 Dec 2009

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

How do the brain cells called astrocytes ensure the protection of neurons? By studying the protagonists in the protection and satisfactory functioning of neurons, scientists at the Laboratoire Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs (CNRS/UPMC) have found a mechanism that clarifies the role of astrocytes.

15 Dec 2009

Findings raise new hope for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A new study involving data from more than 20,000 individuals has uncovered several DNA sequences linked to impaired pulmonary function. The research, an analysis that combined the results of several smaller studies, provides insight into the mechanisms involved in reaching full lung capacity.

15 Dec 2009

Breakthrough procedure yields a number of medical possibilities for dental stem cells

BioEDEN, the world-leader in dental stem cell extraction and storage, is celebrating the first successful human medical trial using stem cells from teeth.

15 Dec 2009

Scientists identify protein switch that helps prevent liver cancer

A team of scientists from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Osaka University in Japan have identified a protein switch that helps prevent liver damage, including inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. The findings suggest that a better understanding of how the protein, TAK1, works could lead to new insights into the development of liver disease and cancer.

15 Dec 2009

Medical Science News

TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

Participating in social service programs can delay cognitive decline in older adults

Dendritic cell changes suggest new strategy to identify and treat debilitating lung disease

Springer and BSRA sign three-year agreement

Discrepancy in dance confidence between men and women due to genetic make-up

CCB reports single busiest sales day in its 32 year history

Alaska-Scientists identify a novel antifreeze molecule, xylomannan

New technique may help diagnose treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

Pure populations of immature cells that enable male reproduction isolated and transplanted

University of Alberta researchers make math and science real for high-school students

Over three hundred proteins investigated to understand the mechanism that allows limbs to regenerate

Mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway and causes multi-tissue degenerative disease

Psychologists study how different sub-scenarios affect moral judgment

Nanoprobes deliver drugs directly to the right tumor cellular compartments

Findings suggest variations in accelerated aging disorders

Tendons control bone formation that leads to strong skeletal system

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

Findings raise new hope for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Breakthrough procedure yields a number of medical possibilities for dental stem cells

Scientists identify protein switch that helps prevent liver cancer

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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