March 8, 2013--------News Archive

Scientists Cure Cancer In Mouse
UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists report the first successful blocking of tumor development in a genetic mouse model of an incurable human cancer

Brain Cells' Multitask
A region of the brain known to play a key role in visual and spatial processing also sorts visual information into categories, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago

Folate and Vitamin B12 Reduce Schizophrenia Symptoms in Some with Specifc Genes Variants
Adding supplements to antipsychotic medication alleviated negative symptoms in patients with specific genes

March 7, 2013--------News Archive

The Molecule mTORC2 Allows Command & Control of Memory
Introductions at a party seem to go in one ear and out the other. However, if you meet someone two or three times during the party, you are more likely to remember his or her name. Your brain has now taken a short-term memory—the introduction—and converted it into a long-term one

The Circuitry of Cells in Immune and Autoimmune Diseases
Connections point to an interplay between salt consumption and genetic factors in the regulation of autoimmune disease

A New View of How Transcription is Initiated
Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers watched the molecular details of how proteins enter into a pre-initiation complex with one another before transcribing DNA into RNA

March 6, 2013--------News Archive

Using Genetically Corrected Stem Cells Sparks Muscle Regeneration
Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Lillehei Heart Institute have combined genetic repair with cellular reprogramming to generate stem cells capable of muscle regeneration in a mouse model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

Faulty Protein Digestion in Neurons Cause of Familial Parkinson's
Findings point to an intracellular system breakdown that normally would prevent the protein alpha-synuclein from reaching toxic levels in dopamine-producing neurons

Discovered—Gene that Causes Obesity in Mice
Researchers have discovered that deleting a specific gene in mice prevents them from becoming obese even on a high fat diet, a finding they believe may be replicated in humans. Deleting the gene in mice eliminates obesity, which is highly significant for humans

March 5, 2013--------News Archive

First 'Functional HIV Cure' in an Infant
A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School describe the first case of a so-called "functional cure" in an HIV-infected infant. The finding, the investigators say, may help pave the way to eliminating HIV infection in children

Placenta Reflects Mom's Exposure to Stress
According to a new study by a research group from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, if a mother is exposed to stress during pregnancy, her placenta translates that experience to her fetus by altering levels of a protein that affects the developing brains of male and female offspring differently

A 'Google Map' of Human Metabolism
Building on earlier pioneering work by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, an international consortium of university researchers has produced the most comprehensive virtual reconstruction of human metabolism to date

March 4, 2013--------News Archive

Progesterone May Make Pregnacies More Vulnerable to Infections
New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that the progesterone receptor functions to regulate the helper T cells required for developing antibodies that protect humans against disease

Eating Junk Food While Pregnant? Child May Become Junk Food Addict
New research shows that eating a junk food diet during pregnancy changes the development of the opioid signaling pathway in the baby's brain

DNA’s Twisted Communication
During embryo development, genes are dynamically, and very precisely, switched on and off to confer different properties to different cells and build a well-proportioned and healthy fetus. Fgf8 is one of the key genes in this process, in particular controlling the growth of the limbs and the formation of the different regions of the brain