A better genetic test for autism
March 14, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Keri Stedman
keri.stedman@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children’s Hospital Boston Read more
Formula for making teeth coming soon?
March 14, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Jukka Jernvall
jukka.jernvall@helsinki.fi
358-407-403-478
University of Helsinki
Each cusp of our teeth is regulated by genes which carefully control the development. A similar genetic puzzle also regulates the differentiation of our other organs and of all living organisms. A team of researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki has developed a computer model reproducing population-level variation in complex structures like teeth and organs. The research takes a step towards the growing of correctly shaped teeth and other organs. The results were published last week in Nature, the esteemed science journal.
Study opens new avenue for developing treatments for genetic muscle-wasting disease
March 14, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Jennifer Paterson
jpaterson@ohri.ca
613-798-5555 x73325
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Scientists from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa have identified a promising new approach for developing drugs to treat Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading inherited cause of death in infants and toddlers. Dr. Rashmi Kothary and his doctoral student Melissa Bowerman have found that an enzyme called RhoA is overly active in a mouse model of the disease and blocking this enzyme can greatly increase survival. The study is published in Human Molecular Genetics.
How muscle cells control fatty acid uptake
March 14, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Katarina Sternudd
katarina.sternudd@ki.se
46-852-483-895
Karolinska Institutet
A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the blood vessels and muscles of the heart can regulate the uptake of fatty acids that we ingest through meat, milk products and other food. The researchers behind the study have also identified the way in which regulation is governed by the muscles themselves. The results, which are published in the scientific journal Nature, open the way for new forms of treatment for pathological fat accumulation in the muscles which, in turn, increases the risk of type II (adult) diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers uncover new data about Arl13b function in Joubert syndrome
March 14, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Rita Sullivan
news@rupress.org
212-327-8603
Rockefeller University Press
Researchers in Ireland have gained new understanding of the role played by the cilial protein Arl13b in Joubert syndrome (JS), a rare disorder characterized by developmental delay, mental retardation, and low muscle tone, among other symptoms. The findings will be published online March 15 in the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).
UF researcher urges caution in reducing blood pressure in patients with diabetes, coronary disease
March 13, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Linda Homewood
homewood@ufl.edu
352-665-3665
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. For patients with diabetes and heart disease, less isn’t always more at least when it comes to blood pressure.
New cancer drug screening technique more closely mirrors reality
March 13, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Teresa Herbert
teresa_herbert@dfci.harvard.edu
617-632-4090
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
BOSTON Improving on traditional screening tests for potential anti-cancer drugs, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a laboratory technique that more closely simulates the real-world conditions in which tumor cells mingle with the body’s normal cells.
Regadenoson is safe, effective for use in heart transplant patients
March 13, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: David Olejarz
dolejar1@hfhs.org
313-874-4094
Henry Ford Health System
The drug regadenoson is safe and poses fewer side effects than the conventional medication used during a cardiac nuclear stress test of heart transplant patients, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Plaque on CT scan is strong predictor of heart disease, worse long-term outcomes
March 13, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: David Olejarz
dolejar1@hfhs.org
313-874-4094
Henry Ford Health System
The presence of plaque on an abdominal CT scan is a strong predictor of coronary artery disease and mortality, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
A golden bullet for cancer
Contact: Diana Lutz
dlutz@wustl.edu
314-935-5272
Washington University in St. Louis Read more
