ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• A supercharged protein reduces damage from heart attack
• Planarian genes that control stem cell biology identified
• Vitamin D shrinks fibroid tumors in rats
• Clearer picture of how protein machine systems tweak gene expression
• How red blood cells get so big -- and the bad things that happen when they don't
• Antibodies are not required for immunity against some viruses
• How marijuana impairs memory
• Basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells revealed
• Cell and signaling pathway that regulates the placental blood stem cell niche identified
• Treating brain cancer with viral vector
• Nutrient found in dark meat of poultry, some seafood, may have cardiovascular benefits
• How anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains
• How does nearsightedness develop in children?
• Groundbreaking discovery on stem cell regulation
• Depression: An evolutionary byproduct of immune system?
• Promising approach to preventing Alzheimer's
• Understanding and treating the cognitive dysfunction of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
• In what ways does lead damage the brain? It derails the brain's center for learning
• Nanofiber breakthrough holds promise for medicine and microprocessors

A supercharged protein reduces damage from heart attack Posted: 01 Mar 2012 03:09 PM PST Researchers have tapped into the body's own repair system to protect heart cells after an attack. In the study mice were bred to make a supercharged version of the protein focal adhesion kinase, or FAK.

Planarian genes that control stem cell biology identified Posted: 01 Mar 2012 03:09 PM PST Devising a novel method to identify potential genetic regulators in planarian stem cells, scientists have determined which of those genes affect the two main functions of stem cells.

Vitamin D shrinks fibroid tumors in rats Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:37 AM PST Treatment with vitamin D reduced the size of uterine fibroids in laboratory rats predisposed to developing the benign tumors, reported researchers.

Clearer picture of how protein machine systems tweak gene expression Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:37 AM PST Biologists have found that specific types of RNA polymerase enzymes, the molecular machines that convert DNA into RNA, can differ in function based on variation in the parts -- in this case protein subunits -- used to assemble those machines.

How red blood cells get so big -- and the bad things that happen when they don't Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:34 AM PST Researchers have discovered how megakaryocytes -- giant blood cells that produce wound-healing platelets -- manage to grow 10 to 15 times larger than other blood cells. The findings also hint at how a malfunction in this process may cause a form of leukemia.

Antibodies are not required for immunity against some viruses Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:34 AM PST A new study turns the well established theory that antibodies are required for antiviral immunity upside down and reveals that an unexpected partnership between the specific and non-specific divisions of the immune system is critical for fighting some types of viral infections. The research may lead to a new understanding of the best way to help protect those exposed to potentially lethal viruses, such as the rabies virus.

How marijuana impairs memory Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:34 AM PST A major downside of the medical use of marijuana is the drug's ill effects on working memory, the ability to transiently hold and process information for reasoning, comprehension and learning. Researchers provide new insight into the source of those memory lapses. The answer comes as quite a surprise: Marijuana's major psychoactive ingredient (THC) impairs memory independently of its direct effects on neurons.

Basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells revealed Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:34 AM PST Scientists have created the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types.

Cell and signaling pathway that regulates the placental blood stem cell niche identified Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:33 AM PST Stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.

Treating brain cancer with viral vector Posted: 01 Mar 2012 11:29 AM PST Surgeons are now starting to treat patients with recurrent brain cancer by directly injecting an investigational viral vector into their tumor.

Nutrient found in dark meat of poultry, some seafood, may have cardiovascular benefits Posted: 01 Mar 2012 08:33 AM PST A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease in women with high cholesterol, according to a new study.

How anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains Posted: 01 Mar 2012 08:33 AM PST The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced.

How does nearsightedness develop in children? Posted: 01 Mar 2012 08:32 AM PST Myopia (nearsightedness) develops in children when the lens stops compensating for continued growth of the eye, according to a new study.

Groundbreaking discovery on stem cell regulation Posted: 01 Mar 2012 07:39 AM PST Scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal -- the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely -- and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation.

Depression: An evolutionary byproduct of immune system? Posted: 01 Mar 2012 07:37 AM PST Depression is common enough -- afflicting one in ten adults in the United States -- that it seems the possibility of depression must be "hard-wired" into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage. Some previous proposals for the role of depression in evolution have focused on how it affects behavior in a social context. A pair of psychiatrists addresses this puzzle in a different way, tying together depression and resistance to infection. They propose that genetic variations that promote depression arose during evolution because they helped our ancestors fight infection.

Promising approach to preventing Alzheimer's Posted: 01 Mar 2012 07:27 AM PST As scientists struggle to find an effective way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers may have found a new approach to interrupting the process that leads to the devastating disease.

Understanding and treating the cognitive dysfunction of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease Posted: 01 Mar 2012 05:35 AM PST Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live born children arising as a consequence of a chromosomal abnormality. It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-long cognitive dysfunction that can range from mild to severe but which further deteriorates as individuals with DS age.

In what ways does lead damage the brain? It derails the brain's center for learning Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:51 AM PST Exposure to lead wreaks havoc in the brain, with consequences that include lower IQ and reduced potential for learning. But the precise mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain has largely remained unknown. New research has used high-powered fluorescent microscopy and other advanced techniques to painstakingly chart the varied ways lead inflicts its damage.

Nanofiber breakthrough holds promise for medicine and microprocessors Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:51 AM PST A new method for creating nanofibers made of proteins promises to greatly improve drug delivery methods, aid in regenerating human tissue, and pave the way to an organic method of building nanofibers for tiny, powerful microprocessors. Researchers have discovered how to make nanofibers using the COMP protein found in human cartilage. By adding different metal ions, researchers found the fibers would absorb or release drug molecules.

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