tobacco

Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides

...ly. Recent laboratory research on cockroaches and tobacco budworms demonstrates that the toxins can disrupt the insects?nervous systems or induce paralysis in just a few minutes. King and his colleagues are now developing both engineered viruses and small-molecule mimics of the toxins in preparation for fie...

Antibodies from plants protect against anthrax

Scientists have produced, in tobacco plants, human antibodies that could be used to treat anthrax exposure. They report their findings today at the 2005 American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Research Meeting. "The nature of bioterrorism is such that an aggressor is likely to str...

UCSD discovery may help extend life of natural pesticide

...wed that the glycolipid receptor is present in the tobacco hornworm, an insect pest that is susceptible to Bt toxins used commercially in plants. "It will now be possible to monitor insect populations near fields where Bt is used and catch insect resistance in its early stages by looking for changes in glyc...

Plant Sacrifices Cells to Fight Invaders

...udied the plant-pathogen interactions in a type of tobacco easily infected with a virus in the laboratory. The model system allowed the researchers to inactivate, or silence, a gene important to the plant's PCD response. In particular, when the gene was inactivated, the plant was unable to regulate the exten...

Any exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy is risky

...evious studies looking at the potential effects of tobacco smoke exposure to babies in the womb, one of which...controls to consider their second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke through other family members at home, at work or in social situations at restaurants or even o...

Purdue scientists may have found key to halting spinal cord damage

...ded to be dangerous. When a person inhales smog or tobacco smoke, for example, the fluids lining the respiratory tract show an acrolein concentration of about a millimole - not much by measuring-cup standards, but still over 1,000 times more than usual. "If you took a single grain of salt from a shaker and ...

Novel compounds show promise as safer, more potent insecticides

...sts, the compound showed high activity against the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), which is known to cause serious damage to cotton, tobacco and other crops, the researchers say. The compound did not have any measurable effect on mammalian r...

Scientists turn tobacco against cancer

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College are using tobacco plants to produce monoclonal antibodies -- tiny gu...ing for an antibody against colorectal cancer into tobacco plants. The plants, in turn, become factories churning out antibody. The report appears online this ...

University of Nevada, Reno research team discovers hormone that causes malaria mosquito to urinate

...oprene, however, is that for a species such as the tobacco hornworm, methoprene causes it to grow larger instead of transforming into a moth, enhancing the pest's ability to devastate crops. "It's not a great way to sell an insecticide to a farmer," Schooley said. "Most money in pesticide development is in...

NIH renews network focused on how genes influence drug responses

... variation in response to medications for treating tobacco dependence. (Neal L. Benowitz, M.D., University of California, San Francisco) Consortium on Breast Cancer Pharmacogenomics --$11.6 million provided by NIGMS, NIEHS, and ORWH to investigate how genetic differences explain variable respons...

How cell suicide protects plants from infection

...s the interaction between plants and viruses using tobacco as a model system. They identified and silenced a "pro-survival" gene, BECLIN-1, that is important in the PCD response. When BECLIN-1 is active, infection is localized to a small number of cells that later die and form discrete brown lesions on the ...

Naturally occurring asbestos linked to lung cancer

...hs a year are attributed to exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency statistics. Ultramafic rock is distributed throughout the Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains in Northern and Central California, and has been a source of increasing concern as n...

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

...se who undergo an exposure to a carcinogen such as tobacco smoke. However, how the field defect may arise in most sporadic cancers in unclear. In colorectal cancer, the DNA repair gene O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is often methylated--that is, the gene's promoter region has methyl groups ...

Forsyth scientists find three bacteria associated with oral cancer

...lts are also at risk--especially if they chew spit tobacco or smoke and also consume alcohol. Individuals with no known risk factors may also develop oral cancer. "Therefore, all adults should be examined every year," Mager said. Future research The scientists plan future research to reproduce their results...

NC State researchers redesign life for Mars and beyond

... called Pyrococcus furiosus into model plants like tobacco and Arabidopsis, or mustard weed. P. furiosus is one of Earth's earliest life forms, a microbe that can survive in extreme temperatures. It grows and dwells in underwater sea volcanoes where temperatures reach more than 100 degrees Celsius, or that ...

Building a better mouse model of lung cancer: FHIT counts

...ce to NNK, a powerful carcinogen commonly found in tobacco smoke that researchers believe plays a major role in human lung cancer. They discovered that while mice deficient in the FHIT gene's protein did not develop lung tumors any more frequently than did normal mice, the tumors they did develop were large...

Effective, safe anthrax vaccine can be grown in tobacco plants

...own inexpensively and safely with only one acre of tobacco plants, a University of Central Florida molecular ...ll's laboratory through the genetic engineering of tobacco plants survived lethal doses of anthrax administered later by National Institutes of Health research...

Environmental tobacco smoke linked to behavior problems in children and pre-teens

... Center study shows that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated...to protect children from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke," says Dr. Yolton. Dr. Yolton examined 225 children and pre-teens exposed to at least five c...

Alcoholism, smoking and genetics among Plains American Indians

...arch , researchers examine patterns of alcohol and tobacco use among Plains American Indians, as well as the ... This may be a throwback to the traditional use of tobacco amongst American Indians." Enoch said that this study shows how there is no such thing as an "alc...

Human albumin from tobacco plants

...produce, in a recombinant form, human albumin from tobacco plants. According to her PhD thesis, plastidial tr... the PhD is: "Production of human serum albumin in tobacco plants by means of plastidial transformation". It should be added that this novel technique, fruit o...

Plant-derived vaccines safeguard against deadly plague

... Arizona State University have successfully turned tobacco plants into vaccine production factories to combat... short periods of time." The researchers modified tobacco plants to make high levels of the plague antigens F1, V and a combination of the two, a so-called F1...

Chocolate, wine, spicy foods may be OK for heartburn, Stanford study finds

...tty foods, all alcoholic and carbonated beverages, tobacco and mint - and to stop eating three hours before lying down. In addition, you're advised to keep your weight under control. Those lifestyle changes coupled with antacids and various over-the-counter and prescription medications have been the accepted...

Chemical in many air fresheners may reduce lung function

...rom thousands of commonly used products, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, and cleaning products. ...s, occupation, socioeconomic status, environmental tobacco smoke, smoking history, and diagnosis of asthma or emphysema. The authors noted that participants m...

First surveys of Tanzanian mountains reveal 160+ animal species, including new & endemic

...f one forest reserve had been cleared for bean and tobacco farms. Elsewhere, there was evidence of logging and hunting camps. These observations underscore the urgent need for additional conservation investment in the area and in helping limited forestry department staff with tiny budgets effectively manage ...

Cigarette smoke blocks cell repair mechanism, University of Florida study shows

... to the chemical benzo[a]pyrine, which is found in tobacco smoke, called the UF findings very interesting. "We found significant alteration in many of the chromosomes in these cells induced by the effect of benzo[a]pyrine," Russo said. "We were the first ones to demonstrate in normal-like epithelial cells ...

Global study shows all tobacco bad for the heart

...r Canadian-led global study has found all forms of tobacco exposure, whether that be smoking, chewing or inha...e risk of heart attack for various forms of active tobacco use (both smoking and non-smoking) and second hand smoking in all areas of the world. The INTERHEART...

Heal thyself: Systems biology model reveals how cells avoid becoming cancerous

...in a manner similar to that of certain mutagens in tobacco smoke. The alkylation injury caused by MMS results in small kinks in the otherwise smoothly curving double helix of DNA. Cells rapidly identify the damage, stop dividing, excise the damaged DNA, and use several alternate methods to substitute a clean...

Defense peptide found in primates may block some human HIV transmissions

...to grow retrocyclin through genetically engineered tobacco plants. The retrocyclin gene would be incorporated into the chloroplast genome of tobacco cells before the plants grow. Daniell has developed a similar approach to growing anthrax vaccine in...

Smoking changes brain chemistry

...duction of NAA in the ACC depends on the amount of tobacco consumed over time, but it appears to normalize after smoking cessation." ...

Spike in testicular cancer is focus

...y will also examine lifetime occupational history, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and dietary information. “Recent studies show that environmental exposures may affect development of testicular cancer,?said Zheng. “Determining risk factors that lead to testicular cancer, however is complicated becaus...

Environmental toxins may cause body's defenses to worsen lung disease

... happens repeatedly--such as through environmental tobacco or workplace exposures--it may cause the immune sy...nfections, and acrolein, an air pollutant found in tobacco smoke, smog and diesel exhaust--to determine how cells respond to infection and toxicant-induced cel...

Heavy smoking cuts women's chance of pregnancy -- even with donated oocytes

... real association it suggests that, paradoxically, tobacco constituents affect the uterus in different ways in different women, impairing implantation in some and having the opposite effect in others. "It is already known that there is paradoxical dose-dependent effect of nicotine on ovarian tissue. Mayb...

Quitting smoking reduces risk of lung cancer mortality by 70 percent

...e importance of developing effective comprehensive tobacco control policies is highlighted by our research, which shows that if interventions only focus on prevention, then 160 million current smokers will die before 2050, with the vast majority of deaths occurring in China." "Inadequate knowledge of both...

Re-analysis of cigarettes confirms tobacco companies increased addictive nicotine 11 percent

... intensifying the concentration of nicotine in the tobacco but also by modifying several design features of c...ed drug delivery devices, designed to perpetuate a tobacco pandemic," said former Commissioner Koh. "Yet precise information about these products remains shrou...

New cigarette designs don't offer lower predicted cancer risks

The tobacco company's description of its new cigarette brand s...king-related illnesses, including cancer." Another tobacco firm, in a print ad for the brand, has crowed "All of the taste ?Less of the toxins." But a study ...

What recognizes what in plant disease resistance?

...rying a corresponding Avirulence (Avr) gene. In tobacco and its relatives, the N resistance protein confers resistance to infection by the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The authors used N, and the TMV Avirulence gene, p50, to investigate the mechanism of gene-for-gene resistance. Contrary to current models,...

Smoking ban dramatically reduces air pollution in Irish pubs

...orld's first national smoking ban on environmental tobacco smoke exposure in 42 Dublin pubs and among 73 male... self-reported workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was over 40 hours per week pre-ban, but dropped to about 25 minutes post-ban, showing a 99 per...

Long-term marijuana smoking leads to respiratory complaints

...e is linked to many of the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms like... "While there is convincing data on the effects of tobacco smoke on pulmonary clinical outcomes, the effect of marijuana smoke has been poorly understood," sai...

Migration played key role in HIV spread in South Africa

...e is linked to many of the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms like... "While there is convincing data on the effects of tobacco smoke on pulmonary clinical outcomes, the effect of marijuana smoke has been poorly understood," sai...

Indicators for risk of heart disease are higher in passive smokers

...tine intake. Since nicotine is highly specific for tobacco smoke, blood serum cotinine levels track exposure to tobacco smoke and its toxic components. Dr Andrea Venn, lead author of the study and associate professor ...

Whiteflies and plant viruses can help each other to speed up biological invasion

...y (called ZHJ1) on both virus-infected and healthy tobacco plants. Compared to its performance on healthy plants, the invasive B whitefly had higher fecundity and longevity by 12 and 6 fold when feeding on plants infected by one virus, and by 18 and 7 fold when feeding on plants infected by another virus. Po...

Iowa State scientists demonstrate first use of nanotechnology to enter plant cells

...ogy to introduce DNA and chemicals to Arabidopsis, tobacco and corn plants. "The most tremendous advantage is that you can deliver several things into a plant cell at the same time and release them whenever you want," Torney said. "Until now, you were at nature’s mercy when you delivered a gene into a...

100 percent of pregnant women have at least one kind of pesticide in their placenta

... medical history, anthropometric information, age, tobacco habits, lifestyle and diet during pregnancy, among...low. Moreover, daily exercise and the avoidance of tobacco (which could also be a source of inadvertent exposure) are very important habits which help to contr...

Double the death rate from cirrhosis for 'blue collar' men

... disadvantaged. Professor Najman said reducing tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged should be an urgent national priority....

For many insects, winter survival is in the genes

..., the walnut husk maggot, the apple maggot and the tobacco hornworm. Collectively, these species cause millions of dollars of damage annually. Hsp70 was active while all of the insects were in diapause. When Denlinger's team knocked out the Hsp70 gene that makes the heat-shock protein, the insects were...

Smoking rate has plummeted in New York City

...cade with no progress, New York City increased the tobacco tax, eliminated smoking in virtually all workplace... Frieden -- “especially when they’re paired with a tobacco tax and smoke-free air legislation. With nearly a quarter of a million fewer smokers, New York City ...

Children of smokers have more than 5 times higher levels of a nicotine toxin

...y 40% of under-fives are believed to be exposed to tobacco smoke at home, and smoke may be responsible for up to 6,000 deaths per year in young children. The authors say: ‘Babies and children are routinely exposed to cigarette smoking by their carers in their homes, without the legislative protection ava...

Snoring in children might be an allergic type disease

...itis who were first born, were exposed to maternal tobacco smoke during the first year of life and/or who had asthma and/or eczema at age five years were more likely to snore. Breastfeeding, birth weight, body mass index at age 4.5 years and respiratory function whilst awake were found to be unrelated. ...

Cigarette smoke alters DNA in sperm, genetic damage could pass to offspring

...per day, the equivalent – based on blood levels of tobacco by-products – of an average human smoker, according to research previously published by one of the study's co-authors. Yauk and her colleagues found that the rate of Ms6-hm mutations in the smoking mice were 1.4 times higher than that of non-smoki...

Blood test may help signal tumor's remission, return in throat cancer patients

...that 7,550 Americans will die from it. Alcohol and tobacco use are the most important risk factors for head and neck cancers, with tobacco use accounting for 85 percent of the cases. Just last month, other NIH-supported doctors reported th...