Damage in Biological News

Scientists track impact of DNA damage in the developing brain

Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists. The work, published in the Aug...

Environmental exposures may damage DNA in as few as three days

ATS 2009, SAN DIEGOExposure to particulate matter has been recognized as a contributing factor to lung cancer development for some time, but a new study indicates inhalation of certain particulates can actually cause some genes to become reprogrammed, affecting both the development and the outcome...

Alzheimer's disease therapeutic prevents long-term damage from TBI in pre-clinical studies

WASHINGTON, D.C. A class of Alzheimer's disease drugs currently studied in clinical trials appears to reduce damage caused by traumatic brain injury in animals, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center report in an upcoming advance online publication of Nature Medicine . They say t...

Study: Fluid buildup in lungs is part of the damage done by the flu

COLUMBUS, Ohio In a fight against respiratory infections, the body typically produces a little fluid to help the lungs generate a productive cough. But new research suggests that the influenza virus can tip the balance toward too much fluid in the lungs, interfering with the supply of oxygen to t...

Low level herbicide use can damage potato reproduction

MADISON, WI, JANUARY 5, 2009 Currently, plant testing in the United States to determine potential ecological risks from chemical pesticides to nontarget plants requires two tests, both of which use immature plants. Protection of the plant development and reproduction are not considered, unlike te...

Gene therapy reversed heart damage in heart failure

(PHILADELPHIA) Long-term gene therapy resulted in improved cardiac function and reversed deterioration of the heart in rats with heart failure, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University's Center for Translational Medicine. The study was published online i...

A low dose of caffeine when pregnant may damage the heart of offspring for a lifetime

A new study published online in The FASEB Journal shows that the equivalent of one dose of caffeine (just two cups of coffee) ingested during pregnancy may be enough to affect fetal heart development and then reduce heart function over the entire lifespan of the child. In addition, the researche...

Reducing the damage of a heart attack

NEW YORK (Dec. 15, 2008) -- In the aftermath of a heart attack, the body's own defenses may contribute to future heart failure. Authors of a new study believe they have identified a protein that plays an important role in a process that replaces dead heart muscle with stiffening scar tissue. The r...

Single adult stem cell can self renew, repair tissue damage in live mammal

The first demonstration that a single adult stem cell can self-renew in a mammal was reported at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) 48th Annual Meeting, Dec. 13-17, 2008 in San Francisco. The transplanted adult stem cell and its differentiated descendants restored lost function to mi...

Mercury pollution causes immune damage to harbor seals

Methylmercury (MeHg), the predominant form of mercury found in the blood of marine mammals and fish-eating communities, could be more damaging to seals than has previously been thought. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health shows that MeHg harms T-lympho...

Anti-cancer drug prevents, reverses cardiovascular damage in mouse model of premature aging disorder

An experimental anti-cancer drug can prevent -- and even reverse -- potentially fatal cardiovascular damage in a mouse model of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes the most dramatic form of human premature aging, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers reported today. In a s...

Researchers block damage to fetal brain following maternal alcohol consumption

BETHESDA, Md. (August 11, 2008) − In a study on fetal alcohol syndrome, researchers were able to prevent the damage that alcohol causes to cells in a key area of the fetal brain by blocking acid sensitive potassium channels and preventing the acidic environment that alcohol produces. The cer...

Compound that helps rice grow reduces nerve, vascular damage from diabetes

You may want to soak your brown rice. Researchers have found that a compound that helps rice seed grow, springs back into action when brown rice is placed in water overnight before cooking, significantly reducing the nerve and vascular damage that often result from diabetes. "You have to let...

Sunburn alert: UVB does more damage to DNA than UVA

As bombs burst in air this July 4, chances are that sunburn will be the red glare that most folks see and feel. But unfortunately, even when there is no burn, the effects of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can have deadly consequences. Thanks to a new research study published in the July 2008 iss...

QUT researchers develop smart instrument for tissue damage assessment

Professor Oloyede said that the device, which he calls a "smarthroscope", may be able to reduce the cost of surgery, eliminate unnecessary surgery, and could be useful in developing countries. It aims to determine the degree and spread of damage to the tissue surrounding an area affected by ill...

Researchers reveal structure of protein that repairs damage to cancer cells

A team of University of Chicago scientists has shown how two proteins locate and repair damaged genetic material inside cells. One protein detects and repairs damage in malignant cells that may result from a certain type of cancer therapy. In a paper published in the April 24 issue of the journ...

Why diving marine mammals resist brain damage from low oxygen

SANTA CRUZ, CA-- No human can survive longer than a few minutes underwater, and even a well-trained Olympic swimmer needs frequent gulps of air. Our brains need a constant supply of oxygen, particularly during exercise. Contrast that with Weddell seals, animals that dive and hunt under the Ant...

Club drugs inflict damage similar to traumatic brain injury

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- What do suffering a traumatic brain injury and using club drugs have in common" University of Florida researchers say both may trigger a similar chemical chain reaction in the brain, leading to cell death, memory loss and potentially irreversible brain damage. A series...

Cigarette smoke, alcohol damage hearts worse as combo

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Tobacco smoke-filled air is bad for cardiovascular health, and drinking alcohol at the same time only makes it worse, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Testing the theory that moderate alcohol consumption provides some heart-protection ...

Even minute levels of lead cause brain damage in children

Even very small amounts of lead in children's blood -- amounts well below the current federal standard -- are associated with reduced IQ scores, finds a new six-year Cornell study. The study examined the effect of lead exposure on cognitive function in children whose blood-lead levels (BLLs) were...

MIT: Human-generated ozone will damage crops

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--An MIT study concludes that increasing levels of ozone due to the growing use of fossil fuels will damage global vegetation, resulting in serious costs to the world's economy. The analysis, reported in the November issue of Energy Policy, focused on how three environmental ch...

Holding breath for several minutes elevates marker for brain damage

BETHESDA, Md. (August 4, 2009) Divers who held their breath for several minutes had elevated levels of a protein that can signal brain damage, according to a new study from the Journal of Applied Physiology . However, the appearance of the protein, S100B, was transient and leaves open the questi...

New drug may reduce heart attack damage

A novel drug that targets a master disease-causing gene can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack and may lead to significantly improved patient outcomes, researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have shown. The drug, known as Dz13, specifically targets and...

Decreasing deer damage

LINCOLN, NEThe nontimber forest products industry has been growing rapidly since the mid-1980s, contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy annually. Examples of nontimber forest products (NTFP) include edibles such as fruits and nuts, medicinal and herbal products, and specialty floral a...

Therapeutic hypothermia is promising strategy to minimize tissue damage

New Rochelle, NY, March 19, 2009Recognition of the benefits of cooling strategies to protect the brain and spinal cord after traumatic injury has led to a wealth of cutting edge research, prime examples of which are featured in a special hypothermia issue of Journal of Neurotrauma , a peer-review...

Decreasing insulin resistance prevents obesity-related cardiovascular damage

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Knocking out one gene that contributes to insulin resistance appears to prevent much of the cardiovascular damage typically associated with obesity, researchers say. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest health threat of obesity and Medical College of Georgia researchers trying t...

CSHL scientists discover how 'companion' cells to sperm protect them from genetic damage

Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. In plant pollen grains, sperm cells, which carry the genetic material to be passed on to progeny, are cocooned within larger "companion" cells that are called pollen vegetative cells. These companions provide sperm with energy and nourishment, and push them towards their...

Researchers identify a cell type that limits stroke damage

Quebec City, January 27, 2009A research team including Serge Rivest of University Laval's Faculty of Medicine has demonstrated the existence of a type of cells that limits brain damage after a stroke. The study was recently published in the online version of Nature Medicine . Laboratory experi...

UC Davis team refines cancer treatments to reduce potential nerve damage

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) While radiation treatments deliver precise doses of high-energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from spreading or to shrink tumors, oncologists have become increasingly concerned about inadvertent exposures during head and neck cancer treatments to nerves responsible for upper bo...

Duke team finds compounds that prevent nerve damage

DURHAM, N.C. Duke University Medical Center scientists have made a significant finding that could lead to better drugs for several degenerative diseases including Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Compounds that block the activity of a specific enzyme prevented brain injury and greatl...

Fly studies reveal immune cell responses to tumor and tissue damage

September 17, 2008, Cambridge, UK Knee scrapes and tumor growth might have more in common than you think. The idea that tumor growth triggers the same immune response as a cut or wound was once a highly controversial notion. However, increasing evidence supports the idea that the same ce...

Senescence in liver cells is found by CSHL scientists to help limit acute tissue damage

Although post-reproductive life in humans is often associated with decline and a loss of powers, an analogous state in certain cells -- called senescence -- is proving to be one of ironic potency. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today reported that a particular class of senesce...

Hypertension treatment effective in reversing vascular damage

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. A hypertension medication called olmesartan medoxomil is effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with high blood pressure, according to a new study. Carlos M. Ferrario, M.D., one of the study's lead investigators and director of the Hyper...

Scientists ask whether microscaffolding can help stem cells rebuild brain after stroke damage

Inserting tiny scaffolding into the brain could dramatically reduce damage caused by strokes the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting will hear today (10 April). Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Dr Mike Modo from the Institute of Psychiatry will explain how combining scaff...

New mineralogical techniques contribute to prevent national heritage damage

This release is available in Spanish . Humidity, environmental pollution, cleaning with aggressive products for the chemical composition of the rock, etc give rise to the appearance of salts which cause stone decomposition, paint coats detachment, dust accumulation, etc. The treatments...

Blueberry and green tea containing supplement protects against stroke damage

Tampa, Florida (March 4, 2008) A unique dietary supplement called NutraStem has been shown to have beneficial effects following experimental stroke. A nutritional supplement product, NutraStem also known as NT-020, is a proprietary formulation of blueberry, green tea, vitamin D3 and carnosine e...

Carbon monoxide may cause long-lasting heart damage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Lack of oxygen isnt the only way that carbon monoxide (CO) damages the heart, say researchers at Rhode Island Hospital. According to the findings of a new study, published in the January issue of Academic Emergency Medicine, CO also causes direct damage to the heart muscle, s...

An ambulance man for muscle damage

It does not take much to injure a muscle. Sometimes one sudden, inconsiderate movement does the job. Unfortunately, damaged muscles are not as efficient at repair as other tissues such as bone. Researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratorys Mouse Biology Unit (EMBL), Italy, and the Hare...

Mixing large doses of both acetaminophen painkiller and caffeine may increase risk of liver damage

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 2007 -- Consuming large amounts of caffeine while taking acetaminophen, one of the most widely used painkillers in the United States, could potentially cause liver damage, according to a preliminary laboratory study reported in the Oct. 15 print issue of ACS Chemical Research ...

Simulation reveals how body repairs balance after damage

ATLANTA (September 25, 2007) Your body goes to a lot of trouble to make sure you stay upright. But when the brains neural pathways are impaired through injury, age or illness, muscles are deprived of the detailed sensory information they need to perform the constant yet delicate balancing act req...