Researchers offer proof-of-concept for Altered Nuclear Transfer
Scientists at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have successfully demonstrated that a theoretical--and controversial--technique for generating embryonic stem cells is indeed possible, at least in mice. The theory, called altered nuclear transfer (ANT), proposes that researchers first create genetically altered embryos that are unable to implant in a uterus, and then extract ste...Genetically altered mice no longer like cocaine
Researchers found that they could eliminate the rewarding effect of cocaine on mice by genetically manipulating a key target of the drug in the animal's brain. While the researchers aren't suggesting that these genetic modifications be made in humans, the work brings to light the key protein that controls cocaine's effects in the body, which may help scientists develop medications that ach...Altered perception of reward in human cocaine addiction
People addicted to cocaine have an impaired ability to perceive rewards and exercise control due to disruptions in the brain's reward and control circuits, according to a series of brain-mapping studies and neuropsychological tests conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. "Our findings provide the first evidence that the brain's threshold for responding...Salmonella survives better in stomach due to altered DNA
Since 1995 there has been a considerable increase in the number of infections with a specific type of Salmonella bacteria transmitted via food. This type, Salmonella serovar Typhimurium DT104, is resistant to at least five different antibiotics. Dutch researcher Armand Hermans found new genetic information in DNA of DT104 that might be involved in its survival and infection mechanism. This geneti...Researchers reveal structure of protein altered in autism
As a result of mapping the structure of the protein complex implicated in autism spectrum disorders, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has discovered how particular genetic mutations affect this complex and contribute to the developmental abnormalities found in children with autism. Their wo...Women With Anorexia Have Altered Brain Activity
People suffering from anorexia nervosa have the similar brain activities that are associated anxiety and other emotional disorders. // The study was published in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. Previous evidence has suggested that alterations in the activity of serotonin (a brain chemical involved in communication between nerve cells) may contribute to the appeti...Tooth Decay Bacteria Unaffected By Altered Biochemical Pathway
Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay, are able to survive and multiply without an essential biochemical pathway that is considered// vital for the survival of normal cells. Researchers at the University of Florida have revealed that the tooth decay causing bacteria can carry out its destructive work without this pathway. "We were met with skepticism … b...Cocaine Acts As Suppressant Not Stimulant In Genetically Altered Mice
Researchers at the Ohio State University have found that cutting off the reward pathway of cocaine on mice by genetically altering a vital target in the brain of the mice makes them shun cocaine//. Howard Gu, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of pharmacology and psychiatry at Ohio State University said that the researchers were not suggesting that humans be treated in...Schizophrenia Complicates With Altered Receptor Activity
When analyzing the neuronal receptor activity in the postmortem brain tissue from patients with schizophrenia, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania //School of Medicine, in collaboration with scientists at the City University of New York, have found a striking dysregulation in its function. A high level of erbB4 receptor activity and reduced NMDA receptor activity were identified when th...The Immune System May Be Altered By Certain Chemicals
A new research have found out that certain inhaled asthma medications and similar chemicals produced in our body during times of high stress // may worsen conditions like lupus, heart failures, asthma and other conditions that involve inflammation. The scientific team led by Raymond Penn, Ph.D., and Matthew Loza, Ph.D, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, which carried out the...