Newly-discovered class of genes determines ?and restricts ?stem cell fate
Research on adult stem cells found in the skin hints at a new class of genes, according to a study from investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. These genes ?dubbed pangenes ?can both govern a stem cell's fate and put a hold on future differentiation until the time is right. Understanding the molecular control of these genes has implications for therapies that involve t...International Team Determines Geographic Origin of Leprosy
Leprosy likely originated in East Africa and spread to Asia and Europe before being imported into West Africa by explorers, report scientists in this week's issue of Science. The findings enrich the historical understanding of leprosy's global migration and contradict a commonly held view that leprosy spread to West Africa directly from East Africa, say the researchers. The international t...Researchers Discover Gene That Determines Asthma Susceptibility By Regulating Inflammation
Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma. A research team led by Shyam Biswal, PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models. The study’s findings, published in the July 4, 2005, edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, may hold therapeuti...Weapon performance determines mating success in the collared lizard
In territorial species with polygynous mating systems, reproductive success reflects phenotypic variation. At the gross level, such phenotypic variation can include that of body size and weapon morphology, as well as of weapon function and performance. In a study published in the September issue of The American Naturalist, A. Kristopher Lappin (Northern Arizona University) and Jerry F. Hus...Genetic tug of war determines sexual differentiation
Whether or not a fertilized mammalian egg ultimately develops into a male or female is determined by the winner of a tug of war between two different genes encoding signaling proteins and the divergent pathways they control, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center cell biologists. In their experiments in mice, the researchers found that two specific genes, Wnt4 and F...Viscosity of Women cervix determines sex of child
Researchers from University of Maastrict have found the reasons for the increased probability of boy children’s born to women older than 35 years of age. //Professor Luc Smits have reported the results of the work in British Medical Journal analyzing data of child births in 5,283 women and found that there is an probability of 58% of getting male child in women who took more than a year t...Height Loss Determines Risk Of Vertebral Fractures And Bone Disease
Alberta University researchers have now developed a new tool to determine if height loss is due to osteoporosis or normal part of aging. The test is as simple as asking the patient about his/her tallest height and deducting it from the present height. // This would provide a rough idea of any height loss. When this calculation approximates to 6cm (difference between recalled height an...HIV Type determines turn-out of the disease.
A novel study has shown that, the type of HIV, a person is afflicted with, among the different subtypes of HIV already existing, is a key indicator of how quickly// they will succumb to the disease. Researchers from the United States studied people in Uganda to reveal that those with subtype D, show a faster decline in their health rather than subtype A -HIV In the UK an...Physical Activity Determines Academic Performance
According to a study published on August 3, 2006, by researchers from Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University, Middle school students// who are physically more active show better academic performance than those who are less active. The American College of Sports Medicine has published the findings of this research in the August issue of their official journal; Medici...Gene determines pain threshold...
According to researchers, a gene determines people’s sensitivity to pain.In the study conducted on rats, the development// of chronic pain could be prevented by blocking the expression of that particular gene after a nerve injury or inflammation. This could be a breakthrough in development of new painkillers. "Studies in volunteers showed that about a quarter of them had the genetic v...