Scientists document complex genomic events leading to the birth of new genes
A team of scientists led by Peer Bork, Ph.D., Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, report today in the journal Genome Research that they have identified a new primate-specific gene family that spans about 10% of human chromosome 2. Comprised of eight family members, the RGP gene cluster may help to explain what sets apart humans and other primates from the...Scientists identify molecular events that drive cell senescence
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallasresearchers have found a way of stimulating the immune systems of miceto fight against amyloid proteins that cause the devastating plaquesthat are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.For years scientists have examined the possibility of using aprotein-based vaccine to slow the progression of the disease in itsearly stages. UT Southwestern researcher...Yeast Network Prevents Damage By Oxygen Radicals
Reactive oxygen species (ROS), or 'oxygen radicals', have been identified as major contributors to signs of premature aging, increased cancer prevalence linked to inflammation-associated syndromes and a variety of human diseases. Now scientists at the University of California, San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have identified a key network of DNA repair and cell...Protein prevents detrimental immune effects of bacterial sepsis
The anti-inflammatory protein annexin 1 may protect patients from the detrimental effects of severe inflammatory response syndrome, as reported by researchers at Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry. The paper by Damazo et al., "Critical protective role for annexin 1 gene expression in the endotoxemic murine microcirculation," appears in the June issue of The Americ...Too much water may be as dangerous as too little during long-distance athletic events
Drinking water during a long-distance race may do serious harm rather than keep you safe from injury if you're drinking too much, according to a cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Runners or any long-distance athletes who drink too much water during a race could put themselves at jeopardy for developing hyponatremia, a condition marked by a loss in the body's sodium content th...The 10 biggest events shaping biotech in 2006
Here's my list, in order of importance: biofuels, stem cells, BIO 2006 in Chicago, the reshaping and resurgence of Abbott Labs, biogenerics in the U.S., the internationalizat...DNA Damage and Repair - Quantification of Sub-Cellular Events Using Automated Confocal Imaging
Oxidative stress, radiation and other external insults have been shown to damage DNA molecules in cells derived from organisms as diverse as bacteria, yeast, drosophila, rodents and man (Friedberg et al. 2005). The presence of DNA damage may lead to cell cycle checkpoint arrest to allow time for DNA repair...Just one nanosecond: Clocking events at the nanoscale
MADISON - As scientists and engineers build devices at smaller and smaller scales, grasping the dynamics of how materials behave when they are subjected to electrical signals, sound and other manipulations has proven to be beyond the reach of standard scientific techniques. But now a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has found a way to time such effects at the nanometer...How to get through tech-sector networking events alive
Remember the poor guy who got his hand stuck in a crevice and had to cut off his own arm to get free? This could happen to you, too. You find yourself at a Midwest technology networking event sometimes locked in a corner in the vice grip of a bad, b...Furious pace of Midwest biotech events marks progress
As 2004 is rapidly coming to a close, the fourth quarter represents a fast and furious pace of Midwest biotech activities across the eight states. Witness the more important of these events: Eleven events in less than two months is a lot of biotech activities! This is a good sign and bodes well for the momentum thats building up to the BIO 2006 annual meeting i...Breast Feeding prevents obesity later on in life
A new research suggests that breast-feeding in infancy reduces the risk of becoming obese in life later on. According to Dr. William H. Dietz of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, who led the research team, effects of breast milk significantly lowered the odds of being overweight by the early teen years, but showed less effect on weight during early childho...Regular exercise prevents hip fractures
According to a report in the recent issue of the American Journal of Epidemology, moderate levels of physical activity can help protect against a hip fracture. According to Dr. Susanne Hoidrup from Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark, and colleagues, when people undergo the aging process, regular physical activity should become an essential part of everyone's life, in order to...Staying mentally energitic prevents Alzheimer's
A new study shows there is some truth in the 'use it or lose it' advice when it comes keeping the brain active. It is long been believed that mental stimulation can protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease.// Researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Centre in the US now reveal new evidence for this. The report is part of the ongoing Religious Orders Study, involving the cognitive hea...Consuming fish prevents dementia risk
Old people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week have a reduced risk of dementia. Researchers from the University of Texas studied a group of 1205 people aged over 65 //and without dementia at the beginning. They asked them about the frequency of consuming meat, fish and seafood, then followed them up to, five and seven years afterwards. Those who ate fish or seafood at least o...Diovan Achieved 40% Reduction in Stroke and Cardiovascular Events in Landmark Jikei Heart Study
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; tab-stops: 0in"align="left"> <li style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'News Gothic MT'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Independent Japanese study demonstrates dramati...Diovan Achieved 40% Reduction in Stroke and Cardiovascular Events in Landmark Jikei Heart Study
Independent Japanese study demonstrates dramaticbenefits of adding Diovan to conventional therapy Study halted early due to superior outcomes forDiovan patients BASEL,Switzerland, April 27, 2007 - New findings from th...