Clinical Research

An international consortium of scientists has identified multiple genes that are linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, a devastating autoimmune disease that affects between 1 million and 2 million Americans. Reporting in Nature Genetics, the scientists also confirmed earlier findings linking lupus to several other genes – highlighting the role that genetics plays in the disease. “These findings underscore that numerous genes, which are often immune-function related, contribute to the risk of developing lupus,” said Carl D. Langefeld, Ph.D., senior author from Wake Forest University School…

Muscles usually contract when a neurotransmitter molecule is released from nerve cells onto muscle cells. But University of Utah scientists discovered that bare subatomic protons can act like larger, more complex neurotransmitters, making gut muscles contract in tiny round worms so the worms can poop. “There are relatively few molecules that serve as neurotransmitters to trigger electrical changes in cells. Protons are the only new members of this group in nearly 20 years,” says biology Professor Erik Jorgensen, scientific director of the Brain Institute at the University of Utah and senior…

Index to ring finger length ratio (2D:4D) is a trait known for its sexual differences. Men typically have shorter second than fourth digits; in women, these fingers tend to be about equal in length. Smaller 2D:4D ratios have intriguing hormonal connections, including higher prenatal testosterone levels, lower estrogen concentrations, and higher sperm counts. Reduction in this ratio has also been linked to athletic and sexual prowess. Whether this trait affects the risk of osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive joint disease associated with both physical activity and estrogen deficiency, has not…

I recently reported on a new collaborator who agreed to work with us in the open on modelling subcellular drug transport. I am very pleased to report that Gus Rosania has now created an entire wiki (1CellPK) for his lab to use as an open notebook. From the home page of the wiki: Open Notebook Science is ideally suited for community-wide collaborative research projects involving mathematical modeling and computer simulation work, as it allows researchers to document model development in a step-by-step fashion, then link model prediction to experiments that test the model, and in turn, use…

Scientists have found an explanation for runners who struggle to increase their pace, cyclists who can’t pedal any faster and swimmers who can’t speed up their strokes. Researchers from the University of Exeter and Kansas State University have discovered the dramatic changes that occur in our muscles when we push ourselves during exercise. We all have a sustainable level of exercise intensity, known as the ‘critical power’. This level can increase as we get fitter, but will always involve us working at around 75-80% of our maximal capacity. Published in the American Journal of Physiology:…

New research published today in the Journal of Cell Biology illuminates the mechanical factors that play a critical role in the differentiation and function of fibroblasts, connective tissue cells that play a role in wound healing and scar tissue formation. When we are injured, the body launches a complex rescue operation. Specialized cells called fibroblasts lurking just beneath the surface of the skin jump into action, enter the provisional wound matrix (the clot) and start secreting collagen to close the wound as fast as possible. This matrix is initially soft and loaded with growth…

Direct-to-consumer advertising for commercial genetic testing is on the rise and may be problematic, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital physician. In the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Erin Tracy, MD, MPH, warns that such testing is poorly regulated and may present potential pitfalls for patients and physicians. “Some of the tests that are being offered have no proven clinical validity whatsoever and are quite costly,” says Tracy. “So patients spend money trying to identify a particular gene to figure out if their child is prone to addictive behavior, for example.…

Fear of looking unattractive can be a stronger motivation for keeping people going to the gym than the hope of looking good, a study says. Researchers at the University of Bath, UK, interviewed 281 male and female undergraduates and got half to imagine a physically unattractive version of themselves they feared they might turn into. They then asked this group to either imagine a scenario in which they dramatically failed to keep to a fitness programme or one in which they dramatically succeeded. The researchers found that those who had been asked to think about a dramatic failure to keep to…

The number of “test tube babies” is growing year by year, and in highly developed countries it will soon make 1% to 3% of all new-borns. How safe are auxiliary reproductive technologies (ART)? Specialists of the Research Institute of Medical Genetics (Tomsk Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences) recently examined one aspect of ART safety – the risk of genomic imprinting diseases. Normal development in mammals requires that maternal and paternal gene sets differ functionally. In certain genes, only the maternal copy should work and, in others, only the…

Researchers at the University of Reading, School of Pharmacy have developed an important new technique to study one of the most common causes of premature birth and prenatal mortality. Dr Che Connon, a Research Councils UK Fellow in Stem Cells and Nanomaterials, and his team used a powerful X-ray beam to examine tiny structures within the protective sac - amniotic membrane - which surrounds the developing baby. This beam can resolve structures far smaller than a light or electron microscope. Furthermore, unlike other more intrusive forms of microscopy, X-ray investigation requires no…