Social Sciences
Results from a new study identify a biomarker that may be useful for predicting the outcome of treatment for neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in young children. The research, published by Cell Press in the April 7th issue of the journal Cancer Cell, also provides new information about the molecular signals that are involved in the progression of this often devastating pediatric cancer.
Retinoic acid (RA) is a metabolite of Vitamin A that has important influences over the processes of growth and differentiation. RA mediates gene expression by interacting with retinoic acid receptors (RARs…
A new study identifies a protein that modifies the androgen receptor (AR) and influences its ability to regulate target genes linked with the progression of prostate cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the April 7th issue of the journal Cancer Cell, may also drive creation of new strategies for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer that no longer responds to traditional anti-hormone therapies.
The AR is an important mediator for the development and progression of prostate cancer, including the progression to the aggressive and often lethal androgen-independent form of the…
HOUSTON - Scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a gene that protects PTEN, a major tumor-suppressor that is reduced but rarely mutated in about half of all breast cancers.
The gene Rak helps protect and regulate PTEN, which also is important in several other types of cancer, the team reports in the April edition of Cancer Cell. Causes for diminished PTEN protein levels in breast cancer absent a mutation of the PTEN gene have eluded researchers, who knew for several years that a piece of the puzzle was missing.
"We've clearly discovered the…
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– A new study by researchers from UC Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) sheds light on how threats to the world's endangered coral reef ecosystems can be more effectively managed.
In a recent issue of the journal Coral Reefs, lead authors Kimberly A. Selkoe and Benjamin S. Halpern, both of NCEAS, explain how their maps of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) –– a vast area stretching over 1,200 miles –– can be used to make informed decisions about protecting the world's fragile reefs.
Coral reef ecosystems are at risk…
Heart failure is by far the most prevalent chronic cardiac condition. Around 30 million people in Europe have heart failure and its incidence is still increasing: more cases are being identified, more people are living to an old age, and more are surviving a heart attack but with damage to the heart muscle.
According to Professor John McMurray, President of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, it was not long ago that acute heart failure admissions were "overwhelming" hospitals, but the better identification of symptoms as indicative of heart failure - and thus their more appropriate…
Jerusalem, April 5, 2009 – Can people's differing reactions to situations of stress be attributed at least in part to genetic differences and do those differences affect men and women in different ways – with the edge seemingly favoring the women? Research conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem would seem to indicate that the answer to both questions is yes.
Some people appear to be resilient to difficult conditions, whereas others react adversely to such challenges, incurring a range of physical and mental disorders. Much research has shown that the way in which the brain and body…
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The biochemical buzz on career changes in bees
Journal of Proteome Research
Adults facing unexpected career changes, take note. Scientists from Brazil and Cuba are reporting that honey bees — a mainstay for behavioral research that cannot be done in other animals — change their brains before transitioning to that new job. Appears in the current edition of ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research, the research provides valuable insight into the biochemistry behind the behavior, feats of navigation, and social organization in these animals.
In the study,…
MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., April 6, 2009 – New head-to-head clinical trial results demonstrate that REACH® ULTRACLEAN™ Toothbrush and Floss deliver superior plaque removal. The five studies conducted by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., and presented today during the 87th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research in Miami collectively found:
REACH® ULTRACLEAN™ Floss removes up to two times more plaque than Glide®* floss products. i
REACH® ULTRACLEAN™ Toothbrush removes more plaque and provides improved gum health…
Despite great hopes for stem cell therapy, major structural and cultural changes within the NHS are needed if it is to succeed in the UK. Currently the chances of getting effective treatments into routine use in the short-term are small and the industry is at serious risk of 'market failure'.
These are the findings of two major studies into the commercialisation and adoption of stem cell therapy carried out by researchers at The University of Nottingham.
Dr Paul Martin, from the Institute of Science and Society said: "While the government has identified regenerative medicine as a national…
Dogs and small children who share similar social environments appear to understand human gestures in comparable ways, according to Gabriella Lakatos from Eötvös University in Budapest, Hungary, and her team. Looking at how dogs and young children respond to adult pointing actions, Lakatos shows that 3-year-olds rely on the direction of the index finger to locate a hidden object, whereas 2-year-olds and dogs respond instead to the protruding body part, even if the index finger is pointing in the opposite direction. These findings (1) were just published online in Springer's journal Animal…