Body | Page 3536 | Science Codex

UCLA stem cell scientists uncover for the first time why the human heart can't regenerate itself

Stem cell researchers at UCLA have uncovered for the first time why adult human cardiac myocytes have lost their ability to proliferate, perhaps explaining why the human heart has little regenerative capacity.

The study, done in cell lines and mice, may lead to methods of reprogramming a patient's own cardiac myocytes within the heart itself to create new muscle to repair damage, said Dr. Robb MacLellan, a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and senior author of the study.

Community ecology: It's not who you are, but what you do

When you're a tiny creature in a vast ocean it pays to hang out with the right crowd, regardless of whether they are related to you or not, a new study into the amazingly diverse world of marine microbes has found.

For bacteria at least, it seems that what matters more than your species identity is whether you have specific genes that let you work with other species to form a functioning community.

The social network of infertility: Study examines couples' privacy preferences

Couples who are having trouble getting pregnant adjust how much information they share with friends and family, depending on whether it's the husband or the wife who feels stigmatized about their reproductive difficulties, a new study shows.

Researchers at the University of Iowa and Penn State University found that when the woman is concerned about people's reactions to their infertility, both the husband and the wife disclose more to their social network. If the man is feeling stigmatized, both partners share less.

Rising barriers to primary care send many Americans to the emergency department

AURORA, Colo. (Aug. 8, 2011) - A shortage in the number and availability of primary care physicians may continue to mean rising numbers of emergency department visits, despite the expanded health insurance coverage required by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Wayne State researcher discovers antibiotic useful for localized treatment of bone wear

DETROIT – Total joint replacement surgeries can help relieve joint pain common in people with conditions like osteoarthritis. But sometimes, the debris from prosthetic joints leads to aseptic loosening, or disintegration of surrounding bones. In 2009, a Wayne State University researcher determined that the anti-inflammatory antibiotic erythromycin can prevent and treat such disintegration. There was one caveat, however: there are side effects associated with long-term usage of erythromycin.

Rats control appetite for poison

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 9, 2011 – Life is tough for woodrats in deserts of the U.S. Southwest. There are few plants for food, and those plants produce poison to deter rodents, insects and other animals. A new University of Utah study shows how certain woodrats put themselves on a diet to avoid poisoning: They sample a smorgasbord of toxic plants, eat smaller meals, increase time between meals and drink more water if it is available.

Buyer beware -- herbal products missing key safety information

Many people use herbal medicines believing them to be safe simply because they are 'natural'. However many of these products have potentially dangerous interactions with other drugs and can have similar side effects to conventional drugs. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine reveals that many over-the-counter herbal products do not contain any of the key information required for safe use.

'Good' prion-like proteins boost immune response, UT Southwestern scientists report

DALLAS – Aug. 8, 2011 – A person's ability to battle viruses at the cellular level remarkably resembles the way deadly infectious agents called prions misfold and cluster native proteins to cause disease, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

Technique to stimulate heart cells may lead to light-controlled pacemakers

A new technique that stimulates heart muscle cells with low-energy light raises the possibility of a future light-controlled pacemaker, researchers reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, a journal of the American Heart Association.

Siblings of those with blood clots in leg have higher risk of same disorder

Siblings of those who have been hospitalized with potentially lethal blood clots in the legs or pelvis are more likely to also suffer the disorder than those with healthy siblings, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The Swedish study is the first to show a direct correlation between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and family risk in a nationwide setting, sorted by age and gender.

Study urges caution with lenalidomide dosage

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An early phase multiple myeloma trial has unexpectedly revealed that the drug lenalidomide interacts with another protein in cells that affect its dose level in the body, say researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) who conducted the study.

Lenalidomide is an anti-inflammatory drug, and more than 390 clinical trials have been initiated to study its activity in a number of cancers and other diseases.

Researchers develop risk assessment model for advanced age-related macular degeneration

A new risk assessment model may help predict development of advanced age-related macular degeneration, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Soy tablets not associated with reduction in bone loss or menopausal symptoms in women

Soy isoflavone tablets do not appear to be associated with a reduction in bone loss or menopausal symptoms in women within the first five years of menopause, according to a report in the August 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Gladstone scientist discovers genetic factor implicated in heartbeat defect

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—August 8, 2011—A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered how gene regulation can make hearts beat out of sync, offering new hope for the millions who suffer from a potentially fatal heart condition.

In a paper being published this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Gladstone Investigator Benoit G. Bruneau, PhD announces the identity of the molecular regulator that uses electrical impulses to synchronize each heartbeat.

Connecting the dots: Pitt School of Dental Medicine team describes how enamel forms

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8 – Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine are piecing together the process of tooth enamel biomineralization, which could lead to novel nanoscale approaches to developing biomaterials. The findings are reported online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.