Body | Page 4224 | Science Codex

Gone with the wind: Far-flung pine pollen still potent miles from the tree

DURHAM, North Carolina -- When forest biologist Claire Williams boards ferries bound for North Carolina's Outer Banks, the barrier islands that line the NC coast, ferry captains call her the "Pollen Lady."

Each spring from 2006 to 2009, Williams traveled back and forth from the islands to the mainland, collecting pine pollen blown far offshore. She wanted to find out if pollen from the loblolly pine — the most commonly planted tree in the southern United States — can still germinate after drifting long distances.

Scientists identify how a novel class of antibodies inhibits HIV infection

DURHAM, N.C. – Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have identified a set of naturally occurring antibodies that can block one of the key ways the AIDS virus gains entry into certain blood cells. They say the discovery, published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, expands traditional notions about how the immune system fights HIV and offers a potential new strategy for HIV vaccine design.

Peregrine reports new study from Duke shows anti-HIV potential of targeting PS on cells

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM) today announced the publication of data showing phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibodies can block one of the key ways the AIDS virus gains entry into certain blood cells. The data were generated by scientists at Duke University as part of their ongoing AIDS vaccine research. The article titled "Anti-Phospholipid Human Monoclonal Antibodies Inhibit CCR5-Tropic HIV-1 and Induces β-Chemokines" is available online today and will be published in the April 12, 2010 edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Defective protein is a double hit for ataxia

The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) damages nerve cells in two ways. University of Minnesota researchers now report that the defective protein responsible for the disease cuts the number of synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons. The study appears in the April 5 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).

Only women with Western Swedish breast cancer gene run higher risk of ovarian cancer

Previous research has shown that women with breast cancer are more likely than other women to develop ovarian cancer, but now researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have shown that actually only women with a known Western Swedish mutation behind hereditary breast cancer run this increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Medicine residues may threaten fish reproduction

Researchers at Umeå University and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming in treated waste water. One such medicine, the hormone levonorgestrel, was found in higher concentrations in the blood of fish than in women who take the contraceptive pill. Elevated levels of this hormone can lead to infertility in fish.

Researchers show some cells in pancreas can spontaneously change into insulin-producing cells

NEW YORK, April 5, 2010 – Alpha cells in the pancreas, which do not produce insulin, can convert into insulin-producing beta cells, advancing the prospect of regenerating beta cells as a cure for type 1 diabetes. The findings come from a study at the University of Geneva, co-funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, that is published today in the online edition of the scientific journal Nature.

Exercise in pregnancy reduces size of offspring

Chevy Chase, MD— According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), regular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise led to a modest reduction in offspring birth weight without restricting the development of maternal insulin resistance.

Considering diabetes treatment, experts say 1 size does not fit all

Chevy Chase, MD—Patients with type 2 diabetes are generally treated similarly despite the fact that they may have underlying differences that could affect their therapeutic response. Seeking to address this critical health issue, an international multidisciplinary group of experts just issued recommendations for individualized treatment in a consensus statement to be published in the April 2010 issue of the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Belief that intentional weight loss is harmful to seniors is unfounded

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the first to refute the widely held belief that intentional weight loss in older adults leads to increased risk of death.

Number of Americans willing to donate organs rises, but still not keeping pace with need

According to a new survey by Donate Life America, 43 percent of people are undecided, reluctant or do not wish to have their organs and tissue donated after their deaths. While an improvement over findings from a similar survey last year in which 50 percent reported the same, the statistic illustrates a critical need to continue to increase the level of support for organ donation to save the lives of the more than 105,000 adults and children on the transplant waiting list in the U.S., an average 18 of whom die each day waiting.

New discovery is a significant boost to cancer research

A team of scientists led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has discovered a brand new group of molecules which could help fight the spread of cancer and other diseases.

The new molecules are synthetic derivatives of a natural product known as UDP-Galactose, and block the activity of a group of enzymes called glycosyltransferases. Glycosyltransferases are used by biological cells to turn simple sugars into elongated sugar chains and branched structures.

New genetic risk factors for aneurysms identified by Yale-led team

New Haven, Conn. – In the largest genome-wide study of brain aneurysms ever conducted, an international team led by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have identified three new genetic variants that increase a person's risk for developing this deadly disease.

UMMS researchers uncover novel genetic pathway responsible for triggering vascular growth

WORCESTER, Mass. — Most solid cancers can't grow beyond a limited size without an adequate blood supply and supporting vascular network. Because of this, cancer researchers have sought to understand how a tumor's vascular network develops—and, more importantly, how to prevent it from developing: If the vascular network never develops, the theory goes, the tumor cannot grow.

Thyroid condition increases stroke risk in young adults

DALLAS, April 1, 2010 — Young adults with overactive thyroid face a 44 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those with normal thyroid function, according to a study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.