Body

People with scoliosis, a twisting of the spine that can occur as a birth defect or more commonly starts during the teen years, are now closer to a genetic explanation for their condition. An overactive gene, called ladybird homeobox 1 (LBX1), is the start of a genetic chain reaction that causes the spine to grow abnormally. The report from collaborations at Hiroshima University, Kyoto University, RIKEN, and Kanazawa University is the first to demonstrate the functional association of scoliosis with LBX1.

April 13, 2016, NEW YORK, NY - Researchers led by Ludwig Cancer Research scientist Richard Kolodner have developed a new technique for sussing out the genes responsible for helping repair DNA damage that, if left unchecked, can lead to certain cancers.

Genome instability suppressing (GIS) genes play an important role in correcting DNA damage involving the improper copying or reshuffling of large sections of chromosomes. Called gross chromosomal rearrangements, or GCRs, these structural errors can disrupt gene order or even result in an abnormal number of chromosomes.

Reversible inhibition of enzyme, an activity in which the inhibiting molecular entity (often a small chemical called ligand or inhibitor) can associate and dissociate from the protein's binding site, is a very fast process. As for enzyme-substrate interaction, enzyme-inhibitor equilibrium establishes within microseconds. Thus, classical reversible inhibitors are characterized by rapid on/off rates. However, a number of enzymes do not respond instantly to reversible inhibitors. In such cases, there is a slow onset of inhibition.

A group of researchers at Osaka University, succeeded in reproduction of the same phenomenon as memory consolidation by using organotypic slice cultures of the cerebral cortex and revealed that stress interfered with memory consolidation. As cultures can be maintained for a long period, it is possible to examine long-term effects. This group's achievement will be useful for developing therapeutic methods for and preventive measures against stress-induced memory defects.

April 13, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: Data presented today demonstrates that healthy maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) and exclusively breastfeeding a child for at least six months can reduce the risk of infants developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adolescence. The results were presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

April 13, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: A combined vaccination against Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV moved a step closer, with the results of a study* presented at The International Liver Congress™ 2016 in Barcelona, Spain today.

An estimated 2.3 million people globally are co-infected with HIV and HCV.1 HCV is the leading cause of non-AIDS deaths in co-infected individuals.2

April 13, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: Adding coffee to the diet of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) could help reverse the condition, according to a new study conducted in mice presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

The study found that a daily dose of coffee (equivalent to six cups of espresso coffee for a 70kg person) improved several key markers of NAFLD in mice that were fed a high fat diet. These mice also gained less weight than others fed the same diet without the dose of caffeine.

Research from Lund University in Sweden shows that the protein COMP, which mainly exists in cartilage, can also be found in breast cancer tumours in patients with a poor prognosis. Studies on mice also showed that COMP contributed to the development and metastasis of the breast cancer.

COMP (Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein) is a protein that so far has mainly been studied in cartilage tissue, where it helps development of a normal structure of the tissue. COMP is also used as an indicator of cartilage damage in joint diseases.

In a recent paper published in Nature Communications, a group of Case Western University School of Medicine researchers presented their discovery of the full-length structure of a protein named Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 2 (TRPV2). Taken in addition to their study of its molecular mechanism last year, published in the December issue of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Dr. Vera Moiseenkova-Bell's laboratory has revealed TRPV2 as a new target for pharmaceutical research treating chronic pain and cancer.

Infertility and hormonal fertility treatments may influence the amount of dense tissue in the breast, a risk factor for breast cancer, according to a study involving 43,313 women, published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research.

It's a widely accepted fact that excessive drinking of alcohol is bad for one's health. But what constitutes excessive drinking? According to a new report published today [13 April] by the scientific journal Addiction, the answer to that question varies widely by country, and many countries don't provide an answer.

European countries must stop denying migrants their fundamental right to healthcare, argues a doctor in The BMJ today.

Europe is experiencing the largest mass migration of people since the Second World War, according to estimates from the Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Jonathan Clarke, a doctor and Kennedy Scholar at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, says that "many people think that all migrants to Europe have meaningful access to healthcare, but the reality is different."

WASHINGTON (April 12, 2016) -- A review article published today in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal discusses testosterone therapy for transgender men (female to male), outlining desired and undesired effects, potential risks, and additional benefits. The review also revealed a lack of research in this field, calling for more data.

Shame shaming. Is that even possible?

It may not make sense that there would be shame over using the term itself, but it's all too true, even in academia, according to UC Santa Barbara researcher Thomas Scheff. In a new paper, the emeritus professor of sociology explores what he described as "the hidden literature of shame."

Like jewels in a vault, our precious genetic material is stored in the nucleus of a cell--sequestered away from potentially damaging cellular components and toxins so that no harm can come to it. Yet over the course of a life moving through this world, our DNA does get damaged, and our cells have a host of complicated repair mechanisms to deal with such injuries.