Body

Most cells can divide only a limited number of times and eventually undergo permanent cell cycle arrest, a state known as cellular senescence. Cellular senescence is mediated by activation of specific cellular signaling pathways involving the proteins p19ARF and p16INK4A. Precise control of cell cycle arrest and senescence are important for a number of biological processes, including embryonic development, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. Accumulating evidence also indicates that cellular senescence contributes to tissue aging.

A video on the research can be found here https://youtu.be/w1GgnBIqnYA

(TORONTO, Canada - Aug. 4, 2016) - A research team at the Krembil Research Institute has discovered a pair of tissue biomarkers that directly contribute to the harmful joint degeneration associated with spine osteoarthritis.

Spiders living together in colonies of tens of thousands can go extinct from sharing food equitably, finds new UBC research.

"It's an unfortunate byproduct of what they have to do survive," said lead author Ruth Sharpe, a PhD student in UBC's department of zoology. "It's a puzzle because in this case, evenly splitting resources may not be beneficial to the colony."

Montmorency tart cherry juice may be a promising new recovery aid for soccer players following a game or intense practice. A new study published in Nutrients found Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate aided recovery among eight semi-professional male soccer players following a test that simulated the physical and metabolic demands of a soccer game. The U.K.

Advanced economy nations led by Ireland, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States have the highest per capita number of clinics engaging in direct-to-consumer marketing of stem cell therapies, according to the world's largest-ever study of such clinics.

Published today in the journal, Cell Stem Cell, the new study reveals murky marketing practices and dubious claims from 417 unique websites advertising stem cell-based therapies in what experts call an "under-regulated industry".

UBC researchers are one step closer to identifying the biological personalities of the world's greatest wines.

In a recent study, UBC researchers Dan Durall and Mansak (Ben) Tantikachornkiat developed a technique that combines a process to identify the full spectrum of DNA in yeast and bacteria samples with a technique that distinguishes between live and dead micro-organisms.

A joint University of Adelaide-Shanghai Jiao Tong University study has provided the first broad picture of the evolution and possible functions in the plant of pollen allergens.

Published in the journal Plant Physiology, the researchers believe their work may help with medical research into the reduction or prevention of allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) binding fluorescent probes have been powerful and important analytical tools for the study of RNA structures and functions.

A research group led by Professor Seiichi Nishizawa at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Science has reported a new RNA probe that binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in a sequence-specific manner.

A fluorescent dye, thiazole orange (TO), is added to peptide nucleic acid (PNA). The probe exhibits a remarkable light-up response upon binding to the dsRNA by triplex formation (Figure 1).

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) afflicts over 14 million women in the United States. The disorder increases the risk of endometrial cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, depression and anxiety, as well as infertility and a variety of reproductive disorders.

Proteins that bind DNA or RNA are usually put in different categories, but researchers at Umeå University in Sweden and Inserm in France recently showed how the p53 protein has the capacity to bind both and how this controls gene expression on the levels of both transcription (RNA synthesis) and mRNA translation (protein synthesis). The discovery was presented in the July issue of the journal Oncogene.

Competition in the goat pen is especially high during feeding time. Social tension rises and there is an increased frequency of agonistic interactions. A significant influence here is the available space. Goats prefer to maintain a minimum distance, termed "individual distance", to other goats. But this amount of feeding space is only rarely available. "To get to their food, the animals 'involuntarily' come into closer proximity than they would like.

Unlike mammals, certain species of amphibians and fish have the remarkable ability to regenerate tissue. Advances in molecular biological analyses have allowed researchers to identify specific molecules and signalling mechanisms involved in tissue regeneration. Fgf signalling is one such key mechanism.

The transcription factor Myc has two faces: On the one hand, the protein is indispensable for cell growth and division. On the other hand, it is prevalent in virtually all cancer cells - however in a much higher concentration. So it is obvious to suspect Myc of playing a key role when cells turn cancerous. However, there have been conflicting theories as to how this process takes place in detail.

Study at the Biocenter

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A new study from Indiana University researchers shows that although most people who engage in sexting expect their messages to remain private, nearly one in four people are sharing the sexual messages they receive.

The study, "Sexting among singles in the USA: Prevalence of sending, receiving, and sharing sexual messages and images," was led by Justin Garcia, Ruth Halls Assistant Professor for Gender Studies and research scientist at the Kinsey Institute. It was recently published in the journal Sexual Health online.

Higher socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with lower ovarian cancer risk in African American women, according to the results of a study by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and elsewhere reported online August 3 by the American Journal of Epidemiology. It showed that the risk of ovarian cancer was 29 percent lower among women with a college degree or more compared with those who had a high school degree or less.