science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τρίτη 15 Ιανουαρίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Scientists Discover Structure of Protein Essential for Quality Control, Nerve Function
Facebook posts – not easily forgotten
Tissue Engineers Report Knee Cartilage Repair Success With New Biomaterial
All in the Family: A Genetic Link Between Epilepsy and Migraine
Researchers Discover Novel Role of the NEDD9 Gene in Early Stages of Breast Cancer
A new door opens in colon cancer
Sugar Fights Still Simmer as New Brain Study Finds Fructose Might Stimulate Appetite

Scientists Discover Structure of Protein Essential for Quality Control, Nerve Function

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:15 AM PST

Using an innovative approach, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have determined the structure of Ltn1, a recently discovered “quality-control” protein that is found in the cells of all plants, fungi and animals.

Ltn1 appears to be essential for keeping cells’ protein-making machinery working smoothly. It may also be relevant to human neurodegenerative diseases, for an Ltn1 mutation in mice leads to a motor-neuron disease resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Facebook posts – not easily forgotten

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 06:59 AM PST

Facebook posts resonate significantly more with human nature than books or even human faces, according to a new study by Laura Mickes and colleagues from the University of California San Diego in the US. The difference in memory between these microblogs and actual published words from a page is as striking as the difference in memory between amnesiacs and healthy controls. The work is published online in Springer's journal Memory & Cognition.

Tissue Engineers Report Knee Cartilage Repair Success With New Biomaterial

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:24 AM PST

In a small study, researchers reported increased healthy tissue growth after surgical repair of damaged cartilage if they put a “hydrogel” scaffolding into the wound to support and nourish the healing process. The squishy hydrogel material was implanted in 15 patients during standard microfracture surgery, in which tiny holes are punched in a bone near the injured cartilage. The holes stimulate patients’ own specialized stem cells to emerge from bone marrow and grow new cartilage atop the bone.

All in the Family: A Genetic Link Between Epilepsy and Migraine

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST

New research reveals a shared genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and migraine. Findings published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), indicate that having a strong family history of seizure disorders increases the chance of having migraine with aura (MA).

Researchers Discover Novel Role of the NEDD9 Gene in Early Stages of Breast Cancer

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 10:26 AM PST

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Many of these deaths occur when there is an initial diagnosis of invasive or metastatic disease. A protein called NEDD9—which regulates cell migration, division and survival—has been linked to tumor invasion and metastasis in a variety of cancers. Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have now shown that NEDD9 plays a surprising role in the early stages of breast tumor development by controlling the growth of progenitor cells that give rise to tumors.

A new door opens in colon cancer

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the United States. Risk factors for the disease are varied and include factors such as advanced age and diet, but most cases share something crucial that scientists hope can usher in new treatments. In nearly all cases, the DNA in colon tumors harbors mutations in a key intracellular process or “pathway,” leading to the buildup of proteins that drive uncontrolled growth of cells.

Sugar Fights Still Simmer as New Brain Study Finds Fructose Might Stimulate Appetite

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 07:25 AM PST

Fructose, a sugar much maligned in recent years, recently took another hit when a preliminary study by Yale University found that it might stimulate appetite more than other sugar types. The results came as no surprise to Robert Lustig, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital who’s made headlines for years with his public health crusade against excess sugar consumption.