Science News SciGuru.com

Chemistry resolves toxic concerns about carbon nanotubes
Born to lead? Leadership can be an inherited trait, study finds
Choline supplementation during pregnancy presents a new approach to schizophrenia prevention
Researchers identify new genetic mutation for ALS
Exon Skipping to Restore Gene Expression Is Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Muscular Dystrophy
In sports, the story - not the victor - makes the difference in enjoyment
Lack of Protein Sp2 Disrupts Neuron Creation in Brain
Cancer Suppressor Gene Links Metabolism with Cellular Aging
Research suggests molecular ‘switch’ may play role in tumor suppression
Researchers identify genetic mutation for rare cancer

Chemistry resolves toxic concerns about carbon nanotubes

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 05:38 PM PST

Safety fears about carbon nanotubes, due to their structural similarity to asbestos, have been alleviated following research showing that reducing their length removes their toxic properties.

In a new study, published today in the journal Angewandte Chemie, evidence is provided that the asbestos-like reactivity and pathogenicity reported for long, pristine nanotubes can be completely alleviated if their surface is modified and their effective length is reduced as a result of chemical treatment.

Born to lead? Leadership can be an inherited trait, study finds

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 05:33 PM PST

Genetic differences are significantly associated with the likelihood that people take on managerial responsibilities, according to new research from UCL (University College London).

Choline supplementation during pregnancy presents a new approach to schizophrenia prevention

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 05:25 PM PST

Choline, an essential nutrient similar to the B vitamin and found in foods such as liver, muscle meats, fish, nuts and eggs, when given as a dietary supplement in the last two trimesters of pregnancy and in early infancy, is showing a lower rate of physiological schizophrenic risk factors in infants 33 days old. The study breaks new ground both in its potentially therapeutic findings and in its strategy to target markers of schizophrenia long before the illness itself actually appears.

Researchers identify new genetic mutation for ALS

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 12:23 PM PST

Western researchers have identified a new genetic mutation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opening the door to future targeted therapies.

Dr. Michael Strong, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry dean, and colleagues discovered mutations within the ARHGEF28 gene are present in ALS. When they looked across both familial and sporadic forms of the disease, they found virtually all cases of ALS demonstrated abnormal inclusions of the protein that arises from this gene.

Exon Skipping to Restore Gene Expression Is Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Muscular Dystrophy

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST

A novel therapeutic approach called exon skipping involves bypassing a disease-causing mutation in a gene to restore normal gene expression and protein production. Two innovative examples of this strategy used to correct gene defects associated with muscular dystrophy are described in articles in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available on the Human Gene Therapy website.

In sports, the story - not the victor - makes the difference in enjoyment

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST

A new study has concluded that sports fans love to root for a hero and against a villain, but if the game is exciting, they’ll enjoy it no matter who wins.

The research, recently published in the Journal of Media Psychology, examines emotional experiences, outcome satisfaction, and enjoyment of athletic events, particularly ones featuring individual athletes rather than team sports.

Lack of Protein Sp2 Disrupts Neuron Creation in Brain

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:59 AM PST

A protein known as Sp2 is key to the proper creation of neurons from stem cells, according to researchers at North Carolina State University. Understanding how this protein works could enable scientists to “program” stem cells for regeneration, which has implications for neural therapies.

Cancer Suppressor Gene Links Metabolism with Cellular Aging

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:48 AM PST

It is perhaps impossible to overstate the importance of the tumor suppressor gene p53. It is the single most frequently mutated gene in human tumors. p53 keeps pre-cancerous cells in check by causing cells, among other things, to become senescent – aging at the cellular level. Loss of p53 causes cells to ignore the cellular signals that would normally make mutant or damaged cells die or stop growing.

Research suggests molecular ‘switch’ may play role in tumor suppression

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:41 AM PST

Newly published research by Indiana University structural biologist Joel Ybe and colleagues identifies a "topology switch" in the protein clathrin, the function of which may shed light on molecular processes involved in tumor suppression.

The paper, available in and featured on the front cover of the Jan. 16, 2013, issue of FEBS Letters, a journal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies, could broaden scientists' understanding of the importance of clathrin and potentially lead to new strategies for controlling cancer.

Researchers identify genetic mutation for rare cancer

Posted: 15 Jan 2013 08:32 AM PST

It started with a 44-year-old woman with solitary fibrous tumor, a rare cancer seen in only a few hundred people each year.

By looking at the entire DNA from this one patient’s tumor, researchers have found a genetic anomaly that provides an important clue to improving how this cancer is diagnosed and treated.