science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Σάββατο 1 Ιουνίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Circadian rhythms control body’s response to intestinal infections
Disease Virulence Evolves in Response to Population Density, Immunity
Chemical screen points to new line of attack against neuroblastoma
Scientists Find Chemical that Causes ‘Kidney’ Failure in Mosquitoes

Circadian rhythms control body’s response to intestinal infections

Posted: 31 May 2013 09:42 AM PDT

Circadian rhythms can boost the body’s ability to fight intestinal bacterial infections, UC Irvine researchers have found.

This suggests that targeted treatments may be particularly effective for pathogens such as salmonella that prompt a strong immune system response governed by circadian genes. It also helps explain why disruptions in the regular day-night pattern – as experienced by, say, night-shift workers or frequent fliers – may raise susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Disease Virulence Evolves in Response to Population Density, Immunity

Posted: 31 May 2013 09:26 AM PDT

A unique form of pink eye found in some songbird species has given researchers insight into how disease virulence – or severity of harm to the host – evolves in conjunction with a susceptible population’s density and/or disease resistance. These findings may help scientists understand and predict the impacts of highly contagious human diseases, like SARS or flu.

Chemical screen points to new line of attack against neuroblastoma

Posted: 31 May 2013 08:14 AM PDT

In the war on neuroblastoma, the current chemical weaponry is reaching its limit. Kimberly Stegmaier, a physician-scientist who treats children with cancer, describes having reached a ceiling in terms of treating this type of tumor with classical chemotherapy drugs. Such drugs are designed to kill cancer cells, but they also destroy many healthy cells in the process. Children with high-risk neuroblastoma may receive multiple cycles of chemotherapy over a six-month period, in addition to stem-cell transplantation, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy.

Scientists Find Chemical that Causes ‘Kidney’ Failure in Mosquitoes

Posted: 31 May 2013 07:41 AM PDT

An Ohio State University researcher and his collaborators have discovered a chemical that causes “kidney” failure in mosquitoes, which may pave the way to the development of new insecticides to fight deadly mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.