science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 6 Ιουνίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

Protecting mainland Europe from an invasion of grey squirrels
Neurons Transplanted into Parkinson's-affected Brains Appear Healthy After 14 Years
Fasting May Help Protect Against Immune-related Effects of Chemotherapy And Aging
Stimulating A Protein in Skin Cells Could Improve Psoriasis Symptoms

Protecting mainland Europe from an invasion of grey squirrels

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 06:53 PM PDT

The first genotyping of grey squirrels sampled from Italy and the UK shows a direct link between their genetic diversity and their ability to invade new environments.

In this new study, published in Diversity and Distributions, an international team of scientists from Imperial College London and the Zoological Society of London compared 12 DNA markers from grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in Piedmont in Northern Italy with the same markers from squirrel populations in Northern Ireland, Northumberland and East Anglia.

Neurons Transplanted into Parkinson's-affected Brains Appear Healthy After 14 Years

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 10:45 AM PDT

When transplanted into the midbrains of adult patients with Parkinson's disease, dopamine neurons derived from fetal tissue can remain healthy for many years. The findings reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on June 5th suggest that transplanted neurons don't degenerate over time as some had suggested and feared they would, which provides further rationale for pursuing stem cells as a source for transplant-ready dopamine neurons, according to the researchers.

Fasting May Help Protect Against Immune-related Effects of Chemotherapy And Aging

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 10:26 AM PDT

While chemotherapy can save lives, it can also cause many side effects, including the depletion of immune cells. Also, even in the absence of chemotherapy, normal aging takes a heavy toll on the immune system, leading to immune deficiencies and a higher risk of developing leukemia and a variety of malignancies with age.

Stimulating A Protein in Skin Cells Could Improve Psoriasis Symptoms

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Psoriasis is a common, long-lasting disease that causes itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. Environmental contaminants can trigger psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders, and it is thought that a protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which senses environmental toxins, could play a role. A study published by Cell Press on June 5 in the journal Immunity shows that the severity of inflammation associated with psoriasis is unexpectedly suppressed by AhR.