Half-broken Gene Is Enough To Cause Cancer

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2008) — Tumour suppressor genes do not necessarily require both alleles to be knocked out before disease phenotypes are expressed. Research published in BioMed Central's new open access journal PathoGenetics reveals that only one allele of SMAD4 has to be damaged to put a person at risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Riccardo Fodde led a team of researchers from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, who investigated SMAD4, a tumor suppressor gene implicated in pancreatic and colorectal cancer. They found that having one mutated SMAD4 allele was associated with the development of gastrointestinal polyps. This research is the first to address the molecular and cellular consequences of SMAD4 damage on a genome-wide scale. Ballabio said, "PathoGenetics will give scientists a unique opportunity to publish exciting research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the manifestations of disease phenotype".

Souped-up immune cells catch even disguised HIV

clipped from www.newsdaily.com WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2008 (Reuters) — Genetically engineered immune cells can spot the AIDS virus even when it tries to disguise itself, offering a potential new way to treat the incurable infection, researchers reported on Sunday. The killer T-cells, dubbed "assassin" cells, were able to recognize other cells infected by HIV and slow the spread of the virus in lab dishes. If the approach works in people, it might provide a new route of treating infection with the deadly human immunodeficiency virus, the researchers in the United States and Britain said. In a second, unrelated report, researchers testing Dutch biotechnology firm Crucell NV's experimental AIDS vaccine said it prevented infection in six monkeys. "In the face of our engineered assassin cells, the virus will either die or be forced to change its disguises again, weakening itself along the way," added Andy Sewell of Britain's Cardiff University. They plan to test the T-cell treatment in HIV patients next year.

Mental Health: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

We all could use more information about how childhood illnesses may cause long term problems in adults....maybe our parents mistakes ( concerning our upbringing ) didn't cause us to go crazy....maybe the unhappiness of our adult lives caused us to develop OCD.

clipped from www.webmd.com Mental Health: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder What Causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Although the exact cause of OCD is not fully understood, studies have shown that a combination of biological and environmental factors may be involved. Biological Factors: Research has found a link between low levels of one neurotransmitter -- called serotonin -- and the development of OCD. In addition, there is evidence that a serotonin imbalance may be passed on from parents to children. This means the tendency to develop OCD may be inherited. Studies also have found a link between a certain type of infection caused by the Streptococcus bacteria and OCD. This infection, if recurrent and untreated, may lead to the development of OCD and other disorders in children. Environmental Factors: There are environmental stressors that can trigger OCD in people with a tendency toward developing the condition. These factors include: Abuse Changes in living situation Relationship concerns

Yet Even MORE Good News Re Omega-3 Fish Oils

clipped from www.naturalnews.com Omega-3-Rich Fish Oils Reduce Weight Gain in Animal Study A diet that contains fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help the body metabolize fat better and thereby gain less weight, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Kao Corporation in Tochigi, Japan, and published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers took mice that had been bred with a predisposition to obesity and fed them a high-fat diet (containing 30 percent of its calories from fat) for five months. Half of the animals had this diet supplemented with 8 percent fish oil. The mice whose diet had been supplemented with fish oil showed greater activity of several genes related to the metabolism of fats, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a, cytochrome P450 4A10, and malic enzyme. The supplemented mice also showed greater activity of enzymes related to metabolism. University of South Australia found that overweight adults reduced their fat mass by approximately 1.5 kilograms omega-3 fatty acids

Genes Influence Whether Antidepressants Work

clipped from psychcentral.com Genes Influence Antidepressant Effectiveness clipped from psychcentral.com Wednesday, Jul 16 (Psych Central) -- A new study suggests variations in the serotonin transporter gene could explain why some people with depression respond better than others to treatment with citalopram (Celexa), an antidepressant medication. Researchers examined the serotonin transporter gene, or SLC6A4, in 1,914 study participants. The study showed that two variations in this gene have a direct bearing on how individuals might respond to citalopram. SLC6A4 produces a protein that plays an important role in achieving an antidepressant response. Pharmacogenetics, the study of how people’s genetic makeup affects their response to medications, could improve patient outcomes by matching patients with the right drug from the start rather than endure the arduous process of trial and error.

Anti-Aging Supplements Vitamins C and E Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's

clipped from www.dailyme.com Anti-Aging Supplements Vitamins C and E Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's If the incidence of Alzheimer's continues to increase at the current rate more than 81 million people worldwide will be suffering from the disease by 2040. However, according to a recent study, the risk of developing the disease may be significantly reduced by a combination of vitamins E and C and ibuprofen. Feelgoodforlife.com provides additional information on which anti-aging supplements help Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. The current study, as reported by Arkansasmatters.com, found that the combination of vitamins E and C and ibuprofen is especially effective for those carrying the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene variant known as ApoE4, which has been identified as a genetic risk factor for about 40% of those suffering from Alzheimer's

Babies Think Like Adults

clipped from www.mostphotos.com clipped from news.yahoo.com Like adults, babies can remember more things by grouping objects together, a new study found The finding shows short term memory in babies works similarly to that in adults, who routinely break information into chunks to remember more of it. The discovery indicates that this memory-boosting trick does not seem to be learned, but may be an innate human ability. Adults break down phone numbers, social security numbers, and even grocery lists into smaller bits to more easily remember them. Researchers have wondered whether this was a technique we pick up over time, or if it is fundamentally built into href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/storytext/babiesthinklikeadults/28232200/SIG=11mi4cruj/*http://www.livescience.com/health/050517_memory.html">class=yshortcuts id=lw_1216082436_0>our memory system. "Our results say you don't need to be explicitly taught these strategies "If babies, who don't have a lot of language ability and haven't been instructed in the task, can just show they can do this, that tells us this is a very early-developing feature of memory. It tells us that this is something fundamental about the href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/storytext/babiesthinklikeadults/28232200/SIG=13qb9m65m/*http://www.livescience.com/health/070409_memory_overload.htmlhttp:/www.livescience.com/health/050209_under_pressure.html">class=yshortcuts id=lw_1216082436_3>architecture of memory in the brain."