Health News

Zinc may be the missing link for osteoarthritis therapies

Date: Feb-17-2014
Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability, characterized by the destruction of cartilage tissue in joints, but there is a lack of effective therapies because the underlying molecular causes have been unclear. A study published by Cell Press in the journal Cell reveals that osteoarthritis-related tissue damage is caused by a molecular pathway that is involved in regulating and responding to zinc levels inside of cartilage cells. A protein called ZIP8 transports zinc inside these cells, setting off a cascade of molecular events that result in the destruction of cartilage tissue in mice.

'Missing' genetic risk mystery

Date: Feb-17-2014
A new study could help to answer an important riddle in our understanding of genetics: why research to look for the genetic causes of common diseases has failed to explain more than a fraction of the heritable risk of developing them.The study published in the journal PLOS Genetics and led by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, shows for the first time in cancer that some common genetic variants could actually be indicators of the presence of much more influential rare mutations that have yet to be found.

People who live in affluent areas more likely to spend compulsively, less likely to save

Date: Feb-17-2014
Where you live could affect whether or not you spend compulsively, according to new research from San Francisco State University published in the Journal of Consumer Culture.Individuals who live in wealthy neighborhoods are more likely to have materialistic values and poor spending habits, the study says, particularly if they are young, living in urban areas and relatively poor compared with their surroundings. The study is the first to show a connection between neighborhood socioeconomic status and materialism.

Researchers create interactive map of human genetic history

Date: Feb-17-2014
The interactive map, produced by researchers from Oxford University and UCL (University College London), details the histories of genetic mixing between each of the 95 populations across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America spanning the last four millennia.The study, published in Science, simultaneously identifies, dates and characterises genetic mixing between populations. To do this, the researchers developed sophisticated statistical methods to analyse the DNA of 1490 individuals in 95 populations around the world. The work was chiefly funded by the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society.

Non-coding DNA sequence affects brain's characteristic folding

Date: Feb-17-2014
Researchers have tied a particular gene to the development of cortical convolutions - the prominent but enigmatic folds covering the surface of the human brain. Their discovery should shed some light on these characteristic contours, which have been the subject of wild speculation for ages, and perhaps also provide a better understanding of how such brain ridges form, how they evolved from our pre-human ancestors and, ultimately, how they influence brain function.The exact role of cortical convolutions remains unknown, but theories have abounded.

Non-coding DNA sequence affects brain's characteristic folding

Date: Feb-17-2014
Researchers have tied a particular gene to the development of cortical convolutions - the prominent but enigmatic folds covering the surface of the human brain. Their discovery should shed some light on these characteristic contours, which have been the subject of wild speculation for ages, and perhaps also provide a better understanding of how such brain ridges form, how they evolved from our pre-human ancestors and, ultimately, how they influence brain function.The exact role of cortical convolutions remains unknown, but theories have abounded.

Mechanism of crude oil heart toxicity discovered

Date: Feb-17-2014
Scientists from Stanford University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have discovered that crude oil interferes with fish heart cells. The toxic consequence is a slowed heart rate, reduced cardiac contractility and irregular heartbeats that can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.The research, published in the journal Science, is part of the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Removing Brg1 gene from leukemia stem cells prevented them from dividing, surviving and making new tumors

Date: Feb-17-2014
A group of researchers at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of Universite de Montreal discovered a promising new approach to treating leukemia by disarming a gene that is responsible for tumor progression. That gene, known as Brg1 is a key regulator of leukemia stem cells that are the root cause of the disease, resistance to treatment and relapse.Julie Lessard, principal investigator and her colleagues at IRIC have spent the past four years studying that gene in collaboration with another research group at Stanford University in California.

Returning to driving after a stroke without being evaluated for ability

Date: Feb-16-2014
Stroke survivors often resume driving without being formally evaluated for ability - though stroke can cause deficits that can impair driving, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.Researchers surveyed 162 stroke survivors a year after their strokes and found: More than 51 percent returned to driving - many a month after suffering a stroke. Only 5.6 percent received a formal driving evaluation.

Dogs provide new insight into Chiari malformation in humans

Date: Feb-16-2014
Chiari malformation is a condition that occurs when the lower parts of the brain have been pushed down toward the spinal cord. The condition is estimated to occur in 1 in 1,280 people. Now, researchers have uncovered the debilitating effects of the condition by studying the brains of "toy dog" breeds.This is according to a study recently published in the journal PLOS One.The research team, led by Dr. Clare Rusbridge of the University of Surrey in the UK, says they hope the findings will improve the treatment of Chiari malformation (CM) for both humans and dogs.