A yogurt a day keeps heart disease biomarkers at bay - FierceBiomarkers
In a double-blind trial in which people with Type 2 diabetes drank a plain or vitamin D-rich yogurt drink, researchers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI) saw an improvement in fasting glucose, insulin and QUICK1 (a measure of insulin resistance), along with some improvements in HbA1c, a long-term measure of blood glucose. There were also evident changes in blood lipids and these endothelial biomarkers.
Immune system has protective memory cells, researchers discover
The immune system possesses a type of cell that can be activated by tissues within the body to remind the immune system not to attack our own molecules, cells and organs. The discovery is likely to lead to new strategies for fighting a range of autoimmune diseases -- in which the immune system attacks and harms specific molecules and cells within us -- as well as for preventing transplant rejection, according to UCSF researchers who report their findings in the November 27 online edition of the journal Nature.
Dietary treatment of epilepsy: rebirth of an ancient treatment.
Since its introduction in 1921, the ketogenic diet has been in continuous use for children with difficult-to-control epilepsy. Modifications that help improve tolerability include the medium chain triglyceride diet, modified Atkins diet, and low glycemic index treatment. Side effects include acidosis, increased cholesterol, kidney stones, gastroesophageal reflux, and growth disturbance, although these are manageable.
Altered recognition memory, prepulse inhibition, and locomotor activity in the offspring of rats exposed to viral mimetic during pregnancy
Risk factors: Alzheimer's : Autism : Bipolar disorder : Childhood obesity: Chronic fatigue: Multiple sclerosis Parkinson's disease Schizophrenia Kegg pathways Alzheimer's Parkinson's Schizophrenia Herpes simplex infection Cystic fibrosis CFTR interactome Tweet
Study demonstrates a connection between a common chemical and Parkinson's disease
A University of Kentucky faculty member is a contributing author on a new study demonstrating a connection between a common solvent chemical and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Franca Cambi of the UK Kentucky Neuroscience Institute collaborated with researchers from across the U.S. on a paper recently published in the Annals of Neurology. The novel study looked at a cohort of human twins wherein one twin had been occupationally exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chemicals believed to be linked to development of Parkinson's.
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
PLoS Medicine: On the Futility of Screening for Genes That Make You Fat
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Human Epigenome Browser @ Wash U
This tool provides researchers with a cutting-edge resource for visualizing and interacting with whole-genome datasets. The browser currently hosts Human Epigenome Atlas data produced by the Roadmap Epigenomics project, but its use of advanced, multi-resolution data formats and its user-friendly interface make it possible for investigators to upload and visualize their own data as custom tracks.
Mouse study explains bacterium's unique role in periodontitis, November 29, 2011 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The researchers report that the microbe Porphyromonas gingivalis hacks into the front-line immune cells that police the space between tooth and gum, known as the subgingival crevice, and reprograms them to create living conditions more to its microbial liking.
Rare condition Timothy syndrome may give clues to autism - Health News - NHS Choices
Timothy syndrome is associated with a defect in the calcium channel CACNA1C, also associated with autism .
Psychiatric disorders run in families - but is this genetic ?
There is an excess risk of schizophrenia in the offspring of parents who have a psychotic, bipolar affective or other psychiatric disorder, but this is not currently explained by the single nucleotide polymorphisms in this study in accordance with findings from published genetic studies.
Scientists uncover new role for gene in maintaining steady weight
This relates to the melanocortin-3 receptor, but surprisingly in the periphery, rather than in the brain
A novel, rapid, quantitative cell-counting method reveals oligodendroglial reduction in the frontopolar cortex in major depressive disorder : Molecular Psychiatry
Oligodendrocyte cell loss and demyelination are a feature of several psychiatric disorders which should really be considered as degenerative disorders with a clear glial cell basis.
Genetic Alarm Clock (JARID1)The Scientist
How Probiotic Yogurt Works | The Scientist
Researchers show that the bacterial species in probiotic, fermented dairy products may alter gene expression and metabolism in native gut microbiota.
Do aluminum vaccine adjuvants contribute to the rising prevalence of autism?
"Our results show that: (i) children from countries with the highest ASD prevalence appear to have the highest exposureto Aluminium from vaccines; (ii) the increase in exposure to Aluminium adjuvants significantly correlates with the increase in Autism spectrum disorder prevalence in the United States observed over the last two decades ; and (iii) a significant correlation exists between the amounts of Al administered to preschool children and the current prevalence of ASD in seven Western countries, particularly at 3-4months of age . The application of the Hill's criteria to these data indicates that the correlation between Aluminium in vaccines and ASD may be causal".
The Lactic Acid Bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici Suppresses Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Inducing IL-10-Producing Regulatory T Cells.
These findings indicate the therapeutic potential of the oral administration of a probiotic bacterium, Pediococcus acidilactici, for treating Multiple sclerosis
Novel ALS drug slows symptom progression, reduces mortality in phase II trial
(Medical Xpress) -- Treatment with dexpramipexole -- a novel drug believed to prevent dysfunction of mitochondria, the subcellular structures that provide most of a cell's energy – appears to slow symptom progression in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Promising results of a phase 2 trial of dexpramipexole are receiving advance online publication in Nature Medicine. Some preliminary results of the study were presented at the 2009 International Symposium on ALS/MND and the 2010 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the CDC: A Long, Tangled Tale
A history of chronic fatigue from the centre for disease control: See also Chronic fatigue risk factors:
Vitamin D-fortified yoghurt improves cholesterol levels and heart disease biomarkers for diabetics
People with diabetes are known to have an increased risk of heart disease. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that regular consumption of a vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink improves cholesterol levels and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, a precursor of heart disease, in diabetics.
Internal Medicine - Psychiatry Article | Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders
Although the number of children exposed prenatally to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in this population was low, results suggest that exposure, especially during the first trimester, may modestly increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders .
Infectious agents associated with schizophrenia: A meta-analysis.
Thw results that support the idea that there is a statistically significant association between schizophrenia and infection by Human Herpesvirus 2 (OR=1.34; CI 95%: 1.09-1.70; p=0.05), Borna Disease Virus (OR=2.03; CI 95%: 1.35-3.06; p<0.01), Human Endogenous Retrovirus W (OR=19.31; CI 95%: 6.74-55.29; p<0.001), Chlamydophila pneumoniae (OR=6.34; CI 95%: 2.83-14.19; p<0.001), Chlamydophila psittaci (OR=29.05; CI 95%: 8.91-94.70; p<0.001) and Toxoplasma gondii (OR=2.70; CI 95%: 1.34-4.42; p=0.005). T Schizophrenia
Ulcer-causing bacteria tamed by defect in cell-targeting ability
If they can't swim to their targets in the stomach, Helicobacter pylori does not cause inflammation of the stomach lining that leads to ulcers and stomach cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Alarming pattern of antibiotic use in the southeastern United States
New research suggests a pattern of outpatient antibiotic overuse in parts of the United States-- particularly in the Southeast --a problem that could accelerate the rate at which these powerful drugs are rendered useless, according to Extending the Cure, a project of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy.
Nature News Blog: Brain cell genomes show their individuality
A different genome for every neurone !
Potential new drug target in Lou Gehrig's disease
TDP-43 and p65 cooperate to ramp up production of factors capable of promoting inflammation and killing nearby neurons.
New treatment for Multiple Sclerosis: Cambridge University translates research at the bench into a drug at the bedside
The culmination of three decades of research in Cambridge has resulted in the exciting prospect of a new transformational treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Future obesity may be predicted at 3.5 years of age
Researchers can predict which children are most likely to become obese by examining their mothers' behaviour around their birth, according to a recent University of Montreal study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. "Although behaviour is extremely hard to change and is also influenced by a complex tangle of influencing factors in the environment, I hope these findings will help improve the social and medical services we offer to mothers and infants," said lead author Laura Pryor, a PhD candidate at the university's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. The findings come as the province of Quebec, like other societies, grapples with a surge in childhood obesity over the last generation.
BBC News - Study links Parkinson's disease to industrial solvent (trichloroethylene)
The compound is trichloroethylene , which like paraquat and rotenone inhibits mitochondrial respiration .Its involvement in Parkinson's disease had already been suspected. Other Parkinson's disease toxins
Bacterial genes tell the tale of an outbreak's evolution in cystic fibrosis
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston have retraced the evolution of an unusual bacterial infection as it spread among cystic fibrosis patients by sequencing scores of samples collected during the outbreak, since contained. A significant achievement in genetic pathology, the work also suggests a new way to recognize adaptive mutations—to see evolution as it happens—and sheds new light on how our bodies resist infection.
Eating fish can reduce the risk of diabetes
A study analyses the dietary patterns of the adult Spanish population with high cardiovascular risk. The results reveal a high consumption of both red meat and fish. However, whilst eating lots of cured meats is associated with greater weight gain and a higher obesity rate, the consumption of fish is linked to lower glucose concentrations and a smaller risk of developing diabetes.
Huge hike in ADHD drugs to Danish adults worrying: doctors
A massive increase in the number of Danish adults prescribed medication for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is deeply worrying, the head of the Danish Medical Association said Friday.
Cranberries: you need the real thing
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Signatures of Environmental Genetic Adaptation Pinpoint Pathogens as the Main Selective Pressure through Human Evolution.
Among the loci targeted by pathogen-driven selection, the authors found an enrichment of genes associated to autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and multiples sclerosis, which lends credence to the hypothesis that some susceptibility alleles for autoimmune diseases may be maintained in human population due to past selective processes.
Human herpesvirus-6 viral load and antibody titer in serum samples of patients with multiple sclerosis.
The results indicate that HHV-6 is implicated somehow in MS disease. Over time, rising HHV-6 IgG antibody titers together with an exacerbation and detection of HHV-6 DNA in serum samples of some MS patients suggests possible association between the reactivation of the virus and disease progression.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Gene Expression Atlas update--a value-added database of microarray and sequencing-based functional genomics experiments.
The database supports 19 species, which contains expression data measured for 19 014 biological conditions in 136 551 assays from 5598 independent studies.
California making headway in battle against childhood obesity, but successes are uneven / UCLA Newsroom
In 2004, California began implementing a series of state laws banning sugary drinks and junk food from public school campuses. That, along with other local and statewide policies addressing the availability, marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods and an increased emphasis on healthier food and expanding opportunities for physical activity, may be contributing to the statewide improvements revealed in this study.
Lose the fat and improve the gums, dental researchers find
Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers found the human body is better at fighting gum disease when fat cells, which trigger inflammation, disappear.
Futurity.org – New DNA letter may have distinct function
This is 5-hydroxymethylcytosine whose function is as yet poorly understood: It can be generated from another relatively new DNA base , 5-methylcytosine , itself formed by epigenetic methylation. CATG is getting rather more complicated .
Galaxy DNA-analysis software is now available 'in the cloud'
Galaxy is an open, web-based platform for data intensive biomedical research. Whether on the free public server or your own instance, you can perform, reproduce, and share complete analyses.
Study reveals potential role of brain in diabetes, new pathway for blockbuster market - FierceBiotech Research
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Brain parasite directly alters brain chemistry
Research shows infection by the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii, found in 10-20 per cent of the UK's population, directly affects the production of dopamine, a key chemical messenger in the brain.
Autism, authenticated : Nature Medicine : Nature Publishing Group
A burst of research into the genetics of autism has given scientists insight into the basis for the disorder. Now, some companies aim to capitalize on these findings by developing DNA screens that might one day provide a diagnosis at birth. Hannah Waters examines the genetic tests and explores what parents—and their autistic children—have to gain.
Webinar Registration (Current controversies: Human Immunology)
Much ongoing immunological research is being conducted with the aim of improving the understanding how the human immune system develops and functions or, in some cases, malfunctions. However, many studies use model systems that involve animal surrogates or in vitro studies of isolated primary cells or transformed cell lines. How well do these models provide information about ‘human immunology’?
Study characterizes epigenetic signatures of autism in brain tissue
Image via WikipediaPrefrontal cortex neurons from subjects with autism show changes in chromatin structures at hundreds of loci genome-wide, revealing considerable overlap between genetic and epigenetic risk maps of developmental brain disorders.
RIKEN | Press Release | 2011 | New study uncovers how brain cells degrade dangerous protein aggregates
Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI) have discovered a key mechanism responsible for selectively degrading aggregates of ubiquitinated proteins from the cell. Their findings indicate that the capture and removal of such aggregates is mediated by the phosphorylation of a protein called p62, opening the door to new avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Common bacteria cause some colon tumors by altering peroxide-producing gene
Working with lab cultures and mice, Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a strain of the common gut pathogen Bacteroides fragilis causes colon inflammation and increases activity of a gene called spermine oxidase (SMO) in the intestine. The effect is to expose the gut to hydrogen peroxide – the caustic, germ-fighting substance found in many medicine cabinets -- and cause DNA damage, contributing to the formation of colon tumors, say the scientists.
Nutritional intervention helps in mild Alzheimer's disease
A second clinical trial of the medical food Souvenaid confirmed that daily intake of the nutritional intervention improves memory in people with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results of the trial - called Souvenir II - were presented at the 4th International Conference on Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) in San Diego, California on Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 by Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD, Professor of Cognitive Neurology and Director of the Alzheimer Center at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam.
Souvenaid is a cocktail of nutrients including uridine monophosphate, choline, the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, phospholipids, B vitamins and antioxidants.
Souvenaid is a cocktail of nutrients including uridine monophosphate, choline, the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, phospholipids, B vitamins and antioxidants.
Rheumatoid arthritis and gum disease: what’s the link? | Naturally Selected
Gum disease is a risk factor for many other diseases: In this case it might be the other way around with rheumatoid arthritis promoting gum disease.
Salmonella-induced mucosal lectin RegIIIβ kills competing gut microbiota.
A clever ruse by a Salmonella pathogen: The host killer lectin is one factor designed to help kill pathogens, but Salmonella itself is resistant,and the result is destruction of beneficial or harmless commensals.
Exercise provides clue to deadly ataxia
There are more and more papers appearing, showing that environmental influences can overcome the effects of gene defects - eating greens and heart disease, excercise and the FTO gene in obesity, and now excercise in a model of spinocerebellar ataxia in mice (SCA1).
Beware supplements you don’t need
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements when you don’t actually need them could do more harm than good
Bicycling Could Save Billions : Discovery News
Image by towodo via FlickrIf people chose to take half of their car trips on two wheels instead of four, health care costs could drop by billions.
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