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Cortisol hormone controls bile acid recycling process

Nature sees to it that we do not have "too much choler" in our body. A delicately equilibrated regulation system ensures that there is always exactly the right amount of bile in the gallbladder. When we are hungry, our body releases a hormone called cortisol, which is a glucocorticoid. Hepatic cells receive this hormone signal through their cortisol receptors and respond by filling the gallbladder with bile in preparation of the imminent food intake.

8 Jul 2011

British company designing genetically modified mosquito to fight dengue

NPR's All Things Considered on Tuesday examined the efforts of the British company Oxitec to develop a genetically modified mosquito meant to wipe out wild populations of the insects, which carry potentially lethal diseases such as dengue.

7 Jul 2011

GEN article reports on new drug research and development costs

A policy specialist and a healthcare economist both say that the oft-quoted cost of $1.32 billion to bring a new drug to market does not hold up to close scrutiny, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.

7 Jul 2011

Scientists discover three unexpected RNAs involved in diabetes cell-death pathway

Excess nutrients, such as fat and sugar, don't just pack on the pounds but can push some cells in the body over the brink. Unable to tolerate this "toxic" environment, these cells commit suicide.

6 Jul 2011

Potential new approach for treating obesity, type 2 diabetes

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have uncovered a pathway in mice that allows white fat - a contributor to obesity and type 2 diabetes - to burn calories in a way that's normally found in brown fat and muscle. The findings are in the July 6 edition of Cell Metabolism.

6 Jul 2011

Alpha-tocotrienol protects brain cells after stroke in three ways

A natural form of vitamin E called alpha-tocotrienol can trigger production of a protein in the brain that clears toxins from nerve cells, preventing those cells from dying after a stroke, new research shows.

6 Jul 2011

Zebrafish study uncovers new information about hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although there are several treatment options available, they are largely unsuccessful because the disease is so poorly understood. Clinical studies of patients with HCC, combined with studies using mice and other animal models, have provided some clues, but many questions about how to diagnose and treat this deadly form of cancer remain.

5 Jul 2011

Johns Hopkins team reconstitutes single stem cells' family tree

A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia - important types of brain cells - but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells.

2 Jul 2011

Genetically engineered pigs may help overcome donor organ shortage

A sizzling genetic discovery by Chinese scientists may one day allow pig tissue to be transplanted successfully into humans. Their research presented in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) represents a major step forward toward filling the shortage of vital organs for human transplantation.

1 Jul 2011

Scientists discover enzyme that can regulate breast cancer development

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified an enzyme that appears to be a significant regulator of breast cancer development. Called PTPN23, the enzyme is a member of a family called protein tyrosine phosphatases, or PTPs, that plays a fundamental role in switching cell signaling on and off.

1 Jul 2011

Nicotine receptors play crucial role in social interaction

If you think nicotine receptors are only important to smokers trying to kick the tobacco habit, think again. New research published in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) suggests that these receptors also play an important role in social interaction and the ability to choose between competing motivations.

1 Jul 2011

Researchers discover Foxj1 genetic 'conductor' responsible for new brain cell production

A team of North Carolina State University researchers has discovered more about how a gene connected to the production of new brain cells in adults does its job. Their findings could pave the way to new therapies for brain injury or disease.

30 Jun 2011

Brain stem cells shown to generate multiple new brain stem cells

A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia – important types of brain cells – but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells.

30 Jun 2011

New technique can remove oil spill from soil

It is well known just how damaging oil can be to nature. It is also well known just how difficult it can be to clean up after a spill or contamination. Removing an oil spill or contamination from soil is hard and requires very different techniques to removing oil from water.

30 Jun 2011

UNC study uses optogenetics to tweak brain wiring responsible for drug addiction behaviors

Using a combination of genetic engineering and laser technology, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have manipulated brain wiring responsible for reward-seeking behaviors, such as drug addiction.

30 Jun 2011

GenSpera and University of Copenhagen collaborate on 'Sustainable Production of Thapsigargin using Light'

GenSpera, Inc. has entered into a cooperation agreement with the University of Copenhagen, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to collaborate on the "SPOTLight" (Sustainable Production of Thapsigargin using Light) project.

29 Jun 2011

Genetic tools that enable cell type-specific delivery hold promise for combating incurable neurologic diseases

Novel tools and methods for delivering therapeutic genes to cells in the central nervous system hold great promise for the development of new treatments to combat incurable neurologic diseases. Five of the most exciting developments in this rapidly advancing field are presented in a series of articles in the June issue of Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc..

29 Jun 2011

New insights into 'sundowning' syndrome

New research provides the best evidence to date that the late-day anxiety and agitation sometimes seen in older institutionalized adults, especially those with dementia, has a biological basis in the brain.

28 Jun 2011

Australian Nobel Prize winner closer to delivering vaccines in food after positive first study in humans

The Australian scientist who won a Nobel Prize for identifying a cancer-causing stomach bacterium, today said a clinical trial had shown that some strains of the bacteria (Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori) were safe and well tolerated in humans.

27 Jun 2011

Former U.S. Surgeon General calls for intensive effort to promote child health

David Satcher, MD, PhD, former U.S. Surgeon General, describes childhood obesity as "one of the greatest threats to child and adult health that we are facing today," calling for an intensive effort to promote child health, in an editorial in the June issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The editorial is available online.

27 Jun 2011