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Researchers discover new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy

A European consortium of epilepsy researchers has reported the discovery of a new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy. Using a novel combination of technologies, including trio exome sequencing of patient/parental DNA and genetic studies in the tiny larvae of zebrafish, the EuroEPINOMICS RES consortium found that mutations in the gene CHD2 are responsible for a subset of epilepsy patients with symptoms similar to Dravet syndrome - a severe form of childhood epilepsy that is in many patients resistant to currently available anti-epileptic drugs.

23 Jan 2014

New research reveals that humans can use odor to detect fat in food

New research from the Monell Center reveals humans can use the sense of smell to detect dietary fat in food. As food smell almost always is detected before taste, the findings identify one of the first sensory qualities that signals whether a food contains fat.

23 Jan 2014

Researchers identify five new genes associated with increased waist-to-hip ratio

Excess abdominal fat can be a precursor to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. A person's measure of belly fat is reflected in the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference, and it is estimated that genetics account for about 30-60 percent of waist-to-hip ratio.

23 Jan 2014

Regular exposure to mild cold may be a sustainable way to help people lose weight

Regular exposure to mild cold may be a healthy and sustainable way to help people lose weight, according to researchers writing in the Cell Press publication Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism on January 22nd. On the flip side, that means our warm and cozy homes and offices might be partly responsible for our expanding waistlines.

23 Jan 2014

Function of stem cells in blood-forming system is regulated by estrogen, says study

Scientists have known for years that stem cells in male and female sexual organs are regulated differently by their respective hormones. In a surprising discovery, researchers at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) and Baylor College of Medicine have found that stem cells in the blood-forming system — which is similar in both sexes — also are regulated differently by hormones, with estrogen proving to be an especially prolific promoter of stem cell self-renewal.

23 Jan 2014

A*STAR and Nestle sign agreement to advance research on nutrition in Singapore

Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research has entered into a research agreement with Nestl- today to help boost the company's expansion in R&D in the country.

23 Jan 2014

Exposing adolescent to marijuana can lead to behavioral alterations in next generation

Exposing adolescent rats to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) -the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana—can lead to molecular and behavioral alterations in the next generation of offspring, even though progeny were not directly exposed to the drug, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found.

23 Jan 2014

Gender differences in memory

If your husband is absent-minded, forgets your wedding anniversary or the name of your new neighbor, don't worry. You are not the only one with a forgetful man in the house. Even researchers were surprised by how much men forget.

23 Jan 2014

Hydroxytyrosol in olive oil may help reduce risk of breast cancer

A major component of olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, is the subject of a Houston Methodist study of women who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The study focuses on the changes in breast density after one year of treatment and is the first of its kind in the United States.

23 Jan 2014

Scientists develop new genetic platform that yields novel antibiotic from ocean bacteria

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new genetic platform that allows efficient production of naturally occurring molecules, and have used it to produce a novel antibiotic compound.

23 Jan 2014

Researchers find that 20% of women with ovarian cancer had inherited mutations in gene pathway

A new study conservatively estimates that one in five women with ovarian cancer has inherited genetic mutations that increase the risk of the disease, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

23 Jan 2014

Researchers examine how neurons in brain control arm movements

Sometimes that's how our brains work. When we anticipate a physical act, such as reaching for the keys we noticed on the table, the neurons that control the task adopt a state of readiness, like sprinters bent into a crouch.

23 Jan 2014

Jackson Laboratory collaborates with Seoul National University to develop new mouse models, tumor repository

The Jackson Laboratory, in collaboration with Seoul National University, will receive a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the South Korean government for a large-scale cancer genomics project employing the latest sequencing technology and special JAX mouse models that can host human tumors.

22 Jan 2014

Chinese and American researchers introduce new approach to gene therapy

Resistance of tumor cells toward multiple cytostatic drugs is a serious problem in cancer treatment. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a team of Chinese and American researchers has now introduced a new approach to gene therapy that could counter this problem: The gene that codes for resistance is “silenced” through the use of an ingenious nanocomplex.

22 Jan 2014

Lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver leads to lower levels of liver FGF21

A new study led by Boston University School of Medicine demonstrates that the abnormal metabolism linked to obesity could be regulated in part by the interaction of two metabolic regulators, called the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Using experimental models, the researchers found that a lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver led to lower levels of a liver secreted protein FGF21, which resulted in an increased likelihood of developing fatty liver disease and obesity.

22 Jan 2014

High-protein diet increases chance of developing kidney stones, other renal diseases

High-protein diets, like the popular Dr. Dukan diet, increase the long-term risk of developing kidney disease and have a negative effect on renal urinary and morphological markers. What's more, they may promote serious pathologies like nephrolithiasis (calcium kidney stones) because they drastically reduce urinary citrate (an inhibitor of calcium salt crystallization) and urinary pH, and increase urinary calcium (to compensate for the metabolic acidity caused by excess protein).

22 Jan 2014

Xpert MTB/RIF test quickly detects TB and resistance to rifampicin

A second systematic review of a diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has confirmed the accuracy of the test. The updated review assessing the accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF includes new studies published since the original Cochrane Review was published in January last year.

22 Jan 2014

EKF Diagnostics announces major breakthrough for PointMan DNA enrichment technology

EKF, announces a major breakthrough for its PointMan DNA enrichment technology for potential use in future cancer testing and treatment.

From EKF Diagnostics 22 Jan 2014

Scientists identify specific enzyme essential for brain development

Scientists from the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna have identified a specific enzyme, histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), as essential for brain development. The findings published in Development are important to advance the development of new drugs to treat neurological diseases.

22 Jan 2014

Bread can now become daily sources of vitamin D when baked with Lallemand's baker's yeast

Lallemand is pleased to announce that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a positive opinion on the use of Vitamin D2 rich baker's yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) in yeast-leavened bread, rolls, fine bakery wares and food supplements.

22 Jan 2014

Medical Science News

Researchers discover new gene involved in severe childhood epilepsy

New research reveals that humans can use odor to detect fat in food

Researchers identify five new genes associated with increased waist-to-hip ratio

Regular exposure to mild cold may be a sustainable way to help people lose weight

Function of stem cells in blood-forming system is regulated by estrogen, says study

A*STAR and Nestle sign agreement to advance research on nutrition in Singapore

Exposing adolescent to marijuana can lead to behavioral alterations in next generation

Gender differences in memory

Hydroxytyrosol in olive oil may help reduce risk of breast cancer

Scientists develop new genetic platform that yields novel antibiotic from ocean bacteria

Researchers find that 20% of women with ovarian cancer had inherited mutations in gene pathway

Researchers examine how neurons in brain control arm movements

Jackson Laboratory collaborates with Seoul National University to develop new mouse models, tumor repository

Chinese and American researchers introduce new approach to gene therapy

Lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver leads to lower levels of liver FGF21

High-protein diet increases chance of developing kidney stones, other renal diseases

Xpert MTB/RIF test quickly detects TB and resistance to rifampicin

EKF Diagnostics announces major breakthrough for PointMan DNA enrichment technology

Scientists identify specific enzyme essential for brain development

Bread can now become daily sources of vitamin D when baked with Lallemand's baker's yeast

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