http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330200722.htm
Researchers put these cats on a diet that progressive made the cat lose their myelin sheath that is need to ensure proper neural activity. When it is lost the cats have a weaken capacity to move and see correctly. When the researchers took them off the diet slowly but surely the cats regain their myelin sheath and their proper neural functions they had lost when they were on the diet. This is interesting because in Human beings we can't regain our myelin sheath. If Researchers can somehow coax the body to rebuild what we have lost in Multiple Sclerosis we can put an end to this autoimmune disease.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A modified protein which can better inhibit cancer growth!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325222010.htm
Tumors when they grow have different regions which have a variety of blood supply so hypoxia often occurs. On some sites that hypoxia occurs these cells produce Hypoxia inducing factor(HIF) which enables them to continue growing even in less than ideal conditions. Canadian Researchers have learned this protein called Von Hippel Landau inhibits Tumor growth. The problem is it can't inhibit tumor growth in areas with little oxygen.
What these researchers discovered is if they can alter this protein so it works even in hypoxic areas they can have an effective treatment for dealing with these tumor growths. Especially in the kidney where apparently chemotherapy and radiation have a hard time getting rid of them.
This could save a lot of lives. I wish these researchers the best of luck.
Tumors when they grow have different regions which have a variety of blood supply so hypoxia often occurs. On some sites that hypoxia occurs these cells produce Hypoxia inducing factor(HIF) which enables them to continue growing even in less than ideal conditions. Canadian Researchers have learned this protein called Von Hippel Landau inhibits Tumor growth. The problem is it can't inhibit tumor growth in areas with little oxygen.
What these researchers discovered is if they can alter this protein so it works even in hypoxic areas they can have an effective treatment for dealing with these tumor growths. Especially in the kidney where apparently chemotherapy and radiation have a hard time getting rid of them.
This could save a lot of lives. I wish these researchers the best of luck.
Monday, March 16, 2009
An antibiotic that does not provoke bacterial resistance.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313150121.htm
Researchers have developed a new way to fight the different types of bacteria that causes numerous ailments to people all around the world. Previously Researchers would develop an antibiotic that would kill the bacteria thus saving the patient. The problem with this method is some bacteria survive the attack from the antibiotic and spawn mutants that are immune to the antibiotic. Eventually those that are immune to the antibiotic becomes the majority of the bacteria and the problem arises again. Researchers then would have to develop a new antibiotic to fight off this new bacteria. Obviously this would be an endless cycle.
Researchers have learned they can disrupt the nasty effects of that certain bacteria produces in the patient by disrupting signaling molecules that induce the bacteria to harm whoever it is infecting. Bacteria uses a MTAN enzyme to synthesize autoinducers which makes the Bacteria produce damaging factors that harm the patient. The way Bacteria communicates with these signaling molecules is called quorum sensing. Researchers have learned when they disrupt the MTAN enzyme they can prevent most of the damaging effects of the Bacteria and the bacteria does not develop a resistance to this. This new way to treat bacteria could save many lives because it takes time to develop new antibiotics and this method could be done very quickly and it is not harmful to the human patient.
Researchers have developed a new way to fight the different types of bacteria that causes numerous ailments to people all around the world. Previously Researchers would develop an antibiotic that would kill the bacteria thus saving the patient. The problem with this method is some bacteria survive the attack from the antibiotic and spawn mutants that are immune to the antibiotic. Eventually those that are immune to the antibiotic becomes the majority of the bacteria and the problem arises again. Researchers then would have to develop a new antibiotic to fight off this new bacteria. Obviously this would be an endless cycle.
Researchers have learned they can disrupt the nasty effects of that certain bacteria produces in the patient by disrupting signaling molecules that induce the bacteria to harm whoever it is infecting. Bacteria uses a MTAN enzyme to synthesize autoinducers which makes the Bacteria produce damaging factors that harm the patient. The way Bacteria communicates with these signaling molecules is called quorum sensing. Researchers have learned when they disrupt the MTAN enzyme they can prevent most of the damaging effects of the Bacteria and the bacteria does not develop a resistance to this. This new way to treat bacteria could save many lives because it takes time to develop new antibiotics and this method could be done very quickly and it is not harmful to the human patient.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Iron production a detriment to Cancer Cells?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311103607.htm
Due to the rapid development of Cancer Cells they need high levels of micro nutrients to sustain their rapid growth. One of them in particular is iron. But this is also a double edged sword. Too much production of iron creates oxygen radicals which damage the cancer cells. Because of this Cancer Cells produce iron storing proteins which keep the levels of Iron in check. What Researchers have discovered is if they can block these proteins that keep the iron levels in check the iron levels rise and so do the oxygen radicals. This kills the cancer cells but renders the normal cells unharmed because they have low levels of oxygen radicals.
This research could create a new way to treat cancer. Right now doctor use chemotherapy and radiation to deal with cancers. Both methods harm the healthy cells and the cancer cells. This creates a dilemma when the patient's body is very weak he or she can not take the chemo because it produces a serious health risk.
Due to the rapid development of Cancer Cells they need high levels of micro nutrients to sustain their rapid growth. One of them in particular is iron. But this is also a double edged sword. Too much production of iron creates oxygen radicals which damage the cancer cells. Because of this Cancer Cells produce iron storing proteins which keep the levels of Iron in check. What Researchers have discovered is if they can block these proteins that keep the iron levels in check the iron levels rise and so do the oxygen radicals. This kills the cancer cells but renders the normal cells unharmed because they have low levels of oxygen radicals.
This research could create a new way to treat cancer. Right now doctor use chemotherapy and radiation to deal with cancers. Both methods harm the healthy cells and the cancer cells. This creates a dilemma when the patient's body is very weak he or she can not take the chemo because it produces a serious health risk.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Stem cells discovered in populations of Satellite Cells.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305121655.htm
Muscular Dystrophy is a disease caused by the inability of the body to produce dystrophin which is needed to sustain muscle cells. Satellite Cells are found around the muscle fibers. They can divide in specialized cells that can repair stressed muscle fibers. Researchers have learned there are stem cells within the Satellite cells can sustained the population of the Satellite cells which is important in keeping the muscle functional.
After Researchers injected Satellite Cells into a mouse's Satellite cells population they learned the injected Satellite Cells produced more Satellite Cells improving muscle repair and sustaining the population of Satellite cells in the region.
The only problem with this is you would need to keep injected satellite cells into the patient in order for the individual to maintain his muscles because of the lack of the protein dystrophin.
Muscular Dystrophy is a disease caused by the inability of the body to produce dystrophin which is needed to sustain muscle cells. Satellite Cells are found around the muscle fibers. They can divide in specialized cells that can repair stressed muscle fibers. Researchers have learned there are stem cells within the Satellite cells can sustained the population of the Satellite cells which is important in keeping the muscle functional.
After Researchers injected Satellite Cells into a mouse's Satellite cells population they learned the injected Satellite Cells produced more Satellite Cells improving muscle repair and sustaining the population of Satellite cells in the region.
The only problem with this is you would need to keep injected satellite cells into the patient in order for the individual to maintain his muscles because of the lack of the protein dystrophin.
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