Vertebrate ancestor had 'sixth sense'

Study: 96 percent of vertebrates descended from ancestor with 'sixth sense'

12-Oct-2011 - Although humans experience the world through five senses, sharks, paddlefishes and certain other aquatic vertebrates have another sense: They can detect weak electrical fields in the water and use this information to detect prey, communicate and orient themselves.Now, a study in Nature ...

Diabetes genes in South Asians discovered by Imperial College

Six new genetic variants will help identify diagnostic markers and drug targets for the 55 million Asian’s affected

12-Oct-2011 - An international team of researchers led by Imperial College London has identified six new genetic variants that could potentially be the causative agents of type 2 diabetes in South Asian populations (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan). The findings published in Nature Genetics, ...

Nuclear receptors battle it out during metamorphosis in new fruit fly model

Thomas Jefferson University researchers uncover how two nuclear receptors - EcR/Usp and E75A - work against each other during Drosophila metamorphosis

10-Oct-2011 - Growing up just got more complicated. Thomas Jefferson University biochemistry researchers have shown for the first time that the receptor for a major insect molting hormone doesn't activate and repress genes as once thought. In fact, it only activates genes, and it is out-competed by a ...

Biochemists identify how tissue cells detect and perfect

Findings could pave the way for more effective tissue repair treatments

10-Oct-2011 - Scientists have discovered how cells detect tissue damage and modify their repair properties accordingly. The findings, published in Developmental Cell, could open up new opportunities for improving tissue repair in patients following illness or surgery.The Wellcome Trust-funded study, led by ...

Changes in brain function in early HIV infection: A reliable indicator of disease prognosis?

10-Oct-2011 - Measurable changes in brain function and communication between brain regions may be a consequence of virus-induced injury during the early stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These abnormalities and their implications in disease prognosis are detailed in Brain Connectivity, a ...

Scripps Research scientists find stem cell reprogramming technique is safer than previously thought

10-Oct-2011 - Stem cells made by reprogramming patients' own cells might one day be used as therapies for a host of diseases, but scientists have feared that dangerous mutations within these cells might be caused by current reprogramming techniques. A sophisticated new analysis of stem cells' DNA finds that ...

Marijuana component could ease pain from chemotherapy drugs

10-Oct-2011 - A chemical component of the marijuana plant could prevent the onset of pain associated with drugs used in chemo therapy, particularly in breast cancer patients, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Pharmacy.The researchers published their findings, "Cannabidiol Prevents the ...

Nutrient runoff key to cyanobacteria

07-Oct-2011 - Many scientists believe that an unfortunate perfect storm of climate change and nutrient runoff will synergistically increase toxic cyanobacterial blooms globally in coming years.A synthesis article co-authored by a Cornell researcher in the Perspectives section of the journal Science argues that ...

CSHL team finds evidence for the genetic basis of autism

Models of autism show that gene copy number controls brain structure and behavior

05-Oct-2011 - Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism — deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 — causes autism-like features. By generating mouse models of autism using a technique known as chromosome engineering, CSHL ...

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided that the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine shall be divided

04-Oct-2011 - The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided that the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine shall be divided, with one half jointly to Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity and the other half to Ralph M. Steinman ...