August 17, 2009
Human See, Human Do?
Imitation is the sincerest from of flattery, the old saying goes. It may also help to promote social bonds. A new study reports that monkeys prefer humans who imitate them over those who don’t.
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Why Genital Herpes Boosts the Risk of HIV Infection
Scientists have discovered why people who develop genital herpes sores are at higher risk of contracting HIV despite successful treatment of the lesions. The new insight may lead to better strategies for HIV prevention..
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From Nerve Roots to Plant Roots
Sprouting. Branching. Pruning. Neuroscientists have borrowed heavily from botanists to describe the way neurons grow. A new study suggests the analogies may be more than superficial. Neurons and plant root cells may grow using a similar mechanism.
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August 3, 2009
Intensive Glucose Control Reduces Complications of Type 1 Diabetes
Near-normal control of glucose beginning as soon as possible after diagnosis greatly improves the long-term prognosis of type 1 diabetes, a new study found.
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Gene Variants Linked to Blood Pressure in African-Americans
Scientists have identified several genetic variants associated with blood pressure in African-Americans. The results of the new study offer potential clues to treating and preventing chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension.
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Genetic Switch Discovered for Disease-Fighting Antibodies
Scientists have identified 2 proteins that regulate the production of antibodies that fight disease-causing viruses and other pathogens. The findings have potential applications both for vaccine development and for treating autoimmune diseases.
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July 27, 2009
Scientists Decode Genomes of Deadly Parasitic Flatworms
Scientists have sequenced the complete genomes of 2 flatworms that cause schistosomiasis, a devastating tropical disease. The accomplishment provides an invaluable resource for developing new tools to treat the disease.
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Gene Insertion Underlies Origin of Dogs With Short Legs
A single evolutionary event is responsible for the short, curved legs that characterize certain dog breeds, according to a new study. The unexpected discovery provides clues about how physical differences may arise within species.
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Rotavirus Vaccines Shift Course of Diarrhea-Causing Disease
New vaccines can prevent or temper epidemics of a leading childhood diarrhea-causing disease, help protect the unvaccinated and raise the age at which the infection first appears in children, researchers reported.
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July 13, 2009
New Insights Into Novel H1N1
This spring, a new influenza, or flu, virus began causing illness in people around the world. Several new studies have revealed where the virus came from and given insight into how dangerous it might become.
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Common Gene Variants Implicated in Schizophrenia
Three international research teams have detected many tiny and common gene variations that together could account for at least one-third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia.
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Alcohol’s Site of Action Revealed
People have used alcohol for thousands of years for its pleasant and intoxicating effects. A new study finally provides an explanation for how alcohol produces these effects in the brain. The breakthrough could lead to new treatments for alcohol abuse and dependence.
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June 29, 2009
Targeting Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Researchers have identified a key molecular player in a type of age-related macular degeneration. The discovery may lead to better methods of early detection and treatment for this leading cause of blindness.
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A Broader Role for Amyloids
Amyloids are best known for their role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s. A new study finds that amyloids may also have a normal biological function.
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Merkel Cells Give You a Light Touch
If you can feel the softness of silk or the fuzziness of a peach, you can thank your Merkel cells, scientists say. A new study confirms what researchers have long suspected—that cells in the skin called Merkel cells are essential to the sense of light touch.
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June 22, 2009
Touted "Depression Risk Gene" May Not Add to Risk After All
A gene variation long thought to increase a person's risk for major depression when paired with stressful life events may actually have no effect, according to a new analysis. The result challenges a common approach to studying depression risk factors.
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Prevention Program Reduces Problem Behaviors in Fifth Graders
A new study found that elementary school children in a character development program were more likely to steer clear of substance abuse, violent behavior or sexual activity by fifth grade than those who weren’t offered the program.
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Scientists Identify Culprit in Huntington's Disease
Scientists have solved why a faulty protein accumulates in cells throughout the body in people with Huntington’s disease, but only kills certain brain cells. It has an accomplice. The discovery provides a potential target to treat or slow the progression of Huntington's.
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