The genes are composed of DNA and are carried on the chromosomes. Genes direct the production of all the molecules that form the structures that of a cell. Genes determine the inherited characteristics that distinguish one individual from another. Each human has an estimated 90,000 genes.
Researchers turn to machines to identify breast cancer type – Researchers have created a computer algorithm that successfully predicts whether estrogen is sending signals to cancer cells to grow into tumours in the breast. By finding this hormone receptor, known as estrogen receptor positive, physicians can prescribe anti-estrogen drug therapies, improving patient outcomes.
Mechanism Behind Blood Stem Cells’ Longevity Discovered – The blood stem cells that live in bone marrow are at the top of a complex family tree. Such stem cells split and divide down various pathways that ultimately produce red cells, white cells and platelets. These “daughter” cells must be produced at a rate of about one million per second to constantly replenish the body’s blood supply.
Meat, egg and dairy nutrient essential for brain development — Deficiency of asparagine synthetase caused by rare genetic disorder affects brain development – Asparagine, found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was until now considered non-essential because it is produced naturally by the body. Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital found that the amino acid is essential for normal brain development.
Gene-silencing study finds new targets for Parkinson’s disease — NIH study sheds light on treatment of related disorders – Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to reveal dozens of genes which may represent new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson’s disease. The findings also may be relevant to several diseases caused by damage to mitochondria, the biological power plants found in cells throughout the body.
Novel genetic mutations cause low metabolic rate and obesity — Researchers believe the gene could be a useful therapeutic target for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes – Gene changes can reduce basal metabolic rate – how the body burns calories, and thereby cause severe obesity, revealed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK. Researchers believe this gene could be a useful therapeutic target for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Scientists identify protein linking exercise to brain health – A protein that is increased by endurance exercise has been isolated and given to non-exercising mice, in which it turned on genes that promote brain health and encourage the growth of new nerves involved in learning and memory.
Study confirms link between omega-3 fatty acids and increased prostate cancer risk — Consumption of fatty fish and fish-oil supplements linked to 71 percent higher risk – A second large, prospective study by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has confirmed the link between high blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and an increased risk of prostate cancer.
How does pregnancy reduce breast cancer risk? – Being pregnant while young is known to protect a women against breast cancer. But why? Research in BioMed Central’s open access journal Breast Cancer Research finds that Wnt/Notch signalling ratio is decreased in the breast tissue of mice which have given birth, compared to virgin mice of the same age.
Cholesterol increases risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease – High levels of blood cholesterol increase the risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease, but it has been unclear exactly how cholesterol damages the brain to promote Alzheimer’s disease and blood vessels to promote atherosclerosis.
New NIH funding for two Autism Centers of Excellence — A total of 11 centers now funded for up to five years – The National Institutes of Health has awarded $5.3 million in initial one-year funding to the latest two recipients of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program. With these awards, announced on World Autism Awareness Day, these and nine other ACE centers in US are now being funded for up to five years.
Intermountain study finds length of DNA strands can predict life expectancy — Findings may help patients at risk – Can the length of strands of DNA in patients with heart disease predict their life expectancy? Researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, who studied the DNA of more that 3,500 patients with heart disease, say yes it can.
NIH scientists identify molecular link between metabolism and breast cancer – A protein associated with conditions of metabolic imbalance, such as diabetes and obesity, may play a role in the development of aggressive forms of breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
