news archive June 2003

• A Nap May Be As Good As A Full Night’s Sleep
  A short nap that includes the two major sleep states may be just as effective as a night’s sleep to fully learn various perceptual skills following training.
  
• A Brain Region For Universal Grammar?
  Broca’s area, a region of the brain involved in language, may be a neural substrate for universal grammar.
  
• HIV’s Common Touch
  Individuals with rare forms of a highly variable class of immune molecules are best able to control infection.
  
• Arthritis Susceptibility Linked To Gene Variant
  A gene variant that confers susceptibility to the disease is identified.
  
• Stem Cells Cure Diabetes-Like Disease In Mice
  Bone marrow stem cells transplanted into mice with a diabetes-like illness raise the animals’ insulin to near-normal levels and significantly reduce their blood sugar levels.
  
• Dendritic Cells Respond To Viral Infection
  The research suggests that multiple dendritic cell types can initiate immune responses in answer to certain viral infections.
  
• The Mechanics Of Speech Production
  Study reveals how the brain can control purely mechanical aspects of speech independent of sound production.
  
• Y Chromosome Sequence Unveiled
  The detailed genome sequence of the male-making human Y chromosome is unveiled.
  
• Molecular Fingerprint Predicts HIV-Associated Dementia
  The study suggests a possible way to screen HIV patients for the first signs of cognitive impairment.
  

• Researchers Discover Use of Novel Mechanism Preserves Y Chromosome Genes
  So, what really makes men?
  
• Study Provides New Tool to Diagnose and Halt Aggressive Blood Disorder
  Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) can be detected with a simple blood test
  
• Researchers Identify A Possible Cause of Infertility In Some Women With Endometriosis
  Endometriosis may lead to the lack molecules in the uterus that allow the embryo to attach to the uterine wall
  
• Enzyme May Play Unexpected Role in Asthma
  Possibility of developing new anti-asthma drugs
  
• Oral Insulin Does Not Prevent Type 1 Diabetes
  Diabetes Prevention Clinical Trial yields disappointing results
  
• NHGRI Study May Help Scientists Design Safer Methods for Gene Therapy
  Researchers Map Integration Sites of Retroviral Vectors in Human Genome
  
• Web-based Exhibit on Genetics Research Now Available
  The exhibit answers important questions about genetics research and features cartoons to increase children’s interest in genetics
  
• Aspirin as Effective as Ticlopidine in African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study
  Results from the African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study
  

• Neural stem cells take a step closer to the clinic
  Scientists working with cells that may someday be used to replace diseased or damaged cells in the brain have taken neural stem cell technology a key step closer to the clinic.
  

• NHGRI Study May Help Scientists Design Safer Methods For Gene Therapy
  Researchers Map Integration Sites of Retroviral Vectors in Human Genome
  
• Antifungal Drug Helps Kids With Immune Disorder Avoid Hospitalization
  The antifungal medication itraconazole is well tolerated and effectively prevents fungal infections in children who have chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).
  
• Web-Based Exhibit On Genetics Research Now Available
  An on-line exhibit on genetics research, sponsored by the Office of NIH History, is now available on the World Wide Web
  
• Researchers Identify Shift Towards More Treatable AIDS-Related Lymphomas
  Results of study suggest that the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has caused a shift in the majority of AIDS-related lymphomas to a type that usually responds well to chemotherapy.
  
• Mouse Study Identifies Protective Mechanism Against Alcohol-Induced Embryo Toxicity
  Researchers have identified a mechanism by which the eight amino acid peptide NAP, an active fragment of a neuroprotective brain protein, protects against alcohol-induced embryo toxicity and growth retardation in mice.
  
• Brain Changes In The Blind
  The activity seen in primary visual cortex may be important for verbal memory in the blind.
  
• Deconstructing Dengue Fever
  Scientists have discovered why people with Dengue hemorrhagic fever often get sicker the second time they are infected.
  
• New Class Of Stem Cells May Pave The Way For Therapies
  Canadian researchers describe a novel class of human stem cells that can rapidly generate blood cells.
  
• Bacterial Sensor Gets The Nod
  This finding has implications not only for infectious diseases but also for treating Crohn’s disease.
  
• Human Carcinogen Has New Mode Of Action
  Scientists identify a different mode of action for cadmium, an environmental hazard and known carcinogen.
  
• Virus Therapy Attacks Cancer Cells
  Researchers have come up with an ingenious means of engineering a virus so that it selectively replicates in and destroys tumor cells.
  
• Safeguard For Genetic Modification Therapy
  By substituting an essential survival gene in the bacterium with the therapeutic gene (interleukin-10), scientists engineer an organism that delivers IL-10 to fight inflammatory bowel disease, but is hampered from persisting outside of the body.
  
• Receptors Mediate Antidiabetic Effects
  The identification of adiponectin receptors will aid the design of drugs for obesity-linked diseases, such as diabetes and atherosclerosis.
  

• Antibodies Mark ‘Mad Cow’ Prion Proteins
  The finding may lead to new diagnostics and therapy for prion diseases.
  
• Combination Vaccine Delivers Double Blow
  A new vaccine approach that delivers a one-two punch could give the immune system an edge against malaria, AIDS and other exigent diseases in people.
  
• Stem Cell Engraftment Success Does Not Ensure Long-Term Survival
  Only a minority of these established stem cells contribute to long-term hematopoiesis.
  
• Study Highlights Potential Danger Of Gene Therapy
  Viruses carrying the therapeutic gene can become inserted into other genes and damage them.
  
• Dioxins Hijack Protein
  The common environmental toxin, dioxin, can trigger oestrogen-like effects by binding to an alternative receptor.
  
• Protein Problems Linked To Common Childhood Cancer
  The commonest form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), may be caused by a defect in the RNA splicing process of cells.
  
• Alzheimer's Patients May Benefit From Manic Depressive Medication
  Lithium, a drug already used to treat manic depression, may also prove to be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
  

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