news archive genetic news - August 31, 2006

August 31, 2006

your information resource in human molecular genetics

-	Cardioprotective Action Of Statins A novel beneficial action of statins is reported in a study.
-	Glia Contribute To Neurodegeneration Glia contribute to neurodegeneration in the progressive disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) because a mutation they express interferes with the transport of a neurotransmitter.
-	Fatherhood Changes Brain Anatomy Marmoset fathers show changes in brain structure and hormone receptors in a region called the prefrontal cortex when compared with non-fathers.
-	Fighting Lyme Disease A specific type of immune cell can attack the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
-	Genetic Susceptibility To Age-Related Macular Degeneration The genetic factors influencing susceptibility to a degenerative eye disorder are explored.
-	Patient-Specific Cancer Treatment Scientists have discovered a way to cause some cancerous cells to self-destruct.
-	New Compounds Give Voice To Silenced Neural DNA A potential therapy for Friedreich's ataxia, a neurodegenerative disease that is caused by gene activation, is described.
-	Understanding Leukaemia Important insights into the process underlying two kinds of leukaemias associated with the CALM-AF10 translocation are reported.
-	Cystic Fibrosis: Explaining Persistent Lung Infections Scientists show that CFTR - cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, the protein that malfunctions in cystic fibrosis - can control the acidity of digestive compartments in the cell, causing a defect in their ability to kill bacteria.
-	How The Brain Sorts The World One way of assigning meaning and behavioural relevance to sensory stimuli is to categorize them.
-	A Role For Synaptic Inhibition In Sight Loss Report helps to explain how briefly depriving the brain of visual stimulation has profound effects on its ability to process visual information.
-	How Learning Can Be Rewarding Neuroscientists have found that raising the brain's levels of dopamine can enhance our ability to learn by trial and error.
-	Sour Taste Receptor Found Researchers have identified a protein that detects sour taste on the tongue and may help to warn mammals of acidic, spoiled and unripe food.
-	New Technique For Generating Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines By plucking single cells from human embryos, scientists have been able to generate new lines of cultured human embryonic stem (ES) cells.
-	Tired T Cells Get A Boost To Fight HIV Blocking a protein called PD-1 (programmed death 1) might provide a way to boost the function of T cells crippled by HIV.
-	Avian Flu's Achilles' Heel The molecular structure of a key avian influenza protein reveals a quirk that could be used to design more potent drugs against pandemic flu.
-	Gene That Might Have Driven The Evolution Of Human Brain Revealed Scientists have found that the genetic region called the neocortex contains a gene, called HAR1F, which is expressed during brain growth before birth.
-	Rett Syndrome: New Clinical And Molecular Insights Scientists provide a framework for clinical and molecular approaches to the diagnosis of this severe neurodevelopmental disorder.
-	Focus on RNAi Selection of Recently Published Reviews Perspectives and Highlights on RNAi is available free till October 2006.
-	ADAM33 Haplotypes Are Associated With Asthma In A Large Australian Population A likely role for the ADAM33 gene in the asthma phenotype.
-	Rapid Genotyping Of Common Deficient Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase Alleles Using The DNA-Microchip Technique A new molecular approach developed to detect point mutations in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene that cause the loss of TPMT activity.
-	Pigmentary Diversity: Identifying The Genes Causing Human Diversity Commentary on scientific research beginning to reveal how evolution has shaped the diversity of the human race.