news archive genetic news - January 9, 2008

January 9, 2008

your information resource in human molecular genetics

-	The Protective Effects of Brain Damage Combat veterans with certain types of brain damage are less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
-	A Pathway Controlling Body Temperature Scientists have identified neurons that relay temperature information from sensory fibres in the spinal cord to the thermoregulatory control centre in the brain.
-	Walking After Spinal Rewiring Rewiring of nerve fibres in the spinal cord helps mice to regain the ability to walk after injury.
-	Foamy Viruses Join The Gene Therapy Toolbox Foamy virus vectors have been used to cure a genetic immune deficiency in dogs.
-	The Workings Of Deep Brain Stimulation A chemical called adenosine plays a key role in the beneficial effect of deep brain stimulation on tremor.
-	First Sign Of Trouble Expression of a single stress response protein, even in the absence of 'danger' signals displayed by invading microbes or dying cells, triggers massive reorganization and activation of immune cells.
-	Gaining Entry Into The Brain Researchers have identified a protein used by aggressive immune cells seeking to breach the blood-brain barrier.
-	Gene Mutation Affecting Human Brain Size Scientists have identified mutations in a gene that cause reduced brain and body size.
-	Genetic Susceptibility To Kawasaki Disease A variant in a gene called ITPKC is associated with increased susceptibility to Kawasaki disease.
-	Genetic Risk Factor For ALS Scientists have identified a variant in the gene DPP6 that increases susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
-	Control of EGFR in Breast Cancer Cell Invasion A mechanism explaining how epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates breast cancer cell invasion is published.
-	Breast Cancer Goes NUMB A protein called NUMB has a crucial role in keeping breast cancer at bay.
-	When Three Is Better Than Two People with Down's syndrome seem to be less susceptible to cancers - an observation that may at least partly derive from their having an extra copy of the chromosome responsible for the syndrome, chromosome 21.
-	A New Role For Nanog Nanog safeguards the pluripotent state of embryonic stem cells, resetting them if they start to differentiate when they shouldn't.
-	Looking For Cancer In All The Right Places Viable tumour-derived epithelial cells (also known as circulating tumour cells or CTCs) have been identified in the blood of cancer patients.
-	Brain Cells Are Smarter Than You Think Individual brain cells can make a bigger contribution to behaviour and are capable of more computations than previously thought.