news archive genetic news - March 6, 2008

March 6, 2008

your information resource in human molecular genetics

-	Household Allergens Make Skin Vulnerable To Eczema Dust mite and cockroach allergens aggravate the symptoms of eczema and similar diseases by disrupting skin barrier function.
-	Autoimmunity Affected By More Than A Defective Immune System Research suggests that autoimmunity is linked to defective developmental biology as well as a defective immune system.
-	Chemical Treatment Of Neurons Makes Them Light Sensitive A chemical treatment that makes neurons light responsive is described.
-	Bone Marrow Nurturers Researchers have identified a new cell residing in bone marrow that provides an essential survival factor for antibody-producing B cells.
-	Multi-Tasking Sensor Of Immune 'Danger' Data explaining how a single sensor of 'danger' manages to activate two distinct host immune defense signaling pathways is presented.
-	Mitochondrial DNA Deletions Affect Lifespan Large DNA deletions in mitochondria are associated with premature ageing in mice
-	Genetic Variants Predisposing To Coeliac Disease Scientists have identified variants in seven genomic regions that predispose to coeliac disease.
-	Pathway Influences Human Hair Growth And Texture Researchers have identified the genetic basis of two related but clinically distinct forms of inherited hair loss.
-	Altered Stem Cells Accelerate Ageing Study provides a mechanism by which the mutant protein Progerin contributes to the premature ageing disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), and implications for our understanding of normal ageing.
-	Twist Mediates Hypoxia-Driven Tumour Metastasis Study identifies a pathway that could be active in several types of cancer, and the importance of using certain protein inhibitors for tumour treatment.
-	Drug Detective Kit For The Cell's Powerhouse A large-scale analysis of the effects of almost 2,500 drugs and natural products on mitochondria promises to become invaluable to scientists seeking new ways to tackle diabetes, neurodegeneration and even ageing.
-	Building A Picture Of Sight A device that can 'read' the brain and produce a picture of a person's visual experience could soon become a reality.
-	Turning Off 'Stemness' In Skin Cells Researchers have discovered the switch mechanism responsible for imposing the molecular boundary between the proliferating basal cells and terminally differentiating outer skin cells.
-	Targeting Psychosis A pair of receptors in the brain that react to hallucinogenic drugs are identified as a potential target for the treatment of psychosis.