Two NHLBI studies confirm finding of gene in primary pulmonary hypertension
...versity investigators, independently reported that defects in the BMPR2 gene, which regulates growth and deve...opment of the lung, are associated with PPH. The defects in the gene lead to the abnormal proliferation of cells in the lung characteristic of PPH. Alth...New gene monitors cell division, cancer clinical applications seen
...ieved that many human cancers stem from checkpoint defects in mitosis. In the July 27 issue of Nature, scient... development. "Patients whose cancers exhibit chfr defects would be likely to respond well to Taxol or other drugs that act by interfering with mitosis," he sa...Northwestern researchers map gene mutation that makes mice deaf and causes them to dance
...ad tossing, which are presumed to be the result of defects in the hair cells of the vestibular system. Bartles believes that in these mice, the mutated espin gene causes vestibular hair cells to send false signals to the brain, in effect telling the animal it is falling or circling in one direction (for exam...Scientists discover key ingredient in sexual reproduction
...uccessful human reproduction. 'There are lots of defects in human sperm,' notes Epel, 'and there could well be deficiencies in nitric oxide concentrations in the sperm of some males.' If that turns out to be the case, predicts Epel, then a procedure might be developed that uses nitric oxide to treat ma...Drinking during pregnancy: American Indians and African Americans
...S, which is the largest preventable cause of birth defects and mental retardation in the United States. Lighter drinking during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), such as low birthweight, slower postnatal growth, and even spontaneous abortion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...A molecular motor's key role in cell birth
.... Even minor problems in mitosis can cause serious defects such as the development of cancerous cells. Cell b...degrees Fahrenheit). The results, she found, were defects in mitosis in budding yeast cells: The Kar9 protein was not carried into the bud, the mitotic spindl...NSF boosts research for understanding structure and function of complex plant genomes
... attempt to collect a large number of mutants with defects in all aspects of auxin biology....Researchers discover major diabetes susceptibility gene
...t strategies that address the underlying molecular defects rather than the symptoms," said research team leader Graeme Bell , Ph.D., Louis Block Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and of Medicine and an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Chicago. "At the...Genetic defect in sporadic cases of the lung disorder pulmonary hypertension
...mary pulmonary hypertension share the same genetic defects as inherited cases of the disease, shows new resea...family history. And recent research has implicated defects in one of the genes (BMPR-II), thought to be involved in cell growth and turnover, in cases of famil...Researchers identify gene common to many autism cases
...he HOXA1 gene after reviewing the pattern of birth defects resulting from prenatal exposure to thalidomide. Children born to mothers who took the drug during pregnancy have sometimes been born with autism. Some of the autistic children born to mothers who took thalidomide also had misshapen ears, as well as...Can a vitamin a day help keep heart disease away?
...based on its proven ability to prevent neural tube defects in babies if their mothers get enough of the nutrient. In 1997, the FDA mandated a moderate level of folic acid fortification of grain products. Still, most people don't get enough folic acid. Because there's evidence that high folic acid can mas...Scientists perform whole-genome, whole-brain study of Down syndrome
... know how this genome abnormality causes the brain defects associated with Down syndrome. In the December issue of Genome Research, Stylianos Antonarakis and colleagues from the Geneva University Medical School compare whole genome activity in the brains of trisomy mice to that of normal mice. The scientis...Tissue proteolysis and male infertility
...respects, but males are infertile, due to profound defects in sperm development. Remarkably, human male infer...en from wild-type females. Because of the multiple defects in the testis that could account for the abnormalities in the sperm, the present findings do not add...Presence of only two genes makes the difference between an ordinary and headless embryo
...this question may lead to new treatments for birth defects and other illnesses caused by defective development. The picture that is emerging is one of elegant simplicity. The cells in the embryo secrete a protein called bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP. A structure, called the (Spemann) gastrula organizer,...Avocados contain potent liver protectants
...ounts of folate, a vitamin that helps reduce birth defects in pregnant women. While avocados are high in fat, much of the fat is of the monounsaturated variety, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. The study was funded by Monbu-syo (the Ministry of Education in Japan) and by Kagome Co...New clue to diagnosis and treatment of malignant melanoma
...treme chemoresistance and the apparent lack of p53 defects in such cancers," says Lowe. The study is significant because it demonstrates that accurate diagnosis and treatment of malignant melanoma, and perhaps other cancers, should include an assessment of the status of Apaf-1. Maria Soengas of Cold Spring H...Syndecan-4 regulates wound repair in vivo
...eterozygotes for the disrupted gene display marked defects in wound repair and angiogenesis. Of some surprise...not the +/ fibroblasts) are affected. More telling defects in cell-matrix and growth factor interactions may be compensated for by other members of the syndeca......ouse embryos were not viable; they exhibited major defects including spina bifida, truncation of the posterio...e molecular mechanisms of RA-associated congenital defects like spina bifida, fetal vitamin A deficiency syndrome and caudal regression syndrome....Veterinary researchers seek secret to reversing birth defects
... United States alone, 150,000 babies are born with defects like these, making birth defects the leading cause of infant mortality. What if there was a way to reduce or even reverse these defe...