Ancient "Jumping DNA" May Have Evolved into Key Component of Human Immune System
...rs. This system of genetic recombination is at the heart of Schatz's study. Twoclosely linked genes, RAG1 and RAG2 (for recombination-activating genes 1 and2), code for proteins that promote this genetic recombination. The Schatz teamhas found that RAG1 and RAG2 work together as a transposase, an enzyme th...Magnesium Supplements May Help Lower High Blood Pressure
...bloodvessels are constricted -- not relaxed -- the heart works harder to pump bloodthrough the body, causing blood pressure to increase. The researchers used three different measurements to study how taking amagnesium supplement affected the blood pressures of 60 men and women with highblood pressu......tissue inpeople who have lost it due to congestive heart failure. People with diabetesmight also benefit from a drug that would enhance slow endurance-promotingmuscle, which is more sensitive to insulin. "We believe this pathway provides a molecular explanation for the importanteffects of aerobic exercise ...Enzyme's Structure Yields Blueprint For Antibiotic Resistance
...versity has unlocked the structural secrets at the heart of someof life's most important biological processes. Using x-ray crystallography, HHMI investigator <AHREF="/science/strucbio/burley.htm">Stephen K. Burley and his colleagues,working with Alex Vassilev, Yasutaka Makino and Yoshihiro Nakatan...Virus Linked To Causing Enlarged Hearts In Children With Certain Genetic Makeup
...dilated cardiomyopathy -- a condition in which the heart becomesenlarged and functions poorly -- there has ...y of three children who developed myocarditis -- a heart diseasetriggered by infection, which precedes cardiomyopathy -- researchers foundevidence that the i...Blood Levels Of C-Reactive Protein May Predict Heart Attack And Stroke Risk In Women As Well As Men
...y provide a powerful new method to predict risk of heart attack and strokeamong healthy post-menopausal wom... bloodstream when the blood vessels leading to the heart are damaged -- addsto the predictive value of screening blood samples for both total and HDL (good)c...Artificial Heart Chamber And Artificial Blood Vessels Aid Cardiovascular Surgeons
...yingthe performance and stability of an artificial heart chamber, or artificialblood sac, and its ability to help the heart circulate blood. The devices,which are biocompatible and thus not rejected by the body, could impro...Scientists Closer To Locating Gene That May Explain Cholesterol Absorption
...zed by the accumulation of plantsterols, premature heart disease and fatty deposits on the skin and tendons.Plant sterol is akin to cholesterol in animal products but normally is notabsorbed by the body. "In normal individuals, the body has the ability to selectively absorbcholesterol and exclude p......t cloning when humans might be involvedgoes to the heart of many arguments about these "genetic gods." "If genes were merely passive backdrops to human existence, why shouldwe care about the prospects of human cloning?" asked Avise. "But most of us docare. We understand, if only at an impressionist......t causes an irregular heartbeat that results inthe heart pumping blood less effectively. About 2 million A...long with other cardiovasculardisorders, including heart attacks and stroke, physicians have debated whetherit increases a person's risk of death or if it me...Doctors Find Lead On Common Genes Which Can Lead To Bowel Cancer
...l phenomenon and applies to otherdiseases, such as heart disease, which have genes that have a severe effect." It is likely to be a number of years before a clinical test for these genevariants is available. *The APC variants 11307K and E1317Q are associated with colorectal tumours, butnot always with a ..."Salt Gene" Determines Benefit Of Low-Salt Diet
...sure -- the force pressing onblood vessels between heart contractions -- was between 83 and 89 millimeters ofmercury (mm/Hg). This is below the level of 90 mm/Hg that doctors normallyregard as high blood pressure. The TOHP participants, men and women ranging in age from 30 to 54, were dividedinto four gro...Stroke Risk Increased In Patients With High Oxygen Use In Brain
...dea is very similar to what cardiac surgeons do in heart bypasssurgery. Theoretically, if you can improve blood flow to the brain, you canreduce the risk of stroke," Grubb said. In 1985, a large, multi-center study showed that the EC-IC bypass was nobetter than medical therapy in reducing risk of ...Combat Has Little Influence On Health Problems In Vietnam Vets
...s they may develop more problems withhypertension, heart disease or other difficulties that could result from manyyears of emotional distress that has its roots in their combat experiences. "If individuals do have low levels of persistent psychological turmoil,they may have difficulties after a per......n existing condition,such as asthma, diabetes or a heart complaint, it can be fatal. Even when thosewho are otherwise healthy get true flu, it can 'knock us off our feet'. There are also economic considerations. True flu costs businesses andgovernments millions every year in lost productivity, days off w......and veggies are known to protect againstcancer and heart disease. Now, for the first time, animal research shows thatthey also prevent the natural decline in brain function that comes with old-age. "Nutritional intervention with fruits and vegetables may play animportant role in protecting against...Antioxidant Action Of Vitamin E Significantly Reduces Heart Disease In Mice
...t freeradicals do, in fact, play a central role in heart disease, a theory longproposed but never proven. A novel method recently developed by the same groupfor directly measuring oxidant stress in the body provided the data in supportof the observations. A report on the new findings appears in the...Hopkins And International Team Maps First Major Cancer Gene To X Chromosome
...ays a role-- probably most major illnesses such as heart disease and schizophrenia --researchers typically focus on a small population where many family members havethe disorder. Or better, as in the case of the breast cancer genes, they lookfor such families where affected members also have other charact...Researchers Link Gene Defects To The Course Of A Deadly Form Of Heart Disease
...pecific genes directlyto the progress of a form of heart disease, coupling for thefirst time the presence o...nes is defective,making Long QT syndrome the first heart disease with a coursethat can be predicted from a patient's genes. The team found thattwo of the dam......ceptive for women rather than men." At the heart of this research advance is Eugenia Goulding who is anexpert in a key method used in developing knockout mice, that is, micegenetically altered to be unable to produce a specific protein. The absence ofthis protein can then show scientists what func...