Amgen investigational therapy, AMG 162, increased bone mineral density with twice yearly injection
...ivity of human RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B) Ligand, the primary mediator of bone resorption. Amgen scientists have confirmed the essential role of RANK Ligand pathway in the formation, activation and survival of osteoclasts, the cells that are associated with bone resorption. RANK Li...Fungus knocks a frog down but not out, raising questions about amphibian declines
...researchers to speculate that temperature may be a factor affecting the virulence of the fungus and/or the ability of the frogs to survive it. While the Gastric Brooding Frog went extinct, and T. eungellensis suffered its severe decline, yet another species in the area, Litoria lesueuri, was appa...Mayo Clinic awarded major NIH contract for smallpox genomics research
...Poland says Mayo Clinic's research expertise was a factor in the NIAID decision. "A major strength is our 12 years of experience in performing exactly these types of studies with other live viral vaccine models." Mayo Clinic's resources as a genomics research center will also be integral in the effort. ...'Immediately open access' option for the leading journal Genome Research
...in all species. Launched in 1995, it has an impact factor of 9.635, placing it among the Institute for Scientific Information's (ISI) five most highly cited primary research journals in genetics. New data in genetics, comparative and functional genomics, proteomics, evolution studies, systems biology, bioin...Is Interleukin-6 the 'holy grail' of exercise mediation?
...in resistance, and Suppression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production. In fact, Pedersen says the wide impact of muscle-derived IL-6 not only fulfills all the criteria for this "exercise factor" but that such classes of cytokines should be reclassified as "myokines." She points out that because of it...Biologists ID molecular block for social 'cheaters'
...n, but we know that dimA codes for a transcription factor that binds with DNA in the nucleus to control gene expression. Because transcription factors often control more than one gene, we believe the absence of dimA may be interfering with an unknown recognition pathway that is essential for spore selection...Obese women with early-stage breast cancer more likely to die than women of normal weight
...nts. Previous studies show that obesity is a risk factor for the development of breast cancer, but these prior studies have reported contradictory results regarding the influence of obesity on outcome in breast cancer patients. For this study, researchers analyzed the data of 2,010 patients from 1978 to 2...New risks for bladder cancer identified by MIT team
... a compound in the arylamine family that is a risk factor for bladder cancer in nonsmokers. In the current work, the researchers extended the Los Angeles study to examine "the possible relationship between bladder cancer and nine other commonly occurring and structurally related arylamines," accordi...Embryonic stem cells correct congenital heart defect in mouse embryos
...out cells. These molecules are insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) and WNT5a. The former molecule is a long...nge acting factor, and the latter is a short-range factor and a member of the family of WNT proteins. Both molecules are implicated in heart development and c...Estrogen protects male rats from aortic aneurysms
...ts, suggests that host environment is the critical factor in aneurysm formation," Upchurch says. In the third part of the study, Upchurch and his research team implanted a slow-release estrogen pellet in half the male rats, while the other half went through the same implantation procedure, but did not recei...Study in Royal Society journals presents evidence for inherited factors in homosexuality
...nation is the Darwinian paradox; in fact a genetic factor that reduces reproductive success should progressively disappear from the population. The authors here argue genetic factors could partially explain male homosexuality, and propose a paradox solution: genetic factors favouring homosexuality in males ...Flies have morning and evening clocks
...adian signaling molecule called pigment dispersing factor (PDF). The dorsal lateral neurons did not express a known signaling molecule, but were part of a larger group of circadian neurons that express a gene for a circadian photoreceptor protein known as cryptochrome. Starting with those parameters, Rosba...Research into the sense of touch in worms wins Eppendorf/Science Prize
...is common in people with diabetes and is a leading factor in lower-extremity amputation. However, scientists know very little about the molecular basis of touch, mainly because studying the sensory nerves that detect touch are deeply embedded under the skin, making it more difficult to study them. Goodman's...Mechanism discovered for muscle wasting seen in diabetes, AIDS and other diseases
...sting. Their studies zeroed in on a transcription factor called NF-kB, which is well known for its importance in immune cells but was previously not known to be a critical mediator of muscle wasting. The investigators created two different strains of transgenic mice--MIKK mice, in which NF-kB was activ......ese FGF gene expression changes are a predisposing factor for depression, or a consequence of the disease process itself," says lead author and U-M research investigator Simon Evans, Ph.D. "There may be totally normal people out there with compromised FGF systems, but if they don't experience stressful life...Identifying genes that contribute to a low level of response to alcohol
...that the low response to alcohol is a major risk factor for alcoholism in the future, and it is genetically influenced. For researchers who are looking for genes, I can say 'let me save you some time,' because we have spent hundreds of hours reviewing the literature to try to find genes that might be con...Multi-species herbivore outbreak follows El Nio drought in Panama
...s. Drought stress of host trees is thought to be a factor in temperate area outbreaks of spruce bud worm and gypsy moths. But such outbreaks often last for up to 10 years. This short-lived (5-6 week) event in Panama was brought under control quickly by hungry birds, parasitoid flies and wasps, and aggressi...New version of tumor-suppressor linked to progression of childhood cancer
...se receptor type I (TrkA) responds to nerve growth factor and plays a key role in the development of the nervous system. Mutated TrkA has been associated with many human cancers, including colon, thyroid and prostate cancers. However, previous studies have suggested that TrkA acts as a tumor-suppressor in N...UT Southwestern researchers uncover process for sugar-induced fat formation
...gs of these studies is that a single transcription factor is directly responsible for increasing expression of multiple enzymes for making fatty acids," Dr. Miller said. "This is significant because ChREBP makes sure that glucose is only converted to fat when it is in excess. It coordinates glucose breakdo...Men with prostate permalignant lesions have increased likelyhood of invasive prostate cancer
...ion. "This study confirms that the increased risk factor associated with high-grade PIN is real and not just a coincidence," said Dr. Mitchell S. Steiner, chief executive officer with GTx, Inc. "The next step is to develop an effective therapy for treating high grade PIN, before prostate cancer has ...