Last call for Annual World of Children award nominations
... provide foster children with duffle bags, stuffed animals and inspirational letters to make their household transitions less threatening. HOW TO NOMINATE AN INDIVIDUAL: Nomination forms can be completed and submitted via World of Children's web site at http://www.worldofchildren.org ....Study: obesity impairs immune response of mice, boosts chances of dying from influenza infection
...onsiderable differences between the obese and lean animals in both gene expression and protein expression of ...mune cells, also were significantly lower in obese animals in the early days of infection when they were most needed. "There were no differences in cytokines i...OHSU scientist helping explain basis of psychotic behavior
...f high-affinity D2 in a population of receptors in animals that show supersensitivity to dopaminergic drugs," Grandy added. The study also further confirms the importance of the dopamine system in understanding and treating psychosis. "The bottom-line, take-home message is that the...Certain weight control behaviors may precipitate obesity among adolescent girls
...ghtly controlled experiments with humans and other animals that eating bad foods, eating sporadically and not exercising is associated with weight problems." These results suggest that prevention efforts should target those adolescents with these particular high-risk behaviors to understand what is causing t...Fifteen-year hunt uncovers gene behind 'pseudothalidomide' syndrome
... a gene called ESCO2 that was identical in all the animals contained changes that disrupted the gene's protein-making instructions in people with the syndrome. Knocking out the equivalent gene in yeast and fruit flies led to the same chromosome problems, says Gordillo. "Comparative genomics didn't really ex...Tissue engineering experts discuss orthopaedics applications
...aginas that have been successfully tested in large animals and are close to being ready to test in humans. Atala's team is working to use patients' own cells to grow more than 20 different tissue types. They harvest cells from humans and apply growth factors, to cause the cells to multiply outside the body....Nanotechnology's miniature answers to developing world's biggest problems
...no-sensors to monitor the health of crops and farm animals and magnetic nano-particles to remove soil contaminants. Water treatment is third-ranked by the panel. "One-sixth of the world's population lacks access to safe water supplies," says Dr. Salamanca-Buentello. "More than one third of the population of ...Breakthrough findings by Ume researchers link obesity to diabetes
...se development. By inactivating GPR40 function the animals are protected from these diseases. This theory is supported by the finding that mice with an increased number of GPR40 receptors on their beta cells develop diabetes. GPR40 belongs to the class of receptors targeted by most drugs. The receptors als...Rats with migraines provide Jefferson scientists insights to improved drug strategy
...gives his rats a headache, he has good reason. The animals are helping Dr. Oshinsky, assistant professor of n...graine treatments work. In recent experiments, the animals provided evidence showing that DHE, a standard drug currently used to treat acute migraine pain can ...'Nanoshells' simultaneously detect and destroy cancerous cells
...e imaging and therapy aspects of the nanoshells in animals and are now evaluating the combined imaging/therapy nanoshells in a mouse tumor model, which they expect to complete within the next six months....Tea may help prevent diabetes and cataracts
...ist of benefits from drinking tea: New research in animals suggests that tea may be a simple, inexpensive means of preventing diabetes and its ensuing complications, including cataracts. The report, scheduled to appear in the May 4 print issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and ...Exercise slows development of Alzheimer's-like brain changes in mice, new study finds
...atform that the mouse must learn how to find.) The animals that exercised learned the task faster. Thus, the ...els for 5 months took less time than the sedentary animals to find the escape platform. The exercised mice acquired maximal performance after only 2 days on th...UQ develops West Nile virus treatment
...e possible to reverse the symptoms of West Nile in animals such as horses, and we're about to begin trials to test this theory, administering the treatment to animals in various stages of infection," Dr Hall said. Recognising the potential of the treatment, internat...Antibiotic might fight HIV-induced neurological problems
...ed to test a potential treatment. Studies with the animals are augmented by laboratory experiments with cells to clarify observations. Notably, these laboratory experiments have shown that minocycline somehow suppresses replication of HIV and SIV in macrophages -- the immune cells recruited to the brain duri...New insights into HIV immunity suggest alternative approach to vaccines
... have not been able to give a vaccine to people or animals that stimulates the production of these types of antibodies," said Haynes, who has studied HIV vaccines for 15 years. In their experiments, Haynes and his colleagues demonstrated that some of these rare broadly neutralizing antibodies are actually po...Eliminating enzyme dramatically reduces cardiovascular disease
... can cause heart attacks and strokes? Research in animals suggests that a little-studied enzyme may play a m...ular Biology in Washington, D.C. "Our research in animals tells us that ACAT2 is a potential treatment target to protect people against heart disease," said R...Milk thistle does not reduce deaths from liver diseases, best studies find
...tional Institutes of Health, studies in laboratory animals suggest that silymarin may benefit the liver by promoting the growth of certain types of liver cells, demonstrating a protective effect, fighting oxidation (a chemical process that damages cells) and inhibiting inflammation. In their review, Dr. Ramb...Jefferson scientists create plant factories churning out antibodies against tumor cells
...heir immune systems, and subsequently injected the animals with the plant-derived antibodies. Then they watched for tumor growth for as many as 40 days. The researchers found that tumor growth was inhibited in a similar manner to that of mammalian-made monoclonal antibodies, Dr. Ko says. "These results in...Two studies offer clues about how alcoholic behavior is 'switched' on
...ay be a threshold level of D2 receptors needed for animals to respond to the reinforcing effects of alcohol,"... had no prior preference for alcohol. Both sets of animals were treated with varying doses of "SB-277011-A," a known D3 receptor "antagonist" -- a chemical tha......munization can protect a significant percentage of animals from developing symptoms of prion disease, explain...ct livestock, since most prion infections occur in animals and are thought to be transmitted orally, explains Dr. Wisniewski. The version of prion disease that...