OCT1 required for therapeutic effects of diabetes drug Metformin
.... These studies indicate that OCT1 is important in mediating the therapeutic effects of metformin and that genetic variation in OCT1 in diabetics may contribute to the varied patient responses to this drug. In an accompanying commentary, Marc Reitman and Eric Schadt from Merck and Rosetta Inpharmatics, respe...JCI table of contents: May 1, 2007
.... These studies indicate that OCT1 is important in mediating the therapeutic effects of metformin and that genetic variation in OCT1 in diabetics may contribute to the varied patient responses to this drug. In an accompanying commentary, Marc Reitman and Eric Schadt from Merck and Rosetta Inpharmatics, respe...Studies suggest investigational agent reduces disease activity in MS
...ntibody-producing cells, play an essential role in mediating relapses of MS." In the first study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 69 people were given two infusions of rituximab two weeks apart and 35 were given a placebo. The participants were followed for six months. Those given rituximab had appro...Blocking immune cell action increases Alzheimer's-associated protein deposits
... a protective role in early Alzheimer's disease by mediating the clearance of amyloid-beta," says Joseph El Khoury, MD, of the MGH Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, the paper's lead author. "This new connection between immune cell function and this debilitating disease suggests potential new th...NHLBI awards 12 Women's Health Initiative contracts
... risk of CHD. The role of inflammatory markers in mediating the associations of physical activity and weight with CHD risk will be studied and compared with the role of traditional risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. "Endogenous Estradiol and the Effects of Estrogen Therapy on Major ...Psychosocial factors associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers
...s that at least part of the link may be due to the mediating role of behaviors--for instance, psychosocial fact...of the relationship between inflammation and these mediating factors....Smoking worsens knee osteoarthritis
... Smoking may affect other knee joint structures mediating knee pain Smoking may affect ones pain threshold for knee or other musculoskeletal pain Dr. Amin says these findings are provocative and deserve further study, especially given the number of potential ways in which cigarette smoking could have a...Study shows six-injection allergy vaccine tames hay fever for at least 2 years
...duals, antibodies known as IgE are responsible for mediating the allergic response. In the current study, the researchers found that, like standard immunotherapy, AIC blocks the seasonal rise in ragweed-specific IgE in allergic individuals. They also discovered an apparent reduction in IL-4, an immune system m...Obesity associated with psychiatric disorders, decreased odds of substance abuse
...an important role of social or cultural factors in mediating or moderating the relationship between obesity and mood disorders."...Craniofacial Biology Award presented to Mina
...e morphogenetic proteins and FGF family members in mediating the outgrowth and morphogenesis of the chick mandible. Her research has been well-supported by peer-reviewed grants, and she has successfully supervised a large number of doctoral and post-doctoral fellows. The Craniofacial Biology Research Awar...New Queen's study of hand-brain function offers insight into recovery for stroke survivors
... that this indicates the circuitry responsible for mediating voluntary movement exists. "We can use this information to maximize a patient's recovery with ongoing therapy." To examine hand muscle control, participants completed three tests including: tapping a single keyboard key with the index finger; pickin...Researchers reveal lung's unique innate immune system
... but only for a very limited period of time. The mediating role of TGFb, briefly inactivated by the integrin, is then restored by one of the lung's own enzymes, the MMP9. "Basically, the macrophages wake up for a while, but the system's own enzymes activate the inhibitor that puts them back to sleep," said K...Moderate drinking associated with better cognition in women
...d do not support large vessel atherosclerosis as a mediating factor. The American Heart Association recommends that people who drink alcohol do so in moderation. This means having an average of no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine...How 'hot' emotional brain interferes with 'cool' processing
...t direct evidence concerning the neural mechanisms mediating cognitive interference by emotional distraction," said Dolcos. "The design of these experiments gave us an excellent chance to fill in a missing link in our earlier studies," said Dolcos. "It enabled us to determine whether there was, indeed, a beha...HIV risks reduced when mothers teach daughters about disease
...owed that mothers were effective in increasing the mediating variables -- knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, self-efficacy to refuse sex and the intention to refuse sex -- than the other two interventions," Dancy said....Caloric restriction appears to prevent primary aging in the heart
...othesis is that low-grade, chronic inflammation is mediating primary aging," he says. "It's not the only factor, of course -- aging is a complex process. But we found less inflammation in these people -- less TNFa, C-reactive protein and TGFb -- as well as a more flexible ventricle in their hearts." Overweigh...Ink4c and Ptch1 genes collaborate to suppress medulloblastoma
...in settings shows that gene dosage is important in mediating the protective effect." In the team's study of 23 human medulloblastoma samples, the Ink4c gene was not expressed in four cases; the section of DNA next to it, called the promoter, had been inactivated. Normally, promoters trigger their target genes ...Key mechanism found that promotes spread of malignant melanoma
... components that seem to play significant roles in mediating the aggressive properties of melanoma cells. "Although we are beginning to understand the involvement of some of the signaling pathways that regulate cell invasion, migration and vasculogenic mimicry, the complexity of the coordinated molecular inte...Lowell receives Smith Family Award for Excellence in Medical Resarch
...iabetes. He has also identified molecular pathways mediating diet-induced thermogenesis and established the importance of beta-adrenergic receptors in regulating energy expenditure. His laboratory is also in the process of conducting neuroanatomical mapping studies to identify neurocircuits that may be import......o good evidence that the liver plays a key role in mediating cardiovascular risk through the secretion of multiple proteins associated with inflammation," Semenkovich says. "In these mice we found that when too much fat got into the liver, there was excessive inflammation." With Manu Chakravarthy, M.D., Ph.D.,...