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Mars Base

Surprising Swirls Above Titan's South Pole - 0 views

www.universetoday.com/...swirls-above-titans-south-pole

GrabBag TitanVortex

shared by Mars Base on 11 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • new vantage point granted by its inclined orbit researchers have gotten a new look at the south pole of Titan
  • We suspect that this maelstrom, clearly forming now over the south pole and spinning more than forty times faster than the moon’s solid body, may be a harbinger of what will ultimately become a south polar hood as autumn there turns to winter.  Of course, only time will tell.
Mars Base

Strange Vortex On Saturn Moon Titan | Space.com - 0 views

www.space.com/n-moon-titan-polar-vortex.html

GrabBag TitanVortex

shared by Mars Base on 11 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Cassini scientists will keep a close eye on Titan's south pole for further developments, which could shed light on the moon's complex, methane-based weather system
Mars Base

Study identifies how muscles are paralyzed during sleep - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...2012-07-muscles-paralyzed.html

SleepDisorder GrabBag

shared by Mars Base on 12 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Two powerful brain chemical systems work together to paralyze skeletal muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
  • During REM sleep — the deep sleep where most recalled dreams occur — your eyes continue to move but the rest of the body's muscles are stopped
  • In a series of experiments
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • neuroscientists
  • found that the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine caused REM sleep paralysis in rats by "switching off" the specialized cells in the brain that allow muscles to be active
  • reversed earlier beliefs that glycine was a lone inhibitor of these motor neurons.
  • By identifying the neurotransmitters and receptors involved in sleep-related paralysis, this study points us to possible molecular targets for developing treatments for sleep-related motor disorders
  • Previous research suggested neurotransmitter receptors called ionotropic GABAA/glycine receptors in the motor neurons caused REM sleep paralysis
  • when the researchers blocked these receptors, REM sleep paralysis still occurred.
  • to prevent REM sleep paralysis, they had to block both the ionotropic receptors and metabotropic GABAB receptors, a different receptor system
  • when the motor cells were cut off from all sources of GABA and glycine, the paralysis did not occur
  • suggest the two neurotransmitters must both be present together to maintain motor control during sleep
  • finding could be especially helpful for those with REM sleep disorder, a disease that causes people to act out their dreams
Mars Base

Study finds switch that lets early lung cancer grow unchecked - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...rly-lung-cancer-unchecked.html

Cancer GrabBag

shared by Mars Base on 12 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Cellular change thought to happen only in late-stage cancers to help tumors spread also occurs in early-stage lung cancer as a way to bypass growth controls
  • study points to EMT as a key step in lung cancer progression during the earliest stages of cancer development
  • Normal cells recognize when they are dividing too rapidly, and turn on programs that block inappropriate cell division
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • found that early-stage lung cancer cells switch on EMT in order to bypass these controls
  • discovery could offer a new way to prevent progression to late-stage lung cancer
  • Because EMT is a well-recognized late-stage transition that occurs in all sorts of solid tumors, the researchers say they believe that the same early-stage use of EMT they found in lung cancer is likely occurring in other cancers.
  • Late-stage cancer uses EMT to change tumor cells into a form that can migrate through blood.
Mars Base

Moon Patterns Explained - Science News - 0 views

www.sciencenews.org/...Moon_patterns_explained

GrabBag LunarSwirls

shared by Mars Base on 11 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • New research suggests that swirling designs on the dusty lunar surface might be the product of electric fields generated by pockets of magnetic bubbles.
  • looking at these strange, mysterious structures since the invention of the telescope
  • long suspected that weak magnetic fields near the moon’s surface might shape the looping patterns
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • created a scaled-down laboratory version to find out if man-made magnetic bubbles could also deflect rushing rivers of particles
  • used a device called a solar wind tunnel to shoot a jet of blazing particles down a tube
  • a thin electric field formed around the magnet, shielding it — and anything behind it — from the scorching flow
  • if a tiny magnet — only slightly larger than an eraser tip — could make a protective electric skin, the moon’s much larger magnetic bubbles might also be able to
Mars Base

'Post-it note' on breast cancer gene signals risk of disease spreading - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...reast-cancer-gene-disease.html

Cancer GrabBag

shared by Mars Base on 12 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Methylation of the gene could be used to flag up breast cancer patients who have a greater chance of the disease spreading – helping doctors decide what treatment plan would be most effective.
  • high levels of a molecular modification called methylation on a gene called CACNA2D3, were linked to the spread of the disease in breast cancer patients
  • gene CACNA2D3 is a known tumour suppressor gene which prevents cancer
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • next stage is to repeat these findings in larger studies with patients to confirm whether analysing methylation of the gene could be a useful test
  • research suggests that methyl groups can muffle the messages given by the CACNA2D3 gene - blocking its potential protective effect against breast cancer
Mars Base

Drug's 'double hit' overcomes leukaemia resistance - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...drug-leukaemia-resistance.html

Cancer GrabBag

shared by Mars Base on 13 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • drug that uses a unique ‘double hit’ to kill leukaemia cells could be a potential new treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia
  • 30 per cent of patients with AML have faults in the FLT3 gene
  • linked to more aggressive leukaemias and poor survival
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • drugs that target these faults are available, the disease eventually builds resistance, leaving treatments ineffective.
  • researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London
  • developed a unique drug that targets AML cells in a “double hit”.
  • blocks the protein made by the faulty FLT3 gene along with another key protein – called Aurora kinase – which are both involved in driving cancer growth
  • healthy blood cells, FLT3 sends a signal to the cells telling them when to proliferate, while Aurora kinase plays a role in cell division
  • Leukaemia cells with faulty FLT3 can proliferate out of control
  • many cancer cells have higher levels of Aurora kinase, causing errors during cell division
  • drug is also unique because it can destroy cells even if they develop new faults in the FLT3 genes that would make them resistant to other inhibitors
  • There has been great interest in using FLT3 drugs to treat AML
  • effectiveness has been limited because leukaemia cells gain new mistakes in the FLT3 gene, causing resistance.
  • new drug has the potential to overcome this and has a range of possible uses in AML
  • those over 60 who don’t tolerate chemotherapy well, and also to treat  leukaemia patients who have relapsed
  • We’re excited about the potential of our new ‘double hit’ drug and are now planning to take it into clinical trials to see if it is effective in patients
  • faults that occur in the FLT3 gene cause rapid cell division
  • Each year around 2,380 people are diagnosed with AML in the UK
  • creating cells in the lab that mimic how drug resistance develops in AML the researchers were able to show that their new drug delivers a ‘double hit’ to halt cancer cells in their tracks
Mars Base

Saliva, pupil size differences in autism show system in overdrive - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...l-size-differences-autism.html

Autism GrabBag

shared by Mars Base on 13 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • researchers have found larger resting pupil size and lower levels of a salivary enzyme associated with the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in children with autism spectrum disorder
  • autonomic system of children with ASD is always on the same level
  • in overdrive
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • levels of the enzyme, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), were lower than those of typically developing children in samples taken in the afternoon in
  • samples taken at home throughout the day showed that sAA levels were higher in general across the day and much less variable for children with ASD
  • sAA levels of typically developing children gradually rise and fall over the day
  • Norepinephrine (NE) has been found in the blood plasma levels of individuals with ASD, but some researchers have questioned whether these levels were just related to the stress from blood draws
  • collecting salivary measures by simply placing a highly absorbent sponge swab under the child’s tongue and confirmed that this method of collection did not stress the children by assessing their stress levels through cortisol, another hormone
  • potential for physicians to screen children for ASD much earlier, noninvasively and relatively inexpensively
  • also see pupil size and sAA levels as biomarkers
  • Many theories of autism propose that the disorder is due to deficits in higher-order brain areas
  • Our findings, however, suggest that the core deficits may lie in areas of the brain typically associated with more fundamental, vital functions
  • study, published online in the May 29, 2012
  • compared children between the ages of 20 and 72 months of age diagnosed with ASD to a group of typically developing children and a third group of children with Down syndrome
Mars Base

Common Lab Dye Found to Interrupt Formation of Huntington's Disease Proteins: Scientifi... - 0 views

www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm

scibyte59 GrabBag MedicalTreatment

shared by Mars Base on 16 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • methylene blue, gets a mention in medical literature as early as 1897 and was used to treat, at one time or another, ailments ranging from malaria to cyanide poisoning
  • never formally approved it as a therapy for any illnesses.
  • Because of existing knowledge of methylene blue and the fact that it’s not harmful to humans, I would hope that progress toward clinical trials could go relatively quickly," says 
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • a neurobiologist at University of California–Irvine
  • Huntington’s disease occurs when the C-A-G sequence of DNA base pairs repeat too often on the HTT gene, resulting in an abnormally long version of the huntingtin protein, that therefore folds incorrectly and forms clumps in the brain
  • usually begins to affect people in their 30s and 40s, causing movement problems and early death
  • No drug is currently available to stop the disease from progressing
  • For their experiment, researchers fed methylene blue mixed with food for a week to Drosophila flies
  • brains showed that protein clumps had been reduced by 87 percent compared with a control group
  • given methylene blue
  • underwent several tests to assess mobility
  • At two months of age, the treated mice showed abnormal clasping of their hind claws only 20 percent of the time
  • untreated counterparts clasped at a 60 percent rate
  • the number of mice used was not sufficient to provide statistically significant results and the difference in the test quickly dropped off at nine weeks of age
  • the data as hopeful, because even a delay in Huntington’s symptoms would be very helpful
  • more research is needed
  • Methylene blue would absolutely require further testing in mouse models and would need safety and efficacy trial before it could be used for humans."
  • This study shows promise pre-clinically and follow-up studies are needed in a more representative mouse model that expresses the full-length Huntingtin protein
Mars Base

Why Do We Sneeze? - 0 views

news.nationalgeographic.com/...neeze-health-science-sinusitis

GrabBag medical

shared by Mars Base on 16 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • When we breathe in foreign particles, sensors in our noses and sinuses detect the objects. The sensors signal the cilia—tiny, hairlike paddles that line our nostrils and sinuses—to move to expel the irritants
  • burst of air produced by a sneeze not only clears nasal passages but also triggers the cilia sensors to kick the paddles into high gear for an extended period
  • sneeze works by "resetting the system—like Control-Alt-Delete" on a PC
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • Cilia—which resemble a "constantly moving shag carpet" under the microscope—propel potentially harmful material out of our lungs and either up to our nostrils to be expelled or down to our gullets, where stomach acid zaps any harmful organisms
  • People with sinusitis and genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis have trouble clearing out mucus, even though they sneeze a lot.
  • For cilia to work, they need mucus
  • contradiction
  • wonder whether sneezing has a role in getting cilia to clear out mucus—and whether that process was somehow impaired in sinusitis patients
  • puffed air on the lining—a sort of "in vitro sneeze
  • If you puff air on these cells, [their cilia] beat faster
  • from sinusitis patients
  • , the cilia did not beat faster
  • patients aren't getting the same cellular response as patients who don't have the syndrome
  • chronic inflammation or toxins in sinusitis-related bacteria may be preventing the cilia from working properly
  • Can we actually take this information and translate it into a novel therapy
  • scientists could theoretically develop nasal sprays or other topical treatments to get the cilia revved up in people with impaired mucus clearance
  • no "satisfactory treatment option" for chronic sinusitis, which affects an estimated 14 to 16 million Americans
  • usually treated with medicine and surgery to relieve the symptoms, which can include congestion, reduced smell and taste, and pain or swelling in the face
Mars Base

Scientists can now block heroin, morphine addiction; clinical trials possible within 18... - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...heroin-morphine-addiction.html

GrabBag DrugTech

shared by Mars Base on 16 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • Scientists can now block heroin, morphine addiction; clinical trials possible within 18 months
  • an international team of scientists has proven that addiction to morphine and heroin can be blocked, while at the same time increasing pain relief.
  • University of Adelaide and University of Colorado has discovered the key mechanism in the body's immune system that amplifies addiction to opioid drugs
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • the drug (+)-naloxone (pronounced: PLUS nal-OX-own) will selectively block the immune-addiction response
    • Mars Base
      Mars Base on 18 Aug 12
       
      finish this article
Mars Base

Pioneering heart disease treatment - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...8-heart-disease-treatment.html

scibyte59 GrabBag MedicalTreatment

shared by Mars Base on 16 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • Researchers at King's College London have developed the first artificial functioning blood vessel outside of the body, made from reprogrammed stem cells from human skin
  • could have real potential to treat patients with heart disease
  • by either injecting the reprogrammed cells into the leg or heart to restore blood flow or grafting an artificially developed vessel into the body to replace blocked or damaged vessels
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • could also benefit diabetic patients with poor circulation, preventing leg amputation
  • Stem cell therapy to treat heart disease is already being carried out in the clinic using bone marrow cells
  • the long-term effectiveness at the moment is minimal and some types of stem cells have the potential to become a tumour
  • a new type of partial stem cell developed from fibroblasts (skin cells) can be reprogrammed into vascular cells before going into the body, which have no risk turning into tumours.
  • The process of developing vascular cells from skin cells took two weeks
  • the next step is to test this approach in cells from patients with vascular disease
  • This is an early study and more research needs to be done into how this approach works in patients, but the aim is to be able to inject reprogrammed cells into areas of restricted blood flow, or even graft an entirely new blood vessel into a patient to treat serious cardiovascular diseases
  • This team showed they can derive so-called ‘partial pluripotent’ cells from human skin cells in just four days, and convert them directly into a type of cell that lines our blood vessels
  • Traditional methods take longer and come with an increased chance of tumours forming from the new cells
  • discovery could help lead towards future therapies to repair hearts after they are damaged by a heart attack
  • possible future regenerative treatment, these cells might also be used in drug screening to find new treatments to tackle inherited diseases
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