Posted by admin On August 18, 2008
According to a research published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal it has been found that cocoa compounds can increase the blood flow to brain .Researchers found that increased blood flow to brain can help in developing potential to beat dementia and stroke and can also effect the impact cognitive behavior .
The data is provided by studying participants in age group from 59 to 83. Harvard medical scientists found that the participants who drank the cocoa flavanols had an increase in brain blood flow of about 8% in one week which had increased to about 10% in the next week .
American scientists found that due to slow flow rate of blood to brain it causes structural damage and dementia .The scientists believe that maintaining the blood flow will lower down the risk of the disease .
Dr .Harold Schmitz, Ph.D., chief science officer at Mars said that this research added a new step which increases body of literature which connects regular cocoa flavanol consumption to blood flow and the health in old age people .The research is going on and in few days it will help the old people to stay fit and fine mentally .
Posted by admin On August 8, 2008
It is a measure question that how the bacteria group come to know that when to attack a host .The answer is that the bacteria uses a cell to cell communication to prepare their strategies to fight against the host body .The researchers at Howard Hughes Medical Institute find the ways to intercept and manipulate the bacterial communication .
The scientists of HHMI reported their work in the journal CELL on August 8, 2008 about the communication system of bacteria .Their research can be used to fight the bacteria infections by manipulating their communication system. Bonnie Bassler an investigator at HHMI studied the communication system named as “quorum sensing”.They use this system to organize groups and perform different functions .They need this system because a single bacteria can’t to any function alone they can perform any function in groups. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by admin On August 8, 2008
Researchers at University of Florida College of Pharmacy have discovered a compound from the sea coast of Key Largo that inhibits growth of cancer cells in laboratory tests.The research can help in producing more effective drug for the disease .
The compound named is largazole which is derived from cyanobacteria which grows on coral reefs .The researchers produced their study at International natural products scientific meeting in Athens, Greece.The chemical structure of molecule of compound and it’s ability to inhibit cancer were reported in February in Journal of the American Chemical Society and the laboratory synthesis and description of it’s working as an anti-cancer is described on july 2.
Dr .Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., an assistant professor in UF’s department of medicinal chemistry and the study principal investigator said that it will be exciting when a natural chemical will overcome all the chemical drugs to treat cancer .“Largazole” the name is given due to it’s structural features and Florida location .The scientists were checking the depth of seas from about 1960s but many of them loose interest because it is a very expensive and time consuming process .
Their are many common medications such as cholesterol-reducing statins and pain relivers which are produced from the products found on earth but “Largazole” is first anti cancer medical product which is approved since today .Their are almost 14 marine compounds which are under research .We know that their is a bank of medicines to be discovered under the depth of seas said “Luesch ”.
Posted by admin On August 7, 2008
Scientists at University of Manchester have made a 3D structure of Mps-1 which is a protein that regulates the number of chromosomes during cell division and can be used to prepair more effective cancer therapies .
Mps-1 belongs to family of protein namedkinases.When the subset or enzymes in these families work abnormally it leads to an outcome like cancer .There are about 500 kinases out of which only 100 are known and we have developed a 3D structure of only few out of them .Knowing structure will help in synthesizing new kinase which will prevent us from disease for example “Glivec” a kinase inhibitor for treating Leukaemia in the UK in 2001.
Mps-1 is important because it controls the number of chromosomes which is vital cause of cancer .The structure is developed by Dr Patrick Eyers and his team, including Hong Kong-born PhD student Matthew Chu by usind a “super microscope ” which uses Diamond Light synchrotron .
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by admin On August 7, 2008
University of Sheffield a place where scientists are just one step behind to find ways to produce fuel from bacteria.The scientists have a hope that this will help in preventing nature and to provide a sustainable fuel for the future .
Like all living creatures, the bacteria also sustain themselves by metabolism ,a process by which nutrients are changed into energy and waste .The researchers have found during their studies that during metabolism process of a bacteria named Nostoc .During it’s metabolic process Nostoc fixes Nitrogen and during this process Hydrogenis released which can be used as a fuel .Initially it was not perfectly known that how a bacterium fixes nitrogen but now with latest computer the mapping of metabolism is done and the whole process is mapped clearly .
(PICTURE SHOWS NOSTOC BACTERIA)
The mapping is done by Dr Guido Sanguinetti, from the University’s Department of Computer Science .He said that further studies will lead the to produce high amount of hydrogen from bacteria which may be used then in your fuel tank .
The research is produced by the collabration of computer enginners and chemical engineers and the new field is named as SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY .
source : Eureka alerts !
Posted by admin On August 7, 2008
A report presented by HIV AIDS specialist of JOHNS HOPKINS university proves that they have discovered a therapy treatment which is fully efficient in stopping the replication of aids virus in human body .They said that they have been succeeded in one step out of three that is to stop replication of aids virus .They are very near to find the full treatment .
Robert Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., said at XVII International Conference on AIDS, taking place in Mexico City,that they are succesful in controling the aids virus from replication .He said that they just requires little progress in finding where virus reservoirs persist and how to eliminate them from body .
The therapy provided for the treatment is antiretroviral drugs .Siliciano says that they are succesful in finding the reservoirs of AIDS VIRUS and they need efforts to eliminate them from the body as if this step is completed the AIDS will be cured .The data presented by Siliciano’s presentation shows that if a fourth of more anti- potent HIV drug is added to the existing drug therapy than it was seen that number of copies of HIV virul were not reduced but after they added protease inhibitor they found that number of copies became static .
The latest study was provided by the the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) .
source : Johns Hopkins Medical News
Posted by admin On August 7, 2008
As everybody knows that WEST NILE VIRUS is a genetic process or mechanism which produces about 10 proteins by using it’s genetic material and depends on the host to construct everything other it needs .Erol Fikrig and his colleagues at Howard Hughes Medical Institutefound that their are about 300 genes which affect WEST NILE VIRUS he also find that more than 20 genes which cooperate with virus and others which help resists it .They also tested the related dengue fever virus in search of genes which are important to both virus .The results are reported in an online publication of the journal “Nature “.
source : HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE
Posted by admin On August 5, 2008
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health have found that ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS used for HIV treatment provides protection against atherosclerosis -which is responsible for heart diseases .The diseases hardens the arteries and is caused due to smoking ,high level of cholesterol .
This study was a part of Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) which was started in 1983 and completed between 2004 and 2006.During their study they tested nearly 950 HIV positive and HIV negative people for the levels of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and found that the score for CAC was almost 60% less than HIV negative .When initially the treatment was prescribed by Lawrence Kingsley, Ph.D., study lead author and associate professor, Departments of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health he was concerned that how the therapy affects the lipid level .But now the concept has been opposed that antiretroviral drugs are beneficial for HIV parents and prevents them from atherosclerosis .
Studies also showed that the most common cause of diseases the older age and smoking and other life styles also played a role .
Posted by admin On August 3, 2008
Researchers of “University of Washington” found that the people in south Asia and southeast Asian countries are affected by a virus names “SIMIAN FOAMY ” it is a primate virus found in people living near to monkeys but it do not produce any harmful effects till today .
Researchers also said that although it is not affecting the human race now but it is a retrovirus which can take years to come in effect and can change genetic codes leading to genetic diseases .They also say the same thing in case of HIV also which was originated from a non human primates before effecting the human beings .
During the research they tested almost 300 people out of which 8 are found positive to SFV .The people found affected were from places near to monkeys. Dr.Lisa Jones said that the cause of spread in Asia is because here are many places where monkeys and humans has close interaction due to religious,open-air markets, street performances, nature preserves, hunting areas, zoos, and even homes where monkeys are pets .
Dr. Jones-Engel said that in Africa the number of infected ones is less because there the people living near the primates are very isolated and their is very less interaction between the people their so the virus has not spread very much their .
The researchers marked the cause of this transmission due to loss of natural habitat and urbanization due to which interaction between monkeys and humans has increased and the result is transmitted SFV .Researchers also suggest that further study of monkey and man interaction will solve the mistry of the virus and diseases spread .
source :University Of Washington .
Posted by admin On August 3, 2008
A new grant “Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science ” from “NIMH’S ” has put their efforts to detect profiles of gene expression which are associated with AUTISM that is thought to become the baseline for testing disorders related to genes.The scientists are searching for ” signatures ” in pattern of expression AUTISM so that it could be used in finding the clues to the abnormalities in machine system that is responsible for switching on and and off the genes .
According to grantee Louis Kunkel, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston. The signatures will lead to tests for diagnostic of gene machinery and abnormalities in it .Expression of Messenger RNA that is responsible for converting blueprint to the proteins is under study and also they are re arranging the genes which are producing abnormalities due to improper switching . The researchers are trying their best to know the change in genetic sequence by studying various gene expression and try to detectand cure the abnormality .
(picture showing protein synthesis signature)
