Microbiology

More Good News For Polyphenols In Wine: Now They May Prevent Cavities Too

A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The findings suggest that specific polyphenols, present i ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 2 2008 - 12:20pm

Thioredoxin Is An 'Electronic Switch' For Rheumatoid Joints

A breakthrough in understanding the way atoms move across cell membranes in the human body could pave the way for the development of new treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists at the University of Leeds have identifie ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 2 2008 - 11:30pm

Cellular Glitch May Be A Clue In Parkinson's Disease

A glitch in the mechanism by which cells recycle damaged components may trigger Parkinson’s disease, according to a study by scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The research appears in The Journal of Clinical Invest ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 7 2008 - 3:16pm

Lessened Sense Of Smell Suggests A Biological Link To Depression

Scientists from Tel Aviv University recently linked depression to a biological mechanism that affects the olfactory glands. It might explain why some women, without realizing it, wear too much perfume. Scientific research that supports this theory was publ ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 3 2008 - 7:40pm

Not Puppets, But Sox2: BERT And ERNI Proteins Control Brain Development

Scientists at University College London have discovered how two proteins called BERT and ERNI interact in embryos to control when different organ systems in the body start to form, deepening our understanding of the development of the brain and nervous sys ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 8 2008 - 2:32am

Discovery: Mechanics Of Fragile X Syndrome Inherited Mental Retardation

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism. “I think we’ve discovered a core mechanism u ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 8 2008 - 6:47pm

Fungi Clues In The Evolution Of The Sexes

Fungi don't exactly come in boy and girl varieties, but they do have sex differences. In fact, a new finding from Duke University Medical Center shows that some of the earliest evolved forms of fungus contain clues to how the sexes evolved in higher a ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 9 2008 - 5:31pm

Blocking ABA Molecule With Plant Herbicide Prevents Parasite Infection

One of the most common human parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, uses a hormone lifted from the plant world to decide when to increase its numbers and when to remain dormant, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found. The sc ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 13 2008 - 9:30am

Keratin In Human Hair May Speed Up Nerve Regeneration

When nerve damage occurs, there are a few treatment options; microsurgery to sew two ends of the nerve together, using a nerve from another part of the body to replace a damaged section, or placing an empty tube between the cut ends so that nerve fibers ca ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 10 2008 - 11:54am

Study: 7 Percent Of Autism Cases Have Genome Changes That Are Not Inherited

Most chromosomal abnormalities are inherited but researchers writing in the American Journal of Human Genetics found that seven percent of children with autism carry structural changes in the genome that are not found in their parents. The rate of such de ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 17 2008 - 12:38pm