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UW work contributes to largest international study of Alzheimer’s genes

By Guest PostOctober 31, 2013Healthalzheimer's disease, alzheimers genes, amyloid precursor protein, annette fitzpatrick, autoimmune disorder, brain cell, bruce psaty, cell migration, cognitive decline, debby tsuang, gene, genomics of alzheimer, inflammation, international study, joshua bis, lipid transport, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disease, paul k crane, tau protein

Eleven regions of the human genome have been newly discovered to influence the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings stem from the largest international study ever conducted on this disorder, which causes gradual memory loss and other forms of cognitive decline in older people.

As of 2009, 10 genes were known to be related to Alzheimer’s, the result of about a quarter-century of research. Yet the reasons behind individual susceptibility or resistance to the disease continued to be poorly understood. In February of 2011, four international research groups studying Alzheimer’s disease genetics united to more quickly identify other genes related to the disorder. (more…)

Effects of Climate Change on West Nile Virus

By Guest PostSeptember 11, 2013Environment, Healthandrew comrie, brain, canada, cdc, changes in climate, climate change, climate change models, climate-driven, cory morin, culex quinquefasciatus, effect, encephalitis, immune response, infectious cycle, inflammation, meningitis, mosquito population model, mosquito populations, North America, precipitation, southern us, species, temperature, united states, university of arizona, virus carrying mosquitoes, west nile vector, west nile virus

A study projects how climate change may affect virus-carrying mosquitoes across the southern U.S. Changes are expected to vary with region, and the southern states should see a trend toward longer seasons of mosquito activity and smaller midsummer mosquito populations

The varied influence of climate change on temperature and precipitation may have an equally wide-ranging effect on the spread of West Nile virus, suggesting that public health efforts to control the virus will need to take a local rather than global perspective, according to a study published this week in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (more…)

Building Healthy Bones Takes Guts

By Guest PostFebruary 22, 2013Health, Scienceamericans, bacterium, balance, begins at childhood, bone density, bone fractures, bone loss, bone tissue, cellular physiology, chronic condition, coevolved with humans, female mice, food fermentation, gut, harmful effect, healthier bones, immune system, infection, inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, joint, laura mccabe, laura schaefer, male mice, mice lactobacillus reuteri, michigan state university, microorganisms, muscle pain, natural probiotic supplement, natural remodeling, negative side effects, osteoporosis, osteoporosis drugs, postmenopausal women, regina irwin, robert britton, species, treatments, type 1 diabetes

In what could be an early step toward new treatments for people with osteoporosis, scientists at Michigan State University report that a natural probiotic supplement can help male mice produce healthier bones.

Interestingly, the same can’t be said for female mice, the researchers report in the Journal of Cellular Physiology.

“We know that inflammation in the gut can cause bone loss, though it’s unclear exactly why,” said lead author Laura McCabe, a professor in MSU’s departments of Physiology and Radiology. “The neat thing we found is that a probiotic can enhance bone density.” (more…)

Vitamin D, Omega-3 May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found in Alzheimer’s

By Guest PostFebruary 12, 2013Healthalzheimer, amyloid beta, amyloid beta absorption, amyloid plaques, avi siani, blood samples, brain, cell death, critical immune cells, dihydroxyvitamin d3, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, fatty acid dha, fatty acid epa, fatty acids, guanghao liu, immune system, improve plaque clearance, inflammation, inflammatory genes, james sayre, larry magpantay, macrophages, mathew mizwicki, milan fiala, nutrition molecule, omega 3 dha, omega-3, oxidation, vitamin D, vitamin d3

A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system’s ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

In a small pilot study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance. (more…)

UCLA Findings Buck Conventional Wisdom about How Stress-Response Protein Works

By Guest PostFebruary 11, 2013Health, Scienceage related, biomarker, cell stress, cell types, chaperones, class of molecules, clouding, conventional wisdom, environmental conditions, epithelial cells, eye institute, eye lens, fibroblast cells, gene, heart muscle degeneration, heat shock factor, heat shock factor4, heat shock protein, hsf1, hsf4, infection, inflammation, jules stein, macular degeneration, monitor for diseases, multiple sclerosis, stress response protein, toxins, transcription factors, ucla researchers, zhe jing, αb crystallin

UCLA researchers, in a finding that runs counter to conventional wisdom, have discovered for the first time that a gene thought to express a stress-response protein in all cells that come under stress instead expresses the protein only in specific cell types.

The research team, from the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA and the UCLA Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, focused on αB-Crystallin, one of a class of molecules known as heat shock proteins, which are involved in the folding and unfolding of other proteins, helping them recover from stress so they can do their job. (more…)

Mild Brain Cooling after Head Injury Prevents Epileptic Seizures in Lab Study

By Guest PostDecember 25, 2012Healthannals of neurology, antiepileptic drugs, brain, brain damage, chronic, epilepsy, epileptic seizures, genetics, hallmark of epilepsy, head injury, inflammation, intracranial eeg, jeffrey g ojemann, john w miller, matthew d smyth, mechanisms, mild cooling, mock cooling, nancy r temkin, neuronal activity, peltier cells, raimondo d ambrosio, recurrent seizures, refrigeration, rodent model, spontaneous, steven m rothman, traumatic head injury

Mild cooling of the brain after a head injury prevents the later development of epileptic seizures, according to an animal study reported this month in the Annals of Neurology.

Epilepsy can result from genetics or brain damage. Traumatic head injury is the leading cause of acquired epilepsy in young adults. It is often difficult to manage with antiepileptic drugs. The mechanisms behind the onset of epileptic seizures after brain injury are not known . There is currently no treatment to cure it, prevent it, or even limit its severity. (more…)

Countering Brain Chemical Could Prevent Suicides

By Guest PostDecember 14, 2012Healthamino acid, anesthetic ketamine, anti glutamate drugs, anti inflammatory drugs, brain, causes of depression, chemical, glutamate, glutamate activity, glutamate signaling, grand rapids, immune response, inflammation, inhibit, lena brundin, mechanism of disease, michigan state university, nerve cells, neurotransmitter, preventing suicide, quinolinic acid, risk factor, serotonin, signals, spinal fluid, suicidal behavior

Researchers have found the first proof that a chemical in the brain called glutamate is linked to suicidal behavior, offering new hope for efforts to prevent people from taking their own lives.

Writing in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, Michigan State University’s Lena Brundin and an international team of co-investigators present the first evidence that glutamate is more active in the brains of people who attempt suicide. Glutamate is an amino acid that sends signals between nerve cells and has long been a suspect in the search for chemical causes of depression. (more…)

Bilirubin Can Prevent Damage from Cardiovascular Disease, MU Researchers Find

By Guest PostDecember 7, 2012Healthagainst, americans, antioxidant, arterial blockage, arterial lesions, atherosclerosis, bad lifestyle, bilirubin, blood, blood vessels, bypass surgery, cardiovascular disease, clinical problem, first, flow, heart attack, inflammation, jaundice, liver, missouri, muscle cells, natural defense, red blood cells, suffer, university, william durante

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Each year, about 610,000 Americans suffer their first heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart attacks and other symptoms of cardiovascular disease can be caused when blockage occurs in the arteries. In a new study from the University of Missouri, a scientist has discovered a natural defense against arterial blockage: bilirubin.

Bilirubin is typically something parents of newborns hear about when their children are diagnosed with jaundice. Generated during the body’s process to recycle worn-out red blood cells, bilirubin is metabolized by the liver and, usually, leaves the body harmlessly. (Many babies’ livers are not developed enough to metabolize the bilirubin, which results in the infants being diagnosed with jaundice, or high levels of bilirubin in their systems.) Now, MU scientists have found that bilirubin can be used to inhibit the clogging of arteries, and thus prevent the deadly consequences often experienced by individuals with cardiovascular disease. (more…)

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