adult stem cells

ALSO NOTED: UCLA lab furthers ESC research; Researchers create liver cells from stem cells;

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Stem Cell Research

A lab in UCLA has become the first in California to create skin cells that are indistinguishable from ESCs. "Our findings are an important step toward manipulating differentiated human cells to generate an unlimited supply of patient specific pluripotent stem cells. We are very excited about the potential implications." Report

Researchers in Scotland have created liver cells from ESCs which contain enzymes that make them useful for screening new therapies for side effects. Report

Researchers in Germany have used adult stem cells in hair to grow new skin for eventual use in reconstructive surgery. Report

The Indian state of Hyderabad is establishing new stem cell and biomedical research centers. Report

Cancer Research

An anti-tumor protein could be instrumental in fighting melanomas. Michael Green, of the University of Massachusetts medical school, found that a protein called IGFBP7 seems to help melanocytes decide what to become, inducing them to enter a programmed hibernation or kill themselves at the first signs of becoming cancerous. The results are published in the latest edition of the journal Cell. Report

Scientists in London have discovered a new genetic mechanism which helps cancer cells survive by changing the way they respond to treatment. To uncover how cancer cells become resistant to treatment by PARP inhibitors or carboplatin, scientists took tumor cells which contained faulty BRCA2 genes and then made them resistant to both of these treatments. Release

Dr. Matthias Tacke and his research team at the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology and the School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at University College Dublin have recently published preclinical results on the anti-tumor activity of Titanocene Y on human breast tumors and in a mouse model. Release

Genetics

UK scientists have discovered seven new genetic markers linked to prostate cancer--a development that should hasten the development of new therapies and screening tests. Article

The state of Florida has provided an $80 million grant to scientists at the University of Miami's Institute of Human Genomics. Report

A bacterium that harvests far-red light by making a rare form of chlorophyll has revealed its genetic secrets, according to a team of researchers who recently sequenced the bacteria's genome. Release

Cornell University molecular biologists have discovered how a protein called PARP-1 binds to genes and regulates their expression across the human genome. Knowing where PARP-1 is located and how it works may allow scientists to target this protein while battling common human diseases. Release

A gene called HLA-DRB1 that's associated with an increased risk of developing inflammatory arthritis may also increase the chances of premature death from cardiovascular disease, a British study finds. Release

Uppsala University scientists have developed a method which can show what genes are regulated by the gene USF1, which is known to cause familial combined hyperlipidemia. Release

More Research

Researchers in the UK are calling for a delay in rolling out new standards for evaluating academic research. Some say it places too great an emphasis on how often a study is cited by other publications. The system will influence who gets research grants. Article

Two teams of University of Michigan researchers have tracked down the cells responsible for neurofibromatosis type 1, a disfiguring, incurable condition and one of the most common hereditary disorders. Release

Animal rights groups have accused researchers at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research of dissecting a living baboon. The foundation says the baboon was deeply drugged and experienced no pain. Report

People with manic depression have a distinct chemical signature in their brains, according to a new study. The research, published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, may also indicate how the mood stabilizers used to treat the disorder counteract the changes in the brain that it appears to cause. Release

Nano-scaffold may offer spinal cord damage cure

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:59:59 -0500

A PhD student at Monash University has used new technology to spin a 3-D nano-sized scaffold from polymers that are a hundred times smaller than human hair. The scaffold is being designed to hold stem cells that could be seeded onto the structure to repair nerve damage. The use of nanotechnology in stem cell therapy cold advance a cure for spinal cord damage or Parkinson's, says David Nisbet.

"The scaffold is injected into the body at the site requiring nerve regeneration," explains Nisbet. "We can embed the stem cells into the scaffold outside the body or once the scaffold is implanted. The nerve cells adhere to the scaffold in the same way ivy grips and weaves through a trellis, forming a bridge in the brain or spinal cord. Over time, the scaffold breaks down and is naturally passed from the body, leaving the newly regenerated nerves intact."

- check out this release for more

Related Articles:
New method spurs proliferation of adult stem cells. Report
Tissue regeneration a success with new heart. Report
UCLA scientists restore walking after spinal cord injury. Report

ALSO NOTED: Disgraced scientist applies for research funds; Cats genetically altered to glow in the dark;

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Stem Cell Research

Hwang Woo-suk, the disgraced South Korean scientist, wants to get back into stem cell research. He's a member of a research team that has applied for government funds to back new work involving human embryonic stem cells. Report

The adult stem cells found in bone marrow cells could be used to regenerate damaged nerves, according to researchers at Kyoto University. Report

A combination of stem cell and gene therapy was used to reverse the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mice. Report

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is moving closer to dispensing $262 million in stem cell research grants. Article

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission is reviewing 127 proposals from scientists angling for a piece of the state's $23 million in research funds. Report

The Sydney Morning Herald profiles Alan Trounson, the Australian scientist who is headed to America to run the California stem cell institute. Profile

Cancer Research

By blocking "insulin like growth factor two," scientists at Johns Hopkins were able to dramatically reduce the cancerous lesions formed in mice. The work suggests that new therapies that do the same could emerge as potent anti-cancer tools. Report

A new drug has shown promising results against breast and prostate cancer cells and tumors that are resistant to conventional hormone-based treatments, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer. The new drug--STX140--directly targets hormone-independent cancer cells by triggering a natural suicide process within them. Release

Over-expression of the protein EphA2 in aggressive breast cancer is common, and generally leads to a poor outcome for the patient. However, the function of Eph2A in cancer progression is controversial, with conflicting evidence suggesting both pro- and anti-cancer roles for the protein. Release

By feeding tumor cells escalating doses of histone deacetylase inhibitors, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia's Cancer Center created a cell line that became highly resistant to cancer therapies. Their work sheds new light on fighting cancers that are hard to treat. Report

Duke University Medical Center researchers have discovered that the virus which causes Kaposi's Sarcoma encodes a molecule for controlling gene regulation nearly identical to one found normally in human cells. Both versions of the molecule, known as a microRNA, appear to play a role in the development of cancer. Release

Genetics

Scientists in South Korea have cloned three cats with altered fluorescent protein genes that make them glow in the dark (photo) when exposed to ultraviolet beams. Report

The FDA on Wednesday announced revisions to the labels of certain epilepsy, bipolar disorder and nerve pain medications to strengthen warnings about potential risk for rare skin disorders and recommended that patients with Asian backgrounds undergo genetic tests before they take the treatments, the Wall Street Journal reports. Report

A variation in the tumor suppressor gene DAB2IP could increase the risk for aggressive prostate cancer. Report

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene codes for a protein also known as CFTR. Mutations of this protein are associated with cystic fibrosis and a range of digestive diseases. Release

A series of genes that protect cells from the powerful, common chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin has been identified by researchers working to understand how the drug also can destroy the heart. Release

A cluster of genetic variations may expose Mexican-Americans to an increased risk of alcoholism. Report

The Nobel prize winning scientist James D. Watson, who triggered a storm of controversy with his recent remark that black Africans aren't as intelligent as whites, has 16 times more genes of black origin than the average white. A DNA pioneer, Watson had placed his genomic information online. Article

More Research

A Tufts biologist has devised a new strategy to combat MRSA. Article

Dianqing Wu and colleagues from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, have discovered that the beta-3 form of PLC plays an important role in encouraging macrophage survival within atherosclerotic plaques. Release

The Purdue Research Park has become the sole producer of a new anti-tuberculosis drug, Seromycin. Report

The Medical College of Georgia Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine has been selected to isolate RNA and DNA from the blood of thousands of children involved in a worldwide study of the causes of type 1 diabetes. Release

ALSO NOTED: Stem cell advance still leaves plenty of hard work ahead; Drug causes cancer-promoting genes to self-destruct; Bion

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Stem Cell Research

Last week's announcement that scientists were able to turn skin cells into cells that mimic embryonic stem cells triggered headlines around the globe. But now that the flurry of attention has passed, scientists in the field are still confronted by the hard work associated with transforming those stem cells into therapies. The Time's Andrew Pollack also concludes that the advance should resolve the "raw materials" shortage and trigger a burst of federal support for the field. Report

In an editorial, The Seattle Times concludes that it's premature to call for an end to embryonic stem cell research. The process that allows researchers to transform skin cells into ESCs has yet to be refined--or fully evaluated. In the meantime, ESC research should continue as adult stem cell therapies are also advanced. Report

Germany, meanwhile, is pumping in more money to support stem cell research, with a special emphasis on reprogramming adult stem cells. Report

Cancer Research

The cancer drug bortezomib works to defeat melanoma cancer cells by speeding cancer-promoting genes to the point they self-destruct. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center say that the same approach could be effective against other cancers. Report

Using a novel method for seeing the division of stem cells in real time, Duke University Medical Center researchers believe they have identified an unexpected way to interfere with the uncontrolled cell growth that is characteristic of cancer. Release

Women living in cities are more likely to have denser breasts, a key risk factor in developing breast cancer. Researchers believe that air pollution plays a role in breast development that causes the denser tissue to form. Report

Genetics

An international collaboration led by researchers in the US and South Africa have announced the first genome sequence of an extensively drug resistant (XDR) strain of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one linked to more than 50 deaths in a recent tuberculosis outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Release

More Research

Scientists in the UK have advanced new bionic arms operated by thought by adding a sense of touch. Researchers say that the work points to a new generation of prosthetic limbs that can let amputees feel what they touch in much the same way they did before losing their hands. In the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists rerouted the remaining nerve endings of lost arms into the amputees' chests. Heat or pressure applied to the chest registered in their prosthetic hands. These devices already employ electrodes in the arm straps which are used to receive brain messages. By combining a sense of touch to an ability to manipulate the devices, researchers believe they are well on their way to creating substitute limbs that can operate much like the original. Article

Professor Paul Rolan and Dr. Mark Hutchinson of the University of Adelaide and world pain expert Dr. Linda Watkins of the University of Colorado say that a new drug developed by Avigen--AV411--can block the physical mechanism that heightens the addictive effects of morphine while allowing its therapeutic effect on pain to work. Report

MIT researchers have identified a family of proteins key to the formation of the communication networks critical for normal brain function. Their research could lead to new treatments for brain injury and disease. Release

A new study indicates that even small amounts of the protein albumin in the urine of patients with coronary artery disease increases the risk of cardiovascular death. This finding may change the way patients are diagnosed and treated. Report

Opening up a new avenue for drug researchers devoted to studying the body's immune system, a team of scientists led by Prof. Israel Pecht of the Weizmann Institute's Immunology Department have detailed how the body's 'reconnaissance unit' continuously screens and inspects identity. Release

A study of HIV at UC San Diego reveals that the virus is even more complex than previously understood, helping to explain why it's proved so hard to defeat. Report

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute have deciphered the sequence of trinucleotides--three-letter snippets of DNA--that provides the molecular code for Huntington's disease. And they hope to follow this lead to a new treatment. Report

An anti-tuberculosis program developed by the World Health Organization may have been responsible for creating the drug-resistant tuberculosis strain that afflicted South Africa. Release

Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, according to a study by Université Laval researchers published in the online edition of the FASEB Journal. Release

ALSO NOTED: Theravitae recognized for stem cell research; New cancer therapy probed; $20M donated to study genetics of mental i

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Thailand's Theravitae, which is working to advanced adult stem cell therapies for cardiovascular disease, has been recognized as the biotech company of the year in Asia by Frost & Sullivan. Report

Noted embryonic stem cell researcher Xiangzhong 'Jerry' Yang has gone on leave from his post as director of the University of Connecticut's Center for Regenerative Biology as he continues his seven-year battle against metastatic cancer. Report

Dr. Huck-Hui Ng and colleagues at the Genome Institute of Singapore have identified two genes--called Jmjd1a and Jmjd2c--that regulate self-renewal in embryonic stem cells. This finding will have important ramifications for embryonic stem cell research. Release

A study led by Prof Gordon Blunn at the Institute of Orthopaedics, University College London is preparing to study whether adult stem cells extracted from bone marrow can improve a patient's chances of a successful hip replacement. Report

Cancer Research

A new map of protein networks in human cells, developed by researchers at UC San Diego, can be a more effective barometer for determining the likelihood that breast cancer will spread. Report

Dario C. Altieri, MD, the Eleanor Eustis Farrington Chair in Cancer Research and professor and chair of cancer biology, and colleagues at UMMS have identified a new pathway by which cancer cells grow and survive--and provide a clear blueprint for the design and production of a novel class of anticancer agents aimed squarely at that pathway. Release

Researchers at Sweden's Uppsala University say that finding an inhibitor to the enzyme heparanase could prove an effective cancer therapy. Report

The absence of the pp32 protein, which helps to brake to a gene linked to cancer, appears to play a role in an aggressive version of pancreatic cancer. Release

In a new study, Pier Paolo Di Fiore and colleagues at the Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Italy, have identified a signature of 10 genes that predicts survival for individuals with stage I lung adenocarcinomas (a common type of lung cancer). Release

Genetics

UK researchers have made a major breakthrough in understanding how the body repairs damaged DNA. They built a 3-d picture of the T7 endonuclease 1 enzyme in their work. Article

Researchers have identified the two genes that significantly increase the risk of ankylosing spondylitis which causes inflammation in the joints between vertebrae and can lead to bone erosion and the fusion of bones in the spine. The discovery could not only lead to early diagnosis but would also facilitate more effective treatment. Release

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have hooked a fish that suffers from insomnia in their quest to understand the genetics behind sleep disorders. Report

A single gene may be crucial for the final stages of sperm cell formation and could help explain why some men are infertile, US researchers said. About one in six couples experience difficulty conceiving children. Release

The second phase of the international HapMap project has been completed, which catalogues the genetic similarities and differences among global populations. Report

More Research

The inventor of a new 3-d Petri dish says that it can be used to grow cells in three dimensions, assisting in the development of new drugs and tissue transplantation. Report

Northwestern University biomedical engineer Phillip B. Messersmith has developed a material that bonds with the tenacity of a mussel, which could have an impact on the design of new medical devices. Release

A new study of immune cells battling a chronic viral infection shows that the cells, called T cells, become exhausted by the fight in specific ways, undergoing profound changes that make them progressively less effective over time. Release

In a finding that may lead to potential new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report an unexpected role in the brain for a well-known protein. Release

ALSO NOTED: Scientists create chimera; New cancer research institute; Most influential scientists in biotechnology;

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Scientists at the University of Chicago have created an "interspecies" rodent which combines cells of two distantly related mouse species by injecting ESCs from one species into an embryo of another species. The resulting chimera is an example of how two species can be intermingled. Report

Cardiologists at the University Hospital of Navarre have used a catheter to implant adult stem cells in a Phase II trial on the effects of stem cells on some 50 patients. Release

A consortium of pharma companies is joining the UK government to produce ESCs for toxicity testing. Report

New research from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, MA indicates that adult stem cells lack the Oct4 protein, which helps ESCs remain in an undifferentiated state. Report

Quantum dots are being studied for their uses in imaging related to embryonic stem cell research. Report

State regulators in Massachusetts have repealed limits on stem cell research, which should go a long way to easing any fears of possible criminal charges that could have resulted from certain kinds of lab work. Report

Cancer Research

A UK science team has found immune proteins that could offer an early warning for lung cancer. Report

Billionaire David Koch, a cancer survivor, has given MIT $100 million to establish a cancer research institute that will explore cancer detection, diagnosis and therapy. A new building for the collaborative work will open in 2010. Report

Researchers have discovered new small molecules that may prevent prostate cancer cells from turning off normal genes in a process that transforms normal cells into cancer cells. This significant discovery in the field of epigenetics has immediate implications in the development of new diagnostic tests and cancer medications. Release

A team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory say that by turning off three genes--TTF1, NKX2-8 and PAX9--they can stop tumor formation in lung cancer. Report

Genetics

Already linked to longer life, researchers say that the SIRT1 gene may also help lower cholesterol by increasing the activity of liver X receptor protein and may be of use in fighting atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's. Report

Affymetrix, Stanford and UC Santa Cruz have snared 40 percent of the $80 million in grant money being handed out for the human genome expansion project by the National Human Genome Research Institute. Report

British scientists are analyzing DNA from 14,000 volunteers to better understand that genetic triggers of osteoarthritis. They're working to develop a test that can predict a person's risk for the disease. Report

Doctors said Thursday that a genome for one strain of an extensively drug-resistant form of tuberculosis has been sequenced--a finding they say could help fight the disease. Report

More Research

Red wine is known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from common food-borne diseases. Release

Scientists at MassGeneral Institute for Neurological Disorders say that the C2-8 molecule--which blunts the advance of neurological damage--could be effective as a treatment against Huntington's disease. Release

Scientists have already discovered how to "print" simple bacteria on paper. If they can figure out how to extend that process to multiple layers for cells, they will take another big step toward creating new organs. Their work is outlined in a paper published in Science. Report

MIT scientists have found a protein that regulates toxins in blood, a discovery that could lead to new therapies for inherited blood disorders. Report

Newsweek has named deCODE Genetics CEO Kari Steffanson as one of the 10 most influential scientists in biotechnology. Article

ALSO NOTED: Nobel winner forecasts stem cell advances; New breast cancer gene found; Anthrax antidote developed;

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Sir Martin Evans, one of the three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine yesterday for their work on gene targeting, says he supports research on embryonic stem cells, but that we'll soon reach a point where adult stem cells can be transformed into "embryonic-like" stem cells. "The writing," he tells the Telegraph, "is on the wall." Report

A group of University of Michigan Medical School researchers has succeeded in finding and manipulating a population of cells that strongly resemble stem cells in the stomachs of mice. They have been able to show that these cells, which they call "gastric progenitor cells," can give rise to all the different types (or lineages) of specialized cells needed to form the functional stomach glands that line the lower portion of the stomach. This property of "multi-lineage potential" is considered a key stem cell property. Report

University of Florida researchers have begun a human trial on the effectiveness of stem cells in growing new blood vessels to promote better circulation of blood. Release

California had no trouble finding investors for $250 million in bonds to support stem cell research. Report

Tools: Invitrogen has introduced a new kit that allows scientists to monitor embryonic stem cells. Release

A human embryonic stem cell is reined in--prevented from giving up its unique characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotency--by the presence of a protein modification that stifles any genes that would prematurely instruct the cell to develop into heart or other specialized tissue. But, thanks to the simultaneous presence of different protein modifications, stem cells are primed and poised, ready to develop into specialized body tissue, Singapore scientists reported in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Release

Cancer Research

MIT's Robert Weinberg has been exploring the role that mesenchymal stem cells play in helping cancers to grow and spread to other parts of the body. Those MSCs in bone marrow are already being explored for their ability to differentiate into other types of cells, a key attribute of stem cell therapies. The same properties make them a key agent in metastasis. Report

A new study published in Science Express calls into question our understanding of how telomeres function, and may provide a new avenue of attack for stopping telomere renewal in cancer cells. Release

According to a study by scientists in Britain, women whose mothers have wide and round hips could be seven times more likely to develop breast cancer. Report

Genetics

Women over 40 with a mutation of the HMMR gene are three times more likely to develop breast cancer, according to new research from the University of Michigan. Report

A team of scientists at Bath University has determined that blocking a mutated version of the human angiogenin gene could halt the progression of motor neurone disease. Report

An international team of researchers has found a gene region linked to greater risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Report

The National Children's Study has signed up 22 more sites for a huge study to follow 100,000 children to determine the influence of genes and lifestyle on health. Report

More Research

Scripps Research scientists Anette Schneemann and Marianne Manchester, and Salk Institute Professor John A.T. Young have combined an anthrax vaccine and an antitoxin that is effective against a lethal toxin exposure after one shot. Release

A special protein can be injected into the body to reverse learning problems in mice that have an animal version of Alzheimer's disease, Saint Louis University researchers have found. The protein--part of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) class--is an antibody that grabs onto the amyloid beta protein in the brain and prevents it from changing into the toxic substance believed to cause Alzheimer's disease. Release

Researchers say that the appendix apparently is importing in repopulating the human body with bacteria following disease. Report

Eating fewer refined carbohydrates may slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study from researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Release

A single change in a viral protein would help the H5N1 virus infect cells in the upper respiratory system, according to new research on bird flu. Report

Adult stem cells key to ventricle transplants

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Prominent British cardiac surgeon Magdi Yacoub says that he believes that scientists will quickly perfect the use of adult stem cells for growing a complete new ventricle for transplant, with human trials coming in three to five years. A researcher at Heart Science Centre at Harefield hospital, Middlesex, Yacoub has written an article that outlines the ongoing research that is paving the way to a day when complete new hearts can be grown from stem cells extracted from a patient. The first stage of that process will be seen as researchers grow new heart valves for procedures involving 80,000 patients a year. Today valve replacements are either mechanical or come from pigs, but both are short-term options.

- read the article from The Independent

Related Articles:
Heart muscle created from embryonic stem cells. Report
New study to use stem cells after heart attacks. Report
Scientists grow new heart valves from stem cells. Report

ALSO NOTED: Finding new uses for existing drugs; Height gene identified;

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Stem cell engineering company Novocell announced research findings that for the first time identify two prominent cancer cell signaling pathways as essential for the efficient proliferation and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells. "Such a linkage provides an avenue for Novocell to potentially identify new targets for oncology therapeutics using human embryonic stem cells," said Allan Robins, Ph.D., Novocell's vice president and chief technical officer. Release

Thai physicians are reporting success treating diabetic foot wounds with adult stem cells extracted from patients. Report

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covers the increasingly bitter patent fight over the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's three key patents covering human ESCs. Report

Cancer Research

The HIV protease inhibitor nelfinavir is being pushed into Phase I for cancer after researchers found that the therapy killed cancer cells. Lead researcher Dr. Phillip A. Dennis says that finding a cancer target for an existing therapy could rapidly accelerate the clinical trial process. Report

Researchers have determined that a low level of activity in the Tip60 gene is a biomarker for an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer. Report

A drug that shuts down a critical cell-signaling pathway in the most common and aggressive type of adult brain cancer successfully kills cancer stem cells thought to fuel tumor growth and help cancers evade drug and radiation therapy, a Johns Hopkins study shows. Report

A new study shows that an important drug used in the treatment of malignant melanoma has little effect on the melanoma cells themselves. Instead, it activates immune-system cells to fight the disease. Release

More Research

A team of researchers has announced the discovery of the first gene that influences a person's height. Report

Researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center have been focused on what they call a recurring molecular strategy scene in all living organisms that play a key role in fighting against infection. A clearer understanding of that strategy, they say, will lead to new antibiotics that can be used to combat the growing resistance to such drugs. Release

Duodenal exclusion, a surgical procedure involving the removal of a tube that connects the stomach and small intestine, has been successful in a small human trial in eradicating diabetes. One of the physicians involved says that the tube may carry a molecular signal that triggers insulin resistance. Report

Thousands of interesting new compounds have been discovered inside the bodies of marine sponges, according to scientists speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Release

Common virus is a culprit in obesity

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Investigators have determined that a virus may play a key role in promoting obesity in some people. The researchers say that adenovirus-36--a well known respiratory virus--turns adult stem cells under the skin into fat cells when they are infected. And these fat cells accumulate fat at a fast rate. This isn't the sole cause of obesity, the scientists note, but the research does provide evidence that some cases of obesity can be linked to the virus. Other studies have reached similar conclusions, noting that about 30 percent of obese people have adenovirus-36 compared to 11 percent of lean people studied. And animal studies have linked adenovirus-36 and two other viruses to obesity as well. The theory is that exposure to the respiratory virus combined with a lack of exercise promotes obesity. This research points to new ways to control weight rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and surgery. The research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

- see the release on the findings
- read the report from The Independent

Related Articles:
Molecular research points to new obesity therapy. Report
Scripps researchers find anti-obesity vaccine. Report
Obesity research points to new therapeutic target. Report