Why human beings are the most intelligent animals on the planet? Researchers at the University of Toronto gave an answer to it these days. This owes to a key molecular events. Studies have shown that a small change of PTBP1 protein controls the generation of neurons, helping mammals to evolve larger and more complicated brains. The size and complexity of the brain of vertebrates has significant difference. For example, humans…
Author: biomart
Mutant Mice Are More Intelligent?
A recent study has found that by inhibiting the expression of PDE4B protein, mice can have higher cognitive abilities. Compared to normal mice, the genetically modified mice were able to remember more distant events, and can solve more complex problems. This study, conducted by a Joint Task Force of Canadian and British, was published in the latest issue of “Neuropsychopharmacology”. Phosphodiesterase-4B is a common enzyme in vertebrates. This enzyme is…
Cell launched Four Featured Cancer Immunotherapy Reviews
Although it has been years since the idea of using immune system to fight against cancer come into being, only until recent years do scientists find some successful treatment strategies. By manipulating the immune checkpoints and T cell activation to exert anti-tumor activity, immunotherapy has been applied to a wider range of malignancies now, while it only showed therapeutic potential in several types of cancers in the very beginning. Recently…
Obesity? Novel Gene Accounted for That Was Found!
Recently, a research paper published in Nature Communications, has claimed that a key gene that leads to obesity was found. The genes presents in all cells of the body, and it can encode a protein called 14-3-3ζ. The researchers pointed that when silencing the expression of gene in the mouse body, a special type of unhealthy white fat in the mice body would decrease by 50%. This kind of fat…
Regeneration of Heart?
In all one’s life, the blood, hair and skin cells can be continuously regenerated, but the heart cells lose proliferative capacity soon after birth. UCLA researchers first clarified the reasons why adult heart can not regenerate. The study, published in a recently Journal of Cell Biology, could help people reprogram the patient’s heart, so that Cardiomyocytes cells can regain the ability to repair itself. In the first week after birth,…
What’s Your Body Posture During Sleep?
First, question asked. What’s your posture during your sleep? Lying On Side, Lying Flat or Lying On Front? New study results have shown that lying on one’s side may help prevent Alzheimer disease. A report on the Journal of Neuroscience claimed that compared to lying flat and lying on one’s front, lying on one’s side can more efficiently remove the waste of the brain. And this posture was also proven…
Dog Sniffs Cancer, Do You Believe It?
Dogs can help sniff cancer, though sounds incredible, this research has made a huge steep forward these years. Today, the “Cancer sniffing dogs project” has been approved by British NHS, entering into the testing phase, in order to further validate this uncanny ability of dogs. Actually, the ability of dogs to smell cancer is well documented. A 1989 report marked the first medical record of this ability. And the following…
Month-end Check: Biotech study topics in Nature-July (Part TWO)
First robust genetic links to depression emerge Jonathan Flint and his team have found the first two genetic makers reproducibly linked to major depressive disorder, one of which is the leading causes of disability worldwide. This study yield two genetic sequences that seemed to have relation with depression: one in a stretch of DNA that codes for an enzyme whose function is not understood thoroughly until now and the other…
Month-end Check: Biotech study topics in Nature-July (Part One)
At the end of this month, I’d like to make a summary about the biotechnology studies published in Nature, aiming to provide a clear view of the monthly studies’ topics. And the studies were listed chronologically. Moncef Slaoui This is a review. Based on an event that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) surprised the industry with its decision to trade its oncology business for Novartis’ vaccine business last year. This article mainly discussed…
Do you regard GMO-labels as negative warnings?
In the last two posts we have talked about bioengineering. I still want to lay my today’s topic on GMO. First a question, do you regard GMO-labels as negative warnings? A recent new study reveals that most of the people don’t regard GMO labeling as warning meanings and will not be scared away just by the labels. This study was released right after the U.S. House passed a bill that…