— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
MRC scientists announce advance in understanding body's natural defences
Research program at the University of Leicester has potential for therapies for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and types of cancer.
Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists at the University of Leicester have made a new advance in understanding how the body fights certain types of cancer and other disease such as Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Immunology. The work has been carried out by a team at the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester.
Dr Melania Capasso, one of the authors of the study, described the findings as being 'very significant.'
'We showed that a newly discovered protein, HVCN1, regulates antibody production through modulation of intracellular oxidation. In the absence of HVCN1, the immune response is blunted. These findings are very novel and significantly contribute to our understanding of how the organism mounts an immune response.
'The findings are very significant for the immunology field and help elucidate the contribution of natural oxidants such as reactive oxygen species to B cell activation and represent the rationale for using HVCN1 as a target for therapies where activation of B cell needs to be diminished.'
Dr Capasso said the findings could be useful for the treatment of some types of B cell lymphoma and the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as Lupus (and rheumatoid arthritis.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Site for alcohol's action in the brain discovered
The battle for CRTC2: How obesity increases the risk for diabetes
Cancer: The cost of being smarter than chimps?
Study gives clues to how adrenal cancer forms