— 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…
Useful biomarkers for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by mainly binding to the 3'-UTR of target mRNAs, leading to mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in China. Many studies have reported the miRNA expression profiles in Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. However, the pathobiological significance of aberrant miRNA expression in human ESCC has not been well documented.
A research article published on January 7, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors reported the expression profile of miRNA in ESCC and investigated the expression and functions of miR-143 and miR-145 in ESCC.
The results showed that miRNAs were deregulated and miR-143 and miR-145 were downregulated in ESCC. Furthermore, rescued expression of miR-143 and miR-145 can inhibit cell mobility. This study provides the first evidence for the anti-oncogenic activity of miR-143 and miR-145 in the development of oesophageal squamous cell cancer. Targets of these two miRNAs remain to be defined. These results indicate that miRNAs may eventually constitute useful biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.
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New source of heart stem cells discovered
Advance towards early Alzheimer's diagnosis
New type of glass can dissolve and release calcium into the body
Digging deep into the genetics of schizophrenia by evaluating microRNAs