Medical Research Watch
Check out the summaries below for information on some ground-breaking medical research—and look for more in next month’s CoSozo Living!
Gene Linked To Gout
A team at Johns Hopkins have identified a gene called ABCG2 that plays a role in gout, which affects nearly 3 million Americans. Although the gene is not the only factor causing gout, the scientists believe a malfunction in this gene could affect nearly 10% of Caucasians who suffer from this disease.
The ABCG2 gene is responsible to carry urate out of the system and into the urine. Too much urate in the system can cause crystals to form in joint tissue, which can cause a lot of pain and inflammation for those inflicted.
The study shows that a mutation in this gene can cause the urate to leave the cells at less than half the rate. The discovery is promising as until now the focus for eliminating this issue is to diminish urate production rather than target the gene that targets delivery of the “urate transporter” protein.
For more information on this exciting new research, please visit http://www.news-medical.net/news/0090618/Gout-gene-discovered.aspx.
Fallopian Tubes Potential For Stem Cells
There has been much research in the area of mesenchymal stem cells, which are the cells that are able to be expanded into muscle, and various types of tissues such as bone cells.
A Brazilian team, headed by Tatiana Jazedje and a team from the Human Genome Research Centre at the University of Sao Paulo has completed a study that shows that human fallopian tubes could readily play a role in this area. Fallopian tubes were obtained via hysterectomy of fertile women ages 35-53 (and did not undergo hormone treatment for at least three months prior to the study).
The finding is promising as the topic of harvesting the mesenchymal cells is controversial and this study provides not only another pathway to obtain these cells through normal medical procedures but also may play a role in regenerative medicine and reproductive science overall.
For more information on this research, please visit http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090617/Fallopian-tubes-a-new-source-of-multipotent-adult-mesenchymal-stem-cells.aspx.
Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
Today, there are no widely accepted laboratory test to diagnose the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, a new study that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease may provide potential.
Using Near-Infrared (NIR) biospectroscopy, the team at McGill University and the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research shows a chemical signature that can be differentiated from normal aging or degenerative conditions. This data is quite promising as today’s diagnostic procedures are time intensive, very expensive and not based on biochemical or biological markers. Having the ability to identify Alzheimer’s Disease through a diagnostic marker would be a major step forward in the diagnosis of this disease.
The study focused on oxidative stress in plasma. Oxidative stress is known to be a primary factor in many neurodegenerative diseases.
For more information about this advance in medical research, please visit http://www.breakthroughdigest.com/alzheimers/new-data-demonstrate-potential-for-early-detection-of-alzheimers-disease/.
Early Detection of Muscular Dystrophy
A research team at the University of Birmingham has published a paper indicating that it may be possible in the near future to identify muscular dystrophy in utero or shortly after birth.
With most diseases, the earlier a diagnosis is made and treatment can begin, the patient can gain perhaps not only years of life but also a greater quality of life. The same is true for muscular dystrophy.
The study used mice as models and studied proteins involved with both a severe type of muscular dystrophy as well as a strain of the disease that is more mild. The mouse models show that there is “disrupted stem cell function and delays of skeletal muscle formation in embryos of MD-like mice.”
For more information on this exciting research from the UK, please visit http://www.breakthroughdigest.com/multiple-sclerosis-ms/researchers-progressing-toward-early-identification-of-muscular-dystrophy.