Category Biology/Biotechnology

Childhood asthma. Mother helping her baby son to use an inhaler. The inhaler is attached to a spacer. The spacer acts as a reservoir, retaining the vapour from the inhaler and allowing the patient to inhale it at their chosen rate.

“Our study is the first to show that breastfeeding can modify the effect of asthma-related genetic profiles on respiratory symptoms in the first year of life,” commented Dr Olga Gorlanova, from the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), and the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Genes that are associated with asthma risk are located on chromosome 17 and called 17q21. A recent study reported that children who possessed genetic variants on chromosome 17q21 had an increased risk of developing wheeze, when combined with certain environmental exposures.

PRC1 (polycomb complex) maintains intestinal homeostasis by repressing the expression of ZICs, a family of transcription factors inactivating the β-catenin/TCF complex. Importantly, interfering with PRC1 activity completely inhibits the formation of Wnt-dependent tumors.

Researchers at the University of Tampere discovered a regulation mechanism governing the intestinal homeostasis. Disturbances in this mechanism are implicated in celiac disease and possibly also in colorectal cancer. The study provides new information on the pathogenesis of the differentiation defect of the epithelium in the small intestine in celiac disease.

In celiac disease, ingested dietary gluten causes intestinal mucosal damage with villus atrophy and crypt hyperplasia...

A focused ion beam microscope image shows 3-D graphene layers welded together in a block. The material is biocompatible and its material properties meet the standards necessary for consideration as a bone implant, according to researchers at Rice University. Click the image for a larger version. Courtesy of the Ajayan Group

Scientists weld nanoscale sheets to form tough, porous material. Graphene flakes welded together into solid materials may be suitable for bone implants, according to a study led by Rice University scientists...

Schematic of mice with dysfunctional and functional Wnt signaling Source: Alzheimer’s Research UK

Memory loss in mice has been reversed following the discovery of new information about a key mechanism underlying the loss of nerve connectivity in the brain. The team found Wnt proteins play a key role in the maintenance of nerve connectivity in the adult brain and could become targets for new treatments that prevent and restore brain function in neurodegenerative diseases.

Professor Salinas said: “Synapses are absolutely critical to everything that our brains do. When these important communication points are lost, nerve cells cannot exchange information and this leads to symptoms like memory and thinking problems...