Category Health/Medical

DDK3 could ultimately be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

DDK3 could be used as a new therapy to stop the build-up of fatty material inside the arteries. A naturally occurring protein, dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3), could hold the key to protecting against heart attacks and strokes caused by atherosclerosis, according to new research by King’s College London researchers. The study suggests that the protein could ultimately be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Scientists measured the level of DKK3 in blood samples collected from 574 people over 5 years. They found that those people with higher levels of DKK3 were less likely to develop atherosclerosis over the course of the 5 year period and were also less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke...

mRNA expression analysis of EWAS-related genes in AD CA1 pyramidal neurons AD CA1 astrocytes and AD CA1 microglia. Only two of the seven identified transcripts in the EWAS study were significantly differentially expressed, BIN1 in AD neurons and SERPINF2 in AD microglia. * indicates p < .05.

ANK1 gene expression change found in brain’s microglia cells associated with neuroinflammation. Researchers led by Arizona State University (ASU) and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have identified altered expression of a gene called ANK1, which only recently has been associated with memory robbing Alzheimer’s disease, in specific cells in the brain...

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Frontiers in Physiology, 2017; 8 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00390

Popular muscle building supplements, known as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are ineffective when taken in isolation, according to new research from the University of Stirling. The study, involving the universities of Exeter and Birmingham and published in Frontiers in Physiology, show that while BCAA supplements do stimulate the muscle building response in individuals after they lift weights, other muscle-building supplements are far more effective.

Other supplements that contain all necessary amino acids stimulate a greater muscle growth response, which suggests that taking BCAA supplements alone is...

Tomatoes protect against development of UV-induced keratinocyte carcinoma via metabolomic alterations. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05568-7

Discovery builds on previous evidence of cancer-prevention benefits. The new study found that male mice fed a diet of 10% tomato powder daily for 35 weeks, then exposed to UV light experienced, on average, a 50% decrease in skin cancer tumors compared to mice that ate no dehydrated tomato. The theory behind the relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmenting compounds that give tomatoes their color, may protect skin against UV light damage.

There were no significant differences in tumor number for the female mice in the study...