Category Health/Medical

Micrograph showing a lymph node invaded by ductal breast carcinoma, with extension of the tumour beyond the lymph node. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia

The high amounts of dietary sugar in the typical Western diet may increase the risk of breast cancer and metastasis to the lungs, according to a study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The findings, demonstrated dietary sugar’s effect on an enzymatic signaling pathway known as 12-LOX (12-lipoxygenase).

“We found that sucrose intake in mice comparable to levels of Western diets led to increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared to a non-sugar starch diet,” said Assistant Prof. Peiying Yang, Ph.D. “This was due, in part, to increased expression of 12-LOX and a related fatty acid called 12-HETE.”
Previous epidemiological...

Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. Credit: Marvin 101/Wikipedia

Taking a high dose of vitamin D3 is safe for people with multiple sclerosis and may help regulate the body’s hyperactive immune response, according to a pilot study published by Johns Hopkins physicians. “These results are exciting, as vitamin D has the potential to be an inexpensive, safe and convenient treatment for people with MS,” says study author Peter Calabresi, M.D. Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are tied to an increased risk of developing MS. People who have MS and low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have greater disability and more disease activity.

For the study, 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS received either 10,...

Figure 1. Left: Two zinc fingers in the DROSHA crystal structure. Right: A partial structure of the Microprocessor complex

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important regulator in gene expression, and they play crucial roles in almost all biological contexts including development, differentiation, inflammation, aging, and cancer. In the nucleus, miRNA start their process as a tiny, folded over hairpin structure called primary microRNA (pri-miRNA) and is recognized and processed by the Microprocessor complex, an enzyme arrangement made up of one DROSHA and two DGCR8 proteins. The Microprocessor complex does 2 things: it measures the pri-miRNA then snips off its basal parts, resulting in precursor-microRNA (pre-miRNA)...

Members of the UT Southwestern team whose research successfully halted progression of a form of muscular dystrophy in mice included (l-r) Dr. Chengzu Long, Dr. Eric Olson, Dr. Rhonda Bassel-Duby, Dr. Leonela Amoasii, John Shelton, and Alex Mireault. Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center

Using a new gene-editing technique, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists stopped progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in young mice. If efficiently and safely scaled up in DMD patients, this technique could lead to one of the first successful genome editing Rx’s.

DMD, the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy among boys, is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is caused by mutations in the X-linked DMD gene that encodes the protein dystrophin...