news 2009

PA 52/09 Scientists at The University of Nottingham have made a breakthrough in identifying gene variations that appear to increase a person's risk of asthma. The findings of the research could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of asthma which affects more than five million people in the UK. The scientists, led by Professor Ian Hall at University Hospital Nottingham, have discovered three specific gene variations that are indicators for an increased susceptibility to asthma.

A research collaboration co-funded by the Wellcome Trust has identified a new genetic cause for primary ovarian insufficiency, a condition which can lead to infertility in women - a finding which could lead to the development of a possible diagnostic test. Primary ovarian insufficiency, also known as premature ovarian failure, is characterised by the loss of normal function of the ovaries before the age of 40 years.

Gene p53 protects against cancer and is usually described as the most important gene in cancer research. However, scientists at Karolinska Institutet have now shown that a previously unknown gene, Wrap53, controls the activity of p53. As the regulation mechanism is relatively unexplored, the study opens up new routes to solving the mystery of cancer.

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have found a way of activating the neuronal reserves in the brains of mice by switching off the signal that inhibits the formation of new nerve cells. The study is presented in the online edition of the scientific. "So far, this is just basic research of no immediate practical significance, but the results are very exciting nonetheless," says Professor Jonas Frisén at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, who led the study.

Embryologie und Paläontologie existierten bereits zu Darwins Zeiten. Der Zoologe und Paläobiologe Marcelo Sánchez hat die beiden Disziplinen verbunden und erforscht so die Evolution von Landwirbeltieren.

Researchers have found evidence that a direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant alters the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The Oxford University-led research, published in PLoS Genetics, suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the early years may increase the risk of offspring developing MS later in life.

Cambridge, Mass. February 9, 2009 - Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears. These first-ever mammalian "connectomes," or complete neural circuit diagrams, reveal that neural wiring can vary widely even in paired tissues on the left and right sides of the same animal.

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have shown for the first time that the active training of the working memory brings about visible changes in the number of dopamine receptors in the human brain. The study was conducted with the help of PET scanning and provides deeper insight into the complex interplay between cognition and the brain's biological structure.

The 34 hotspots identified by Conservation International cover 2.3 percent of the Earth's land surface, yet more than 50 percent of the world's plant species and 42 percent of all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to these areas. All are threatened by human activities. BERKELEY — With limited funding and an inadequate number of scientists, governments in countries containing "hotspots" of threatened biodiversity are wrestling with how to protect plants and animals in disappearing habitats.

PA 23/09 Some of the secrets behind the emergence of new species have been uncovered in a genetic study, conducted in collaboration with bioscientists at The University of Nottingham. Almost all plant species are known to have cross-breeds that sometimes produce infertile offspring. Now for the first time the team, led by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, INRA-Versailles, has identified a simple genetic mechanism that may explain why this happens.

PA 18/09 Genetics experts at The University of Nottingham have been involved in a scientific breakthrough which is helping to explain why some people may be more likely to suffer from the chronic skin condition, psoriasis. The research, which has just been published , shows that people who lack the genes LCE3B and LCE3C are more likely to be affected by psoriasis.

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published today in the highly respected journal The Lancet. The results throw the current separate classification of the diseases into question. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness) are the two most common psychotic disorders.

BERKELEY — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a new enzyme that plays a far more important role than expected in controlling the breakdown of fat. In a new study to be published Jan. 11 in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers report that mice that have had this enzyme disabled remained lean despite eating a high-fat diet and losing a hormone that suppresses appetite.