Human Genetic Variation Alters Anthrax Toxin Sensitivity
Martchenko, Candille et al., PNAS
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine show that genetic variation affecting capillary morphogenesis gene 2, or CMG2, dramatically alters toxin sensitivity in humans. In its analysis, the team reports on "a CMG2 single-nucleotide polymorphism occurring frequently in African and European populations [that they found] independently altered toxin uptake." The group goes on to suggest "testing of genomically characterized human cell populations may offer a broadly useful strategy for elucidating effects of genetic variation on infectious disease susceptibility."
Starting Again on Alzheimer's
September 02, 2010
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Greengard has discovered a new way for researchers to target Alzheimer's disease. Beta amyloid, the plaque that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, has long been targeted by researchers. Now Greengard has discovered a new protein that is needed to make beta amyloid, reports the New York Times' Gina Kolata. Many Alzheimer's drugs currently being studied target the enzyme gamma secretase, which helps make beta amyloid. However, Kolata says, gamma secretase also serves crucial functions in the body, and efforts to block it have caused other problems. Greengard's "gamma secretase activating protein" tells the enzyme to make beta amyloid, and since it's used by the enzyme for this purpose only, suppressing it doesn't have any effect on other gamma secretase activity, Kolata says. Greengard has so far only experimented with blocking this new protein in mice, but has had some encouraging results, which appear in Nature this week.
We at the Fisher Center for
We at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation are very proud to have funded this tremendous new finding of Dr. Paul Greengard. For the past 15 years, we have been proud to support the good work of Dr. Greengard and his internationally renowned team of scientists at The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. We would like to specifically congratulate Drs. He and Greengard for discovering this important protein. Their latest research is a potential paradigm shift in how scientists and doctors around the world will attack Alzheimer’s.
Kent L. Karosen
President and CEO Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation
www.alzinfo.org
Vitamin B12 might actually
Vitamin B12 might actually decrease the likelihood of creating Alzheimer's disease, accounts BBC News Health. A research published recently in Neurology of 271 65- to 79-year-old Finnish individuals conducted over the course of seven years found that lower levels of vitamin B12 within the blood could possibly be connected to instances of senior dementia. Vitamin B12 may help delay Alzheimer's disease, study saysThe ages of the analysis group correspond to ages of those at greatest risk for developing dementia. They did not have dementia at the beginning of the study. However the experts are not sold yet. Vitamin B12 might be the break science has been looking for against Alzheimer's ailment, however additional tests will be necessary to prove that conclusively.