The Human Dynasty

If you inherit one copy of a particular gene mutation it seems to protect you from Alzheimer’s – but inherit a copy from both parents and you may be in trouble…

Investigators have learned that a protein called Shp2 plays a critical role in the pathways that control decisions for differentiation or self-renewal in both human embryonic stem cells and mouse embryonic stem cells.

Marrying within the family not only increases the risk that children will have a genetic disorder, but also makes them more susceptible to some infections

The Myc-gene plays an important role in cell regulation; in about 50% of all tumors this gene is mutated. Scientists have shown that the gene BASP1 specifically inhibits the effect of this oncogene, thereby preventing uncontrolled cell growth which is typical for tumors.

Researchers have determined that the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) does not require transcriptional coactivators for viral gene expression early in the infection process. The finding is significant in determining that, in contradiction to earlier models, chemical inhibitors of these cellular proteins are not likely to serve as useful antiviral drugs.

Scientists who traced a genetic mutation for colon cancer back almost 370 years are now confirming that routine screening and education can prevent people with the mutated gene from developing cancer.

(Medical College of Georgia) The circadian clocks that set the rhythmic motion of our bodies for wakeful days and sleepy nights can also set us up for vascular disease when broken, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

(University of Virginia Health System) Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have found that one of the genes commonly thought to promote the growth and spread of some types of cancers is in fact beneficial in bladder cancer — a major discovery that could significantly alter the way bladder cancers are treated in the future.

(University of Gothenburg) In contrast to women, men are fertile throughout life, but research at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has now shown that a fertilizing sperm can get help from the egg to rejuvenate. The result is an important step towards future stem cell therapy.

(Uppsala University) Certain bacteria have learned to manipulate the proportion of females and males in insect populations. Now Uppsala University researchers have mapped the entire genome of a bacterium that infects a close relative of the fruit fly. The findings reveal extremely high frequencies of gene exchange within this group of bacteria. In the future sex-manipulating bacteria may be used as environmentally friendly pesticides against harmful insects.