Researchers studying diseases with an unknown cause may have a new method to try, as scientists reverse engineered a new bacterium responsible for a syndrome discovered fewer than two years ago. The quest began in 2011, after doctors reported a syndrome they called cord colitis in a small group of patients treated with umbilical cord stem cells for blood cancer and other hematologic diseases. Researchers at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute in Boston hypothesized that the new ailment, which responded to antibiotics, stemmed from a previously unknown infectious agent. Bacteria are typically identified after investigators obtain a living sample and grow it in laboratory dishes. In the case of cord colitis, all the researchers had was preserved biopsy specimens from colons of treated patients that werent alive and couldnt grow. After sequencing the DNA from the specimens and eliminating those identified as human, they began assembling pieces of the genetic jigsaw puzzle that was left. If these patients had an infection, there should be human cells and bacterial cells, said Ami Bhatt, the lead researcher and a clinical fellow in hematology and oncology at Dana-Faber. What I expected to find was some weird variety of E. coli or a similar bacteria found … Continue reading →

Dr. Larry Goldstein By Joe Tash When Larry Goldstein imagines the potential of modern stem cell science, he is reminded of a scene from the 1967 Academy Award-winning film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. Hoffmans character, a recent college graduate named Benjamin Braddock, is chatting with an older man at a cocktail party. I just want to say one word to youjust one word plastics, the man tells Benjamin. Goldstein, 57, a Carmel Valley resident and head of one of the nations premier stem cell research labs, sees a vast upside to his chosen field of research in terms of scientific advancement, treatment of devastating diseases, and economic prosperity, similar to the characters prediction for plastics. Were at the beginning of a revolution in science and medicine, said Goldstein. Whats the hot business going forward? Man, its biological plastics. They can replenish themselves, you can make them do things, you can build stuff. Its incredible. Its not unrealistic to think that over the course of the next several decades, that artificial organs will be built of materials made from stem cells, either fully or in part, he said. Goldstein wears two official hats director of the UC … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry Article Date: 06 Aug 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for: GPS-like 'grid' cells found in human brain Scientists rarely have the opportunity to study single cell behavior deep inside a living human brain. But a US team was offered the chance to make human brain recordings in epilepsy patients undergoing treatment that implanted electrodes deep inside their brains. The researchers discovered that humans, like other animals, appear to have a type of brain cell that behaves like a GPS. Scientists had already discovered that the brains of rodents and nonhuman primates have "grid" cells that help the animals keep track of their relative location when navigating in an unfamiliar environment. Grid cells send signals to another group of cells called place cells, and they both send signals to the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is important for forming memory. Together, the two groups of cells help make a mental picture of where the animal is in its environment. But apart from a study published in 2010 that used non-invasive brain scans to suggest grid cells exist in human brains, this latest study … Continue reading →

They tested how 66 adolescent girls, aged 12-18, with anorexia but without autism scored on tests to measure traits related to autism then compared them to over 1,600 typical teenagers in the same age range. Five times more girls with anorexia scored in the range that people with autism score in, compared to the typical girls. Professor Simon Baron-Cohen from the Autism Research Centre at the university, who led the research, said: Traditionally, anorexia has been viewed purely as an eating disorder. This is quite reasonable, since the girls dangerously low weight, and their risk of malnutrition or even death has to be the highest priority. But this new research is suggesting that underlying the surface behaviour, the mind of a person with anorexia may share a lot with the mind of a person with autism. In both conditions, there is a strong interest in systems. In girls with anorexia, they have latched onto a system that concerns body weight, shape, and food intake. The findings may prove useful in the treatment of the eating disorder, including shifting their focus away from food onto other activities, they claim. Dr Tony Jaffa, who co-led the study, said: Recognising that some patients … Continue reading →

A strokea decrease in blood flow to the brain due to a clot or bleedingis a medical emergency. And doctors often say time is brain, meaning the quicker you get treatment, the less likely it is that your brain tissue will be permanently damaged. About 80 percent of strokes are due to a clot (ischemic strokes) and the rest are due to bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). There are treatments available for stroke that need to be provided within the first 3-4 hours, such as clot-busting medications. That is why urgent attention is critical, Dr. Seemant Chaturvedi, professor of neurology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, said. So dont waste time wondering if you should go to the hospital. If you or someone you know has the following symptoms, call 911. Trouble seeing or blurry vision Stroke can cause double vision, blurred vision or loss of vision in one eye. But it may not be as well recognized as facial weakness, arm weakness, and speech problems. When 1,300 people in the U.K. were asked what symptoms occur in stroke, only 44 percent knew vision loss is a strong indicator. Health.com: 10 Best Foods for Your Heart Difficulty speaking … Continue reading →