PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Known tumour suppressor gene found essential for development, regeneration&stress-response

Known tumour suppressor gene found essential for development, regeneration&stress-response
2021-02-09
(Press-News.org) Adult progenitor cells are present in the Drosophila fly as early as its larvae stage. These cells are the only ones that are maintained throughout development and they are responsible for giving rise to adult tissues and organs. Headed by Jordi Casanova (also an IBMB-CSIC researcher), the Development and Morphogenesis in Drosophila lab at IRB Barcelona has identified the headcase (hdc) gene as responsible for the unique characteristics of these adult progenitor cells.

"In our study, mainly using the powerful genetic tools available in Drosophila, we were able to show that this gene regulates the development of the organism, including the stages of metamorphosis, by controlling the growth, proliferation, survival and resistance to stress of adult progenitor cells," Casanova explains.

The headcase gene is homologous to the human HECA gene, and it plays a key role in cancer, acting as a tumour suppressor in both organisms, as it slows down cell cycle.

The link between stress and cancer

Besides identifying headcase as an essential gene for adult progenitor cells, the researchers led by Casanova have also characterised its mechanisms of action. In addition to its participation in hormone-stimulated growth control, this gene is also involved in the stress response and it maintains an equilibrium between these two processes.

"The finding that the headcase gene confers stress protection opens up a new avenue to be explored regarding the role of human HECA as it could also act as a stress protector and its absence may induce stress conditions that favour the initiation and progression of cancer," says Panagiotis Giannios, postdoctoral researcher and first author of the paper.

INFORMATION:

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of the Spanish Government and its Severo Ochoa Programme, and by the Generalitat de Catalunya and its CERCA Programme.


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Known tumour suppressor gene found essential for development, regeneration&stress-response

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

All in the head? Brains adapt to support new species

All in the head? Brains adapt to support new species
2021-02-09
Scientists studying forest dwelling butterflies in Central and South America have discovered that changes in the way animals perceive and process information from their environment can support the emergence of new species. The study led by the University of Bristol, and published today [9 February] in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has implications for how new species might evolve and the underappreciated role of changes in the brain. The international team, led by Dr Stephen Montgomery from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, compared ...

In-depth analysis identifies causes and mitigation efforts in COVID-19 cluster

2021-02-09
BOSTON -- Hospitals across the United States have gone to great lengths to implement infection control measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. And yet, as the pandemic has unfolded, many health care settings have experienced clusters of cases, with the virus spreading among patients, staff or both. Some clusters have been easily traced back to break rooms and shared meals. But other clusters have been challenging to trace and contain. In September 2020, Brigham and Women's Hospital detected a cluster of infections that would ultimately include 14 patients and 38 staff members. The hospital rapidly activated its incident command structure in order to coordinate a controlled response to contain the cluster. Steps taken included widespread ...

Findings of study comparing analgesics in acute post-trauma pain

Findings of study comparing analgesics in acute post-trauma pain
2021-02-09
DES PLAINES, IL -- The combination of a high?dose NSAID with paracetamol does not increase the analgesic effect compared to paracetamol alone. Researchers also found that paracetamol alone is superior to high?dose NSAID alone for posttraumatic extremity pain. These are the findings of a study titled Acetaminophen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or combination of both analgesics in acute post-trauma pain: a randomized controlled trial, to be published in the February 2021 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). According to the study, taking into account its superior efficacy ...

How diseases and history are intertwined

2021-02-09
Today, the average American is unlikely to spend time worrying about malaria. Although the disease is commonly perceived to be restricted to other parts of the world, it played a significant role in shaping American history. It even helped turn the tide of the American Revolutionary War by infecting so many British soldiers that General Cornwallis was forced to surrender at Yorktown. First-year students in a 2019 introductory seminar class led by Erin Mordecai, an assistant professor of biology in the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), delved ...

Samara Polytech scientists proved the anti-cancer properties of a number of plant extracts

Samara Polytech scientists proved the anti-cancer properties of a number of plant extracts
2021-02-09
Samara Polytech chemists investigated the potential anticarcinogenic effects of extracts obtained from plant materials of lingonberry, raspberry, black chokeberry, grapes, Krasnodar green tea, ginseng, fireweed and coffee, and also evaluated their effect on the growth and viability of colon cancer cells. The research was carried out within the framework of the state assignment for fundamental research No. 0778-2020-0005, its results were published Dec. 29, 2020 in the journal Proceedings of Universities. Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology (DOI: https://doi.org/10.21285/2227-2925-2020-10-4-613-626). Prevention is the most cost-effective and long-term strategy for controlling this disease. It is now well known ...

New method for asymmetric N,N-acetal synthesis promises advances in drug development

New method for asymmetric N,N-acetal synthesis promises advances in drug development
2021-02-09
A lot of our medicines and other bioactive drugs are based on chemical structures called "enantiomers"-- molecules that are mirror images of each other and are non-superimposable. Notable among them are chiral N,N-acetals contained in diuretic drugs like bendroflumethiazide and thiabutazide, used to treat high blood pressure and edema. Because an enantiomer and its mirror image version often have different biological activities, with only one of them having pharmacological utility, an "enantioselective" or asymmetric synthesis yielding the desired enantiomer in greater amounts is highly desirable. In the case of N,N-acetals, several studies have demonstrated their enantioselective preparation from aldehydes, aldimines, or enamines. However, in all these cases, ...

Case Western Reserve-led team finds that people with dementia at higher risk for COVID-19

2021-02-09
CLEVELAND (Feb. 9)--A study led by Case Western Reserve University researchers found that patients with dementia were at a significantly increased risk for COVID-19--and the risk was higher still for African Americans with dementia. Reviewing electronic health records of 61.9 million adults in the United States, researchers found the risk of contracting COVID-19 was twice as high for patients with dementia than for those without it--while among those with dementia, African Americans had close to three times the risk of being infected with COVID-19 as Caucasians did. In addition, patients with dementia who ...

Peanut allergy affects even more U.S. adults than children

2021-02-09
KEY STUDY FINDINGS INCLUDE: 2.9% of U.S. adults report a current peanut allergy. About one in six adults with a peanut allergy developed it after age 18. Approximately one in five adults with peanut allergy report visiting the emergency department for food allergy treatment each year. Patients who developed their peanut allergy during adulthood are less likely to report having an epinephrine auto-injector prescription than those who developed their peanut allergy during childhood, despite similar frequencies of severe reactions among both groups. CHICAGO --- Peanut allergy affects at least 4.5 million adults in the U.S., many of whom report developing their ...

Phages can anticipate bacteria's location and destroy them before they cause an infection

2021-02-09
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions have identified a novel strategy that can eliminate bacteria in a specific location before they cause an infection. The strategy uses a phage, a virus that infects and destroys bacteria, that can specifically locate in the same place the bacteria live in the gastrointestinal tract. The proximity between phage and bacteria facilitates the phage's attack and subsequent elimination of the bacteria. This strategy has the potential of becoming a game changer in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria ...

Program led by health coaches at primary care clinics helped reduce heart risk

2021-02-09
DALLAS, Feb. 9, 2021 -- Participants in a two-year, lifestyle intervention/weight-loss program provided through health coaches at their primary care center were able to lower their blood sugar and improve their cholesterol levels, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation Journal. Researchers with the PROmoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary CarE in Louisiana (PROPEL) Trial reported previously that participants also reduced body weight by an average of 5% and note that patients who lost more weight experienced greater improvements in their heart disease risk factors. "Our results demonstrate lifestyle intervention and weight-loss programs can be successful for people in underserved, low-income ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York announces new investigators for immune system research to improve human health

New research suggests White Americans in areas with higher Black poverty are more likely to blame racial inequality on lack of effort

Solar wave squeezed Jupiter’s magnetic shield to unleash heat

Cognitive decline comes sooner for people with heart failure

SMEs’ ability to innovate is strongly tied to the learning and decision-making skills of managers

Researchers recycle wind turbine blade materials to make improved plastics

Low neighborhood walkability is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Common phrases, not fancy words, make you sound more fluent in a foreign language

Printed skin to replace animal testing

Precision medicine could be possible in the fight against antibiotic resistance

Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University identify new targeted approach to protect neurons against degeneration

Western diet causes inflammation, traditional African food protects

Electrochemical method supports nitrogen circular economy

How researchers are shining a light on kidney disease

Some gut bacteria could make certain drugs less effective

PEPITEM sequence shows effects in psoriasis, comparable to steroid cream

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

[Press-News.org] Known tumour suppressor gene found essential for development, regeneration&stress-response