Single gene causes embryo notochord deformity in zebrafish
Conversely, role in controlling cell proliferation might lead to novel tumor therapies in humans
2024-11-21
(Press-News.org)
Can a single protein-encoding gene determine whether a vertebrate embryo develops normally? Yes, according to Osaka Metropolitan University researchers, who found that suppression of Pcdh8 is essential for the notochord to elongate properly in zebrafish.
Graduate School of Medicine Dr. Masatake Kai and Professor Makoto Kondo focused on this paraxial protocadherin (PAPC), which is excluded when dividing cells migrate and form the notochord in the embryo.
In the experiments with zebrafish embryo, when this PAPC is not excluded, the cells do not move to the appropriate location, preventing the notochord from elongating to its proper length. The researchers suggest that the role this gene plays in controlling cell proliferation when expressed might lead to novel tumor therapies in humans.
“In this case, the results were obtained using zebrafish, but it is possible that a similar mechanism may also be at work in mammals,” Professor Kondo stated. “We hope to make more progress in understanding the complex mechanisms that give rise to the forms of living things.”
The findings were published in Scientific Reports.
###
About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
END
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2024-11-21
NOVEMBER TIP SHEET - SYLVESTER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
CANCER RESEARCH
Sylvester Researchers to Share Insights at ASH 2024 Annual Meeting
Dozens of physician-scientists and other investigators from Sylvester Cancer will share their insights at ASH 2024, the American Society of Hematology’s 66th-annual meeting in San Diego, Dec. 7-10. Sylvester researchers will be involved in more than 130 presentations, including oral, poster and special sessions. Additionally, Sylvester Director Stephen D. Nimer, MD, will receive the 2024 ASH Mentor Award for his exemplary work in mentoring trainees and colleagues.
BREAST CANCER
The Cancer Journey: Asking For and Accepting Help
Journalist ...
2024-11-21
Algorithms that can detect subtle changes in a person’s voice are emerging as a potential new diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers from Iraq and Australia.
Speech impairments are often the first indicators of the fastest-growing neurological disease in the world, affecting more than 8.5 million people, but traditional diagnostic methods are often complex and slow, delaying early detection.
Researchers from Middle Technical University (MTU) in Baghdad and the University of South Australia (UniSA) have recently published a conference paper reviewing ...
2024-11-21
Findings from a Mass General Brigham-led study that has followed participants since before birth may offer clues about the origins of Alzheimer’s disease.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Stress-related immune activity during the late second to early third trimester of pregnancy can have long-term sex-dependent effects on offspring memory circuitry, function, and decline that potentially increase vulnerability for memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, after menopause.
Sex differences in immune function begin in fetal development ...
2024-11-21
About one in five people who have stopped smoking for more than a year in England currently vape, equivalent to 2.2 million people, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.
The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine and funded by Cancer Research UK, found that this increased prevalence was largely driven by greater use of e-cigarettes in attempts to quit smoking.
However, the researchers also found a rise in vaping uptake among people who had already stopped smoking, with an estimated one in 10 ex-smokers who vape having quit smoking prior to 2011, when e-cigarettes ...
2024-11-21
The Northern Lights were visible much farther south than usual this year, and pictures of the colorful hues filled social media. Now, imagine an aurora hundreds of times brighter – except no one would be able to snap a photo of it, as the onslaught of particles rushing in from the sun would instantly turn smartphones into bricks.
Such extreme solar storms are rare – only six are known to have left their traces on Earth in the past 14,500 years, and none have been witnessed since the height of the Assyrian Empire nearly 2,700 years ago. A research team ...
2024-11-21
High monthly turnover rates of nurses and senior doctors are associated with higher deaths for emergency patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England, finds a study published by The BMJ today.
The findings suggest that efforts to reduce staff turnover may improve patient care and hospital quality, say the researchers.
The retention of healthcare workers is critical for the provision of patient care, as acknowledged by the NHS long term workforce plan. Previous research has investigated ...
2024-11-21
Women with a history of endometriosis and uterine fibroids might have an increased long term risk of premature death, finds a large study from the United States published by The BMJ today.
Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are common disorders among women of reproductive age. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, while uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths within or around the womb.
Growing evidence shows that both conditions are associated with a greater ...
2024-11-21
More than 4,000 people could be dying per year because of high turnover rates of nurses and doctors in NHS hospitals, according to new research from the University of Surrey.
The research has shown a clear association between high turnover rates of nurses and doctors in NHS hospitals and a troubling rise in patient mortality rates.
The study, published in The BMJ, analysed nearly a decade of data from 148 NHS acute hospitals in England using anonymised patient and worker records. The researchers found that a one standard deviation increase in nurse turnover is associated with 35 additional deaths per 100,000 hospital admissions within 30 days. For senior doctors, ...
2024-11-21
The tropical coastlines of Southeast Asia are home to some of the most important and biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet.
However, they are also among its most vulnerable, with areas of coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds under increasing threat from a wide range of human activities.
To try and better understand those potential threats, a study by an international team of researchers has provided the first detailed assessment of activities taking place within coastal and marine habitats and the impact they have on those ecosystems.
The research ...
2024-11-21
A new book has outlined why public institutions should recognise a new human right to free internet access and what such a right could look like.
Free Internet Access as a Human Right is a culmination of research from Dr Merten Reglitz, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and has been published today (21st Nov) by Cambridge University Press.
The research argues that the new human right to free internet access should include protection from government censorship, surveillance and misuse, and private companies harvesting data.
Dr Reglitz explained: “For most of us a world without internet access ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Single gene causes embryo notochord deformity in zebrafish
Conversely, role in controlling cell proliferation might lead to novel tumor therapies in humans
