UCI study reveals why Down syndrome boosts susceptibility to other conditions

Breakdown in energy metabolism within brain cells noted as a cause

2013-01-11

(Press-News.org) Irvine, Calif., Jan. 10, 2013 — A study led by UC Irvine researchers has revealed some of the underlying neural factors that explain why people with Down syndrome are more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and autistic spectrum disorders.

Jorge Busciglio, associate professor of neurobiology & behavior, and colleagues analyzed the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in Down syndrome individuals. They found that this breakdown in energy metabolism within brain cells contributes to the higher probability of these other conditions.

Down syndrome occurs when a person has 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. Estimates suggest that 25 percent or more of individuals over 35 with Down syndrome show signs of Alzheimer's-type dementia. This percentage increases with age. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome is roughly three to five times greater than in the general population.

### Pablo Helguera, Jaqueline Seiglie and Michael Hanna of UC Irvine; Jose Rodriguez of UCLA; and Gustavo Helguera of Argentina's University of Buenos Aires also contributed to the study, which appears in the Jan. 8 issue of Cell Metabolism and was supported by the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,400 staff. Orange County's second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Specialized messages increase likelihood of male hand washing

2013-01-11

Washington, DC (January 8, 2013) – The CDC reports that 77% of males wash their hands when leaving the restroom. Recent research, published in the journal Human Communication Research, found that this figure increased to 86% among men who were primed with messages in bathrooms. Maria Lapinski, Michigan State University; Erin Maloney, University of Pennsylvania; Mary Braz, Westchester University; and Hillary Shulman, North Central College published in Human Communication Research their findings from a field study of college-aged men. Conducted at Michigan State University, ...

American Cancer Society recommends informed decision making in lung cancer screening

2013-01-11

ATLANTA –January 11, 2013—New guidelines from the American Cancer Society say evidence is sufficient to recommend screening high risk patients for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) provided that certain conditions exist: The patient is aged 55 to 74 years, has at least a 30–pack-year smoking history*, and currently smokes or has quit within the past 15 years. The patient has undergone a thorough discussion of the benefits, limitations, and risks of screening. The patient can be screened in a setting with experience in lung cancer screening. Following ...

How belly fat differs from thigh fat -- and why it matters

2013-01-11

ORLANDO, Fla., January 11, 2013 – Men tend to store fat in the abdominal area, but don't usually have much in the way of hips or thighs. Women, on the other hand, are more often pear-shaped—storing more fat on their hips and thighs than in the belly. Why are women and men shaped differently? The answer still isn't clear, but it's an issue worth investigating, says Steven R. Smith, M.D., director of the Florida Hospital – Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes. That's because belly fat is associated with higher risks of heart disease ...

Cannabis use and the increased risk of psychosis: The debate continues

2013-01-11

The scientific community have long debated the causal relationship between cannabis use and the risk factor for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. Both sides of this controversial subject are put forward in two articles published today in F1000 Medicine Reports. To give rise to the debate, the authors of each article were given the opportunity to read the opposing side's article drafts and consider their arguments when structuring their own article. In his article "Cannabis and psychosis: what causes what?" David Castle of the University of Melbourne argues for ...

Multiple sclerosis study reveals how killer T cells learn to recognize nerve fiber insulators

2013-01-11

Misguided killer T cells may be the missing link in sustained tissue damage in the brains and spines of people with multiple sclerosis, findings from the University of Washington reveal. Cytoxic T cells, also known as CD8+ T cells, are white blood cells that normally are in the body's arsenal to fight disease. Multiple sclerosis is characterized by inflamed lesions that damage the insulation surrounding nerve fibers and destroy the axons, electrical impulse conductors that look like long, branching projections. Affected nerves fail to transmit signals effectively. Intriguingly, ...

Fusion helped by collision science

2013-01-11

An international team of physicists has calculated the efficiency of a reaction involving an incoming electron kicking out an electron from the metal beryllium (Be) or its hydrogen compound molecules, in an article about to be published in EPJ D. The efficiency, which partly depends on the electron's incoming speed, is encapsulated in a quantity referred to as electron-impact ionisation cross sections (EICS). Electron-molecule interactions matter because they occur in a broad range of applications from the simplest like fluorescent lamps to the most complex, for example, ...

Protein recognition and disorder: A debate

2013-01-11

The extent to which three-dimensional structure is required for protein recognition and function is an area of vigorous debate with clear implications for protein engineering. Two differing viewpoints have been put forward in two articles published in F1000 Biology Reports today. In structuring their arguments, the authors were encouraged to consider the opposing viewpoint, examine the points put forward and critique them in their own articles. This novel collaborative approach has given rise to a considered exchange of ideas and may consequently stimulate further research ...

The saline hiding places for bacteria in Río Tinto could be like those on Mars

2013-01-11

Researchers at the Centre of Astrobiology have identified microorganisms that live inside salt deposits in the acidic and ferrous environment of the Tinto River in Huelva, Spain. The extreme conditions of these microniches appear to be similar to those of the salt deposits on Mars and Jupiter's moon, Europa. This possibility should be borne in mind on missions operating in these places, such as Curiosity. The high doses of radiation, lack of moisture and extreme temperature and pressure on the surface of Mars make the development of life difficult. Within this hostile ...

New treatment could combat deadly chemical agents

2013-01-11

An enzyme treatment which could neutralise the effects of lethal chemicals responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people across the world has been developed by experts at the University of Sheffield. Organophosphorus agents (OP) are used as pesticides in developing countries and acute poisoning is common because of insufficient control, poor storage, ready availability, and inadequate education amongst farmers. It is estimated about 200,000 people die each year across the world from OP poisoning, through occupational exposure, unintentional use and misuse, ...

UGA discovery promises to improve drugs used to fight cancer, other diseases

2013-01-11

Athens, Ga. – Even when at rest, the human body is a flurry of activity. Like a microscopic metropolis locked in a state of perpetual rush hour traffic, the trillions of cells that make us who we are work feverishly policing the streets, making repairs, building new structures and delivering important cargo throughout the bustling organic society. For everything to work properly there must be something to organize and direct the various workers. Enter protein kinases. Like specialized traffic signals, this huge class of proteins is critical for many aspects of cell communication, ...

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 upregulates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway to mitigate hepatocyte ferroptosis in chronic liver injury

UCI study reveals why Down syndrome boosts susceptibility to other conditions

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: