Certain Colors More Likely To Cause Epileptic Fits, Researchers Find
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Med-Chemist : "Quintessential Medicinal Chemistry"
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Alternates to pheromones ?
I studied about the pheromones when I was doing my post graduation and the professor, who taught us has worked with Dr. H.C. Brown (Nobel Laureate, for his contribution to the field of Organo Boranes) made us understand what are pheromones, how they are prepared and how actually they attract the insects. I think the field has been widely accepted. As for as my knowledge goes the preparation of pheromones is a costly affair (via , organo boranes). Recently I found this interesting article, where in the researchers claim that with the help of alternate chemicals (other than pheromones) one can send insects off the scent of crops.
Dr. Antony Hooper of Rothamsted Research, an institute of BBSRC said, one way in which insects find each other and their hosts is by smell, or more accurately: the detection of chemical signals – pheromones, for example. Insects smell chemicals with their antennae; the chemical actually gets into the antennae of the insect and then attaches to a protein called an odorant-binding protein, or OBP. This then leads to the insect changing its behavior in some way in response to the smell, for example, flying towards a plant or congregating with other insects (that is what we were taught..) But the more interesting part of the research is .....studying an OBP found in the silkworm moth Bombyx mori, Dr Hooper and his team were able to look at how the OBP and a relevant pheromone interact. They also tested the interaction between OBP and other molecules (that are similar to, but not the same as, the pheromone). They actually found that there are other compounds that bind to the OBP much more strongly than the pheromone.
The researchers could potentially apply these compounds, in some way to block the insects’ ability to detect chemical signals – the smell would be overwhelmed by the one they introduced. and by doing so the researchers expect the insects to be less likely to orientate themselves towards the crop plants, or find mates in this case, and therefore could reduce the damage. Though still lot of work has to be done, its a good beginning.
Hope this new and innovative way to prevent and control pests and diseases will be a success in the days to come. I wish every success in their endeavor...
Congrats Dr. Antony Hooper and co-workers..
Ref :
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/media/releases/2009/090924_scientists_discover_how_to_send_insects_of_the_scent.html
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Stelara approved by the FDA for treating psoriasis
We know that Stelara (Ustekinumab), is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the shared p40 protein subunit of human IL-12 and IL-23 with high affinity and specificity, thereby preventing interaction with their surface IL-12Rβ1 receptor. Hope this approval provides an alternative treatment for people with plaque psoriasis, which can cause significant physical discomfort from pain and itching and result in poor self-image for people who are self-conscious about their appearance...
Stelara approved by the FDA for treating psoriasis
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Years of caste system belie Indians' shared ancestry - life - 24 September 2009 - New Scientist
Though there were already some sort of genetic info, regarding the difference in the North & South Indians. This info should be used exclusively for medicinal purpose, but not to differentiate again between North & South Indians. After all human beings all over the world are same. We have already facing racial attacks in Australia and this info shldn't lead to difference amongst Indians !...
Years of caste system belie Indians' shared ancestry - life - 24 September 2009 - New Scientist
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Water Found on the Moon
I think this article finds some significance with relevance to the presence of water..anyway wait for tomorrow.......
Water Found on the Moon
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Water Found on the Moon
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Rethinking of Alzheimer's Disease ?
So for the explanation for the Alzheimer's disease is "amyloid hypothesis", i.e., the disease results from of an accumulation of the peptide amyloid beta, the toxic protein fragments that deposit in the brain and become the sticky plaques that have defined Alzheimer's, this hypothesis has been accepted for 100 years. Something new explanation has been provided by George Bartzokis of UCLA professor of psychiatry and he says that a better working hypothesis is the "myelin model". He explains the model in the following lines :
Like insulation around wires, myelin is a fatty sheath that coats our nerve axons, allowing for efficient conduction of nerve impulses. It is key to the fast processing speeds that underlie our higher cognitive functions and encoding of memories. But the lifelong, extensive myelination of the human brain also makes it uniquely vulnerable to damage. The myelin model's central premise is that it is the normal, routine maintenance and repair of myelin throughout life that ultimately initiates the mechanisms that produce degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. That is, the amyloid-beta peptide and the tau peptide, which is also implicated in Alzheimer's, as well as the signature clinical signs of the disease, such as memory loss and, ultimately, dementia, are all byproducts of the myelin breakdown and repair processes. The pervasive myelination of our brain is the single most unique aspect in which the human brain differs from other species.
Myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, specialized glial cells that themselves become more vulnerable with age. Myelination of the brain follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory, growing strongly until our 50s, when it very slowly begins to unravel as we age. The myelin that is deposited in adulthood ensheaths increasing numbers of axons with smaller axon diameters and so spreads itself thinner and thinner. As a result, it becomes more susceptible to the ravages of age in the form of environmental and genetic insults and slowly begins to break down faster than it can be repaired.
The exclusive targeting of the amyloid-beta peptide for many years is understandable because the same genes and enzymes involved in controlling myelination and myelin repair are, ironically, also involved in the production of amyloid-beta proteins. Bartzokis' point is that the amyloid beta may actually develop as a result of the natural process of the repair and maintenance of myelin. So the breakdown that leads to Alzheimer's and other age-related brain diseases, such as Parkinson's, may begin much earlier, before the formation of the protein deposits that are used to define these diseases," Bartzokis said. Hope this explanation will lead to new innovative ideas for drug discoverers like rather than targeting amyloid-beta peptide !. Hoping for the better results....
Ref : http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/new-target-for-alzheimer-s-102065.aspx
Like insulation around wires, myelin is a fatty sheath that coats our nerve axons, allowing for efficient conduction of nerve impulses. It is key to the fast processing speeds that underlie our higher cognitive functions and encoding of memories. But the lifelong, extensive myelination of the human brain also makes it uniquely vulnerable to damage. The myelin model's central premise is that it is the normal, routine maintenance and repair of myelin throughout life that ultimately initiates the mechanisms that produce degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. That is, the amyloid-beta peptide and the tau peptide, which is also implicated in Alzheimer's, as well as the signature clinical signs of the disease, such as memory loss and, ultimately, dementia, are all byproducts of the myelin breakdown and repair processes. The pervasive myelination of our brain is the single most unique aspect in which the human brain differs from other species.
Myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, specialized glial cells that themselves become more vulnerable with age. Myelination of the brain follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory, growing strongly until our 50s, when it very slowly begins to unravel as we age. The myelin that is deposited in adulthood ensheaths increasing numbers of axons with smaller axon diameters and so spreads itself thinner and thinner. As a result, it becomes more susceptible to the ravages of age in the form of environmental and genetic insults and slowly begins to break down faster than it can be repaired.
The exclusive targeting of the amyloid-beta peptide for many years is understandable because the same genes and enzymes involved in controlling myelination and myelin repair are, ironically, also involved in the production of amyloid-beta proteins. Bartzokis' point is that the amyloid beta may actually develop as a result of the natural process of the repair and maintenance of myelin. So the breakdown that leads to Alzheimer's and other age-related brain diseases, such as Parkinson's, may begin much earlier, before the formation of the protein deposits that are used to define these diseases," Bartzokis said. Hope this explanation will lead to new innovative ideas for drug discoverers like rather than targeting amyloid-beta peptide !. Hoping for the better results....
Ref : http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/new-target-for-alzheimer-s-102065.aspx
Gene Therapy Trial To Treat Alzheimer's Disease !
The first study of its kind for the treatment of patients : the phase II study examines the safety and possible benefits of CERE-110. CERE-110 contains a gene and is injected during surgery into a part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease.
The gene will instruct brain cells to produce more of a protein, called Nerve Growth Factor or NGF, which helps nerve cells survive and function properly. The transfer of this gene into the brain is a medical technique called gene therapy. Though the goal is to to stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease, its a good move because still there are drugs to be innovated for the complete cure. Congrats Dr. Chris Kalhorn.
Ref : http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=44677&PageTemplateID=295
Monday, September 21, 2009
Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer Success To Provide New Understanding Of Lunar Surface
When I read about the news about the loss of contact with Chandrayaan-1 last month, I thought its huge loss and a set back to ISRO. At least some important info it has provided makes us feel oats. The data finds its significance because of the fact that the science team will be able to determine the geochemistry of new areas of the lunar surface, adding some vital pieces to the jigsaw of the mineralogy of the lunar surface. More....
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