hiv researchers solve key puzzle after 20 years of trying

HIV is such a deadly virus that doesn't have a cure to stop it. Scientists have been working for years and years to try and find an antidote, but have not been successful. After 20 years now the researchers, from Imperial College London and Harvard University have discover a crystal that may potentially block the process of pasting its genetic information into the persons DNA. These scientists are extremely confident that this crystal will counter act the virus. They are currently still trying to create more amounts of this crystal to be able to test it out. Also they are still testing all different other crystals to see if any other ones will have the same effect.

HIVcure

Cancer in Tasmanian devils

Scientists finally discovered the true identity of contagious cancer that has been rapidly killing the Tasmanian devils. Reported in Science from a group of researchers, the cancer has been discovered to start in the nerve fibers and it affects the face of the devil. Hence came the name, devil facial tumor disease. At first, scientists thought that it was a virus spreading the disease, but now it is known that the cancer itself is actually spreading between Tasmanian devils.

This breakthrough in science allows for scientists to develop a vaccine that would target proteins. It is crucial to develop this vaccine because the devils might reach extinction with this plague. Since the genome of the devils have not been fully recognized, this may serve as a problem to scientists who want to save them. They are currently working very hard to help the Tasmanian devils and develop this vaccine.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/52286/title/Cancer_plaguing_Tasmanian_devils_began_in_one_animals_nerve_cells

Rotting fish

Could scientists be wrong about where some animals fall into the tree of life?  Some researchers in England think it is possible. They theorize that some primitive animals have been miss classified because of the way their fossils have been found. They believe that important information in missing because these animals are believed to only have soft tissue. They argue that that tissue could have decomposed long before a fossil could preserve the information.   To prove their theory they decided to study the decomposition on some fish with similar characteristics. 

No one was there 500 million years ago to say this is what happened, and without actual fossil records it will be difficult to prove. I think this is an interesting way of gathering information that might help to decode the fossils that did survive. 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=early-vertebrate-evolution

New genes for lung disease discovered

Scientists have discovered five genetic variants that are associated with the health of the human lung. The new findings provide hope for better treatment for lung diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma.

The scientists said: "This work is important because until now we have known very little about the genetic factors that determine an individual's lung function. By identifying the genes important in determining lung function, we can start to unravel the underlying mechanisms which control both lung development and lung damage. This will lead to a better understanding of diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Crucially, it could open up new opportunities to manage and treat patients with lung conditions".

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/12/14/new_genes_for_lung_disease_discovered.html

Chicken...or Soy?

Soy has become pretty popular over the years. There is basically soy everything anymore. Now there is soy chicken. It looks, tastes and feels just like regular chicken but its not. It low cost and has benefits like lowering cholesterol, preventing certain cancers (like prostate and breast), and strengthening bones. To create soy chicken the scientists start with soy proteins that are extracted from soy flour. Then it goes into the extrusion cooking process. The taste appeal and appearance is that of a regular chicken breast. The FDA says individuals should have 25 grams of soy in their diet, this would be a great way to get the soy and have the benefits of a meat product.

Refining Cancer with Plant Derivatives.

Celastrol (celastracaea) is an element that comes from trees and shrubs, the Medical College of Georgia is studying this anti-inflammatory plant in terms of cancer treatments and inactivating a required protein for cancer growth. It has been used for centuries in China to treat chills, fevers, joint pain, inflammation, and more. Dr. Ahmed Chadli is a biochemist in the MCG Center for Molecular Chaperones/Radiobiology and Cancer Virology, he says "Cancer cells need HSP90 more than normal cells because cancer cells have thousands of mutations. They need chaperones all the time to keep their mutated proteins active. By taking heat shock proteins away from cells, the stabilization is taken away and cell death occurs." Scientists are seeing the potential in regulating HSP90. They are hoping in a therapy type setting it can reduce the probability of cancer resistance.

'Overweight' adults age 70 or older are less likely to die over a 10-year period

In an experiment published by the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, scientists discovered that overweight elderly people had an increased survival rate. The geriatrics were determined to be "overweight" by the BMI (Body Mass Index) system (a ratio between body weight and height).

"The study began in 1996 and recruited 4,677 men and 4,563 women. The participants were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner, and factors such as lifestyle, demographics, and health were measured. The research uncovered that mortality risk was lowest for participants with a BMI classified as overweight, with the risk of death reduced by 13% compared with normal weight participants. The benefits were only seen in the overweight category not in those people who are obese."

This could mean that having some extra weight on your frame is actually beneficial, as opposed to the end of human existence. Or it could mean that the BMI is a horrible way to measure if a person is overweight or not.

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