MANCHESTER, England, July 16 (UPI) -- British scientists studying one of nature's simplest organisms said they have determined the structure of a key molecule that controls pain in humans.
University of Manchester researchers said their finding could lead to the next generation of analgesics designed for such chronic conditions as migraines and backache.
The scientists examined microscopic amoeboid organisms commonly called slime moulds in a bid to gain greater insight into pain molecules known as 'P2X receptors'.
"In humans, P2X receptors look identical to one another and so scientists have had difficulty understanding how they function," said Chris Thompson, who carried out the research with Professor Alan North and Sam Fountain.
Thompson and colleagues discovered there was only a 10 percent similarity between human P2X and the slime mould equivalent. They were therefore able to deduce from evolutionary theory that it was these similar parts of the molecule that probably regulate pain in humans.
"Inhibiting P2X as a potential pain-relief therapy would be the Holy Grail of rational drug design and could revolutionize the way we manage chronic pain conditions like back pain and migraine," said Thompson.
The research is detailed in the journal Nature.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Is Alcoholism Passed Through The Genes? by Bill Urell
Certainly the popular notion that alcoholism may be inherited from our parents has gained momentum in recent times. This is not a new school of thought by any means, but it has gained creditability as a result of detailed investigations that have been carried out in the name of science these past decades. There is no question that typically a pattern emerges where a tendency to alcoholism and alcohol related problems do affect siblings and generations within a family. By no means does this conclusively indicate that alcoholism or alcohol related problems will plague you because you inherited the gene from a parent.
On the other hand, there are many genetically inherited characteristics that have been proven to impact on the likelihood of an individual becoming a statistic of alcoholism related concerns. It is safley surmised that the genetic predisposition toward alcoholism may be a combination of social factors and genetic predisposition. As yet, there has not been a breakthrough in the discovery of a particular alcoholic gene but there have been significant findings in the relationship between some inherited genes that are known to be present in a vast number of alcoholics studied. The gene found in those suffering from depression is 5-HTT (the serotonin transporter gene), is but one example of a commonly inherited gene shared by a large number of alcoholics. The presence of this gene also does not doom a person to depression. Like alcoholism, social and environmental factors are very evident in the reflection of the condition upon an individual.
Another genetically inherited characteristic that has a relationship to alcoholism is a variation in our liver enzymes that controls the rate that our liver processes alcohol. Alcoholism is considered to be a complex disease as is diabetes, meaning that genetic makeup alone does not automatically lead to alcoholism, social environmental influences contribute to the diseases presence.
We typically learn our social skills from within our families from birth. It is here that we learn right from wrong and acceptable social behavior. If a family get together is learned from our childhood conditioning as being an event that alcohol is consumed for the merriment of all this becomes imprinted in our minds as the nature of social interaction. The same principle applies to all other occasions and daily events. Certainly social conditioning is learned from all that we are exposed to, not just our immediate family. Indeed, visual repetitive learning is a valuable and effective teaching tool; unfortunately, it is not so selective as to be able to dismiss the negative influence also.
Environmental factors that often reflect a tendency toward alcoholism do not fall squarely in the home of a family. Life choices, actions and behaviors engaged in, continue to be the responsibilty of the individual. If your mother was an alcoholic, and the family drank to excess at home and socially, this does not absolve an individual of responsibility from the choices they make for themselves.
Science continues to explore the complexities of alcoholism. Certainly medical communities are diligently pressing on with the hope that one day this disease that destroys mankind from the inside out and devastates entire families and the loved ones of sufferers may one day be completely understood. We understand that while genetics contributes to the disease of alcoholism, there are complex factors at work which include social environment; much is yet to be learned. In the mean time, we may be grateful that help and support is available when someone is willing to accept it.
About the Author
Tell your story! Pick up our 101 page Addiction Recovery Help Guide to enhance your life in recovery. Bill Urell MA.CAAP-II, is an addictions therapist at a leading residential treatment center. He teaches healthy life styles and life skills. Visit our growing community at: http://www.AddictionRecoveryBasics.com
On the other hand, there are many genetically inherited characteristics that have been proven to impact on the likelihood of an individual becoming a statistic of alcoholism related concerns. It is safley surmised that the genetic predisposition toward alcoholism may be a combination of social factors and genetic predisposition. As yet, there has not been a breakthrough in the discovery of a particular alcoholic gene but there have been significant findings in the relationship between some inherited genes that are known to be present in a vast number of alcoholics studied. The gene found in those suffering from depression is 5-HTT (the serotonin transporter gene), is but one example of a commonly inherited gene shared by a large number of alcoholics. The presence of this gene also does not doom a person to depression. Like alcoholism, social and environmental factors are very evident in the reflection of the condition upon an individual.
Another genetically inherited characteristic that has a relationship to alcoholism is a variation in our liver enzymes that controls the rate that our liver processes alcohol. Alcoholism is considered to be a complex disease as is diabetes, meaning that genetic makeup alone does not automatically lead to alcoholism, social environmental influences contribute to the diseases presence.
We typically learn our social skills from within our families from birth. It is here that we learn right from wrong and acceptable social behavior. If a family get together is learned from our childhood conditioning as being an event that alcohol is consumed for the merriment of all this becomes imprinted in our minds as the nature of social interaction. The same principle applies to all other occasions and daily events. Certainly social conditioning is learned from all that we are exposed to, not just our immediate family. Indeed, visual repetitive learning is a valuable and effective teaching tool; unfortunately, it is not so selective as to be able to dismiss the negative influence also.
Environmental factors that often reflect a tendency toward alcoholism do not fall squarely in the home of a family. Life choices, actions and behaviors engaged in, continue to be the responsibilty of the individual. If your mother was an alcoholic, and the family drank to excess at home and socially, this does not absolve an individual of responsibility from the choices they make for themselves.
Science continues to explore the complexities of alcoholism. Certainly medical communities are diligently pressing on with the hope that one day this disease that destroys mankind from the inside out and devastates entire families and the loved ones of sufferers may one day be completely understood. We understand that while genetics contributes to the disease of alcoholism, there are complex factors at work which include social environment; much is yet to be learned. In the mean time, we may be grateful that help and support is available when someone is willing to accept it.
About the Author
Tell your story! Pick up our 101 page Addiction Recovery Help Guide to enhance your life in recovery. Bill Urell MA.CAAP-II, is an addictions therapist at a leading residential treatment center. He teaches healthy life styles and life skills. Visit our growing community at: http://www.AddictionRecoveryBasics.com
Stem cells Could Make The Crippled Walk Again by Frank Vanderlugt
The paralyzed could walk again and those who suffer from cancer and Parkinson's disease would be among the many who could return to a life free of disease. People with leukemia are already being healed.
Does this sound too good to be true, perhaps a vision of the distant future? The future is now. With adequate research, stem cells could be the one common factor in healing all of these injuries and diseases for good.
Stem cells. Cells that have the potential to be changed into any kind of cell in the body, making it possible to repair organs, spines, nerves, and fight the high white blood count of cancer. Just mention the words "stem cells" in a public place and you might find yourself at the center of a raging controversy. The use of stem cells in research asks a number of important questions.
Are using and ultimately destroying excess embryos created either purposefully for stem cell research or from in-vitro fertilization excess, embryos which are often destroyed anyway and will never otherwise be used and given a chance at life, equal to aborting a fetus that occurs naturally in a woman? Would research of stem cells usher in an era often shown in future science fiction morality tales of horror, a world of human clones?
Embryonic stem cells are destroyed as a result of embryonic stem cell research and some people do think that is equal to aborting a fetus under normal circumstances, even though the embryos used are only the ones that will never be implanted into a woman's womb and will never have a chance at life.
Stem cells do open up the possibility of human clones, as evidenced by a number of successful animal clone experiments, like Dolly the sheep. But human cloning is not the reason most scientists are interested in stem cell potential.
Despite stem cells' incredible potential to save lives and end numerous diseases, many people are not willing to "back down" on these points, including all U.S. presidents to date. New embryonic stem cell research is currently illegal in the United States, except on embryos that have already been created for that purpose.
The good news for those who look to stem cells to fight diseases that affect their loved ones is that about half of the world's population lives in countries that allow embryonic stem cell research while banning human cloning, including Australia, China, Japan, and much of Europe.
Stem cell research is still allowed in the United States as long as it is performed on adult stem cells. Although not as flexible as embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have already been successfully used to treat leukemia through bone marrow transplant. There are also the stem cells located in umbilical cords that have opened up a number of disease- and injury-fighting possibilities.
Everyone who fights disease and injury deserves a chance at a normal life. If you're against stem cell research, read a little more about the benefits of stem cell research and the kinds of stem cell research that don't use embryos.
Discover more about stem cells at stemcells.nih.gov. StemCells.com, an online stem cells medical journal, is an excellent resource for the latest breakthroughs in stem cell research if you can wade through medical terms.
About the Author
Frank J Vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.stem-cells-2007.com Stem Cells
Does this sound too good to be true, perhaps a vision of the distant future? The future is now. With adequate research, stem cells could be the one common factor in healing all of these injuries and diseases for good.
Stem cells. Cells that have the potential to be changed into any kind of cell in the body, making it possible to repair organs, spines, nerves, and fight the high white blood count of cancer. Just mention the words "stem cells" in a public place and you might find yourself at the center of a raging controversy. The use of stem cells in research asks a number of important questions.
Are using and ultimately destroying excess embryos created either purposefully for stem cell research or from in-vitro fertilization excess, embryos which are often destroyed anyway and will never otherwise be used and given a chance at life, equal to aborting a fetus that occurs naturally in a woman? Would research of stem cells usher in an era often shown in future science fiction morality tales of horror, a world of human clones?
Embryonic stem cells are destroyed as a result of embryonic stem cell research and some people do think that is equal to aborting a fetus under normal circumstances, even though the embryos used are only the ones that will never be implanted into a woman's womb and will never have a chance at life.
Stem cells do open up the possibility of human clones, as evidenced by a number of successful animal clone experiments, like Dolly the sheep. But human cloning is not the reason most scientists are interested in stem cell potential.
Despite stem cells' incredible potential to save lives and end numerous diseases, many people are not willing to "back down" on these points, including all U.S. presidents to date. New embryonic stem cell research is currently illegal in the United States, except on embryos that have already been created for that purpose.
The good news for those who look to stem cells to fight diseases that affect their loved ones is that about half of the world's population lives in countries that allow embryonic stem cell research while banning human cloning, including Australia, China, Japan, and much of Europe.
Stem cell research is still allowed in the United States as long as it is performed on adult stem cells. Although not as flexible as embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have already been successfully used to treat leukemia through bone marrow transplant. There are also the stem cells located in umbilical cords that have opened up a number of disease- and injury-fighting possibilities.
Everyone who fights disease and injury deserves a chance at a normal life. If you're against stem cell research, read a little more about the benefits of stem cell research and the kinds of stem cell research that don't use embryos.
Discover more about stem cells at stemcells.nih.gov. StemCells.com, an online stem cells medical journal, is an excellent resource for the latest breakthroughs in stem cell research if you can wade through medical terms.
About the Author
Frank J Vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.stem-cells-2007.com Stem Cells
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
