Creative Biomart Blog

Fri, 2015/08/21

Why Human Beings Are Called the Lord of Creation?

Why human beings are the most intelligent animals on the planet? Researchers at the University of Toronto gave an answer to it these days. This owes to a key molecular events. Studies have shown that a small change of PTBP1 protein controls the generation of neurons, helping mammals to evolve larger and more complicated brains. The size and complexity of the brain of vertebrates has significant difference. For example, humans and frogs have independently evolved over 350 million years, and the functions of their brain are quite different. So how is the huge gap formed? Scientists have found t

Tue, 2015/08/18

Mutant Mice Are More Intelligent?

A recent study has found that by inhibiting the expression of PDE4B protein, mice can have higher cognitive abilities. Compared to normal mice, the genetically modified mice were able to remember more distant events, and can solve more complex problems. This study, conducted by a Joint Task Force of Canadian and British, was published in the latest issue of "Neuropsychopharmacology". Phosphodiesterase-4B is a common enzyme in vertebrates. This enzyme is generally expressed in different organs (including the brain), and its function is to interrupt catalytic phosphodiester bond. By changing th

Mon, 2015/08/17

Cell launched Four Featured Cancer Immunotherapy Reviews

Although it has been years since the idea of using immune system to fight against cancer come into being, only until recent years do scientists find some successful treatment strategies. By manipulating the immune checkpoints and T cell activation to exert anti-tumor activity, immunotherapy has been applied to a wider range of malignancies now, while it only showed therapeutic potential in several types of cancers in the very beginning. Recently the Cell magazine, titled as "Harnessing Immunotherapy against Cancer", launched a series of selection reviews, making a comprehensive description of

Fri, 2015/08/14

Obesity? Novel Gene Accounted for That Was Found!

Recently, a research paper published in Nature Communications, has claimed that a key gene that leads to obesity was found. The genes presents in all cells of the body, and it can encode a protein called 14-3-3ζ. The researchers pointed that when silencing the expression of gene in the mouse body, a special type of unhealthy white fat in the mice body would decrease by 50%. This kind of fat has direct relation with the occurrence of obesity, heart attach and Diabetes. Moreover, although the mice will intake the same amount of food, but the body fat content is reduced. And mice with higher 14-

Thu, 2015/08/13

Regeneration of Heart?

In all one’s life, the blood, hair and skin cells can be continuously regenerated, but the heart cells lose proliferative capacity soon after birth. UCLA researchers first clarified the reasons why adult heart can not regenerate. The study, published in a recently Journal of Cell Biology, could help people reprogram the patient's heart, so that Cardiomyocytes cells can regain the ability to repair itself. In the first week after birth, the mammalian heart can be regenerated, but this capability will soon be lost. However, perhaps we can make the heart regain this ability, the senior author of

Wed, 2015/08/12

What’s Your Body Posture During Sleep?

First, question asked. What’s your posture during your sleep? Lying On Side, Lying Flat or Lying On Front? New study results have shown that lying on one’s side may help prevent Alzheimer disease. A report on the Journal of Neuroscience claimed that compared to lying flat and lying on one’s front, lying on one’s side can more efficiently remove the waste of the brain. And this posture was also proven to have the ability to reduce the risk of catching Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's disease and other Neurodegenerative diseases. For the accumulation of waste in the brain fosters high risk of oc

Tue, 2015/08/11

Dog Sniffs Cancer, Do You Believe It?

Dogs can help sniff cancer, though sounds incredible, this research has made a huge steep forward these years. Today, the “Cancer sniffing dogs project” has been approved by British NHS, entering into the testing phase, in order to further validate this uncanny ability of dogs. Actually, the ability of dogs to smell cancer is well documented. A 1989 report marked the first medical record of this ability. And the following studies have quantified how skilled dogs are at detecting different cancers including lung, breast and bladder cancers. To our surprise, they can do this just by smelling th

Mon, 2015/08/10

Month-end Check: Biotech study topics in Nature-July (Part TWO)

First robust genetic links to depression emerge Jonathan Flint and his team have found the first two genetic makers reproducibly linked to major depressive disorder, one of which is the leading causes of disability worldwide. This study yield two genetic sequences that seemed to have relation with depression: one in a stretch of DNA that codes for an enzyme whose function is not understood thoroughly until now and the other is next to the gene SIRT1, this however, is important for energy-producing structures called mitochondria. Those findings could give scientists guide for new drugs develop