Stem cells on the brain

The ability to stimulate brain cell growth may soon be an option in the treatment of a variety of neurological disorders. Recently, Harvard University scientists have discovered two key compounds that affect the growth of cells in the brain, one that signals cells to grow and one that stops growth. The two compounds normally play a role in inflammation and are also regulators of proliferation of several different cell types. LTB4, the growth compound, causes stem cells from the brains of mouse embryos to proliferate and differentiate, giving rise to additional stem cells and differentiated neurons. When the mouse cells were exposed to LXA4, the compound that stops growth, they experienced decreased growth and cell death. With these findings, scientists hope to selectively regulate the growth of the brain’s stem cells in order to provide therapeutic approaches to illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological disorders.

Source: FASEB Journal

-Mayce Al-Sukhni

Better fat than starving

At the 10th International Congress on Obesity in Sydney, leading researchers on obesity and its health complications warned that there are more overweight people in the world today than undernourished. The World Health Organization statistics estimate there are one billion overweight adults, most of which reside in developed countries, while 800 million people do not have enough to eat. The statistics also estimate that by 2010, the developing world will break the developed world’s staggering stat of obesity, a projection these researchers announced ominously. “The Obesity Epidemic,” as it is termed, has also affected an estimated 22 million children worldwide. Researchers warn that the health consequences of obesity, like diabetes and heart disease, will immobilize hospitals and facilities everywhere.

Source: A.P.

-Sandy Huen

The mind of a criminal

In the field of drug abuse research, one Kansas State University professor studies the drug methamphetamine, or meth, from a unique perspective. Using geography and geospatial technology, the study used seized meth labs to analyze the association between meth lab distribution and the meth maker’s socio-economic and geographic position. Described as one of the most dangerous drugs abused, meth is made relatively easily at home with over-the-counter medicines. With data from a number of seized meth labs over the past six years, the study concluded that meth labs weren’t set up randomly over geographical space. Three zones in Kansas were revealed to be fertile ground for meth lab establishments, specifically those with low housing values and high unemployment rates. Poverty and drug abuse found to be linked. Who would have guessed? As the next phase of the study, the investigators plan to interview law-enforcement officers in the area. Perhaps they will shed some new light on drug abuse in North America.

Source: Kansas State University

-S.H.