Researchers Develop Powerful Tool To Measure Metabolites In Living Cells
By engineering cells to express a modified RNA called "Spinach, " researchers have imaged small-molecule metabolites in living cells and observed how their levels change over time. Metabolites are the products of individual cell metabolism. The ability to measure their rate of production could be used to recognize a cell gone metabolically awry, as in cancer, or identify the drug that can restore the cell's metabolites to normal. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College say the advance, described in Science, has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the metabolome, the thousands of metabolites that provide chemical fingerprints of dynamic activity within cells.
Potential Link Between Colorectal Cancer Risk, Obesity And Alcohol Consumption
A case-control study from Newfoundland/Labrador has reported that greater alcohol intake may increase the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among obese subjects, but not among non-obese subjects. This is not a particularly large study, and only 45-60% of subjects who were recruited by telephone ended up providing data. Further, it is a case-control comparison, rather than a cohort analysis, making bias in the results more likely. In this study, there was no relation of alcohol with the risk of CRC when considering the entire population.
What Is Peyronie's Disease? What Causes Peyronie's Disease?
Peyronie's Disease, also known as curvature of the penis, Induratio penis plastic, or Chronic Inflammation of the Tunica Albuginea (CITA), is a condition in which the penis, when erect, bends abnormally. Fibrous scar tissue (fibrous plaques) develops under the penis' skin. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, up to 10% of men are affected. In many cases, a man's penis may curve slightly and there is no cause for concern. Congenital curvature refers to a certain degree of bending of the penis - this is considered as normal;