How 'Checkpoint' Proteins Bind Chromosomes
The development of more effective cancer drugs could be a step nearer thanks to the discovery, by scientists at Warwick Medical School, of how an inbuilt 'security check' operates to guarantee cells divide with the correct number of chromosomes. Most cells in our bodies contain 23 pairs of chromosomes that encode our individual genetic identities. The process of chromosome segregation is monitored by a system called the spindle checkpoint that ensures daughter cells receive the correct number of chromosomes.
Small-Bowel Obstruction Post-Surgery, Risk Factors Examined
A study in the April issue of Archives of Surgery, demonstrates that in comparison with laparoscopic surgery, open surgery seems to be linked to a higher risk of small-bowel obstruction (SBO). The researchers state in their study background that SBO is a common reason for emergency admission. One of SBO's major causes are intraperitoneal or abdominal adhesions, which can develop from peritoneal trauma, for instance before abdominal surgery and develop within days of a surgical procedure. The researchers state: "Laparoscopic surgery is considered to be associated with less surgical trauma, implying a reduction of adhesions", but point out that study literature on the clinical effect of laparoscopy on adhesion-related morbidity has not been convincing.
Discovery Of 'Housekeeping' Mechanism For Brain Stem Cells
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified a molecular pathway that controls the retention and release of the brain's stem cells. The discovery offers new insights into normal and abnormal neurologic development and could eventually lead to regenerative therapies for neurologic disease and injury. The findings, from a collaborative effort of the laboratories of Drs. Anna Lasorella and Antonio Iavarone, were published in the online edition of Nature Cell Biology. The research builds on recent studies, which showed that stem cells reside in specialized niches, or microenvironments, that support and maintain them.