Research in Brief- 1st December 2011

Open Wide – I Want to Check Your Development

The Dental Institute at King’s College London has found that the body can ‘stall’ development of an embryo, while a critical developmental pathway increases its activity. Correcting potentially life threatening birth defects means that only three to five percent of babies are born with birth defects, which is very low considering the complexity of embryogenesis. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports how the growth of genetically defective molar teeth was ‘stalled’ for 24 hours in mice, while the developmental pathway was altered to correct the mistake.

New Genes Affecting Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major contributing factor to heart attacks and strokes. A new study published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, looked at subtle genetic similarities between 25,000 individuals each having particularly high or low blood pressure. They identified five new genes that appear to be implicated in these conditions. Particularly exciting was the identification of a gene that may affect the expression of a small molecule (nitric-oxide) that is already known to lower blood pressure.

YouTube Dogs Highlight Welfare Problems

400 YouTube videos showing dogs tail-chasing were analysed by researchers at The Royal Veterinary College London as part of a non-clinical study. Tail-chasing can be a form of play or an indicator of neurological conditions, physical discomfort and stress. PLoS ONE published results showing that one third of all dogs observed displayed clinical signs of problematic tail-chasing. The study highlights the need for better intervention, and education for owners to recognise play as distinct from stress.

Wrinkly Worms

The anti-wrinkle cream you put on each day may be just a waste of money. In 1999, scientists found a chemical that made fruit flies live longer and is now used as the active agent in most of these creams. New research published in Nature demonstrates that this chemical, which activates the so-called ‘longevity gene’ has never worked when, after putting the cream on some worms, they lived no longer than others. The new findings cast doubt on the idea that we can extend life by targeting genes.