http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news from University of Massachusetts Medical School Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have developed a novel transgenic system which allows them to remotely activate individual brain cells in the model organism Drosophila using ambient temperature. This powerful new tool for identifying and characterizing neural circuitry has lead to the identification of a pair of neurons – now called Fdg neurons – in the fruit fly that decide when to eat and initiate the subsequent feeding action. Discovery of these neurons may help neurobiologists better understand how the brain uses memory and stimuli to produce classically conditioned responses, such as those often associated with phobias or drug tolerance. The study appears in the journal Nature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-scientists-neurons-behavior-drosophila.html Neuroscience Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:19:37 EST news290434694 Postmenopausal women who use antidepressant medication or suffer from depression might be more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), larger waist circumference and inflammation—all associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by University of Massachusetts Medical School investigator Yunsheng Ma, PhD, MD, MPH, and published in the June 13 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-depression-postmenopausal-women-diabetes-cardiovascular.html Health Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:10:01 EST news290354875 (Medical Xpress)—Women struggling with clinical depression and obesity should consider a comprehensive weight loss program to significantly boost their mood, according to new research out of UMass Medical School published in the International Journal of Obesity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-weight-loss-depression.html Overweight and Obesity Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:50:04 EST news286095797 Sometimes you just can't resist a tiny piece of chocolate cake. Even the most health-conscious eaters find themselves indulging in junk foods from time to time. New research by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) raises the striking possibility that even small amounts of these occasional indulgences may produce significant changes in gene expression that could negatively impact physiology and health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-scientists-dietary-gene-physiology.html Medical research Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:42:41 EST news283693354 (Medical Xpress)—Important new research from UMass Medical School demonstrates how exosomes shuttle proteins from neurons to muscle cells where they take part in critical signaling mechanisms, an exciting discovery that means these tiny vehicles could one day be loaded with therapeutic agents, such as RNA interference (RNAi), and directly target disease-carrying cells. The study, published this month in the journal Neuron, is the first evidence that exosomes can transfer membrane proteins that play an important role in cell-to-cell signaling in the nervous system. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-intercellular-potential-rnai-gene-based-therapeutics.html Neuroscience Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:10:01 EST news283596137 That kale and bitter melon you are eating may someday save your life. An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have taken a step forward in understanding how the substances that give some foods their bitter flavor also act to reverse the contraction of airway cells, a process known as bronchodilation. This effect may one day be harnessed to provide improved treatments for airway obstructive diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The findings were published on March 5 in the open access journal PLOS Biology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-scientists-mechanisms-airways-bitter-substances.html Medical research Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:00:10 EST news281712795 A study led by University of Massachusetts Medical School professor and immunologist Katherine Luzuriaga, MD, and Johns Hopkins Children's Center virologist Deborah Persaud, MD, highlights the long-term benefits of early antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiated in infants. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-early-antiretroviral-treatment-viral-reservoirs.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:00:02 EST news281624209 A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School describe the first case of a so-called "functional cure" in an HIV-infected infant. The finding, the investigators say, may help pave the way to eliminating HIV infection in children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-functional-hiv-infant.html HIV & AIDS Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:39:40 EST news281551169 A retrovirus called HERV-H, which inserted itself into the human genome millions of years ago, may play an important role in pluripotent stem cells, according to a new study published in the journal Retrovirology by scientists at UMass Medical School. Pluripotent stem cells are capable of generating all tissue types, including blood cells, brain cells and heart cells. The discovery, which may help explain how these cells maintain a state of pluripotency and are able to differentiate into many types of cells, could have profound implications for therapies that would use pluripotent stem cells to treat a range of human diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-retrovirus-human-genome-pluripotent-stem.html Medical research Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:44:38 EST news278171020 A team of scientists, including faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), have discovered a gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). The study, published today in Nature Medicine, describes how the loss of activity of a receptor called EphA4 substantially extends the lifespan of people with the disease. When coupled with a UMMS study published last month in Nature identifying a new ALS gene (profilin-1) that also works in conjunction with EphA4, these findings point to a new molecular pathway in neurons that is directly related to ALS susceptibility and severity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-scientists-gene-survival-amyotrophic-lateral.html Genetics Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:00:18 EST news265186387 A pivotal clinical trial for an anti-rabies human monoclonal antibody (RMAb) being developed through a collaborative partnership between MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Serum Institute of India, Ltd., is starting to enroll patients. The study, sponsored by the Serum Institute, will evaluate the efficacy of post-exposure prophylaxis following rabies exposure with RMAb and vaccine compared to standard treatment of human rabies immune globulin (hRIG) and vaccine. Post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies that includes a monoclonal antibody should provide a more affordable, safer alternative to prevent the disease, which is a world-wide public health problem impacting 10 million people a year and resulting in some 55,000 deaths. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-clinical-trial-rabies-monoclonal-antibody.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:14:06 EST news263567615 Older patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience changes in cognitive function, such as memory problems or an inability to focus, in the days immediately following their operations. While these changes are usually temporary, for unknown reasons, a significant number of cardiac patients will encounter long-term cognitive problems, lasting as long as a year after their surgeries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-postoperative-delirium-cardiac-surgery-patients.html Cardiology Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:00:04 EST news260626574 Degeneration of the axon and synapse, the slender projection through which neurons transmit electrical impulses to neighboring cells, is a hallmark of some of the most crippling neurodegenerative and brain diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease and peripheral neuropathy. Scientists have worked for decades to understand axonal degeneration and its relation to these diseases. Now, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are the first to describe a gene – dSarm/Sarm1 – responsible for actively promoting axon destruction after injury. The research, published today online by Science, provides evidence of an exciting new therapeutic target that could be used to delay or even stop axon decay. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-scientists-gene-axon-degeneration.html Genetics Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:00:07 EST news258295032 Chromosomes, the molecular basis of genetic heredity, remain enigmatic 130 years after their discovery in 1882 by Walther Flemming. New research published online in Nature by the team of Edith Heard, PhD, from the Curie Institute and Job Dekker, PhD, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), reveals a new layer in the complex organization of chromosomes. The scientists have shown that chromosomes fold in a series of contiguous "yarns" that harbor groups of genes and regulatory elements, bringing them in contact with each other and allowing them to work in a coordinated manner during development. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-discovery-reveals-chromosomes-yarns.html Genetics Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:41:21 EST news253373802 Clinical researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) are combining an innovative constellation of technologies such as artificial intelligence, smartphone programming, biosensors and wireless connectivity to develop a device designed to detect physiological stressors associated with drug cravings and respond with user-tailored behavioral interventions that prevent substance use. Preliminary data about the multi-media device, called iHeal, was published online first in the Journal of Medical Toxicology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-drug-smartphones.html Health Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:42:59 EST news249064967