Binocular vision gene is discovered

Binocular vision gene is discoveredCAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A team of U.S., Australian, and German researchers have identified the gene needed for binocular vision in mice.Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Mriganka Sur and colleagues from the University of Sydney and the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Germany studied normal mice, as well as mice in which the activity of the critical gene was suppressed.They noted many animals, including mice and humans, are able to perceive depth because of the successful coordination of different images from each eye.The scientists found mice with the suppressed gene were blind, although their eyes worked normally. The investigators discovered the image from one eye suppressed the image from the other eye. When the neural signals from one eye were blocked, the affected mice could once again see, though only with monocular vision."This is an amazing instance of 'gain of function' that proves immediately that the gene is directly responsible for creating matched projections from the two eyes," Sur said, noting the finding could lead to new treatments for visual disorders.

Anti-aging study finds enzymes protect cells

Anti-aging study finds enzymes protect cellsA new study concludes that two enzymes--SIRT3 and SIRT4--play a key role in mitochondria, regulating the aging process. The researchers say that a drop in calorie intake triggers these two enzymes, invigorating mitochondria--which convert nutrients to energy--creating stronger and more efficient cell batteries. The rise of enzymes prevents mitochondria from developing pores in their membranes that allow protein to leech into the rest of the cell, triggering apoptosis, or cell death. Both SIRT3 and SIRT4 are sirtuins, which have become an intense focus for a handful of biotech companies concentrating on the developing of anti-aging therapies. Harvard Medical School's David Sinclair says that he believes that SIRT3 may prove to be the most effective anti-aging enzyme, because it not only protects cells but provides the same benefits as exercise.

Bacteria May Reduce Risk For Kidney Stones

Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that the bacteria Oxalobacter formigenes (O. formigenes), a naturally occurring bacterium that has no known side effects, is associated with a 70 percent reduction in the risk of recurrent kidney stones.

Full story- Kidney stones are an important health problem in many countries. In the United States, the lifetime risk for developing a stone is five to 15 percent, and a five-year risk for recurrence is 30 to 50 percent. The economic impact of hospital admissions for this condition is $2 billion per year.
According to the researchers, up to 80 percent of kidney stones are predominately composed on calcium oxalate (CaOx) and urinary oxalate is a major risk factor for CaOx stone formation. O. formigenes metabolizes oxalate in the intestinal tract and is present in a large proportion of the normal adult population.
Data was collected in the Boston, Massachusetts and Durham, North Carolina areas from 247 adult patients with recurrent CaOx stones and compared with 259 age, sex, and region-matched controls. O. formigenes colonization was determined by culture of stool samples. Information was obtained by interview and self-administered dietary questionnaire. 24-hour oxalate excretion and other urinary risk factors were measured in a subset of 139 cases and 138 controls. The prevalence of O. formigenes was 17 percent among cases and 38 percent among controls, giving an odds ration of 0.3. The finding was consistent in subgroups defined according to age, sex, race, region and antibiotic use.
"We observed a strong inverse association between colonization with O. formigenes and recurrent CaOx kidney stones, with a 70 percent reduction in overall risk," said lead researcher David Kaufman, ScD, a professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. "Our findings are of potential clinical importance. The possibility of using the bacterium as a probiotic is currently in the early stages of investigation," added Kaufman.
These findings appear online in the March issue Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.