Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Genomes of Devastating Parasites Sequenced
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Scientists have sequenced the genomes of three parasites responsible for sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis. The achievement, reported in a series of papers in the journal Science this week, could lead to new treatments for these diseases.
Collectively, the three parasites -- Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanasoma cruzi, and Leishmania major -- cause disease and death in millions of humans each year.
The new genome sequences for these three killers provide needed information for drug and vaccine developers as well as a detailed roadmap of the biology and evolution of these organisms.
In addition, when Dr. Najib M. El-Sayed, from The Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Maryland and colleagues compared the genomes from these parasites, they observed some similarities, which they say could be "exploited therapeutically."
It may be possible to design drugs that could potentially be useful against all three organisms, they explain.
SOURCE: Science July 15, 2005.