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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Huntington's disease treatment possible
NOVATO, Calif., Nov 28, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A study at California's Buck Institute for Age Research suggests a new treatment for Huntington's disease, an incurable and fatal brain disorder.
Scientists at the Novato, Calif., institute say mice genetically engineered to develop HD were treated with FGF-2, a protein shown to increase the growth of new blood vessels in human clinical trials.
In the study, the use of FGF-2 resulted in a 150 percent increase in new cells in the Huntington's mouse brain, compared with a 30 percent increase in non-genetically engineered mice.
Researchers say the treatment extended the lifespan of the affected mice by 20 percent and the animals exhibited improved motor performance, decreased cell death and a reduction in the amount of toxic aggregates that typically form in the brains of those affected by HD.
Lisa Ellerby, lead scientist of the study, said the new cells migrated to the area of the brain affected by Huntington's disease and assumed the features of the type of neuron commonly lost in HD.
The research appears in the on-line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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