A company have claimed that — they have been able to repair the eye site in genetically altered mice using embryonic stem cells to repair damage.

Massachusetts based Advanced Cell Technology have stated that they have been able to create blood vessel precursor cells out of stem cells, and are plans to test them in humans.

Dr. Robert Lanza, vice president of research and scientific development at ACT, stated

we figured out how to produce literally billions of so-called ‘hemangioblasts’ — the mythical cell in the embryo that gives rise to our entire blood and immune system as well as to the blood vessels in our body. We’ve also tested these cells in animals for the first time, and it turns out that they have incredible reparative potential.

Their research may lead to the creation of treatments aimed at repairing the eyes of people with certain eye conditions that limit their site.

The researchers said they injected hemangioblasts into animals with damaged blood vessels in retinas caused by diabetes or injuries. The cells appeared to have begun repairing the vessels within two days, the study said. The cells demonstrated a similar ability to regenerate blood vessels in rodents with injured hind legs, but seemed to have no effect on healthy vessels.

The study is published online on Monday in Nature Methods, a journal of the London-based Nature group.

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Diabetes causes genetic damage to a man’s sperm that may affect his fertility, says researchers.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast found that men with diabetes had greater DNA damage in parts of sperm which contain the genetic material.

Previous studies have suggested that defective sperm DNA can lead to male infertility, pregnancy failure and miscarriages.

The study analysed sperm from 27 men with type-1 diabetes, with an average age of 34 and 29 non-diabetic men with an average age of similar age.

They found that the sperm DNA in diabetic men had greater levels of fragmentation - 52 per cent in comparison to 32 per cent in non-diabetic men. There were also more deletions of DNA in the energy-generating structures in the cells called mitochondria.

Lead author of the study Dr Ishola Agbaje said:

As far as we know, this is the first report of the quality of DNA in the nucleus and mitochondria of sperm in diabetes.

The study identifies important evidence of increased DNA fragmentation of nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA deletions in sperm from diabetic men. These findings cause concern, as they may have implications for fertility.

It is estimated by WHO that — diabetes affects about 180 million people today, and the figure is likely to more than double by 2030.

The study is published in the journal Human Reproduction.

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About 90 percent of urinary tract infections in the bladder are caused by E. coli bacteria. These infections afflict women four times as often as men, and in a large number of cases, the infection returns within weeks of antibiotic treatment.

Researchers at Duke University reported in today’s online edition of Nature Medicine that some bacteria were able to hide in lined small pouches in the bladder. Those pouches allow it to stretch as it fills.

The lead researcher says that in tests in mice, the extract can cause the pouches to kick out the bacteria, allowing antibiotics to kill them.

The next step for the researchers is to experiment in larger animals to see if they can completely eliminate a bladder infection.

The herbal extract is available in health food stores and some people take it by mouth as a supplement. It is promoted as a treatment for allergies, breathing problems and even fat loss.

However, researchers warn that people should not take forskolin and attempt to treat themselves for bladder infections. Urinary tract infections must be treated with antibiotics because they can quickly spread to the kidneys, so infected people needed to see their doctor. But the fact that forskolin is being used by some people does help indicate it is safe.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Via: USA TODAY

Scientists claim that they had identified several new genes connected to the most common form of diabetes in a major collaborative effort.

The findings, presented in three reports by university scientists and one by a private company, provide great insight into the role played by genes in the disease that affects 170 million people worldwide.

They identified at least eight genes that are clear diabetes risk factors - including three previously unknown ones - and several other likely risk factors that merit further attention. All are common in the general population.

They hope the findings can help guide development of new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, previously known as adult-onset diabetes, and genetic tests to determine a person’s predisposition for developing it.

The findings are based on a new research technique called genome-wide association studies, in which scientists compare genetic samples from thousands of individuals with a specific illness to those without it. Differences between the two are examined as possible genetic causes of the disease.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. It is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

The variant genes found so far account for only 2 percent to 20 percent of the overall risk of diabetes, implying there are many more to be found. The present genes are not sufficient to distinguish reliably between people at low or high risk for diabetes.

The findings by four international teams of researchers, published on Thursday in the journals Science and Nature Genetics.

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Coming only two years after the sequencing of the chimpanzee genome, the feat, reported today in the journal Science, provides new insight into what makes humans human.

Geneticist Richard A. Gibbs said,

It allows us to learn what has been added or deleted in primate evolution from the rhesus macaque to the chimpanzee to the human.

Comparing our genome with the genome of other organisms is crucial to identifying what makes the human genome unique, added Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, which sponsored the project.

The macaque genome joins a growing list that now includes not only humans and chimps, but also mouse, rat, dog, cow, honeybee, sea urchin, roundworm and yeast genomes.

The scientists have found that rhesus macaques and humans, primates who diverged from a common ancestor 25 million years ago still carry 97.5 percent of the same genes. Humans and chimps share an estimated 98% of DNA.

Medical scientists predict the newly sequenced macaque genome will benefit research in fields as diverse as HIV-AIDS and aging.

The research project involved 35 institutions and 170 researchers, including scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center in Hillsboro.

The genetic sequences of macaques, humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, dogs, cattle, roundworms and other species are freely available at http:www.ncbi.nih.gov/Genbank.

Via : Reuters

Paul McCartney has revealed that his upcoming new album, ‘Memory Almost Full’ would be launched in a digital format for download and for streaming online.

McCartney also told that — Beatles catalog would soon be made available in digital format for sale on the web as the talks are virtually settled.

McCartney tells Billboard:

I don’t want to pre-empt anything, but we’re well on the way to something happening there, which is very exciting.

Sir Paul’s upcoming album is going to be released — on June 5 via Starbucks’ new Hear Music label. As expected this album is likely to be highlighted prominently on the Apple iTunes store.

Looks like the recently announced settlement between Beatles and Apple is finally showing its results.

Paul’s new album ‘Memory Almost Full’ — will be his first solo release for the new Starbucks Hear Music label, available online, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

When asked about the timing of the online release of Beatles tunes, EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli recently replied that — he hoped it would be soon.

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Actor Mel Gibson has been praised by a Malibu judge for making steady progress in a court-ordered alcohol rehabilitation program following his drink-driving arrest last year.

Actor infamously made anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) in July 2006. He was sentenced to three years probation, fined $1,300 (GBP650) and ordered to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meeting for a year.

The Apocalypto director Gibson was not present in court at the time of hearing. Judge Lawrence J. Mira said he was pleased with the filmmaker’s progress.

Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira said:

I truly believe the rehabilitation that is being effected in this case is effective, and I don’t want anything to interrupt that.

Gibson’s publicist, Alan Nierob told The Associated Press on Friday:

He’s doing very well. He’s working hard. This is just an ongoing process that he’s committed to.

The actor has another court date on August 23 to monitor his progress. Gibson must appear in court in August for a final progress report.

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Furtado told Billboard.com:

I don’t think it’d be like a real rock band. It’d be more like our version of alternative, so it wouldn’t necessarily be like heavy and guitar-driven. It would be left field and not necessarily pop.

There’s no timetable to start work on the concept, and it doesn’t yet have a name because the pair can’t agree on one.

The Canadian songbird has her hands full at the moment, anyway. Current single ‘All Good Things (Come To An End)’ will be followed by ‘In God’s Hands,’ and there may be a couple more after that. ‘Loose’ has already been certified gold or platinum in 28 countries, but apparently the singer and her label want to exploit it for all it’s worth.

Furtado said:

I think the album is good and I want people to hear as much of it as possible before I go away again.

Furtado wants her next work to be done in Spanish and Portuguese instead of English. But there’s no specific agenda for that rightnow.

She will begin an American tour in Hollywood, Florida on May 30.

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Director/producer/screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola’s - ‘Youth Without Youth’, the helmer’s first feature film effort in 10 years. The World War II film will have its world premiere at the RomaCinemaFest in October.

Starring Tim Roth as an elderly professor whose apparent immortality makes him a target of the Nazis, the World War II-set tale was filmed in Romania.

The film also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Pirici, Marcel Iures and Andre Hennicke.

Coppola has written the film’s screenplay, which is based on a novella by Romanian author Mircea Eliade.

Coppola said:

This film represents a new period in my career, where I intend to make only personal films. I look forward to showing it at this new festival in Italy, whose great masters such as Rossellini, Fellini, Visconti, Pasolini and Antonioni inspired my early career.

Coppola won his first Academy Award for the screenplay of ‘Patton’ in 1971.

The legendry filmmaker has been nominated for Academy Award best director further three times and for the best picture award on four other occasions.

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Bobby Brown is suing his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, in a bid to change his terms of custody with their 14-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina.

In court papers, the singer reveals he was too strapped for cash when his wife first filed for divorce last year and couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer to help him fight for custody.

Bobby Brown says he’s devastated about losing his rights to see his 14-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina.

Singer admits that — he has been homeless at times since the divorce, and is seeking spousal support, as well as child support for their daughter. A court date for Brown’s new case has set for 15 June.

The couple’s divorce was finalised last month.

Whitney Houston filed for a legal separation in September 2006 and divorce the following month, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Known differences included — a trial separation, drug addiction, alleged infidelity and an arrest on suspicion of domestic abuse.

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