Obesity Gene Identified by British Scientist

A gene that contributes to obesity has been identified for the first time, promising to explain why some people easily put on weight while others with similar lifestyles stay slim.

People who inherit one version of the gene rather than another are 70 percent more likely to be obese, British scientists have discovered. One in six people has the most vulnerable genetic make-up and weighs an average 3 kilograms more than those with the lowest risk. They also have 15 percent more body fat.

The findings provide the first robust link between a common gene and obesity, and could eventually lead to new ways of tackling one of the most significant causes of ill health in the developed world. One in four British adults is classified as obese, and half of men and a third of women are overweight.

Obesity is a main cause of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. An adviser to the Government’s health spending watchdog said recently that the condition was a bigger national danger than smoking, alcohol or poverty.

If the biological function of the gene, known as FTO, can now be understood, it could become possible to design drugs that manipulate it to help people to control their weight.

“Even though we have yet to fully understand the role played by the FTO gene in obesity, our findings are a source of great excitement,” Mark McCarthy, of the University of Oxford, who led the research, said.

Genome of Rhesus Monkey Mapped by Scientists

Scientists have unraveled the DNA of another of our primate relatives, this time a monkey named the rhesus macaque — and the work has far more immediate impact than just to study evolution.

These fuzzy animals are key to testing the safety of many medicines, and understanding such diseases as AIDS, and the new research will help scientists finally be sure when they're a good stand-in for humans.

"The thing we're all fascinated with is what makes us different from these animals who are so close to us," said Dr. Richard Gibbs of the Baylor College of Medicine, who led a team of more than 170 scientists that collaborated on the project.

In Friday's edition of the journal Science, the researchers report deciphering the macaque's DNA and comparing it to the genetic blueprints of humans and chimpanzees, our closest living relatives.

Among the most intriguing discoveries so far: a list of diseases where the same genetic mutation that makes people ill seems normal for the macaques.

"That is really quite a stunner," said Dr. Francis Collins, genetics chief at the National Institutes of Health, which funded the research. "It gives you a glimmer of how subtle changes in DNA cause big trouble."

The mapping of the human genome in 2001 sparked an explosion of work to similarly decipher the DNA of other animals, so scientists could compare species in the effort to understand the functions of various genes.

The rhesus macaque is the third primate genome to be completed, work that promises to greatly enhance understanding of primate evolution, perhaps even to help explain what makes us human.

Not surprisingly, the DNA of humans, chimps and macaques are highly similar. Humans and chimps have evolved separately since splitting from a common ancestor about 6 million years ago, but still have almost 99 percent of their gene sequences in common.

Macaques branched off from the ape family tree far earlier, about 25 million years ago — yet still share about 93 percent of their DNA with humans, the new work shows.

Here's the key: Six million years isn't long in evolutionary history. So if a particular gene is different in the human and the chimp, it's impossible to know which version came first.

Add these more ancient Old World monkeys into the mix, however, and it may be possible to tease out genetic changes that were important for key traits of modern humans, such as higher brain power and walking upright.

"That does point us, in a much more powerful way, to answering the question, 'What does humanness mean?' at the DNA level," said Collins, director of NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute.

But right away, the work raises some important biomedical questions, because rhesus macaques are ubiquitous in medical research.

Most vaccines and many drugs are tested in the monkeys before ever reaching people. And they're used as models of many human diseases, most notably the AIDS virus.

"As models, we expect them to behave like us," noted Baylor's Gibbs.

Yet consider some of the differences found so far:

— About one in 14,000 babies is born with PKU, or phenylketonuria, meaning their bodies can't process a protein found in most foods called phenylalanine. Without treatment, PKU causes mental retardation. But in macaques, the gene defect that causes PKU seems to cause no harm, suggesting they may somehow compensate in a way people can't.

The researchers found a list of such mutations, from ones linked with cystic fibrosis to blood diseases, that are bad news for people but seem normal in the monkeys. Most involved metabolic disorders that in turn can harm the brain, a link Gibbs found particularly compelling.

— The monkeys had triple the number of genes as people to do run one arm of the immune system. That raises immediate questions about how they react in vaccine or AIDS research.

"It would make sense that a comprehensive knowledge of their immune machinery should be a part of those studies," Gibbs said.

— On the other hand, macaques had far fewer of a family of cancer-related genes than either humans or chimps.

Gibbs said the work has importance for the animals, too — because knowing their genetic makeup should cut the number of monkeys needed in many biomedical experiments.

"It's really about experimenting less and being able to learn more," he said.

Stay tuned: More primate gene maps are on the way, including blueprints for orangutans, gorillas and gibbons.

Vegetarian Form of DHA Omega-3 Lowers Diastolic Blood Pressure

Made from microalgae under tightly controlled manufacturing conditions, life'sDHA is free of oceanic contaminants that may be present in certain fish or fish oils.


Martek's life's DHA from microalgae successfully reduces diastolic blood pressure in middle-aged subjects, according to an independent study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nutrition. The study, conducted at King's College, London, reported a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure. The investigators noted that this reduction is likely to be of clinical significance with regard to risk of future vascular events. This is the first study to assess the effects on blood pressure of intakes of DHA alone at less than 1.0 g per day. The study was neither funded nor sponsored by Martek Biosciences, but used Martek's life'sDHA as its algal DHA source.

The study involved 38 middle-aged subjects with an average age of 49 and an average blood pressure of 122/79 mmHg. Subjects randomly received either a 0.7 g per day of DHA or placebo for three months. Diastolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 3.3 mmHg. No significant changes occurred in systolic blood pressure. The daily DHA supplement increased DHA levels in red blood cells (erythrocytes) by 58 percent.

"This research is further evidence supporting the cardiovascular health benefits of Martek's life'sDHA," said Steve Dubin, CEO of Martek Biosciences.

Martek's life'sDHA is a vegetarian form of DHA omega-3, a long chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eye and supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages, from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in the diet. Scientific reviews have noted the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye development and function, and there are clinical studies underway to evaluate its role in decreasing the prevalence of certain neurological disorders. Yet despite its importance, Americans have among the lowest dietary intakes of DHA omega-3 in the world.

Martek's life'sDHA is unique in the market because it is derived from a sustainable and vegetarian source. Made from microalgae under tightly controlled manufacturing conditions, life'sDHA is free of oceanic contaminants that may be present in certain fish or fish oils. Microalgae are the only vegetarian source of DHA omega-3, the key omega-3 for brain and eye development and function.

Doctors in Bosnia go on strike

Doctors and other medical workers in the Muslim-Croat half of Bosnia went on strike Monday, demanding better salaries and regulations in the health sector, their union said.


Doctors in Bosnia go on strike

Some 22,000 doctors, nurses and others said they will treat only urgent cases until there is a new plan that will equalize salaries, pensions and other benefits in the entire federation is adopted.

"Health workers asked citizens for understanding and solidarity, so that we can, with joint efforts, force the federation government to finally take seriously the problems in the health sector and create a new action plan to solve them in the entire federation," the union statement said.

Medical workers in Bosnia have an average salary of EUR400 (US$540) and the salaries in each of the federation's 10 cantons differ.

"The difficult financial situation of some of the doctors in the federation has put doctors on the edge of pure existence," the union said.

Federation officials declined to comment on the strike, which will continue until an action plan is created, according to the union.

The peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 war left the country divided into a Muslim-Croat federation and a Bosnian Serb mini-state. Each have their own government, ministries and police and are linked only by joint state institutions, like the country's three-member presidency.

Long-Term Therapy Effective in Bipolar Depression

Psychotherapy for as long as nine months is significantly more effective than short-term treatment for alleviating depression associated with bipolar disease, new research suggests.

The drugs used to treat depression are of limited use in treating the repeating depressive episodes of bipolar illness, according to background information in the article, published last week in The Archives of General Psychiatry.

The researchers studied 293 patients with bipolar disease at 15 medical centers nationwide. They randomly assigned one group of 163 people to one of three kinds of psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, or family therapy) consisting of up to 30 50-minute sessions over nine months.

A second group of 130 patients was assigned to “collaborative care,” three sessions over six weeks designed to offer a brief version of the most common psychological and behavioral strategies shown to be beneficial in bipolar illness. The participants, whose average age was 40, were followed for one year, and all were also being treated with mood-stabilizing medicines.

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and controlling negative thoughts. In interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, patients concentrate on stabilizing daily routines and resolving interpersonal problems. Family therapy engages family members to help solve problems related to the illness, like failing to take medication properly, and to reduce the number of negative family interactions.

Therapists at each of the 15 medical centers received brief training in the therapies they administered.

“The study included real-world patients experiencing the early phases of a depressive episode,” said David J. Miklowitz, the study’s lead author and a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Colorado. “And the therapists who delivered the treatment were trained by experts in the field with low-intensity training, which is typical of what’s available in real-life practice.”

Recovery rates after one year were a combined average of 64 percent for the intensive therapy groups, but only 52 percent for those who had brief therapy. In any given month, the researchers calculated, a patient undergoing longer-term therapy was more than one and a half times as likely to be well as one who had short-term treatment. Family therapy was slightly more effective than interpersonal or cognitive behavioral therapy, but the differences among the types of intensive treatment were not statistically significant.

“This is a monumental study,” said Myrna M. Weissman, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia who was not involved in the work. “There are no pharmaceutical companies willing to pay for research in psychotherapy, so we don’t have many clinical trials.” But, she added: “Psychosocial treatment for bipolar illness is not an alternative to medication. It’s a supplement.”

The authors, one of whom has received grant support and consulting fees from several pharmaceutical companies, found that the median time to recovery for the patients in long-term therapy was 169 days, compared with 279 days for those who received the brief treatment.

The cost of long-term therapy is high, and insurance companies are reluctant to cover it. But according to Dr. Weissman, the cost of not covering it could be higher. “It isn’t just the cost of the therapy. It’s the long-term cost. Bipolar illness has devastating effects on families as well as on the patients themselves.”

Polyphenols Protect Against Numerous Diseases

Polyphenols help control free radical formation in humans and slow cell ageing. First and foremost, they are found in fruit and vegetables, but also in processed goods such as chocolate, tea or wine.


27/03/07 These molecules with antioxidant properties are found in the most common consumer products. They protect against numerous diseases. Polyphenols help control free radical formation in humans and slow cell ageing. First and foremost, they are found in fruit and vegetables, but also in processed goods such as chocolate, tea or wine. Humans consume around a gramme of polyphenols a day, which is more than ten times the figure for vitamin C.

Strawberries, lychees and grapes are the fruits with the highest polyphenol content, but vegetables are not far behind, particularly artichokes, parsley and brussels sprouts. Moreover, total consumption also plays a role. As Pierre Brat points out: "If we look at total polyphenol content in apples, they rank fifth compared to other fruits, but the extent of their consumption places them first!". Likewise, in terms of vegetables, potatoes rank just 19th, but their massive consumption means that they account for almost 60% of the polyphenols obtained from vegetables.

This prompted CIRAD and its partners to create a database, to set product composition against consumption. In all, the total polyphenol content of 162 vegetable and 71 fruit samples, along with 85 tea samples, was analysed. The results were used to compile a composition and consumption table, with values for 28 fruits and 24 vegetables.

Study Suggests New Avenue on Diabetes

Thirteen young diabetics in Brazil have been able to stop receiving insulin after being treated with stem cells taken from their own blood, researchers are reporting.

The experimental procedure has enabled the young people, who have Type 1 diabetes, to live free of insulin shots for as long as three years so far, according to the study, being published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Larger, more rigorous studies are needed to determine if stem cell transplants could become standard treatment for people with the disease, once called juvenile diabetes, which is much less common than Type 2, associated with obesity. While promising for future research, the study did not involve a comparison group with which to make sure the treatment was indeed better than standard diabetes care.

The research was done in Brazil because doctors in the United States were not interested in the approach, said one of the authors, Dr. Richard K Burt of Northwestern University’s medical school.

The patients ranged in age from 14 to 31 and were newly found to have Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is needed to regulate blood sugar levels, which when too high can lead to heart disease, blindness, nerve problems and kidney damage.

The purpose of the stem cell transplant was to stop the body’s attack on the pancreas. A study published last year described a different kind of experimental transplant, using pancreas cells from donated cadavers, that enabled a few diabetics to give up insulin shots. But that requires lifelong use of anti-rejection medicine, which the patients in Brazil do not need since the stem cells were their own.

In the newly reported study, 15 diabetics were treated at a bone marrow center at the University of São Paulo. In each case, the disease was diagnosed before the patients’ insulin-producing cells had been destroyed. That timing is crucial, Dr. Burt said. “If you wait too long,” he said, “you’ve exceeded the body’s ability to repair itself.”

Indeed, part of the procedure entails several days of high-dose chemotherapy, which virtually shuts down the immune system and so stops destruction of the few insulin-producing cells that the body has not already destroyed. The harvested stem cells, when injected back into the body, then build a new, healthier immune system that does not attack such cells.

Patients were hospitalized for about three weeks. Many had side effects including nausea, vomiting and hair loss. One developed pneumonia, the only severe complication.

Doctors changed the drug regimen after the treatment failed in the first patient, who ended up needing more insulin than before the study. Another patient also relapsed.

The remaining 13 “live a normal life without taking insulin,” said another author, Dr. Julio C. Voltarelli of the University of São Paulo. “They all went back to their lives.”

The patients enrolled in the study at different times, and so the length of time that they have been free of the need to take insulin also differs.