The Scientist

Transgenic animals carrying a prokaryotic vector are useful tools for mutation studies and the detection of spontaneous or induced mutations in different tissues. Advances in fish transgenesis make it possible to develop fish that can be used both to assess the health hazards of mutagens in aquatic environments and for comparative mutagenesis analysis. In a paper published online ahead of print in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Winn et al. report the use of a bacteriophage lamb

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The Caenorhabditis elegans lin-4 and let-7 genes encode small RNAs that bind to complementary sequences in the 3' untranslated region of various developmental genes. Both genes control developmental timing, with let-7 driving a transition from late larval to adult cell fates. In the 2 November Nature, Pasquinelli et al. report that homologs of let-7 (but not lin-4) are found in a wide range of bilaterian animals, including flies, abalone, sea urchins, sea squirts, zebrafish, frog and human (Natu

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Brain imaging by scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry in London has revealed structural changes in the brain of schizophrenics, which could provide a means of identifying those people most at risk. This could enable doctors to diagnose schizophrenia before the onset of psychotic symptoms, and intervene before the condition takes hold.In a study published in November American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr Tonmoy Sharma and his team studied 37 patients who were experiencing their first episode of

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Small-scale trials of a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis are giving encouraging results, announced a team from University College London at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology this week. The announcement sparked intense media interest, prompting rheumatologists to warn that the treatment is only in its infancy and should not be considered a 'cure'.The treatment involves the use of the drug rituximab, which attaches to a protein on the surface of B cells and suppresse

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Air travel is not associated with increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, say the authors of a study published shortly after a young British woman died from DVT following a long-haul flight.

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