Science News - Heath

Obesity and Seatbelt Use; Epilepsy; Asthma

Obesity linked to decreased seatbelt use from PhysOrg.com

Obese people are less likely to use their seatbelts than the rest of the population, adding to the public health risks associated with this rapidly growing problem.

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Epilepsy and brain pathology linked together by the protein ADK from PhysOrg.com

The brain of individuals who suffer from epilepsy is characterized by astrogliosis, a brain pathology evidenced by a complex series of changes in the morphology and function of brain cells known as astrocytes. Little is known about how astrogliosis relates to the dysfunction of brain cells known as neurons in individuals with epilepsy, but filling in the blanks in our knowledge could lead to new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. A study using mice by Detlev Boison and colleagues at Legacy Clinical Research, Portland, has now identified the protein ADK in astrocytes as a molecular link between astrogliosis and neuronal dysfunction in epilepsy.

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Protein a possible key to allergy and asthma control from PhysOrg.com

Activating a protein found on some immune cells seems to halt the cells' typical job of spewing out substances that launch allergic reactions, a study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The findings could eventually lead to new treatments for allergic reactions ranging from annoying bouts of hay fever to deadly asthma attacks.

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