Gene Therapy Helps Alzheimer’s
An experimental gene therapy developed by a UCSD research team has been shown to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by as much as two years, although it does not prevent the degenerative memory disorder from eventually progressing forward.
Led by neuroscience professor Mark Tuszynski, the team introduced cells that were genetically modified to produce a substance called nerve growth factor in the brains of volunteers. In areas of the brain where neurons were dying the fastest, the special cells acted as pumps and delivered NGF to surrounding tissue, slowing its degeneration.
The team used brain scans to determine that after eight to 10 months of treatment, patients’ metabolic brain activity increased significantly. Results also demonstrated that the disease’s progression was slowed in some volunteers by as much as 49 percent. Tuszynski plans to continue the gene therapy trials with new applications in early 2007.
Deep Sea Life Booming, Study Says
Deep ocean ecosystems, which remain largely unexplored and are considered the largest habitats in the world, are thriving, according to the results of a new study spearheaded by researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The team examined marine animals from deep sea habitats over a period of 15 years and found that in some areas, the fish population had increased threefold, presumably as a result of more food becoming available for the animals. This was most likely due to ocean fluctuations caused by environmental conditions known as El Niño and La Niña, which affected in the ocean’s temperature.
The researchers say their findings demonstrate that animals in the deep sea live in an ecosystem in which food supply directly correlates with population levels, called a “bottom-up control,” rather than a “top-down control” situation in which predator pressure determines the amount of available prey.
Web Chats Allow Student Input for UC
Students and staff wishing to share their opinions about keeping college education affordable, hiring practices or the planned direction of the University of California over the course of the next 20 years can do so via Web chats known collectively as “UC 2025.”
The chats, developed by UC President Robert C. Dynes, feature senior UC administrators, members of the UC planning effort and student Regent Adam Rosenthal.
Students were able to take part in the first chat on April 10 by logging on to the UC Web site. Staff can participate on April 18 from noon to 1 p.m. at the same site, and those unable to participate can send comments to the university via e-mail.
