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Procedure developed at Yale creates new bone

A new technique developed at Yale School of Medicine promotes rapid bone formation by removing bone marrow and injecting a hormone, offering a promising alternative to current treatments for weakened or fractured bones. The study, conducted in mice, shows that this procedure creates new bone tissue with improved biomechanical properties.

SourceYale University·JournalTissue Engineering·DateFeb 14, 2008

Researchers discover protein that controls bone growth

A research team has uncovered the molecular mechanism by which osteocrin controls bone growth, a discovery that may have important implications for people suffering from bone diseases affecting skeletal growth. Osteocrin was found to locally control the bone's supply of a hormone known as CNP, regulating bone growth.

SourceMcGill University·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateDec 19, 2007

New approaches to reduce scarring

Researchers examine hypertrophic scar formation, current treatments, and promising research areas to advance the field. Current treatments for hypertrophic scarring are estimated to cost at least $4 billion annually in the US.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateSep 3, 2007

Fat still on the children's menu

Research suggests that children can safely consume fat as part of a healthy diet, contrary to concerns over obesity. Children's bodies are more efficient at burning fat relative to energy expenditure due to their high growth rates and higher protein synthesis needs.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalNutrition Journal·DateAug 15, 2007

Researchers develop criteria to detect bone mass deficiencies in children with chronic diseases

Pediatricians now have a practical tool to help determine whether children with chronic diseases like Crohn's, juvenile arthritis and anorexia nervosa are at increased risk for bone mass deficiencies, fracture or osteoporosis as they get older. Researchers developed standardized data on bone mass categorized by sex, age, and race.

SourceCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center·JournalThe Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism·DateJun 6, 2007

JCI table of contents -- June 1, 2007

Researchers found that pregnant women's exposure to the flu vaccine stimulates the development of immune cells in their babies. The study used a new technique to detect antigen-specific T cells and showed that B and T cell responses occur in utero following maternal vaccination against influenza.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateJun 1, 2007

Math and fossils resolve a debate on dinosaur metabolism

A new study resolves a long-standing debate on dinosaur metabolism by using mathematical modeling and fossil data to estimate body temperatures. The results suggest that the largest dinosaurs had relatively constant body temperatures maintained through thermal inertia.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 10, 2006

A new way to build bone

Researchers found that slightly increasing NFATc1 activity leads to massive bone accumulation in mice, suggesting potential new targets for treating osteoporosis. The study's findings may enable the development of drugs that promote bone formation without causing undesirable side effects.

SourceHoward Hughes Medical Institute·JournalDevelopmental Cell·DateJun 5, 2006

An engineer, a dentist, a veterinarian build bone tissue

Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a new bone tissue engineering material using amorphous calcium phosphates, which they believe could lead to faster and higher quality bone formation. The team's work, in collaboration with the American Dental Association, is currently in press for several scientific journals.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalJournal of Biomedical Materials Research·DateJan 9, 2006

Alligator egg development at prehistoric oxygen levels

Researchers at Yale University have found that varying oxygen concentrations in alligator eggs alter growth patterns and affect bone development, suggesting a link to fossil records of prehistoric atmospheric oxygen levels. The study provides new insights into the complex interaction between vertebrate development and oxygen levels.

SourceYale University·JournalBiology Letters·DateAug 3, 2005

JCI table of contents July 1, 2005

Researchers induce indefinite organ allograft survival in rhesus monkeys by stimulating recipient T cells with donor cells, generating immunosuppressive anergic T cells. These cells suppress renal allograft rejection without additional immunosuppressive agents.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateJun 9, 2005

The oldest Homo sapiens

The oldest known fossils of Homo sapiens have been found in Ethiopia and date back to 195,000 years ago. This pushes the emergence of anatomically modern humans back by approximately 30,000 years, with implications for our understanding of human cultural development.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalNature·DateFeb 16, 2005

The birth of a beak

USC researchers detail process of beak formation in journal Science, identifying BMP4 as a major mediator of beak shape. The study sheds light on how different bird species develop uniquely shaped beaks reflecting their ecological niches.

Exercise more critical than calcium for adolescent bones

A recent study suggests that exercise is the predominant lifestyle determinant of bone strength in young women, with daily calcium intake showing little impact on adult bone mass. The research found that physical activity accounted for between 16% and 22% of variation in hip bone mineral density and bending strength.

SourcePenn State·JournalThe Journal of Pediatrics·DateJun 9, 2004