Disrupting Male Fertility Nov 18, 2009
New research, by David H. Volle and colleagues, at INSERM U895, France, has identified the molecular mechanism underlying many of the harmful effects of DES on the mouse testis ... The pivotal experiments demonstrated that neonatal exposure to DES led to a much more dramatic reduction in fertility in male mice with the protein NR0B2 than it did in male mice lacking the protein because NR0B2 deficiency protected male mice against the negative effects of DES on testis development and function. (Science Daily)
A solution to Darwin's 'mystery of the mysteries' emerges from the dark matter of the genome Oct 27, 2009
Odysseus is a gene that is derived from a transcription factor, and it was long believed to be a protein that turned on expression of other genes in Drosophila testis. Odysseus also had been previously shown to rapidly evolve in its DNA-binding domain. (EurekAlert!)
Environmental Chemicals Found In Breast Milk And High Incidence Of Testicular Cancer Sep 26, 2009
25, 2009) A comparison of breast milk samples from Denmark and Finland revealed a significant difference in environmental chemicals which have previously been implicated in testicular cancer or in adversely affecting development of the fetal testis in humans and animals. See also. (Science Daily)
Defining sex Sep 12, 2009
In Klinefelter's syndrome, males have two or more x chromosomes in addition to one y chromosome which leads to abnormal development of the testis and low levels of testosterone. Men who inherit an extra y chromosome are usually taller than average and are prone to acne because of high levels of testosterone. (BBC News -- Health)
Champ Runner May Have Male, Female Organs Sep 12, 2009
" Thinks for the laugh; I needed it today. by bubbadubba September 11, 2009 4:06 PM EDT In a world where women demand and deserve equal rights, why do we do we not allow them to compete in the same events as men? That would do away with all this gender silliness.I say give women equal rights, make them equal to men on the sports field, and let's see how well they do in the real world not their special little sports world made just for them.I am sure Rosie, Ellen, and their friends would agree... (CBS News -- Early Show)
Stem Cells Made From Developing Sperm Aug 8, 2009
Like all stem cells, each of the nine stem cells in the fly testis divides to form two daughter cells: One stays a stem cell and the other differentiates into an adult cell, in this case, a sperm cell. To figure out what might cause sperm cells to revert or dedifferentiate, Matunis's research team genetically altered the flies so that both cells become sperm, reducing the stem cell population in the testis to nothing ... The team genetically altered flies to reduce the activity of Jak and STAT... (Science Daily)
Chemical Nose May Sniff Out Cancer Earlier Jun 24, 2009
In blinded experiments in four human cancer cell lines (cervical, liver, testis and breast), as well as in three metastatic breast cell lines, and in normal cells, the new detection technique correctly indicated not only the presence of cancer cells in a sample but also identified primary cancer vs. metastatic disease. In further experiments to rule out the possibility that the chemical nose had simply detected individual differences in cells from different donors, the researchers repeated the... (Science Daily)
Antidepressants May Reduce Male Fertility Jun 17, 2009
Lead author Dr. Cigdem (Cori) Tanrikut explains that while the exact mechanism isn't understood, the evidence points to the drug slowing sperm as it travels through the male reproductive tract from the testis to the ejaculatory ducts. Sperm gets "hung up," she says, allowing it to get old and its DNA damaged. (Newsmax)
Low And High Levels Of Hormone In Men With Heart Failure Associated With Increased Risk Of Death May 16, 2009
"Both low and high concentrations of circulating estradiol are significant predictors of a poor prognosis, independently of gonadal [testis] and adrenal androgen deficiencies and conventional clinical prognostic indicators," the authors write. "Further studies are needed to explain the origin of these hormonal derangements.". (Science Daily)
Twenty-Four Experts Gather to Discuss Hottest Stem Cell Topics at First Singapore-Germany Meeting Apr 13, 2009
2] Prof Thomas Skutella's research was published in an article titled, "Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis", in the journal Nature. Reference: Nature (2008) 456, 344-349. (JCN Network, Japan)
Dealing With Dwarfism Apr 3, 2009
(July 15, 2008) In a cruel irony, testis cells carrying the mutation that causes Apert's syndrome are fitter than normal cells, even though children born from sperm derived from those cells are weakened by fused. (Sep. (Science Daily)
Human Adult Testes Cells Can Become Embryonic-like Mar 25, 2009
The Georgetown researchers are among the first scientists to show that human testes stem cells can become embryonic-like stem cells, and they have done this work using testis tissue from organ donors, which they say has provided enough valuable tissue to allow them to make their discoveries. While they have published their preliminary results before, they are now disclosing a new and simpler method to isolate the testes stem/progenitor cells than has not been seen in other published procedures... (Science Daily)
Critical Growth Factor That Stimulates Sperm Stem Cells To Thrive Identified Mar 15, 2009
Based upon research focusing on the niche and the SSC, the team previously discovered that the niche in the testis of a newborn male mouse supported stem cells and their ability to produce spermatogenesis much better than the niche in the mature adult male testis ... This finding demonstrated that it was the SSC niche in the testis that was failing in older males long before the stem cells, which were relatively long-lived ... Self-renewal and differentiation of SSCs provides the foundation for... (Science Daily)
One in Three Cancer Survivors on Unemployment Line Feb 19, 2009
"Unemployment was higher in survivors of breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer and cancers of the female reproductive organs, but unemployment rates were not higher for survivors of blood cancers, prostate cancers or testis cancers compared to controls," she added. Results of the study were published in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. (MEDLINEplus)
