Briefs
Genome of drug-resistant bacteria shows subtle changes
The bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, can be acquired in the hospital or the community. New concerns center around the community-acquired form that appears to cause serious infections.
Enzyme WIP1 derails protection of 'genome guardian'
When too much of an enzyme called WIP1 is produced in a cell, it prevents the genome guardian p53 from protecting against dangerous DNA mutations, according to Baylor College of Medicine researchers.
Two genetic mutations might provide seizure protection
Two wrongs can make a right – at least in the genetics of the brain, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher in a recent report in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The zinc-pancreatic cancer link
Too much of a molecule called ZIP4 can actually promote growth and spread of pancreatic cancer cells, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions.
A Matter of Health
The fanfare that accompanied the stages of the Human Genome Project were lacking, but when the Human Microbiome Project was inaugurated this year as a National Institutes of Health Roadmap initiative, science opened the door to a new understanding of human health and the origin of disease.
