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LA JOLLA LIGHT -NOvember 3, 2011 - Page a15
Researchers detail major molecular target for drugs
Research Report By Lynne Friedmann Three international teams of scientists, led by researchers at UCSD, University of michigan and Stanford University, have published a trio of papers describing the structure and workings of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCrs), a large family of human proteins that are the target of one-third to one-half of modern drugs. GPCrs are involved in almost every human physiological function. Located within the membranes of cells, these receptors detect arriving hormones, chemical neurotransmitters, odors and other signaling molecules, then activate internal proteins, which, behaving like molecular switches, initiate other events that affect everything from the senses and behavior to fundamental functions like heart rate and blood pressure. malfunctions in these signaling pathways have been linked to dozens of diseases, including diabetes, blindness,
asthma, depression and some forms of cancer. but historically GPCrs have been very difficult to work with and many drugs based on targeting GPCrs have been hit or miss because little has been known about how GPCrs work at the sub-molecular level. These three complementary papers go a long way toward addressing that shortfall. Two of the papers are coverstory articles in the journal Nature. The third paper appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). News release at http://bit.ly/saAtL3. Scripps Research gets top ranking The Scripps research Institute (TSrI) tops a recent decade-long international ranking of institutions for “impact” (citations per scientific paper) in the field of chemistry. The ranking, published in Thomson reuter’s ScienceWatch newsletter, tracks trends and performance in basic research during the period 2001 to 2011. The report, “Chemistry, at the Highest Level,” scored TSrI as first on the list of high-impact institutions with nearly 42 citations per paper. This was followed in the ranking by Harvard University, rice University, and Caltech. more informa-
You may think hearing aids are still clunky, embarrassing objects that shout to the world, “Hey everybody! Something’s wrong with me!” That’s about to change.
tion at http://bit.ly/p04F5S. Genetics and alcoholism A study by UCSD School of medicine researchers suggests that differences in brain activation in individuals with a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to their inability to recognize modest levels of alcohol intoxication. A low level of response to alcohol is a genetically influenced characteristic that carries significant risk for the later development of alcoholism. In the study researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmrI) to examine brain activation in young men and women, ages 18 to 25, with both low and high level of response to alcohol and found significant differences in brain activation between individuals while performing a cognitive task. The findings could provide a marker to identify individuals at risk for developing an alcohol-use disorder before it develops. The findings appear online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & experimental research. News release http:// bit.ly/nr69QN. — Lynne Friedmann is a science writer based in Solana Beach.
University chair named for Scripps cardiologist The University of michigan medical School has established the eric J. Topol Professorship in Cardiovascular medicine in honor of the man who is currently chief academic officer at Scripps Health and a senior
Heard & Not Seen
cardiologist practitioner at Scripps Clinic. Topol was a faculty member at the University of michigan from 1985-1991, a time of rapid advancement in the treatment of heart attacks.
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The Invisible In Canal (IIC) is virtually undetectable! Breaking News
At a recent gathering of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), scientists revealed a hearing aid microchip processor so small that it can fit inside a hearing aid shell custom formed to your ear canal to fit right next to the ear drum. It sits so deep in the canal that it ends where other hearing aids begin. And that makes it completely undetectable to anyone else. In fact, we like to say it’s “invisible.”
Packs a Punch
Despite its miniature size, the processor inside the “Invisible-In-Canal” hearing aid is so powerful it supports the most sophisticated advances in digital hearing technology to date. It is so fast, that it samples the listening environment 2,000 times per second and makes automatic adjustments to the sound it delivers to your ear. When someone is talking, it is designed to quiet the background noise in-between syllables and amplify the speaker’s voice so that you can clearly hear and understand the words.
No Whistling, Buzzing or Plugged-up Feeling
It also supports the undisputed world-leading feedback cancellation technology. This means the annoying whistling and buzzing your uncle’s old hearing aids used to make is a thing of the past. In addition, the positioning of the hearing aid beyond the second bend in the ear canal is meant to work with the ear’s natural acoustics to deliver more precise and natural sound—and resolve that pluggedup or head-in-a-barrel sensation (a complaint of many hearing aid wearers).
Are You Missing Too Much?
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The IIC sits so deep in the canal it ends
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