A protein called NMNAT protects against nerve cell degeneration in fruit flies and mice, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report in the Public Library of Science Biology that appears online today. The finding begs the question if a drug might be developed that could stimulate extra protein production and thus neuronal protection – both in injured cells and in those degenerating because of disease, said Dr. Hugo Bellen, the paper's senior author, director of the BCM Program in Developmental Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. While more work needs to be done to determine whether that would be desirable, Bellen said the finding is an important one because it identifies NMNAT as essential in the life of the body's neurons. Much of the work described in the paper was done by its first author, Dr. R. Grace Zhai, a postdoctoral fellow in Bellen's laboratory. The story began two decades ago when researchers in the U.K. …

P(acman) – a new method of introducing DNA into the genome of fruit flies or Drosophila – promises to transform the ability of scientists to study the structure and function of virtually all the fly's genes, and the method may be applicable to other frequently studied organisms such as mice, said its Baylor College of Medicine developers in an article in the current issue of the journal Science. "P(acman) overcomes a key limitation of currently available methods because it allows you to study large chunks of DNA in vivo," said Dr. Hugo Bellen, professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and director of the program in developmental biology. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. The new technique allows researchers to study large genes and even gene complexes in the fruit fly, which was not possible before. P/phiC31 artificial chromosome for manipulation, or P(acman), combines three recently …

The fountain of youth may not be a fountain after all. Simply reducing caloric intake may help you lead a longer and healthier life. Dr. William Wong, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine's USDA Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, was awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Aging to help determine if a reduction of calories can increase longevity and decrease the risk of chronic disease. Previous animal studies suggest this is the case. Wong's lab will serve as the central doubly labeled water lab to support the NIA's Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy, or CALERIE, study. Doubly labeled water is a non-invasive way to estimate energy expenditure under free-living conditions, said Wong also co-director of the Obesity Center at Texas Children's Hospital. Participants drink the labeled water and return to their daily routine. Researchers label the water with two …

Hundreds of doctors called their lawmakers, and the AMA ran an ad in two of the nation's largest newspapers as an open letter to patients.

Two proposals called for changes in AMA policy, but neither was adopted by delegates.