Medical Research Council

About: Medical Research Council is a government organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Malaria. The organization has 16430 authors who have published 19150 publications receiving 1475494 citations.

The role of chromatin structure in regulating the expression of clustered genes.

Abstract: Much of what we know about the chromatin-based mechanisms that regulate gene expression in mammals has come from the study of what are, paradoxically, atypical genes. These are clusters of structurally and/or functionally related genes that are coordinately regulated during development, or between different cell types. Can unravelling the mechanisms of gene regulation at these gene clusters help us to understand how other genes are controlled? Moreover, can it explain why there is clustering of apparently unrelated genes in mammalian genomes?

A Phase II study of the sterilising activities of ofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Abstract: CONTEXTE: Le traitement actuel de la tuberculose (TB) pulmonaire pourrait etre raccourci par l'incorporation de fluoroquinolones dans les regions. OBJECTIFS: Avant un essai de Phase III d'un regime de 4 mois comportant la gatifloxacine (GFX), cette etude de Phase II a vise a evaluer les activites sterilisantes de trois nouveaux regimes contenant des fluoroquinolones. SCHEMA : On a alloue au hasard 217 patients a bacilloscopie positive recemment diagnostiques a un des quatre regimes comportant tous : isoniazide (INH), pyrazinamide et rifampicine (RMP), mais avec soit ethambutol, soit GFX, soit moxifloxacine (MXF), soit ofloxacine (OFX) pendant 2 mois. En fin de cure, on a administre RMP et INH pendant 4 mois. Les taux d'elimination de Mycobacterium tuberculosis ont ete compares entre les regimes par l'utilisation d'une modelisation non lineaire des effets melanges sur les decomptes de colonies de crachats en serie (SSCC) au cours des 8 premieres semaines. RESULTATS : Apres ajustement pour les covariables, la substitution par MXF apparait superieure au cours de la phase precoce de la chute bi-exponentielle des decomptes de colonies, mais une acceleration significative et similaire de l'elimination bacillaire au cours de la phase tardive est survenue tant avec la GFX qu'avec la MXF (P = 0,002). La substitution par OFX n'a pas eu d'effet. Ces observations sont renforcees par les estimations des delais de negativation utilisant la regression de Cox : on n'a toutefois pas trouve de differences significatives entre les proportions de cultures negatives a la Seme semaine. CONCLUSIONS : L'activite sterilisante des regimes est amelioree par la GFX et la MXF, ce qui pourrait raccourcir le traitement. L'introduction de ces produits dans des essais de Phase III parait justifiee.

Daidzein and genistein content of fruits and nuts.

Abstract: Dietary phytoestrogens such as the isoflavones daidzein and genistein are thought to protect against chronic diseases that are common in Western societies, such as cancer, osteoporosis, and ischemic heart disease In addition, there are concerns regarding the deleterious effects of hormone-like compounds, especially with respect to the development of infants However, there is little information regarding the phytoestrogen content of foods, and therefore epidemiologic investigations of phytoestrogens are limited As part of a study quantifying the consumption of phytoestrogens, the objective of this work was to assess the daidzein and genistein content of fruits and nuts commonly eaten in Europe Eighty different fruits and nuts were sampled, prepared for eating, and freeze-dried Daidzein and genistein were extracted from the dried foods, and the two isoflavones were quantified after hydrolytic removal of any conjugated carbohydrate Completeness of extraction and any procedural losses of the isoflavones were accounted for using synthetic daidzin (7-O-glucosyl-4'-hydroxyisoflavone) and genistin (7-O-glucosyl-4'5-dihydroxyisoflavone) as internal standards Of the 80 foods assayed, 43 contained no detectable daidzein or genistein, at a limit of quantification of 1 microg/kg dry weight of food Nine foods contained more than 100 microg of the two isoflavones combined per kilogram wet weight, and 28 contained less than this amount Currants and raisins were the richest sources of the isoflavones, containing 2,250 microg and 1,840 microg of the two isoflavones combined per kilogram of wet weight of food Although fruits and nuts are not as rich in isoflavone phytoestrogens as are soy and other legumes, this is the first documentation of levels of daidzein and genistein occurring in these foods

Influence of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin on antibody and cytokine responses to human neonatal vaccination

Abstract: The immaturity of the immune system increases the susceptibility of young infants to infectious diseases and prevents the induction of protective immune responses by vaccines. We previously reported that Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination induces a potent Th1 response to mycobacterial Ags in newborns. In this study, we evaluated the influence of BCG on the response to unrelated vaccines given in early life. Newborns were randomly allocated to one of three study groups receiving BCG at birth, when infants received their first dose of hepatitis B and oral polio vaccines; at 2 mo of age, when infants received their first dose of diphtheria and tetanus vaccines; or at 4.5 mo of age, when immune responses to vaccines were measured. Administration of BCG at the time of priming markedly increased the cellular and Ab responses to the hepatitis B vaccine, but had only a limited influence on the cytokine response to tetanus toxoid and no effect on the Ab responses to tetanus and diphtheria toxoids. Although BCG induced a potent Th1-type response to mycobacterial Ags, it promoted the production of both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines in response to unrelated vaccines. The effect of BCG was apparent at the systemic level, as it increased the Ab response to oral polio vaccine. These results demonstrate that BCG influences the immune response to unrelated Ags in early life, likely through its influence on the maturation of dendritic cells.