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"Alcohol consumption is prevalent among women in the U.S. and is a risk factor for breast cancer," said UH cancer biologist Chin-Yo Lin. "Our research shows alcohol enhances the actions of estrogen in driving the growth of breast cancer cells and diminishes the effects of the cancer drug Tamoxifen on blocking estrogen by increasing the levels of a cancer-causing gene called BRAF." Chin-Yo Lin, University of HoustonLin, an assistant professor with the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling and the Department of Biology and Biochemistry , and his former Ph.D. student, Nicholes Candelaria, describe their findings in a paper titled "Alcohol Regulates Genes that Are Associated with Response to Endocrine Therapy and Attenuates the Actions of Tamoxifen in Breast Cancer Cells," recently appearing in  PLOS ONE , an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science. Lin and Candelaria, who graduated from UH in 20...

The scent of alcohol could make it more durable for folks to regulate their behaviour. Credit score: © vladimirfloyd / Fotolia The scent of alcohol could make it more durable for folks to regulate their behaviour in keeping with a staff of Edge Hill College researchers whose findings have been printed at present within the  Psychopharmacology journal. Throughout the computer-based examine carried out at Edge Hill College, members have been requested to put on a face masks that was both laced with alcohol , or a non-alcoholic citrus answer. Contributors have been then instructed to press a button when both the letter Ok or an image of a beer bottle appeared on their display. The researchers measured the variety of instances the members incorrectly pressed the button inflicting a 'false alarm'. These false alarms point out a discount within the participant's energy to inhibit their behaviour once they have been an...

Thomas L. Kash, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and the lead author of the study published in the journal  Cell Reports , used mice to show the effects of KORs on behavior. "When KORs are inactivated, glutamate is released properly and mice showed significant signs of feeling less anxious," said Kash, who is also a member of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. "But when kappa opioid receptors are activated, this glutamate release associated with 'safety' was tamped down. There were clear signs of more anxiety. So, in essence, KORs shut off an anxiety-reducing pathway in the brain." Humans also have kappa opioid receptors that work in the same way. Several pharmaceutical companies are already working on developing KOR antagonists as a treatment for anxiety and drug abuse, Kash said. The new study in Cell Reports adds to a growing body of literature showing how these drugs may work. Profiling neurons to define new target proteins for drug ...