Itch-specific Neurons Identified Aug 8, 2009
Chen's team also found GRPR in a group of spinal-cord cells called lamina 1 neurons that relay both itch and pain sensations to the brain. "But the identification of an itch receptor in spinal-cord neurons didn't mean those neurons were itch-specific because it was possible that they also could have pain-related genes," says Chen, associate professor of anesthesiology, of psychiatry and of developmental biology. (Science Daily)
Sticky protein helps reinforce fragile muscle membranes Jul 24, 2009
Just as the piece of pink tape prevents a pin from bursting this balloon, the sturdy basal lamina reinforces muscle cell membranes and keeps small tears from bursting open ... Specifically, the team identified a protein called alpha dystroglycan as the "glue" that binds muscle membranes to a tough layer of extracellular proteins called the basal lamina ... Just as a piece of sticky tape can prevent a pin from bursting a balloon, the sturdy basal lamina reinforces muscle cell membranes and keeps... (EurekAlert!)
Scientists seek genes that make teeth grow all in a row Feb 27, 2009
Teeth ultimately erupt from a thickened band of tissue along the jaw line called the dental lamina, a band that forms in a top layer of the gum called the epithelium. Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Forget dentures: Why not grow new teeth? Feb 27, 2009
Teeth ultimately erupt from a thickened band of tissue along the jaw line called the dental lamina, a band that forms in a top layer of the gum called the epithelium. Scientists have long thought the signals for tooth formation must lie in that tissue layer as well. (MSNBC -- Health)
Scientists discover why teeth form in a single row Feb 27, 2009
The first sign of tooth development in mammals is the thickening of the epithelium along the jaw line to form a band of cells called the dental lamina. Because all teeth subsequently form from the dental lamina, the assumption was that some special quality of epithelial cells there made them "tooth competent." Classical experiments, however, found that the developing tooth mesenchyme was capable of inducing tooth formation from epithelial tissues that normally would not participate in tooth... (EurekAlert!)
CM undergoes spine surgery Feb 13, 2009
A part of the lamina, a bone that is a part of the vertebra close to the spinal cord, was also removed. "The part of the bone that we removed from the lamina was used as a graft from where the degenerated disc was removed," the hospital's chief orthopaedic surgeon Dr S S K Marthandam said. (Times of India)
