My Water Sticker Pink

first option, Venezuelan biologist

Hoenicka Janet White heads the Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychiatry Service, Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, whose research team discovered the involvement A novel protein in the predisposition to addiction. S UMAD a piece the complex puzzle that is the human genome gives clues about the biological factors associated with addiction.

The discovery was published in the latest issue of the journal Biology Psychiatry, as a result of an investigation that began seven years ago with the genetic marker analysis TaqI is the most studied in psychiatry and its relationship with alcoholism.

According to Dr. Janet Hoenicka, principal investigator of the study, "in 2004 found that this marker was within ANKK1 gene and not within DRD2 as was supposed, and until our work is published no one had described its functionality, or found their protein. "

According to the researchers, the study not only has identified the new protein, but also their location in space and time.

"We now know that protein is ANKK1 brain cells known as astroglial which are present not only in the adult brain, but also in the embryonic period. These cells assume a large number of key roles in nervous activity."

The researcher explains that "the discovery of the protein is the missing piece to a better understanding of the relationship between the marker of this gene and these associated psychiatric disorders, and stresses that the results of research open a new scenario for deeper understanding of mental disorders.

Laboratory of Neuroscience Psychiatry Department of the Doce de Octubre hospital develops several research focused on the relationship of this novel protein with the dopaminergic system in the brain.

research paves the way for the creation of drugs that act on the brain dopamine system in the treatment of social ills. In the future, when comprehensive genetic profiles can be established, the knowledge generated will identify the individual who is most at risk of becoming addict and avoid consumption.
"As part of the vulnerability is in the genes, we can observe the behavior of one's family and know that if there is a higher incidence of addiction, then we must be careful.




Science and Environment" We got daily with a different brain "

Hoenicka Janet White graduated from the Universidad Simón Bolívar for over 20 years and has focused his studies of biology in the brain, a topic that passion and that he says still have a long way .

"It's something as complex as behavior, which is a reflection of what happens in the brain.
There are many neurons, each is a single cell and each time you create another synapse. It's wonderful.
brain plasticity
That is a lot to learn. "Hoenicka, 45 years old, received his doctorate in 1994 at the Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain.

Janet Hoenicka, researcher Main work, is also the IP of the two FIS projects they have funded the study. For her, the first key finding, the identification of gene expression, since until now no one knew that there was no protein was visualized ANKK1-is "the missing piece to a better understanding of this phenomenon Genetic and underlying pathology related disorders Taq IA.
Source Simon Bolivar University

Gen.es