The “hormone of love” – so-called due to its involvement in mother-child bonding – has a surprising new function. It turns out that this hormone, oxytocin, is also involved in the development of a small but crucial brain area already at the embryonic stage. This region is a part of the brain’s mechanism for controlling the body’s chemistry – from blood pressure to food metabolism, and in it, biochemical commands are passed from the brain to the body. Weizmann Institute scientists revealed its exact structure. The brain area in question is located at the base of the brain, where it is an interface between nerve fibers and blood vessels. The scientists have developed genetic tools that allowed them to re-examine the exact three-dimensional arrangement of this brain structure, along with clarifying how it forms. In so doing, they discovered the surprising new function for the hormone of love.

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What's the difference between cancer cells that are killed by chemotherapy and the ones that survive the treatment? Weizmann Institute scientists have developed an original method for imaging thousands of living cells over a period of time and analyzing their activities automatically by computer. The team's efforts have produced a comprehensive library of tagged cells, images and data on cancer cell proteins – a virtual gold-mine for further cancer research. They also succeeded in identifying two proteins that seem to play a role in cancer cell survival. Their findings may help to pinpoint possible new drug targets and to see how certain activities might boost the effectiveness of current drugs.

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As you read this, cells in your body are taking steps to commit suicide. When a cell is worn out, used up or irreparably damaged, or if changes in its DNA threaten to turn the cell cancerous, a special cellular mechanism is called upon to end things before trouble can ensue. The cell's genetic suicide program, called apoptosis, plays an essential role in many processes. Certain diseases, such as cancer, are caused because the cells fail to commit suicide as required; and other diseases, such as Alzheimer's, are caused by excessive cell suicide. Weizmann Institute scientists have identified a number of key players in the cell suicide program, and revealed in detail the mechanism by which suicide is carried out. These players may prove to be important drug targets to remediate the process of apoptosis.

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